Colorado basketball’s proved it belongs despite loss to Texas Tech

The Colorado Buffaloes won three games in Big 12 Conference play a year ago, an extraordinarily down year for Tad Boyle’s Buffs.

Through three games of conference play this season, the Buffs were two points away from matching their in-conference win total from a season ago. Behind stars Isaiah Johnson and Sebastian Rancik, Colorado has morphed into an offense machine that averages over 80 points a game en route to a 12-4 start. Their play and the team’s fight are why, despite a 73-71 loss to No. 14 Texas Tech, the Buffs proved to themselves and the rest of the nation that Colorado men’s basketball is back on Saturday night.

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Jan 10, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson (2) shoots the ball over Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Donovan Atwell (12) in the second half at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Big 12 Conference is nothing short of a powerhouse this season, and while Colorado has looked more capable of competing in the Big 12 this season, it’s by no means perfect. The young squad’s inexperience was on full display in the middle of their contest against Texas Tech, as the Red Raiders exploited the Buffs’ lack of defensive discipline to extend their lead to as much as 24 points.

It was an ugly viewing experience, and the CU Events Center fell dead silent, as if the Buffs were still not ready to compete with the conference’s top teams. Then, Johnson happened. The 6-foot-1 point guard, who was ice cold in the first half, got back to his bread and butter of driving into the lane, drawing fouls and knocking down free throws to the tune of 21 second-half points.

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The other key to the Buffs’ comeback was a shift in their defensive philosophy: they switched to a man-to-man defense and used the Red Raiders’ foul trouble to their advantage. Colorado made them one-dimensional late, forcing turnovers they desperately lacked all game.

Slowly, the Red Raiders’ lead dwindled and gave the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/colorado-basketballs-proved-belongs-despite-113107228.html

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Publish date : 2026-01-13 11:31:00

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