Colorado University Athletics
Wednesday, January 7
Boulder, Colo.
7 p.m.
Colorado
vs
Utah
Back To School!: Buffs Host Utah Wednesday
January 05, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Game 15 - Utah, Wednesday, January 7, 2026
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4qi59Dm
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 381, SXM App 971 https://sxm.app.link/SXM971
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/611121
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4qi59Dm
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 381, SXM App 971 https://sxm.app.link/SXM971
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/611121
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 11-3 overall and 1-0 in league play after opening the Big 12 Conference season with a 95-89 triumph at Arizona State on Jan. 3 and ending a two-game skid in the process.
The win at Arizona State snapped an 11-game losing streak in true road contests dating back to the end of the 2023-24 season, a 73-57 win at Oregon State on Mar. 9, 2024. The Buffaloes collected just their third win in a Big 12 Conference opener in 17 tries (1996-2011, '24-26). It's the second in the last three chances, the last win coming vs. Missouri on Jan. 8, 2011. Colorado's last win overall in a conference opener was in the Pac-12, a 73-69 win over Washington on Dec. 29, 2023.
After an 8-0 start, Colorado's best in 76 years, the Buffaloes are an even 3-3 over their last six. Colorado, which was 9-2 during the nonconference schedule a year ago, didn't win its 11th game last season until Feb. 22, or its first league contest until Feb. 15.
Colorado's offense has been strong ranking among the nation's best in several categories. The Buffaloes are 27th in the nation in field goal shooting at 49.9 percent, which also ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference. Colorado has risen to the top of the Big 12 in free throw shooting at 76.9 percent, also 33rd in NCAA Division I. The Buffaloes are also a national top-50 team in scoring (43rd, 86.6 ppg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6, 39th) and 3-point shooting (50th, .373).
At Arizona State, Colorado scored its most points (95) and first half points (48) in a road conference game since defeating Washington 98-81 in Seattle on Jan. 24, 2024.
Colorado made 32 free throws against the Sun Devils, its most in a true road game in exactly 49 years, as the Buffaloes hit 33 at UNLV on Jan. 3, 1977, during a 113-91 loss. It was the most at any venue since making 34 in a home win over Omaha on Nov. 22, 2015.
Colorado's 32 free throws made tie for the second-most in a road game in the nation this season. The Buffaloes achieved that number on just 38 attempts. Colorado's 84.2 percent performance from the line was the best with at least 30 free throws made since a 33 for 39 (.846) outing against No. 10 Oregon on Jan. 5, 2014, a 100-91 Colorado win.
SCORING BALANCE: Colorado has had at least four players score in double figures in 12 of its first 14 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. Freshman Isaiah Johnson led the Buffaloes for a team-best sixth time this season with 19 points off the bench at Arizona State.
Colorado is averaging 34.5 points per game from its bench accounting for 40 percent of the team's scoring. The Buffaloes' reserves are shooting 48.1 percent from the field while also pitching in 12.9 rebounds per game.
Colorado's 34.5 bench points per game leads the Big 12 and ranks 24th in NCAA Division I.
Freshman Isaiah Johnson is Colorado's leading scorer while coming off the bench in all 14 games. His 15.9 points per game average off the bench leads Power 4 Conference players and is third in NCAA Division I overall, trailing only Tarleton State's Dior Johnson (23.1 ppg) and Northern Kentucky's Donovan Oday (16.4 ppg).
Johnson has a team-best three 20-point games, including a career and team season-high 25 against Northern Colorado, a game in which he also pulled down a career-best eight rebounds. He had 20 points in the win over Portland State, including a perfect 11 of 11 showing from the free throw line. Johnson leads the Buffaloes in free throws made and attempted, is tied for the lead in steals (16) and ranks second assists (33).
Junior Barrington Hargress leads Colorado in assists (67) and field goal percentage (.585) and tied for the top spot in steals (16). He had 17 points - all in the first half - at Arizona State while matching a personal CU-best four rebounds.
On the Big 12 charts, Hargress ranks fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.1) and 11th in assists (4.8 apg).
Hargress was 8 of 12 from the field against Arizona State, continuing a torrid stretch from the floor that has seen him sink 38 of his last 58 attempts over the last five games (.655), including 10 of 16 from 3-point range (.625).
Sophomore Sebastian Rancik is second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and third in scoring (13.6 ppg) and assists (29). Rancik scored 18 points and had six rebounds in the win at Arizona State. He made 12 of 14 from the free throw line, career highs in both categories and the most from the line by a Buffalo since KJ Simpson was 13 of 14 against Washington State on Dec. 31, 2023.
Rancik leads the team and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 86.3 percent. He has made 69 of 80 from the line, which includes a string of 25-straight made between the Eastern Washington and UC Davis games.
Junior forward Bangot Dak leads the Buffaloes and is 17th in the Big 12 at 7.1 rebounds per game and 10th in blocks at 1.6 per outing. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field.
Dak recorded his third career double-double, and first in a conference game, with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds at Arizona State. All three of his career double-doubles have come in the last eight games.
