Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Tony Harman
Freshmen Shine Bright In First Career Starts for the Buffaloes
February 03, 2026 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER – The future of Colorado men's basketball took center stage Sunday afternoon inside the CU Events Center, as three true freshmen, Jalin Holland, Fawaz "Tacko" Ifaola, and Josiah Sanders, made their first career starts for the Buffaloes. What followed was a debut trio that looked undeniably ready for the moment.
The energy inside the CU Events Center felt a little different Sunday afternoon, younger, faster, louder.
"I think for us, there's just the energy and just playing tough and playing hard," Sanders said on the freshmen in the starting lineup. "We try to do that in practice, especially more recently. And for us, bringing that energy from the start, it was contagious throughout the whole game."
That specific trio of freshmen answered the call in impressive fashion, combining for 23 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds while shooting 10-of-18 (.556) from the field.
Altogether, the Buffaloes' freshman class accounted for 43 of the team's 87 points, just under 50 percent (.494) in one of the team's most balanced offensive efforts of the season.
Leading the way was Sanders, who turned his first career start into a statement performance. The Colorado native finished with 12 points, six assists, and three rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting, all career highs. It marked his second time this season leading the Buffaloes in assists and his highest scoring output to date.
After being held scoreless in each of the previous three contests, Sanders responded with poise and precision, beginning in the second half against Iowa State. Even with the lopsided result, he scored all six of his points and had two rebounds and an assist in 12 minutes of play time in the second half.
Sanders never wavered in his confidence, knowing he would keep getting better.
"I have faith," Sanders said. "I stayed in the gym. I kept talking to my people. And just got to keep working, no matter if I was playing the best basketball of my life for the worst basketball of my life, I got to wake up the next day. I got to get in the gym and get better. So just trying to stay with that. And hopefully I can build off these two games and just keep getting better."
In the paint, Ifaola delivered the most efficient performance of his young career. The 7-foot center scored six points and grabbed six rebounds, going a flawless 3-for-3 from the field. The effort set new marks for points, rebounds, field goals, and attempts. He also extended his season-long perfection to 5-of-5 shooting over 10 appearances.
The impact goes beyond the stat sheet for Ifaola. The energy on the court has a positive effect on everyone.
"I love seeing him out there having fun and smiling, because he brings that energy," Sanders commented on Ifaola's impact. "People don't always see it, but in the locker room, he's always smiling, cracking jokes, and bringing that. So the player you see on the court, he's like that all the time."
Once his energy gets going, whether it's from a basket, a block, or a rebound, it engulfs the entire team.
"It's contagious," Sanders said. "We see that, and we're like, 'Okay, we got to pick it up.' So if he's playing really well, playing with a lot of energy, I know I have to step up my game. And then that's the same for the next person, so I think it's really contagious. And everybody tries to hold ourselves to that standard."
Guard Jalin Holland rounded out the freshman trio with a steady all-around performance. He had five points, five rebounds, and a career-high four assists while showing versatility, specifically on the defensive side.
Holland has shown the ability to impact the game at points this season, particularly as a point-of-attack defender. This game was another example of that.
"Jalin Holland's been really playing his tail off," head coach Tad Boyle said. "That's the one thing we know he's going to do, is compete and rebound and defend. He did a great job on (Brock) Harding tonight. He's a good player. His stat line does not show the effect that he had on the game."
For the freshmen, Boyle has been telling them to figure out who they are as basketball players today, even if that's not what they will eventually become.
"Who you are today as a freshman is not who you're going to be next year as a sophomore, and that's okay, but you've got to understand who you are today," Boyle said. "Don't show people what you can't do, show them what you can do."
This freshman class is starting to show everyone what they can do, starting with Holland, Ifaola, and Sanders.
The energy inside the CU Events Center felt a little different Sunday afternoon, younger, faster, louder.
"I think for us, there's just the energy and just playing tough and playing hard," Sanders said on the freshmen in the starting lineup. "We try to do that in practice, especially more recently. And for us, bringing that energy from the start, it was contagious throughout the whole game."
That specific trio of freshmen answered the call in impressive fashion, combining for 23 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds while shooting 10-of-18 (.556) from the field.
Altogether, the Buffaloes' freshman class accounted for 43 of the team's 87 points, just under 50 percent (.494) in one of the team's most balanced offensive efforts of the season.
Leading the way was Sanders, who turned his first career start into a statement performance. The Colorado native finished with 12 points, six assists, and three rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting, all career highs. It marked his second time this season leading the Buffaloes in assists and his highest scoring output to date.
After being held scoreless in each of the previous three contests, Sanders responded with poise and precision, beginning in the second half against Iowa State. Even with the lopsided result, he scored all six of his points and had two rebounds and an assist in 12 minutes of play time in the second half.
Sanders never wavered in his confidence, knowing he would keep getting better.
"I have faith," Sanders said. "I stayed in the gym. I kept talking to my people. And just got to keep working, no matter if I was playing the best basketball of my life for the worst basketball of my life, I got to wake up the next day. I got to get in the gym and get better. So just trying to stay with that. And hopefully I can build off these two games and just keep getting better."
In the paint, Ifaola delivered the most efficient performance of his young career. The 7-foot center scored six points and grabbed six rebounds, going a flawless 3-for-3 from the field. The effort set new marks for points, rebounds, field goals, and attempts. He also extended his season-long perfection to 5-of-5 shooting over 10 appearances.
The impact goes beyond the stat sheet for Ifaola. The energy on the court has a positive effect on everyone.
"I love seeing him out there having fun and smiling, because he brings that energy," Sanders commented on Ifaola's impact. "People don't always see it, but in the locker room, he's always smiling, cracking jokes, and bringing that. So the player you see on the court, he's like that all the time."
Once his energy gets going, whether it's from a basket, a block, or a rebound, it engulfs the entire team.
"It's contagious," Sanders said. "We see that, and we're like, 'Okay, we got to pick it up.' So if he's playing really well, playing with a lot of energy, I know I have to step up my game. And then that's the same for the next person, so I think it's really contagious. And everybody tries to hold ourselves to that standard."
Guard Jalin Holland rounded out the freshman trio with a steady all-around performance. He had five points, five rebounds, and a career-high four assists while showing versatility, specifically on the defensive side.
Holland has shown the ability to impact the game at points this season, particularly as a point-of-attack defender. This game was another example of that.
"Jalin Holland's been really playing his tail off," head coach Tad Boyle said. "That's the one thing we know he's going to do, is compete and rebound and defend. He did a great job on (Brock) Harding tonight. He's a good player. His stat line does not show the effect that he had on the game."
For the freshmen, Boyle has been telling them to figure out who they are as basketball players today, even if that's not what they will eventually become.
"Who you are today as a freshman is not who you're going to be next year as a sophomore, and that's okay, but you've got to understand who you are today," Boyle said. "Don't show people what you can't do, show them what you can do."
This freshman class is starting to show everyone what they can do, starting with Holland, Ifaola, and Sanders.
Players Mentioned
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