Colorado University Athletics
Thursday, January 29
Ames, Iowa
5 p.m.
Colorado
at
Iowa State
Buffs Travel To No. 8 Iowa State
January 27, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Game 21 - Iowa State, Thursday, January 29, 2026
Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: FS1 (Tim Brando, Nick Bahe)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 385, SXM App 975Â https://sxm.app.link/SXM975
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/3ZGyBY1
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 12-8 overall and 2-5 in Big 12 play, tied for 10th in the conference standings as one of four teams with that league record. The Buffaloes have dropped their last five, their longest stretch of the season, and seven of their last nine.
Despite the recent slide, Colorado matched its win total from the 2024-25, 31-game regular season (12-19) by the mid-part of this campaign. The Buffaloes are just one win away from matching their conference win total from a year ago. Colorado would finish with 14 overall wins after a pair of wins in the Big 12 Championship (14-21).
Colorado ranks among the top 50 teams in the nation in a few categories. The Buffaloes top the Big 12 and are 25th in the nation in free throw shooting at 77.2 percent. The Buffaloes also sport top 50 national rankings in turnovers allowed (33rd, 9.9 topg), assist-to-turnover ratio (30th, 1.6) and free throws made per game (50th, 18.0).
PROTECTING THE ROCK: Colorado's 9.9 turnovers allowed per game rank second in the Big 12, behind only No. 10/7 ranked Houston (8.5 topg).
The Buffaloes have recorded single digits in turnovers nine times this season, including three straight and in four of the last five games. The Buffaloes have a long-standing single-game team goal of allowing 11 turnovers or fewer, a mark they've hit in 14 of 20 games. In contrast, the 2024-25 team only achieved that feat seven times in 35 games and only once recorded single digits (8 at Kansas, Feb. 24, 2025).
Colorado is averaging 6.0 turnovers the last three games. It's the first time the Buffaloes have had a stretch of three games in single digit turnovers since Dec. 16-22, 2020. It's the first time against conference opponents since Mar. 7-13, 2019.
Colorado committed just three turnovers against Kansas, setting a team record for fewest turnovers in a conference game. The previous mark was four, done twice, against Utah on Feb. 24, 2024 and against Iowa State on Jan. 30, 2010. It was the second-fewest in team history, trailing only the two given up at San Jose State on Dec. 19, 1978.
SCORING BALANCE: Colorado has had at least four players score in double figures in 15 of 20 games, including the first nine. The Buffaloes have had four games with at least five scoring in double digits.
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 have had five different players lead the team in scoring this season and four have had 20-point games. Isaiah Johnson, Sebastian Rancik and Barrington Hargress each scored 20 points against UCF, giving the Buffaloes three 20-point scorers in one game for the first time since Xavier Johnson (27), Josh Scott (21) and Askia Booker (20) vs. Washington on Feb. 9, 2014.
Colorado is averaging 31.3 points per game from its bench accounting for 38 percent of the team's scoring. The Buffaloes' reserves are shooting 46.2 percent from the field while also pitching in 12.1 rebounds per game.
Colorado's 31.3 bench points per game leads the Big 12 and ranks 32nd in NCAA Division I.
Freshman Isaiah Johnson is Colorado's leading scorer at 16.2points per game. After coming off the bench for the first 17 games of the season, he has started the last three, leading, or sharing the team lead, in scoring the last two. His 16.1 points per game average in games off the bench leads Power 4 Conference players and is third in NCAA Division I overall, trailing only Tarleton State's Dior Johnson (23.6 ppg) and Northern Kentucky's Donovan Oday (18.4 ppg).
Johnson is 18th in the nation, and fourth in the Big 12, in scoring by freshmen.
Johnson has a team-best five 20-point games, including 21 points against No. 14 Texas Tech. In that contest, Johnson was 13 of 13 from the line, marking the fourth-most free throws without a miss in team history and the most since Spencer Dinwiddie was 14 of 14 against Arizona State on Feb. 16, 2013.
Johnson leads the Buffaloes in free throws made (106) and attempted (128), 3-pointers made (32) and steals (21) while ranking second in assists (47), 3-point attempts (75) and 3-point percentage (.427).
Johnson is sixth in the nation for free throws made by a freshman. He is 12th in the country among freshmen in free throw shooting.
