Isaiah Johnson adds Big 12 honors to historic season
- Max Friedl
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
A historic freshman regular season for Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson came to a close with conference recognition on Monday. The Buffs’ standout earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 after setting the program’s freshman scoring record.
Johnson became the only Buffalo to be named to the conference’s postseason awards list, highlighting a breakout year for the newcomer.
He secured his place in the record books on Saturday, scoring 28 points in CU’s 89-79 loss to No. 2 Arizona, breaking the school's freshman scoring record in the regular season finale.
“It means a lot,” Johnson said. “That’s not easy to come by, being able to break that record. I’m just thankful for my coaches, my teammates for being able to put me in that position.”
Johnson has scored 15+ points in 21 of his 31 games this season, including nine performances with 20 or more points.
The California native entered Saturday’s matchup on a hot streak, shooting better than 60 percent over his previous two games. He finished the night 7-for-10 from the field, continuing his recent offensive surge while setting the program's record.
His strong late-season performances also earned him Co-Big 12 Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week Honors, further cementing one of the most productive freshman campaigns in Colorado basketball history.
The mark was previously held by Alec Burks. Burks scored 512 points as a freshman in the 2009-10 season. Johnson’s record now stands at 526 points with at least one game remaining.
Johnson’s record-setting year provides a bright spot for Colorado entering the 2026 Big 12 Tournament. If the Buffaloes can stay hot and continue to feed the hot hand during the postseason, the freshman record may stand well above 526.