Buffaloes Host UTSA Saturday

Game 10 - UTSA, Saturday, December 13, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 2:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4a9tzdj
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 391, SXM App 981 https://sxm.app.link/SXM981
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/611125
Series Record: CU Leads, 4-0 (1.000)
Last Meeting: W, 92-77 (December 22, 1995 at Boulder, Colo.)
Streak: Won 4 Last 10 Meetings: 4-0

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-1 overall, falling for the first time this season with a 91-86 setback at Colorado State on Dec. 6. Despite the loss, the Buffaloes are off to their best start through nine games since the 2018-19 team also began 8-1.

Colorado won its first eight games in a season for the first time in 76 years. The 8-0 start tied for the second-best in school history, last achieved in the 1949-50 season.

Colorado's offense has been strong during nonconference play, ranking among the nation's best in several categories. The Buffaloes are fourth in the nation in 3-point shooting at 41.0 percent, while also not relying on that shot. Colorado is attempting the 16th-fewest 3-pointers in the nation at only 17.3 per game.

Overall, the Buffaloes are shooting 52.1 percent from the field, ranking third in the Big 12 Conference and 13th in the country. Colorado shot an impressive 62.1 percent from the field at Colorado State, the highest percentage in a loss since the Buffaloes shot 64.5 percent (20-31) at Oklahoma on Jan. 21, 1978. Colorado's 62.1 percent from the field was the best on the road since shooting 66.7 percent at Texas Tech in a 70-62 win on Dec. 28, 1985.

Colorado is averaging 88.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the Big 12 and 30th in the nation. The Buffaloes scored 86 at Colorado State, their most on the road in regulation since scoring 98 at Washington on Jan. 24, 2024. It's the most in a loss, in regulation, since a 95-90 setback at Iowa State on March 2, 2011.

Colorado has been taking care of the ball. The Buffaloes are 11th in the nation in turnovers at just 9.3 per game and 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). Colorado committed just six turnovers at CSU, its fewest since giving up four against Utah on Feb. 24, 2024. Colorado has four games this season with single-digit turnovers, compared to just one in 35 games in 2024-25. The program has a long-standing single-game team goal of 11 turnovers or fewer and has hit that mark in all nine contests.

SCORING BALANCE: Colorado has had at least four players score in double figures in each of its nine games and four of those contests, Montana State, Alabama State, UC Davis and Washington, the Buffaloes had five with at least 10 points.

Colorado had only four games with four players scoring in double figures in 35 contests last year (3-1 record) and none with five. Prior to this season, the NCAA Tournament win over Florida on March 22, 2024 was the last instance of five double-digit scorers.

The Buffaloes had a different leading scorer in each of its first four games. Freshman Isaiah Johnson led the way against Montana State with 24 points. Sophomore Sebastian Rancik equaled that output against Eastern Washington. Freshman Alon Michaeli had 20 points to lead the way against Providence. Junior Bangot Dak was the first repeat scoring leader of the season, topping the Buffaloes with 16 against Alabama State and a season-high 18 against UC Davis.

BD MVP: Junior forward Bangot Dak earned most valuable player honors at the Acrisure Holiday Classic. Dak averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 blocks with zero turnovers at the two-game classic. Against San Francisco, Dak had 13 points, five rebounds and a career-high six assists. In the championship game against Washington, Dak recorded his first career double-double, leading the Buffs with 15 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

On the season, Dak leads the Buffaloes and is 11th in the Big 12 at 7.2 rebounds per game and eighth in blocks at 1.8 per outing. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field.

HARGRESS DISHING: Junior Barrington Hargress is averaging 4.9 assists per game, leading the Buffaloes and ranking 12th in the Big 12. He has just 12 turnovers on the season, with his 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio ranking second in the conference and 27th in the nation.

Hargress has three games with at least eight assists this season. Last year, the Buffs didn't have any player reach eight in a single game. He scored 15 points and dished out a career-high 11 assists in the win over Providence. It was his second-career double-double and double-figure assist game. Hargress had 22 points and 10 assists with UC Riverside against Montana State on Dec. 18, 2024.

Against UC Davis, Hargress had nine assists with zero turnovers. It was the most assists by a Buffalo without a turnover since McKinley Wright IV had 13 assists with no turnovers in the NCAA Tournament win over Georgetown on March 20, 2021.