Freshman Alon Michaeli is averaging 10.0 points on 46 percent shooting in his 12 games off the bench. He has scored in double figures in seven of those contests. Michaeli had a team-high 19 points at Colorado State, hitting 8 of 12 from the field. He just missed a double-double against Portland State with a career-high 10 rebounds and nine points.
CU IN THE NET: A snapshot of Colorado's NET rankings in 2025-26 (through games of Jan. 5).
Current: 70 | Highest: 39 (Dec. 2) | Lowest: 84 (Jan. 1)
Opponent Net Rank: 72 | Opponent Avg. Net: 150
Quad 1: 0-0 | Quad 2: 2-2 | Quad 3: 5-1 | Quad 4: 4-0
ABOUT THE UTES: Utah is 8-6 overall and heads to Boulder after dropping its first conference game at home to No. 1 Arizona 97-78. The Utes are averaging 80.9 points per game, shooting 47.0 percent from the field. Utah makes 15.9 free throw's per game which ranks seventh in the Big 12. Defensively, the Utes are allowing 79.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 46.5 percent shooting. Utah forces 10.6 turnovers per game and allows teams to shoot 34 percent from the 3-point line.
Junior guard Terrence Brown leads the Utes at 21.8 points per game which ranks third in the Big 12 and 12th in the NCAA. Brown also leads the team with 4.1 assists per game, 1.86 steals per game, and 89 made free throws which lead the Big 12 and 14th in the country. The Utes have two other players who average double-digits in points: 5th year guard Don McHenry (18.1) and junior forward Keanu Dawes (12.4). Dawes makes an impact on the defensive side of the ball with 7.0 defensive rebounds per game. He has the second most defensive rebounds per game in the Big 12 and 12th in the country so far this season.
THE SERIES: This will be the 64th meeting between Colorado and Utah with the Buffaloes holding a 35-28 advantage. Utah won the only matchup in 2025, a 72-59 decision in Salt Lake City. Colorado won two of three meetings in 2024 in the final year of the Pac-12. The teams split their regular season series, both winning at home. The Buffaloes won the rubber match with a 72-58 decision in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado holds a 23-7 series lead in Boulder.
BD CAREER BLOCKS: With his next blocked shot, junior Bangot Dak will enter Colorado's career top 20 in that category. He enters the Utah contest with 72 over 72 career games (1.0 bpg), just one behind Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (2006-09), currently in 20th place with 73. Dak is 13 blocks away from entering the top 15.
Colorado Career Blocks
Rk. Name Gm Blocks Avg. Seasons
15. Martice Moore 58 85 1.5 1995-97
16. Ronnie DeGray 58 79 1.4 1996-98
17. Stephane Pelle 94 75 1.3 1999-03
Fred Edmonds 91 75 0.8 1993-97
19. Randy Downs 112 74 0.7 1982-86
20. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson 90 73 0.8 2006-09
21. Bangot Dak 72 72 1.0 2023-pre
The win at Arizona State snapped an 11-game losing streak in true road contests dating back to the end of the 2023-24 season, a 73-57 win at Oregon State on Mar. 9, 2024. The Buffaloes collected just their third win in a Big 12 Conference opener in 17 tries (1996-2011, '24-26). It's the second in the last three chances, the last win coming vs. Missouri on Jan. 8, 2011. Colorado's last win overall in a conference opener was in the Pac-12, a 73-69 win over Washington on Dec. 29, 2023.
After an 8-0 start, Colorado's best in 76 years, the Buffaloes are an even 3-3 over their last six. Colorado, which was 9-2 during the nonconference schedule a year ago, didn't win its 11th game last season until Feb. 22, or its first league contest until Feb. 15.
Colorado's offense has been strong ranking among the nation's best in several categories. The Buffaloes are 27th in the nation in field goal shooting at 49.9 percent, which also ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference. Colorado has risen to the top of the Big 12 in free throw shooting at 76.9 percent, also 33rd in NCAA Division I. The Buffaloes are also a national top-50 team in scoring (43rd, 86.6 ppg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6, 39th) and 3-point shooting (50th, .373).
At Arizona State, Colorado scored its most points (95) and first half points (48) in a road conference game since defeating Washington 98-81 in Seattle on Jan. 24, 2024.
Colorado made 32 free throws against the Sun Devils, its most in a true road game in exactly 49 years, as the Buffaloes hit 33 at UNLV on Jan. 3, 1977, during a 113-91 loss. It was the most at any venue since making 34 in a home win over Omaha on Nov. 22, 2015.
Colorado's 32 free throws made tie for the second-most in a road game in the nation this season. The Buffaloes achieved that number on just 38 attempts. Colorado's 84.2 percent performance from the line was the best with at least 30 free throws made since a 33 for 39 (.846) outing against No. 10 Oregon on Jan. 5, 2014, a 100-91 Colorado win.
SCORING BALANCE: Colorado has had at least four players score in double figures in 12 of its first 14 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. Freshman Isaiah Johnson led the Buffaloes for a team-best sixth time this season with 19 points off the bench at Arizona State.
Colorado is averaging 34.5 points per game from its bench accounting for 40 percent of the team's scoring. The Buffaloes' reserves are shooting 48.1 percent from the field while also pitching in 12.9 rebounds per game.