Junior Barrington Hargress leads Colorado in assists (92) and 3-point percentage (.536) and is second in scoring (14.2 ppg), 3-pointers made and field goal percentage (.548) and third in steals (18). He had 20 points and four assists against UCF, hitting 6 of 8 from the field and a perfect 3 of 3 from 3-point range.Â
On the Big 12 charts, Hargress ranks third in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4), eighth in field goal percentage and 11th in assists (4.6 apg) . He is the best field goal shooter in the Big 12, and 13th in the country, from the guard position.
Hargress has eight games with at least five assists and also 11 games with no more than one turnover. Over the last five contests, he has 20 assists against just three turnovers (6.7 a/to). His 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 22nd best mark in the nation.
Sophomore Sebastian Rancik is second on the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg), free throws made (88) and attempted (101) and third in scoring (13.3 ppg), assists (39) and 3-point field goals (27).
Rancik leads the team and ranks second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.1 percent.
Junior forward Bangot Dak leads the Buffaloes and is 12th in the Big 12 at 7.4 rebounds per game and seventh in blocks at 1.7 per outing. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field.
Through the first seven Big 12 games, Dak is eighth among all conference players in rebounding at 8.4 per contest. Dak grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds against Texas Tech, marking his fifth double-figure rebounding game of the year, third in a row and fourth in six games. All 13 rebounds were on the defensive side, the most defensive rebounds by a Buff since Jabari Walker had 14 (15 total) against California on Feb. 17, 2022. It was the most rebounds, without an offensive board, since Andre Roberson had 14 defensive against Dayton on Nov. 15, 2012.
Dak recorded 16 points and matched a career-best 12 rebounds against Utah.
Freshman Alon Michaeli is averaging 9.3 points on 43 percent shooting in his 18 games off the bench. He has scored in double figures in nine of those contests. Michaeli is 11th in the Big 12 among freshmen in scoring. He led the Buffaloes in rebounding at West Virginia with seven.
CU IN THE NET: A snapshot of Colorado's NET rankings in 2025-26 (through games of Jan. 26).
Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: FS1 (Tim Brando, Nick Bahe)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 385, SXM App 975Â https://sxm.app.link/SXM975
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/3ZGyBY1
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 12-8 overall and 2-5 in Big 12 play, tied for 10th in the conference standings as one of four teams with that league record. The Buffaloes have dropped their last five, their longest stretch of the season, and seven of their last nine.
Despite the recent slide, Colorado matched its win total from the 2024-25, 31-game regular season (12-19) by the mid-part of this campaign. The Buffaloes are just one win away from matching their conference win total from a year ago. Colorado would finish with 14 overall wins after a pair of wins in the Big 12 Championship (14-21).
Colorado ranks among the top 50 teams in the nation in a few categories. The Buffaloes top the Big 12 and are 25th in the nation in free throw shooting at 77.2 percent. The Buffaloes also sport top 50 national rankings in turnovers allowed (33rd, 9.9 topg), assist-to-turnover ratio (30th, 1.6) and free throws made per game (50th, 18.0).
PROTECTING THE ROCK: Colorado's 9.9 turnovers allowed per game rank second in the Big 12, behind only No. 10/7 ranked Houston (8.5 topg).
The Buffaloes have recorded single digits in turnovers nine times this season, including three straight and in four of the last five games. The Buffaloes have a long-standing single-game team goal of allowing 11 turnovers or fewer, a mark they've hit in 14 of 20 games. In contrast, the 2024-25 team only achieved that feat seven times in 35 games and only once recorded single digits (8 at Kansas, Feb. 24, 2025).
Colorado is averaging 6.0 turnovers the last three games. It's the first time the Buffaloes have had a stretch of three games in single digit turnovers since Dec. 16-22, 2020. It's the first time against conference opponents since Mar. 7-13, 2019.
Colorado committed just three turnovers against Kansas, setting a team record for fewest turnovers in a conference game. The previous mark was four, done twice, against Utah on Feb. 24, 2024 and against Iowa State on Jan. 30, 2010. It was the second-fewest in team history, trailing only the two given up at San Jose State on Dec. 19, 1978.
SCORING BALANCE: Colorado has had at least four players score in double figures in 15 of 20 games, including the first nine. The Buffaloes have had four games with at least five scoring in double digits.
