Colorado vs. Baylor Preview: Buffaloes Look to Build Momentum in Waco
Game 23 - Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Foster Pavilion, Waco, Texas
Tip-off: 6 p.m. MT | Watch: Peacock | Listen: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM
After snapping a six-game slide in emphatic fashion, Colorado heads to Waco with a bit of swagger and a shot at stacking wins in Big 12 play. The Buffaloes dominated TCU in Boulder, 87-61, and now sit at 13-9 overall and 3-6 in the conference - tied with TCU and Cincinnati for 10th in the league standings.
Make no mistake: that win over the Horned Frogs wasn’t just a sigh of relief - it was a statement. Colorado didn’t just win; they controlled every phase of the game. It was their most complete performance in weeks and a reminder of what this team is capable of when it clicks.
Defense Sets the Tone
TCU shot just 33.3% from the field - matching Colorado’s best defensive effort of the season. That’s not just a stat; it’s a sign of defensive intensity we haven’t consistently seen from the Buffs. It marked their best field goal defense in a conference game since holding Utah to 31.6% in the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament, and the best in a Big 12 regular season contest since shutting down Oregon in January 2023.
Under Tad Boyle, when Colorado holds conference opponents to 33.3% or worse from the floor, they’re 16-1. That’s not a coincidence - it’s a blueprint. And right now, it’s one they’ll need to follow closely as they try to climb the Big 12 ladder.
Offense Finds Its Rhythm
On the other end, the Buffs were humming. They shot 55.6% from the field (35-of-63), their best mark in a conference game since 2022. The 35 made field goals were their second-most this season and the highest total against a league opponent since a blowout win over Utah in 2020.
Colorado tied a season high with 24 assists - a number that speaks to the ball movement and unselfishness that powered the offense. They also knocked down 11 threes, matching their best mark of the year. When this team shares the ball and hits from deep, they’re tough to handle.
Turnovers? Just eight.
That’s the 10th time this season Colorado has kept it in single digits. Clean possessions, efficient shooting, and team-first basketball - it’s exactly what Boyle has been preaching.
Freshman Phenom and Emerging Contributors
Isaiah Johnson continues to lead the charge. The freshman guard poured in 16 points and dished out five assists, pushing his season total to 364 points.
That moves him past Matt Bullard and Spencer Dinwiddie into eighth all-time for freshman scoring in Colorado history. He’s hit double figures in 20 of 22 games - consistency that’s rare for a first-year player.
Josiah Sanders had a breakout performance, setting career highs in points (12), assists (6), field goals made (5), and attempts (9). After being held scoreless in his previous three outings, Sanders found his rhythm and led the team in assists for the second time this season. His recent uptick - 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on 53% shooting over his last two - is a promising sign for Colorado’s depth.
Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola also stepped up, notching career highs across the board with six points and six rebounds on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting night. He’s now 5-for-5 on the season - a small sample, but an efficient one.
Bangot Dak was nearly automatic, scoring 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. That 87.5% clip is the best single-game mark by any Buffalo this season. And Jalin Holland quietly had a career-high four assists to go with five points and five boards - another example of Colorado’s depth stepping up.
NET Rankings Snapshot
Colorado currently sits at No. 75 in the NCAA NET rankings - down from a season-high of No. 39 back in early December. Their resume includes a 1-4 record in Quad 1 games, 3-4 in Quad 2, a perfect 5-0 in Quad 3, and 4-1 in Quad 4. The average NET ranking of their opponents is 40, while their opponents’ average NET is 117 - a sign that the Buffs have been tested against quality competition.
Scouting the Bears
Baylor enters the matchup at 12-9 overall and 2-7 in Big 12 play, coming off a 63-53 road win over West Virginia. The Bears can fill it up offensively, averaging 84.0 points per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. That kind of efficiency makes them dangerous, especially at home.
They’re also relentless on the boards - second in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds per game (13.24) and third in total rebounds (39.29). That rebounding edge gives them extra possessions and keeps pressure on opposing defenses.
Defensively, they allow 75.4 points per game and hold opponents to 43.2% shooting. They’re also one of the better shot-blocking teams in the league, averaging 4.7 blocks per contest.
Cameron Carr leads the Bears with 19.4 points per game. The redshirt sophomore guard is shooting 52.1% from the field - second among Big 12 guards and 11th overall in the conference. He’s the engine of their offense, but he’s not alone.
Freshman guard Tounde Yessoufou is putting up 17.3 points per game and is a menace on defense, averaging 2.0 steals - second in the Big 12. Veterans Obi Agbim (11.1 ppg) and Dan Skillings Jr. (10.2 ppg) round out a balanced scoring attack.
Series History
This will be the 29th all-time meeting between Colorado and Baylor, with the Buffs holding a 17-11 edge. The two programs renewed their rivalry last season after a 12-year break, with Colorado winning a tight one in Boulder, 76-74.
But Waco hasn’t been kind to the Buffs in recent years. Baylor leads the series 6-3 at home, and Colorado hasn’t won there since March 1, 2003 - a 72-59 victory that feels like a lifetime ago.
What’s at Stake
For Colorado, this game is about momentum. They’ve shown what they can do when they’re locked in - now it’s about consistency. A road win in Waco would not only move them up the Big 12 standings but also give their NCAA Tournament resume a much-needed boost.
The pieces are there. The defense is trending up.
The offense is finding its flow. The young core is growing.
Now it’s time to see if the Buffs can carry that energy into a tough road environment and prove that the TCU win wasn’t a one-off - it was the start of something more.