What historic 8-0 start means to CU men’s basketball

Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball is playing above its pay grade, starting the season 8-0 for the first time in 76 years. (Photo by Nick Rauscher/Sko Buffs Sports)

For the first time since the 1949-50 season, Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball is 8-0.

Coming off a season where it finished last in the Big 12, this hot start is unprecedented. With wins over UC Davis, Providence, San Francisco and Washington, this team has surprised many people, but not head coach Tad Boyle. 

“This team can be as special as it wants to be,” Boyle said Monday after CU’s last win over California Baptist. 

This team definitely seems special after knocking off Washington 81-68 to win the Acrisure Holiday Classic last Friday. The Buffs also beat San Francisco and UC Davis on their way to the championship. 

The last in-season tournament the Buffs won was the MGM Resorts Main Event in the 2019-20 season. The postseason ended up being cancelled that year due to COVID-19, so the Buffs didn’t get to show their skill in March, but hopefully they can now.

Last night, the Buffs knocked off undefeated California Baptist to claim their eighth win. This game was one of their toughest yet, as the Buffaloes fought back from down 14 in the first half to win 78-70. This win was a team effort as four players scored in double figures, including 17 points from CU’s leading scorer, freshman guard Isaiah Johnson.

“The ceiling for this team is very, very high,” Boyle said. 

Under longtime coach Tad Boyle's direction, the Colorado Buffaloes are starting to execute a dramatic turnaround. (Remi Krupinski/Sko Buffs Sports)

It's still early, but Buffs are well on their way to achieving big things. They only had 14 wins last year, but already have more than half of that with still 23 games to go. 

Five of these games are against non-conference teams before the Buffs begin play in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, the Big 12. Despite the historic start, Boyle doesn’t want the team to get complacent. 

“We have to keep getting better. It's December 1—a lot of room for improvement,” Boyle said.

The Buffs will definitely have to keep improving if they want to hang with other Big 12 teams, such as BYU and Kansas, who each have one of the top two recruits from the class of 2025. The Big 12 looks tougher than ever this year, and the Buffs will definitely have their work cut out for them on the road to March. 

However, the Buffs are not lacking in talent. Junior guard Barrington Hargress is putting up big numbers on both sides of the ball, averaging 11.9 points and 5.1 assists, as well as recording 10 steals through his first eight games. Johnson leads the team with 15.1 points off the bench. Junior forward Bangot Dak has been a force on defense, recording 14 blocks through his first eight games. 

These three aren’t the only ones putting up big performances for the Buffs, as every player contributes when they step on the court. This talented, deep roster is looking to make some noise in the Big 12 this year.

The Buffs will look to improve to 9-0 on Saturday as they take on in-state rival Colorado State Rams in a Rocky Mountain Showdown in Fort Collins. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.