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 have had five different players lead the team in scoring this season and four have had 20-point games. Isaiah Johnson, Sebastian Rancik and Barrington Hargress each scored 20 points against UCF, giving the Buffaloes three 20-point scorers in one game for the first time since Xavier Johnson (27), Josh Scott (21) and Askia Booker (20) vs. Washington on Feb. 9, 2014.
Colorado is averaging 31.3 points per game from its bench accounting for 38 percent of the team's scoring. The Buffaloes' reserves are shooting 46.2 percent from the field while also pitching in 12.1 rebounds per game.
Colorado's 31.3 bench points per game leads the Big 12 and ranks 32nd in NCAA Division I.
Freshman Isaiah Johnson is Colorado's leading scorer at 16.2points per game. After coming off the bench for the first 17 games of the season, he has started the last three, leading, or sharing the team lead, in scoring the last two. His 16.1 points per game average in games off the bench leads Power 4 Conference players and is third in NCAA Division I overall, trailing only Tarleton State's Dior Johnson (23.6 ppg) and Northern Kentucky's Donovan Oday (18.4 ppg).
Johnson is 18th in the nation, and fourth in the Big 12, in scoring by freshmen.
Johnson has a team-best five 20-point games, including 21 points against No. 14 Texas Tech. In that contest, Johnson was 13 of 13 from the line, marking the fourth-most free throws without a miss in team history and the most since Spencer Dinwiddie was 14 of 14 against Arizona State on Feb. 16, 2013.
Johnson leads the Buffaloes in free throws made (106) and attempted (128), 3-pointers made (32) and steals (21) while ranking second in assists (47), 3-point attempts (75) and 3-point percentage (.427).
Johnson is sixth in the nation for free throws made by a freshman. He is 12th in the country among freshmen in free throw shooting.
Junior Barrington Hargress leads Colorado in assists (92) and 3-point percentage (.536) and is second in scoring (14.2 ppg), 3-pointers made and field goal percentage (.548) and third in steals (18). He had 20 points and four assists against UCF, hitting 6 of 8 from the field and a perfect 3 of 3 from 3-point range.Â
On the Big 12 charts, Hargress ranks third in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4), eighth in field goal percentage and 11th in assists (4.6 apg) . He is the best field goal shooter in the Big 12, and 13th in the country, from the guard position.
Hargress has eight games with at least five assists and also 11 games with no more than one turnover. Over the last five contests, he has 20 assists against just three turnovers (6.7 a/to). His 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 22nd best mark in the nation.
Sophomore Sebastian Rancik is second on the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg), free throws made (88) and attempted (101) and third in scoring (13.3 ppg), assists (39) and 3-point field goals (27).
Rancik leads the team and ranks second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.1 percent.
Junior forward Bangot Dak leads the Buffaloes and is 12th in the Big 12 at 7.4 rebounds per game and seventh in blocks at 1.7 per outing. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field.
Through the first seven Big 12 games, Dak is eighth among all conference players in rebounding at 8.4 per contest. Dak grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds against Texas Tech, marking his fifth double-figure rebounding game of the year, third in a row and fourth in six games. All 13 rebounds were on the defensive side, the most defensive rebounds by a Buff since Jabari Walker had 14 (15 total) against California on Feb. 17, 2022. It was the most rebounds, without an offensive board, since Andre Roberson had 14 defensive against Dayton on Nov. 15, 2012.
Dak recorded 16 points and matched a career-best 12 rebounds against Utah.
Freshman Alon Michaeli is averaging 9.3 points on 43 percent shooting in his 18 games off the bench. He has scored in double figures in nine of those contests. Michaeli is 11th in the Big 12 among freshmen in scoring. He led the Buffaloes in rebounding at West Virginia with seven.
CU IN THE NET: A snapshot of Colorado's NET rankings in 2025-26 (through games of Jan. 26).
