MONSTER ENERGY BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA DAYS

October 20, 2026

Tad Boyle

Barrington Hargress

Josiah Sanders

Colorado Buffaloes

Media Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Colorado.

Coach, talked about this previously with Texas Tech, but you feel it because you've been around the game for such a long time, there is a new energy that comes with the newness of a season. What makes this different and unique with all the changes in college basketball?

TAD BOYLE: Well, the biggest thing, I just think you have to be focused on your team, what's going on. If I start thinking about what's going on in the rest of the world, I drive myself crazy and I don't sleep at night. That will happen enough in January and February when we're in the heat of the Big 12 (smiling).

But no, the new energy you mention, the one thing about having new players each year, it's really nice to have returning guys like these two, but the new guys bring an energy, whether it's the freshmen, whether it's the transfers. We all have 'em. They really kind of make you feel alive as a coach.

You have to change I think more so as a coach now than you did maybe in years past where you recruited your system, you knew your freshmen were going to be sophomores, your sophomores were going to be juniors, your juniors were going to be seniors.

Now your team can change overnight in the spring. Ours changed a lot. I always try to focus on the returning guys. These two, along with Ian Inman and Jalin Holland coming back, that's where you start with that core, and you build from there.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned challenge to establish a consistent identity when there are so many new pieces, things are happening so quickly. What identity are you trying to establish for Colorado basketball this season?

TAD BOYLE: Those that have heard me talk, been around me know, just press the button. It's defense and rebounding. Again, I learned from Larry Brown when I played at Kansas, if you do those two things at a high, high, level, high level, you give yourself a chance to win every single night.

One of the things we've done at Colorado, we really try to recruit talented offensive guys. Josiah is really talented in terms of his ability to get downhill, get to the rim and finish. Barrington is a great shooter, efficient guard. You recruit offensive talent, then you try to demand that they defend and rebound at a high level.

If we can be successful in doing that, we're going to compete in every game we play in, and we're going to win our share.

THE MODERATOR: Josiah, how often do you hear the word 'rebound' from your coach?

JOSIAH SANDERS: Every day (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: What kind of leadership role are you taking on and how has that evolved?

JOSIAH SANDERS: It was definitely a quick change. I was coming in last year as a freshman, didn't really experience nothing. I feel like the experiences I had last year, they really set me up good for this year because I'm able to share those with the freshmen, with the other kids that we have.

For me taking on that leadership role, just using my voice, trying to be more vocal, make sure all the guys are comfortable, because I know what it was like a year ago. I was the guy that didn't step on nobody's toes, didn't want to do the wrong thing, make no mistakes. I think for me, trying to create that environment for other kids, that's something I can do.

THE MODERATOR: Where do you feel like your skill set has taken the biggest step forward?

JOSIAH SANDERS: I feel like my skill set has taken the biggest step forward in I understand I have a broad skill set from the fact that if I'm not having a good night doing one thing, I can do something else and provide that for the team. I think my biggest jump, I was trying to develop my jump shot so can I open up the court for my teammates, really have a three-level scoring game. So for me, that was the biggest thing.

THE MODERATOR: Barrington, what has been the biggest challenge or benefit of going through growing pains and adversity that Colorado had last year?

BARRINGTON HARGRESS: I think just the biggest challenge was understanding what it's going to be like every night, just having that understanding that, yes, this is going to be a tough night. Like coach says, we're going to have to answer the bell of just rebounding and defending to give ourselves a chance to win. With that chance, we just have to execute, play hard, just do the little things that it's going to take to win that game in 40 minutes.

I think those challenges of seeing that's how we lost games, and then see how we won games, has really kind of just given me a perspective of really what it takes to win in the Big 12.

THE MODERATOR: You're talking about the toughness. Barrington, you had the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference at 3.6. How does one do that when it is this conference, and it's so difficult to have ball control?

BARRINGTON HARGRESS: Really just taking pride in understanding how my teammates are feeling, what I can do to make them succeed, then also understanding what I need to succeed.

Obviously I feel like I don't need as much. I feel like I can be very efficient in my game and I can just stick to what I do, get to my spots very efficiently.

I think just having the strong head on your shoulders to make decisions and be confident, I think that's something that always plays a factor in those decisions of having a good assist-to-turnover ratio.

THE MODERATOR: And Coach, Josiah, where did you see him make the most progress?

TAD BOYLE: I think his experience level as the year went on. Obviously there's no greater teacher than experience. But his progress really came I think in his physicality. He's a big, strong guy. He really handled the physicality of the Big 12 well as a freshman.

His skill set, as he mentioned, is an ongoing work in progress, as every college player's is. Josiah, there's no moment too big for him, he's not afraid of the moment. I think he's got a lot of confidence in his abilities. His physicality and skill set continues to develop, it's going to serve him well this year, for sure.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for some questions.

Q. Barrington, coming into your second year of Big 12 basketball, what was the transition like last year from Big West basketball to Big 12? How are you planning to improve off of a great season last year?

BARRINGTON HARGRESS: I would think that the biggest jump from going from the Big West to the Big 12 was really just like the physicality, the athleticism that you're just going to see naturally on any given night.

I think, again, the Big West, you still have those players, but it's just not as many. I mean, there's games where you're just having -- most games you're having five really great athletes out there that can shoot, dribble, and get to the rim.

So I think that just the Big 12 has just a widespread of superior athletes. I think just how I'm going to look at it, having another great year, is any given night it's going to be different things. Never going to be the same 40 minutes. Just understanding what my team is going to need from me, always being willing to do that, is going to be the number one thing.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, what is it that you want people to feel like Colorado basketball has done, aside from winning every game? What do you want people to recognize immediately?

TAD BOYLE: I hope they leave the arena or they flip the channel, turn it off, whatever, that those guys play hard. That is a hard-playing group of guys that's together. Win or lose, they're together.

The one thing I want everybody else to understand, too, is the fact that we've got such good young men in our program. I say it a lot. We recruit great kids from great families that are good players. We want to make them great players. They want to become great players.

I think work ethic and toughness. If somebody can walk away from watching our team and say that group works hard, they're a tough-minded group of guys, I can live with whatever the result is.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen, for joining us.