Buffs Enter Crucial Week Hoping to Stop the Slide - and Salvage Their Big 12 Season
There’s still a lot of basketball left in the season, but for Colorado, the next seven days could define their Big 12 fate.
The Buffs are reeling. A 30-point loss at No.
8 Iowa State - their worst of the year - extended their losing streak to six games. That’s not just a rough patch; it’s the third-longest skid in Tad Boyle’s 16 seasons at the helm.
And if they don’t turn things around starting Sunday against TCU, the road ahead only gets steeper.
Boyle, who’s long preached a one-game-at-a-time philosophy, didn’t sugarcoat the moment.
“Very important,” Boyle said. “This is a huge week. It’s the biggest week of our season.”
It’s hard to argue with him. Colorado’s 2-6 mark in Big 12 play already puts them in a precarious spot.
A loss to TCU would tie the second-longest losing streak of Boyle’s tenure - matching the 0-7 start in Pac-12 play back in 2016-17. But more than the streak itself, the Buffs are trying to avoid a repeat of last season’s collapse, when they opened Big 12 play 0-13 and finished dead last.
The good news? The next three games are winnable - or at least more forgiving than what looms in mid-February. It starts Sunday at home against TCU, followed by a trip to a struggling Baylor team, and then a return home to face Arizona State - a team the Buffs already beat on the road to open conference play.
After that? It’s a gauntlet: road games at No.
11 Texas Tech and No. 13 BYU.
If Colorado doesn’t make a move this week, the hole could get too deep to climb out of.
Despite the blowout in Ames, Boyle still sees signs of life.
“(Saturday’s) practice was a step in the right direction,” he said. “There’s no question the fight’s there.
As much as we took a (butt-kicking) in Ames, our guys didn’t give up. You’ve got to build on the positives.”
And there were a few. Colorado shot 50% in the second half and only committed 10 turnovers against one of the league’s toughest defenses. Boyle pointed to the film room as a teaching moment - a chance to show his team what separates a top-tier program like Iowa State from where the Buffs are now.
Statistically, the defense has been the biggest concern. Colorado ranks 15th in the Big 12 in overall defensive field goal percentage (.466) and dead last in defending the three (.376). That’s a tough combo in a league that punishes defensive lapses.
But TCU isn’t exactly lighting it up offensively. The Horned Frogs sit 10th in the conference in field goal percentage (.467) and 13th from beyond the arc (.354). Still, they’ve been competitive - their five Big 12 losses have come by an average of just six points.
CU freshman guard Isaiah Johnson, who matched his season-high with 24 points at Iowa State, kept it simple.
“Attitude’s perfectly fine. We’re just going to be prepared for TCU on Sunday,” Johnson said. “We just need to stack wins.”
TCU at Colorado - What to Watch
- Tipoff: Sunday, noon MT, CU Events Center
- TV/Radio: TNT and truTV / KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM
- Records: TCU (13-8, 3-5 Big 12), Colorado (12-9, 2-6 Big 12)
- Coaches: TCU - Jamie Dixon (10th season); Colorado - Tad Boyle (16th season)
Key Matchups
- Isaiah Johnson (CU): The freshman guard continues to be a bright spot, averaging 16.6 points per game while shooting over 51% from the field and 42% from three. He’s already cracked CU’s top 10 for freshman scoring and could climb as high as eighth with just 13 more points.
- Barrington Hargress (CU): The redshirt junior has been efficient and steady, averaging 14.0 points and 4.5 assists while knocking down 52.5% from deep.
In his last four games? 16 assists, just two turnovers.
That’s the kind of backcourt control Colorado needs right now.
- David Punch (TCU): The 6-7 sophomore forward leads the Horned Frogs with 14.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game - and he’s shooting over 54% from both the field and beyond the arc. He’ll be a handful for CU’s frontcourt.
- Bangot Dak & Sebastian Rancik (CU): The Buffs will need both big men to be active on both ends. Dak is averaging 10.9 points and 7.1 boards, while Rancik adds 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds. Their ability to control the paint could be the swing factor.
- Xavier Edmonds (TCU): Another efficient scorer down low, Edmonds brings 12.0 points per game and shoots nearly 58% from the field. Colorado will need to limit his touches around the rim.
Notables
- This will be TCU’s first trip to Boulder since 2008. Colorado leads the all-time series 4-3 and won two of three meetings last season, including a Big 12 Tournament victory.
- TCU is coming off a 79-70 home loss to Houston but had previously knocked off Oklahoma State and Baylor.
- Colorado’s average of 9.9 turnovers per game is the second-lowest in the Big 12 - a silver lining that’s helped them stay in games despite defensive struggles.
- CU heads to Baylor on Wednesday, marking its first game in Waco since 2011.
Bottom Line
The Buffs don’t need to be perfect this week - but they need to be better. Much better.
With three straight games against beatable opponents, this is Colorado’s best shot to reclaim its footing in the Big 12. Let this week slip away, and the rest of the schedule might not offer another lifeline.