Hargress dished out eight assists, with seven points and three steals, in the Acrisure Holiday Classic title game vs. Washington.

SEBI'S ALL-AROUND GAME: Sophomore Sebastian Rancik is second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg), assists (24) and rebounding (5.6 rpg).

His rebounding numbers have picked up, averaging 7.0 rebounds over the last five games. Rancik tied a career-high with nine against San Francisco.

Rancik dished out a career-high five assists against UC Davis, along with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Rancik leads the team and ranks eighth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 84.9 percent. He has made 45 of 53 from the line, which includes a string of 25-straight made between the Eastern Washington and UC Davis games.

BENCH STRENGTH: Colorado is averaging 36.3 points per game from its bench accounting for 41 percent of the team's scoring through nine contests. The Buffaloes' reserves are shooting 52.7 percent from the field while also pitching in 11.9 rebounds per game.

Colorado's 36.3 bench points per game is second in the Big 12 and ranks 22nd in NCAA Division I.

Freshman Isaiah Johnson is Colorado's leading scorer while coming off the bench in all nine games. He is averaging 15.3 points, while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from 3-point range. Johnson has scored in double figures in all but one game. He averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in last week's games with CBU and CSU.

The bench has accounted for the leading scorer five times, Johnson vs. Montana State, San Francisco and California Baptist and Alon Michaeli vs. Providence and Colorado State.

Michaeli is averaging 11.9 points on 55.2 percent shooting in his eight games off the bench. He has scored in double figures in all but one game. Michaeli had a team-high 19 points at Colorado State, hitting 8 of 12 from the field. He is shooting 63 percent over his last three games (17 of 27).

SHARP-SHOOTING DUO: Graduate Elijah Malone and sophomore Felix Kossaras are 1-2 in field goal shooting for the Buffaloes who collectively shoot 52.1 from the field.

Malone has made 63.6 percent of his field goals, hitting on 28 of 44 from the floor. He is averaging 7.9 points and is third on the team in rebounding at 4.9 boards per game.

Malone had made at least 50 percent of his shots in all nine games this season and overall in his last 12 contests dating back to last year.

Kossaras is averaging 8.2 points and has made 62.8 percent from the field (27-43) and 52 percent from 3-point range. He's third on the team in 3-pointers made with 11. Kossaras scored a career-high 17 points in the win over UC Davis.

CU IN THE NET: A snapshot of Colorado's NET rankings in 2025-26 (through games of Dec. 11).

Current: 45 | Highest: 39 (Dec. 2) | Lowest: 46 (Dec. 1)

Opponent Net Rank: 37 | Opponent Avg. Net: 133

Quad 1: 0-1 | Quad 2: 1-0 | Quad 3: 5-0 | Quad 4: 2-0

ABOUT THE ROADRUNNERS: UTSA is 4-5 overall and comes to Boulder on a two-game skid following a 97-55 setback at No. 12 Alabama on Dec. 7. The Roadrunners are averaging 72.6 points per game, shooting just under 40 percent from the field. UTSA has been solid on the boards, ranking 24th in the nation in rebounds at 42.2 per game. Defensively, the Roadrunners are allowing 71.1 points per game, and have held opponents to 38.1 shooting which leads the American Athletic Conference and ranks 23rd in the nation. UTSA is also the AAC's top 3-point defensive team allowing just 28.5 percent.

Graduate guard Jamir Simpson leads the Roadrunners at 18.8 points per game, accounting for one-quarter of the team's scoring. He leads UTSA with 27 3-pointers and is one of four Roadrunners with at least 10 steals. Six players average between seven and nine points for the Roadrunners. Freshman guard Dorian Hayes is second on the team in scoring at 8.7 points per game and 3-pointers (22). Junior guard Austin Nunez tops the Roadrunners in assists (22) and averages 8.6 points per game. Freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield leads UTSA in rebounds at 7.1 per game while pitching in 7.8 per contest.

THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting between Colorado and UTSA and the first in 30 years. The Buffaloes have won all four previous meetings, the last a 92-77 decision at the CU Events Center on Dec. 22, 1995.

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Players Mentioned

Bangot Dak

Barrington Hargress

Isaiah Johnson

Felix Kossaras

Elijah Malone

Alon Michaeli

Sebastian Rancik

Colorado University Athletics