Barrington Hargress headlines new-look Buffs on day one of practice

Barrington Hargress joins eight other new players in their first season with the Buffs. (Photo by Oliver Hayes/Sko Buffs Sports)

The Colorado men’s basketball team took the floor for its first practice of the season Wednesday morning. New to the group is UC Riverside transfer guard Barrington Hargress and he gives this team a completely different look.

In his first two seasons at Riverside, Hargress emerged as a premier scorer among the mid-major ranks. He averaged 20.2 points per game in 2024, good for ninth in the country. He now brings not only his scoring talents to CU, but what he hopes to be an expanded skillset.

“Individually, [my goal] is being considered more of a true point guard,” Hargress said. “My freshman year I was one of the best in assist-to-turnover ratio and that’s something I’ve taken pride in.”

He largely based his decision to join the Black and Gold on the program’s history of producing that type of player. 

“I admire all the guys who’ve come before me,” Hargress said. “They’ve shown how to play the game the right way in all aspects.”

However, that wasn’t the only reason for his decision. Hargress has quickly developed good relationships with his teammates and is excited about the weapons he has around him. In particular, he’s formed a tight-knit bond with Buffs star forward Sebastian Rancik.

“Everything that [Rancik] brings to the table we can use any given night,” Hargress added. “Whether it’s his shot, his size or his ability to make mismatches and punish them…having a player like that is something I’ve never really had the luxury of having.”

Conditions off the court are just as important as those on the court, so that was another factor Hargress had to weigh in his decision. The city of Boulder checked every box for Hargress and he’s already begun to feel at home.

“I love it here,” Hargress said. “I can’t even lie, I’m probably not going home for Christmas, my family is coming out here.”

The beautiful beaches of California are no pushover, so it’s meaningful praise to his new community that he holds it in such high regard.

His skillset is poised to transform what was a dormant Buffaloes offense in 2024. Colorado head coach Tad Boyle believes that Barrington has elements of his game that the team was entirely without last season.

“[He brings] the ability to make a play late in the shot clock,” Boyle said. “When he’s got the ball in his hands, he can make a play for himself or a teammate.”

But one thing the Buffs had too much of in their 2024 offense was costly turnovers. Boyle also believes that Hargress is a player that can help change that narrative for this squad in 2025.

“He’s been a good decision-maker,” Boyle added. “I judge guards on their decision-making ability and their ability to help their teams win…that’s how we have to think as a group because that’s the ultimate goal.”

Hargress headlined an important transfer class for Colorado this offseason and as the season ramps up, the Buffs hope to see him live up to that hype in his first season of Big 12 basketball. All signs point to that coming true as the team begins practice, so now only time will tell what type of player he becomes.