Rebounding: Colorado’s persistent weakness

Tad Boyle has coached the Colorado men’s basketball team for 16 years, but his anxiety about rebounding has not faded. As the Buffaloes prepare to host Abilene Christian on Monday at 6 p.m. MT, Boyle identifies the glass as his primary concern for the 2026-27 season. He believes the offense is stable under Barrington Hargress and that the defense has improved during the offseason, but rebounding remains a major point of contention. The Buffs went 10-28 in conference play over their first two seasons back in the Big 12, a record Boyle hopes to reverse.

Boyle’s worries are compounded by the team’s current status. Colorado finished in a tie for 14th in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll and No. 15 in the media poll. Ticket sales reflect a cautious fan base, with only 2,821 men’s basketball season tickets sold as of Friday. That number is down from 5,020 in the 2021-22 season and follows a season where the team averaged 6,207 fans, the lowest total of the Boyle era.

The coach places the burden of correcting these deficits on three new frontcourt players. Justin Neely, a transfer from UNC Greensboro, Noah Feddersen, a transfer from North Dakota State, and Alex Dickeson, a freshman from Australia, are expected to improve the team’s board presence. Neely ranked second in the nation last year with 11.5 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-6, he faces the challenge of maintaining that output against larger opponents in the Big 12.

Neely expressed confidence in the team’s ability to compete physically despite a lack of elite height. He noted that the lineup will not feature many players standing 7-feet-tall or 6-foot-10, so effort must compensate. He described rebounding as a matter of will and competition for every loose ball. The team also relies on returners Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders to find a breakout year after a combined .230 three-point percentage last season.

Boyle stated that the team’s improvement will be tested early by a demanding nonconference schedule. The Buffs will face San Diego State, Providence, Purdue, Stanford, and either Grand Canyon or Saint Louis. He said he believes the team is better on both ends of the ball, but he reiterated that rebounding is a major, major concern that must improve for the season to succeed.

This marks the first matchup between Colorado and Abilene Christian. The Wildcats finished last season with a 14-19 record. For Hargress, this is his final season at Colorado. He currently has 1,599 career points and needs to average 12.15 points over a minimum of 33 games to reach the 2,000-point milestone. The Buffs have won 16 of their last 16 home openers under Boyle.