Colorado's 34.5 bench points per game leads the Big 12 and ranks 24th in NCAA Division I.
Freshman Isaiah Johnson is Colorado's leading scorer while coming off the bench in all 14 games. His 15.9 points per game average off the bench leads Power 4 Conference players and is third in NCAA Division I overall, trailing only Tarleton State's Dior Johnson (23.1 ppg) and Northern Kentucky's Donovan Oday (16.4 ppg).
Johnson has a team-best three 20-point games, including a career and team season-high 25 against Northern Colorado, a game in which he also pulled down a career-best eight rebounds. He had 20 points in the win over Portland State, including a perfect 11 of 11 showing from the free throw line. Johnson leads the Buffaloes in free throws made and attempted, is tied for the lead in steals (16) and ranks second assists (33).
Junior Barrington Hargress leads Colorado in assists (67) and field goal percentage (.585) and tied for the top spot in steals (16). He had 17 points - all in the first half - at Arizona State while matching a personal CU-best four rebounds.
On the Big 12 charts, Hargress ranks fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.1) and 11th in assists (4.8 apg).
Hargress was 8 of 12 from the field against Arizona State, continuing a torrid stretch from the floor that has seen him sink 38 of his last 58 attempts over the last five games (.655), including 10 of 16 from 3-point range (.625).
Sophomore Sebastian Rancik is second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and third in scoring (13.6 ppg) and assists (29). Rancik scored 18 points and had six rebounds in the win at Arizona State. He made 12 of 14 from the free throw line, career highs in both categories and the most from the line by a Buffalo since KJ Simpson was 13 of 14 against Washington State on Dec. 31, 2023.
Rancik leads the team and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 86.3 percent. He has made 69 of 80 from the line, which includes a string of 25-straight made between the Eastern Washington and UC Davis games.
Junior forward Bangot Dak leads the Buffaloes and is 17th in the Big 12 at 7.1 rebounds per game and 10th in blocks at 1.6 per outing. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field.
Dak recorded his third career double-double, and first in a conference game, with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds at Arizona State. All three of his career double-doubles have come in the last eight games.
Freshman Alon Michaeli is averaging 10.0 points on 46 percent shooting in his 12 games off the bench. He has scored in double figures in seven of those contests. Michaeli had a team-high 19 points at Colorado State, hitting 8 of 12 from the field. He just missed a double-double against Portland State with a career-high 10 rebounds and nine points.
CU IN THE NET: A snapshot of Colorado's NET rankings in 2025-26 (through games of Jan. 5).
Current: 70 | Highest: 39 (Dec. 2) | Lowest: 84 (Jan. 1)
Opponent Net Rank: 72 | Opponent Avg. Net: 150
Quad 1: 0-0 | Quad 2: 2-2 | Quad 3: 5-1 | Quad 4: 4-0
ABOUT THE UTES: Utah is 8-6 overall and heads to Boulder after dropping its first conference game at home to No. 1 Arizona 97-78. The Utes are averaging 80.9 points per game, shooting 47.0 percent from the field. Utah makes 15.9 free throw's per game which ranks seventh in the Big 12. Defensively, the Utes are allowing 79.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 46.5 percent shooting. Utah forces 10.6 turnovers per game and allows teams to shoot 34 percent from the 3-point line.
Junior guard Terrence Brown leads the Utes at 21.8 points per game which ranks third in the Big 12 and 12th in the NCAA. Brown also leads the team with 4.1 assists per game, 1.86 steals per game, and 89 made free throws which lead the Big 12 and 14th in the country. The Utes have two other players who average double-digits in points: 5th year guard Don McHenry (18.1) and junior forward Keanu Dawes (12.4). Dawes makes an impact on the defensive side of the ball with 7.0 defensive rebounds per game. He has the second most defensive rebounds per game in the Big 12 and 12th in the country so far this season.
THE SERIES: This will be the 64th meeting between Colorado and Utah with the Buffaloes holding a 35-28 advantage. Utah won the only matchup in 2025, a 72-59 decision in Salt Lake City. Colorado won two of three meetings in 2024 in the final year of the Pac-12. The teams split their regular season series, both winning at home. The Buffaloes won the rubber match with a 72-58 decision in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado holds a 23-7 series lead in Boulder.
BD CAREER BLOCKS: With his next blocked shot, junior Bangot Dak will enter Colorado's career top 20 in that category. He enters the Utah contest with 72 over 72 career games (1.0 bpg), just one behind Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (2006-09), currently in 20th place with 73. Dak is 13 blocks away from entering the top 15.
Colorado Career Blocks
Rk. Name Gm Blocks Avg. Seasons
15. Martice Moore 58 85 1.5 1995-97
16. Ronnie DeGray 58 79 1.4 1996-98
17. Stephane Pelle 94 75 1.3 1999-03
Fred Edmonds 91 75 0.8 1993-97
19. Randy Downs 112 74 0.7 1982-86
20. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson 90 73 0.8 2006-09
21. Bangot Dak 72 72 1.0 2023-pre
Players Mentioned
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