The Colorado Buffaloes enter the 2026 men’s basketball season with plenty to sort out, but two seniors are already talking like a team with March on its mind.
Noah Feddersen and Barrington Hargress both made their goals clear in Thursday interviews: they want Colorado in the NCAA Tournament. For Feddersen, that push comes from experience. He spent 2025 in North Dakota State’s frontcourt and got a taste of March Madness when the Bison earned a berth, even though their run ended in the first round.
“You can’t really compare the experience to anything because it’s different from anything else out there,” Feddersen said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and hopefully we get to do it more than once.
But that’s definitely a big driving factor for all of us, but definitely for me to get back there and help all the new guys get there for the first time. It’s a really big goal of ours for this year, and we’re using that every day to motivate us.”
That perspective matters for Colorado because Feddersen is the only Buff with March Madness experience. Now a fifth-year senior, he’s in position to turn that memory into something useful for a roster that still has a lot of new faces.
Hargress is coming at the same goal from a different angle. This is his final season of eligibility, and he’s treating the NCAA Tournament as the finish line he’s been chasing all along.
“That’s the goal every time I lace up my shoes every season,” Hargress said. “This year, since it’s my last, it’s definitely a big dream, a big goal and it’s going to be heavy on my mind.”’
He could have taken a different route. With the transfer portal offering a path to a contender, Hargress had options to leave for a team with a clearer March Madness track. Instead, he stayed in Boulder even as Colorado lost most of its promising 2025 contributors to the portal.
That choice says plenty about where he stands with Tad Boyle and how he views the Buffaloes’ rebuild. As the veteran leader back in the fold, Hargress sees the team’s mindset as the biggest piece of the puzzle.
“I think what this team has to do is just play each game like it's our last,” Hargress said. “[We’ve got to] play everything like it’s the deciding factor of whether we get in the tournament [or not]. If we take that approach, and we treat every game like it’s our hardest, I think we’ll find ourselves where we want to be.”
Colorado’s road won’t be easy, especially after the program’s retention issues and the turnover that followed the 2025 season. But with three transfer additions, a deep freshman class and two seniors setting the tone, the Buffaloes are at least talking like a team determined to stay in the hunt.
In Other News...
Brennan Marion Just Raised The Stakes For Colorados Offensive Line
Brennan Marions arrival as Colorados offensive coordinator has already put a spotlight on the Buffaloes front, and for good reason. He comes with experience from both the Group of Five and the Texas Longhorns, and he sees a 2026 offensive line that looks different from the kind of unit Colorado has rolled out in recent years, one built to be bigger and more physical than the group he coached in Austin.
That matters because the Buffaloes have spent the offseason trying to fix a historically weak spot, adding linemen with very different resumes, from former high-profile recruits to players who were overlooked coming out of high school. Marions confidence in the room is notable, especially with the one major comparison point still hanging over the conversation, and Colorados line now has the kind of expectations that come with a coach who believes the foundation is finally in place. [Read more 🡒]
Brennan Marion Just Put Huge Expectations On Colorado's Julian Lewis
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For Colorado, the bigger takeaway is how Marion wants to use him. The 2026 offense is being described as physical and built to create one-on-one chances for Lewis, with the line expected to do more to keep him comfortable and upright. If that plan comes together, Lewis could become the centerpiece of a scheme that is designed to let his talent show up early and often, even if the full picture of his role is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Ian Inman Could Decide How Real Colorados 2026 Backcourt Is
Ian Inmans next step could tell Colorado a lot about how sturdy its 2026 backcourt really is. The Buffaloes guard is expected to see a bigger slice of the rotation next season, and the path to that role runs through a more demanding two-way job. He has already pointed to the areas he wants to sharpen, from conditioning to defensive range to making himself useful in more ways than spotting up behind the arc.
Tad Boyle has been just as direct about what the staff needs from him, stressing that Inman has to get bigger and stronger in the weight room if he is going to handle the added responsibility. For Colorado, the appeal is obvious: a guard who can stay on the floor longer, defend more spots and give the offense another layer. The question now is whether Inman can turn that offseason checklist into the kind of all-around jump that makes the backcourt look real, not just promising. [Read more 🡒]