The Colorado men’s basketball team (9-12, 0-10 Big 12) is in a historical rut in 2025. As March looms near, there are several key areas in which the Buffs have struggled that have left them desperate for even one conference win.
Turnovers
It’s no secret that turnovers have plagued CU throughout the season. The Buffaloes currently average 15.1 turnovers per game, which ranks as the 13th most in the country and most among Power Four schools. If this pace is kept, it will also be in line for the program’s highest average in that category since the 2001-02 season (15.2).
Turnovers have not just been high in quantity either, as they have often led to free points for their opponents. When facing Colorado this year, teams average 16.3 points off turnovers per game, which can easily swing momentum. The Buffs’ worst case of this came against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Maui Invitational. They allowed a brutal 37 points off turnovers in a game they lost by 28, costing them a fifth-place finish in the tournament.
This was far from the only case of turnover-based points costing the Buffaloes games, however, as it has held them back from potentially being near the top of the Big 12 standings. The average margin of defeat for CU this year is 11.9 points, meaning their 16.3 points given up off turnovers each contest has cost them a much better record.
Rebounding
The typical head coach Tad Boyle team model usually revolves around rebounding and defense, but this season, the Buffs have not provided the production he’s used to on the glass. CU has been out-rebounded in eight games this season, including their home opener against the Pacific Tigers and both of their losses to Iowa State.
These discrepancies have primarily come down to a size issue. Elijah Malone is the only true center on the Buffs roster, and while the team has good length with the likes of Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik, size has been another story. Malone weighs in at 268 pounds, being the only player over 250 pounds on the roster. The next closest is forward Andrej Jakimovski, who weighs 220 pounds and is more of a scoring threat by nature.
This lack of size has affected the Buffaloes’ ability to be physical in the paint, leading to the games they’ve been out-rebounded in. While rebounding hasn’t been as much of an Achilles heel for the black and gold as their turnover issues, it has still been a major contributor to their struggles through 21 games.
Lack of offensive star power
In modern-day college basketball, the best teams tend to revolve around one or two star players who fuel the team on offense. This has been no different in 2025, and with the Buffs not having a player of this caliber emerge so far, they have been left behind.
CU’s current leader in points per game is guard Julian Hammond III, currently averaging 13.5. While he’s been the best offensive force to this point, he hasn’t quite stacked up to some of the higher-end scorers this season.
Looking at the most recent Associated Press Top 25 rankings, all but three teams have at least one player averaging 15 or more points a game. The three exceptions to that rule are the Houston Cougars, who have allowed the lowest points per game by their opponents in the country, Michigan State Spartans, who rank eighth in the country in rebound differential, and Missouri Tigers, who have generated their scoring off free-throws, making the second most per-game in
the country while also ranking seventh in steals. Even when looking at the top half of the Big 12 standings, all but one team has at least one player scoring 15 or more per night (Houston).
The fact of the matter is that the Buffs just haven’t had the rebounding or defense to back up their lack of star power. Without a consistent spark plug to drive the offense, CU will continue to be outmatched against the higher-end teams in its conference, let alone the rest of the country.
These three areas have been the downfall of CU basketball through the first half of the season, and as they move further into conference play, the competition will only get more fierce.
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