Colorado Basketball Sets Nine-Player Rotation for 2026-27 Season

The Colorado men's basketball team will begin the 2026-27 season with a rotation of nine players, a sharp contrast to last year when eleven players appeared in at least 20 games. Head coach Tad Boyle confirmed on Friday that the roster depth has narrowed significantly as the team prepares for its season opener on Nov. 2 against Abilene Christian.

The nine-player core consists of guards Barrington Hargress, Alex Dickeson, Jalin Holland, Josiah Sanders, and Ian Inman, along with forwards Justin Neely, Noah Feddersen, Goc Malual, and David Gomez. Gomez’s early minutes may be restricted as he continues to recover from foot surgery performed last year. Boyle has not yet finalized specific minute distributions for these players.

Four freshmen will serve as practice players for the upcoming season: forwards Chase Hill and Eric Jacobsen, and guards Amir Jones and Rider Portela. This group is not expected to see regular game action barring injuries or other unexpected setbacks. Their primary role is to provide competitive intensity during practice sessions for the starting nine.

The four players arrived at the University of Colorado through different paths. Portela, a wing from Phoenix, signed with the program in November 2025. Jones, Hill, and Jacobsen were added to the roster in the spring of 2026. Jones initially signed with Georgia State but reopened his recruiting following a coaching change there. Jacobsen, a 6-foot-1 post from the Midwest, suffered a torn ACL during his junior year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

Hill, whose father is the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach at Trinity University and whose grandfather Bob was a longtime NBA coach, described his current goal as simple development. "Just develop," Hill said. He noted that he could have played at a Division III school to achieve the same growth but chose to come to Colorado first. Jacobsen acknowledged the difficulty of accepting a limited role but said, "I'm realizing I can go as hard as I can every single day and I don't really have anything to lose."

Boyle emphasized that the situation is fluid. He stated that the four freshmen have the capability but lack consistency due to their youth. He pointed to Jones’s strong practice performance on Friday and noted that Jacobsen and Hill have also shown positive developments. Boyle said their standing in December could look very different from their current position in mid-to-late October. He asked the players to prepare daily so they are mentally ready when called upon.

The team finished last season 17-16 overall and 7-11 in Big 12 play. Seven players started at least 10 games during that campaign. The current roster structure reflects a strategic shift toward a smaller, more defined group of game players while utilizing the freshmen to elevate daily competition.