Current: 82 | Highest: 39 (Dec. 2) | Lowest: 84 (Jan. 1)
Avg. Opponent Net Rank: 41 | Opponent Avg. Net: 124
Quad 1: 0-3 | Quad 2: 3-4 | Quad 3: 5-0 | Quad 4: 4-1
ABOUT THE CYCLONES: No. 8 (AP)/9 (Coaches) Iowa State is 18-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12. The Cyclones return home where they are 11-0. ISU is on a two-game winning streak that includes a 84-71 win over Oklahoma State and an 87-57 win over UCF. The Cyclones are averaging 85.6 points per game, shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Iowa State is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage and is one of only 21 teams in the country to shoot over 50 percent. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 at 40.3 percent from deep and are one of only six teams to shoot above 40 percent. On defense the Cyclones are allowing 64.9 points per game, and have held opponents to 41.7 percent shooting. They are third in the conference and 15th in the nation in scoring defense in part due to forcing turnovers. They create 16.2 turnovers per game which leads the conference and is ninth in the country and their 9.5 steals top the Big 12 and rank 15th nationally. With the success on both sides of the ball they have an average scoring margin of 20.7 points per game the second highest in the Big 12 and the sixth highest in the country.
The Cyclones are led by the duo of Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson. Momcilovic a junior forward leads them in scoring with 18.8 points per game, good for eighth in the Big 12. He uses his 3-point shot, leading the country at 54.1 percent. Jefferson a senior forward fills up the stat sheet. He averages 17.4 points per game, leads the team with 7.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, and adds 1.5 steals per game. He leads the country as one of three players to post two triple doubles. Senior guard Tamin Lipsey is the other Cyclone to average double figure scoring with 13.2 per night. Lipsey makes his mark on the defensive end. He leads the Big 12 and is 21st in the country with 2.4 steals per game. He has taken care of the ball as well leading the conference and is third in the country with a 4.8 assist-to turnover ratio.Â
THE SERIES: This will be the 152nd meeting between Colorado and Iowa State, which is the second most played series in program history trailing only Kansas. Iowa State holds a 81-70 series lead, winning a trio of meetings a season ago, first a nonconference tilt at the Maui Invitational, then in the conference opener in Boulder on Dec. 30, and finally a meeting in Ames on Feb. 18. Iowa State holds a 49-18 lead in Ames. Colorado's last win at Hilton Coliseum was a 54-52 overtime decision on Jan. 22, 2005.
ABOUT THE CYCLONES: No. 8 (AP)/9 (Coaches) Iowa State is 18-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12. The Cyclones return home where they are 11-0. ISU is on a two-game winning streak that includes a 84-71 win over Oklahoma State and an 87-57 win over UCF. The Cyclones are averaging 85.6 points per game, shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Iowa State is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage and is one of only 21 teams in the country to shoot over 50 percent. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 at 40.3 percent from deep and are one of only six teams to shoot above 40 percent. On defense the Cyclones are allowing 64.9 points per game, and have held opponents to 41.7 percent shooting. They are third in the conference and 15th in the nation in scoring defense in part due to forcing turnovers. They create 16.2 turnovers per game which leads the conference and is ninth in the country and their 9.5 steals top the Big 12 and rank 15th nationally. With the success on both sides of the ball they have an average scoring margin of 20.7 points per game the second highest in the Big 12 and the sixth highest in the country.
The Cyclones are led by the duo of Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson. Momcilovic a junior forward leads them in scoring with 18.8 points per game, good for eighth in the Big 12. He uses his 3-point shot, leading the country at 54.1 percent. Jefferson a senior forward fills up the stat sheet. He averages 17.4 points per game, leads the team with 7.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, and adds 1.5 steals per game. He leads the country as one of three players to post two triple doubles. Senior guard Tamin Lipsey is the other Cyclone to average double figure scoring with 13.2 per night. Lipsey makes his mark on the defensive end. He leads the Big 12 and is 21st in the country with 2.4 steals per game. He has taken care of the ball as well leading the conference and is third in the country with a 4.8 assist-to turnover ratio.Â
THE SERIES: This will be the 152nd meeting between Colorado and Iowa State, which is the second most played series in program history trailing only Kansas. Iowa State holds a 81-70 series lead, winning a trio of meetings a season ago, first a nonconference tilt at the Maui Invitational, then in the conference opener in Boulder on Dec. 30, and finally a meeting in Ames on Feb. 18. Iowa State holds a 49-18 lead in Ames. Colorado's last win at Hilton Coliseum was a 54-52 overtime decision on Jan. 22, 2005.
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