After losing star guard Isaiah Johnson and forward Bangot Dak to the transfer portal, the Colorado Buffaloes will need to build around Barrington Hargress, who announced his return for the 2026 season.

Additionally, Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo announced that the NIL budget of the men’s basketball program will be doubled for the coming offseason. Following the College Basketball Crown tournament, the Buffs have a few key players to bring back alongside Hargress for next season.

Sebastian Rancik

Despite a down year for Rancik in 2025, with Johnson gone, there’s an argument to be made that he is still the future of Colorado basketball.

Rancik was given a three-star rating by 247Sports and a four-star composite rating in the 2024 recruiting class. He chose Colorado over offers from the likes of Arizona State, Mississippi State, Nebraska and others.

In his freshman season, Rancik emerged as a star in the making. This was primarily seen in Colorado’s road matchup against the then-No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks, as he recorded 19 points and nine rebounds, despite CU’s loss.

His up-and-down season in 2025 still featured multiple standout performances. One of which was a career-high 24-point performance against the Eastern Washington Eagles in Colorado’s second game of the season.

The flashes of stardom he’s shown could become more consistent with proper development in Boyle’s system, making him not only a star in the Buffs’ future, but an NBA prospect.

Ian Inman

With Johnson out as Hargress’s fellow shooting weapon, Ian Inman is the next in line for Colorado. While he didn’t see meaningful playing time until Colorado’s road matchup against the then-No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones, Inman quickly emerged as a capable shooter.

In Colorado’s matchups later in the season, first against Texas Tech on the road, and then against Kansas State at home, Inman shot a combined 9-for-12 from three, while totalling 29 points.

If Inman can see more playing time and develop more consistency in his shooting, he could be a crucial part of Colorado’s offense moving forward.

Jalin Holland

Defensively, freshman guard Jalin Holland is the future of the Buffaloes.

Despite getting limited minutes off the bench early in the season, Holland quickly emerged as Colorado’s best defensive player. By the end of the season, he was matched up defensively with the top scoring option of nearly every team the Buffaloes played.

Holland averaged five points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game during the 2025 season.

One concern in Holland’s game is his foul trouble. He plays aggressively, and with energy on defense, but that playstyle sometimes leads to foul issues. He racked up 71 personal fouls during the 2025 season.

However, that’s something that can be fixed with proper development, and if Holland remains at CU, he should see meaningful playing time to hone his skillset.

The Buffaloes’ loss of Dak is a hit to their paint defense. But that is a role the Buffs could explore moving Holland into in zone defense, as he’s already shown prowess as an on-ball defender.

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