Colorado Basketball Bench Deepens as Freshmen Prepare for Limited Roles

Four newly arrived players have effectively signed up to be practice partners for the Colorado men's basketball program this year. The Buffs enter the 2026-27 campaign with a significantly thinner roster than last season, leading head coach Tad Boyle to rely on a core group of ten players for regular rotation duties. This shift marks a distinct change from the previous year, when eleven players appeared in at least twenty games and seven made at least ten starts. With the season opener set for November 2 against Abilene Christian, the program is just ten days away from testing this new dynamic.

Last year, the team finished with a 17-16 record and struggled to resolve several on-court issues despite having a large pool of talent. This season, that constant shuffling of roles is unlikely to continue. Instead, the expected starting lineup and primary backups will include guards Barrington Hargress, Alex Dickeson, Jalin Holland, Josiah Sanders, and Ian Inman. Forwards Justin Neely, Noah Feddersen, Goc Malual, and David Gomez will round out the main group. Gomez may see limited early minutes as he continues to recover from foot surgery performed a year ago.

The four freshmen who will spend much of their time at the end of the bench arrived in Boulder through different paths. Forward Chase Hill, guard Amir Jones, forward Eric Jacobsen, and wing Rider Portela joined the roster as late additions last spring, except for Portela. Portela is a native of Phoenix who committed to the Buffs in November of last year. The others were added to the team in the spring following various recruiting developments.

Jacobsen, a six-foot-1 post who grew up around Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to Colorado Springs, played at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. His recruiting momentum slowed after he tore his ACL during his junior season. Hill comes from a prominent basketball family. His father is the all-time winningest women's basketball coach at Division III Trinity University in San Antonio. His grandfather, Bob, was a longtime NBA coach who helped recruit Boyle to the Kansas coaching staff 45 years ago. Portela’s father is also a coach, while Jones re-opened his recruitment after a coaching change at Georgia State, where he had originally signed.

Hill described his goal for the season with simple clarity. He said he just wants to develop. He noted that he could have attended a Division III school with the same intention and transferred later, but he chose to come to Colorado first. He expects to be in Boulder for four or five years, using that time to improve his game.

Jacobsen acknowledged that accepting a limited role was challenging at first. He said he is realizing that he can go as hard as he can every single day and that he does not really have anything to lose. He is simply trying to earn what he can through consistent effort. This mindset reflects the broader approach of the young group, who are focused on growth rather than immediate playing time.

Boyle has not finalized specific minutes or roles for these freshmen, but he does not want them to feel permanently shut out. He described the situation as fluid, noting that Jones had a very good practice on Friday. He also pointed out that Jacobsen and Hill have done good things in recent sessions. The coach believes the players have the capability but lack consistency because they are young. He emphasized that their standing in December could look very different from how it appears in mid-to-late October.

The head coach asked the group to prepare every day so they are mentally ready when called upon. While this third five is not expected to play regularly barring injuries or other unexpected setbacks, their daily work in practice will matter. Their presence and effort will help a Buffs team that hopes to surprise opponents in the Big 12. The program’s 17th season under Boyle will test the depth of the roster and the ability of these young players to contribute in meaningful ways.