Men’s basketball: Tad Boyle focuses on finalizing CU Buffs’ roster
The roster limit officially is set, and at least one familiar face will rejoin the practice mix.
Yet while the Colorado men’s basketball team continues its summer program with a wide-ranging cast of new faces, there remains roster spots to fill.
Head coach Tad Boyle confirmed former Fossil Ridge High School star Nick Randall will return as a walk-on, and Boyle remains confident frontcourt help can still be found for the Buffaloes this summer.
The long-awaited House settlement, which finally was approved on Friday, caps men’s basketball rosters at 15 players. The final approval of the settlement doesn’t necessarily change anything for Boyle and his staff, which has been operating this offseason on the assumption the 15-player limit would be in play for 2025-26. The return of Randall, a 6-foot-8 forward, leaves the Buffs at 13 players, but whether Randall remains the Buffs’ lone walk-on remains to be seen.
“It’s unusual because it’s run so late, but it’s about getting the right guy,” Boyle said of the offseason recruiting process. “It’s not just about filling a spot. We could’ve filled a spot six weeks ago. We want to fill spots with the right guys, who can fit into what we’re about, what the culture’s about. And quite frankly, most of the guys that are still available are kids that are from overseas. Because you have a lot of European kids that have been playing with European clubs that now can make more money playing college basketball in America.”
With Randall set to return as a walk-on, the Buffs have begun summer workouts with 12 scholarship players — transfers Barrington Hargress and Jon Mani; freshmen Jalin Holland, Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola, Ian Inman, Isaiah Johnson, and Josiah Sanders; and 2024-25 holdovers Andrew Crawford, Bangot Dak, Felix Kossaras, Elijah Malone and Sebastian Rancik.
Adding frontcourt help is one offseason priority that has not yet been met for the Buffs, who lost three of their most active rebounders in Andrej Jakimovski, Trevor Baskin and Assane Diop, who recently committed to San Diego. Boyle said the Buffs still intend on adding a frontcourt piece that can be capable of contributing right away.
When that happens, the Buffs will be at 14 players on the roster. After saying toward the end of last season that the program planned to remain at 13 scholarships — the limit before the House settlement became official — Boyle again hinted a 14th scholarship player could be an option, depending on the player and the fit.
“We need someone who can help us right away for sure,” Boyle said. “If we add one player, that player has to be able to help us and play some minutes for us in the frontcourt. We’re looking at frontcourt spots for both spots. And the other one can either be a depth piece or an upside guy or possibly a solid walk-on.”
Notable
The Buffs will host Grace College for an exhibition game on Oct. 19. An NAIA school in Northern Indiana, Grace is Malone’s former home. … Mani, a transfer from Denver, will join the Buffs later this summer, as he is set to compete for the Israeli national team. … The Big 12 pairings for conference play are expected to be released this week.
