Granted, we are just a few games into a long season, but the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team has a different feel to it opposed to last year.
After losing their entire starting lineup from a March Madness run the year prior, Tad Boyle and company had to reinvent the wheel and attack the transfer portal to fill the void. It all seemed so rushed, especially in the midst of a move back to the Big 12.
As a result, the Buffs went a league-worst 3-17 in conference play, finishing the season with a record of 14-21. In fairness to that group, a lot of the games were closer than expected. Going 0-for-10 on the road was not a recipe for success either, and that’s something Colorado will have to improve upon this season.
Tad Boyle's recruiting efforts have paid major early dividends
Boyle put a lot of effort into recruiting, and Colorado currently has an abundance of freshman talent seeing minutes, including Ian Inman, Isaiah Johnson, Alon Michaeli, Josiah Sanders, and Jalin Holland. Even Fawaz Ifaola got some run against Alabama State. All of them currently play off the bench, giving Colorado much-needed depth – something they didn’t have much of last year.
how bout the freshmen 👀
— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) November 18, 2025
Alon: 10 pts | 5 reb | 4 ast | 1 stl
Josiah: 10 pts | 3 reb | 2 ast
Isaiah: 10 pts | 4-6 FG pic.twitter.com/MhpbkOp8iU
Johnson is going to be a name to keep an eye out for. The point guard has scored in double-figures in all four of Colorado’s games, averaging 16.5 points on 58.6% shooting. In his first collegiate game, he dropped a team-high 24 points against Montana State. He will be vying for a starting spot down the road this season as Boyle eases him in.
Returners such as Sebastian Rancik, Elijah Malone, and Bangot Dak occupy the starting lineup alongside UC-Riverside transfer Barrington Hargress.
In their first two games, Colorado snuck by Montana State and Eastern Washington (double overtime), but they defeated Providence convincingly at home. The ups and downs are to be expected with a young core, but it will be interesting to see how this group develops over the course of the season.
The roster currently constructed has a number of players Tad can turn to, which gives this team a different feel opposed to last season.
Colorado will look to keep their winning streak alive as it hosts UC-Davis Friday night in Boulder.