The Colorado men’s basketball team has been at its best when the entire rotation is sharing the production.
Certainly the Buffaloes aren’t unique in this regard. Yet on a team devoid of a marquee individual star, the need for top-to-bottom production is critical for the Buffs. It’s a notion head coach Tad Boyle has reiterated throughout the season.
Still, it’s equally true two of the most versatile and longest-tenured Buffs, forwards Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik, need to be at their best for the Buffs to thrive. The duo has struggled to perform consistently in recent weeks as CU has lost seven of its past eight games, but Dak, Rancik and the rest of the Buffs have another opportunity to get back on track when they host Arizona State on Saturday night.
“For us to be as good as we want to be, those two guys are very important to us,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “But so are Jalin (Holland) and Josiah (Sanders). So are Barrington (Hargress) and Isaiah (Johnson). Everybody’s important to this team.”
Neither Dak nor Rancik has been mired in an extended slump. But as often happens with players still trying to reach their high ceilings, consistency has become a challenge.
In the past eight games, Dak has posted four single-digit scoring games with four double-digit scoring games, his two performances this week exemplifying the struggles for consistency. After going 7-for-8 with 14 points in Sunday’s win against TCU, Dak struggled to a 2-for-8 mark with five points during Wednesday’s loss at Baylor.
Dak did lead the Buffs with six rebounds at Baylor. But while Dak remains on pace for his second consecutive top-15 blocked shot season in team history, the Baylor loss marked his third consecutive game without a blocked shot. Dak previously had not suffered back-to-back games without a blocked shot all season.
Rancik has experienced similar ups and downs. Against TCU, he went 6-for-8 with 17 points and six rebounds. Against Baylor, Rancik went 1-for-5 with five points, matching a season low, and he went without a rebound for the first time since the season opener. After scoring at least 11 points in 10 consecutive games, Rancik has alternated single-digit scoring games with double-figure games over the past seven contests.
“There’s no better two games to look at than the TCU game at home and the Baylor game on the road that sheds a light on their inconsistency,” Boyle said. “But they’re not the only ones. At home, they’re 13-for-16 with 10 rebounds between them. They had six rebounds (at Baylor), and one guy didn’t get one.
“I doesn’t matter where you play, it doesn’t matter who you play. I’m just looking for consistent effort, consistent production. And if you don’t have it, it’s like throwing darts at the dart board as a coach. Because you don’t know what you’re going to get from a certain guy on any given night. And that’s frustrating.”
As was the case for Sunday’s win against TCU, the matchup against ASU presents a chance for the Buffs to bounce back favorably after an ugly result on the road. CU opened Big 12 Conference play with a win at ASU on Jan. 3, and the Sun Devils had lost five of their previous six games before winning at Utah on Wednesday.
“The challenge is to make our guys understand how much better Arizona State is today than they were when we played them in January,” Boyle said. “Their record may not reflect it. But I just know watching Arizona State on tape, they gave Central Florida all they wanted on the road. They played Arizona tough two times. They just beat Utah on the road. Arizona State, they’ve gotten better.”
Arizona State Sun Devils at CU Buffs men’s basketball
TIPOFF: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., CU Events Center.
TV/RADIO: ESPN2/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Arizona State 12-11, 3-7 Big 12; Colorado 13-10, 3-7.
COACHES: Arizona State — Bobby Hurley, 11th season (180-162, 222-182 overall). Colorado — Tad Boyle, 16th season (325-214, 381-280 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Arizona State — G Maurice Odum, 6-2, Sr. (17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, .369 3%); C Massamba Diop, 7-1, Fr. (13.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .591 FG%); G Anthony Johnson, 6-3, Sr. (13.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, .453 FG%); G Bryce Ford, 6-4, Jr. (7.8 ppg, .354 3%); F Santiago Trouet, 6-11, R-So. (7.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .455 FG%); F Andrija Grbovic, 6-11, Jr. (7.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, .369 3%). Colorado — G Isaiah Johnson, 6-1, Fr. (16.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, .493 FG%, .418 3%); G Barrington Hargress, 6-1, R-Jr. (13.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, .540 FG%, .523 3%); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-11, So. (12.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .356 3%); F Bangot Dak, 7-0, Jr. (10.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .469 FG%); F Alon Michaeli, 6-9, Fr. (8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg).
NOTES: With an eye on improving student attendance, CU announced a number of student ticket incentives. Most notably, at every home men’s and women’s game for the remainder of the season, 10 students will win Eldora lift tickets, and one student at each game will win a pair of Blenders Goggles. All students who attend all four remaining men’s games as well as all four remaining women’s games will be automatically allowed to skip the line this summer in purchasing a Sports Pass for 2026-27. … Four players scored in double figures for the Buffs during a Jan. 3 win at ASU, with Johnson’s 19 points leading the way. … The Buffs have been outrebounded in five of the past six games, but they posted a 42-32 rebounding advantage in last month’s matchup at ASU. … The Sun Devils have won three of their past four games at the Events Center, including a 70-68 decision last year. … CU hits the road to face a pair of ranked Big 12 foes next week, starting on Wednesday at No. 13 Texas Tech (6 p.m. MT, ESPN+) and continuing Feb. 14 at No. 14 BYU (2 p.m. MT, Fox Sports 1).
