BOULDER — Progress. That is officially a way to describe Colorado’s 2025-26 season.

With a 78-70 win over Arizona State on Saturday at the CU Events Center, Tad Boyle’s young group secured its fourth victory in Big 12 play this season, surpassing last year’s mark with still seven games left to play in the regular season.

“It’s progress,” junior point guard Barrington Hargress said. “It’s where we want to be, but we’ve still got more work to do. We’re happy, but we’re not satisfied. We’re gonna stay hungry and keep trying to get better and get more wins in this tough conference.”

The Buffaloes won back-to-back games against Bobby Hurley’s team for the first time since 2021-22 and completed the first season sweep of ASU since the 2011-12 season, CU’s first in the old Pac-12. 

That’s just another thing Boyle can point to as it continues to grow in arguably the toughest conference in the country.

“I watch a lot of film and the one thing I do know about Arizona State is they have gotten a lot better since we played them in January,” Boyle said. “People might say, ‘Well, you should beat Arizona State at home.’ It ain’t easy. It’s a win we should be proud of.”

It’s a win Boyle is proud of because of how it came. CU dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 40-26, including 13-8 on the offensive glass, which led to 17 second chance points.

The Buffs also buckled down in the final minutes, holding the Sun Devils scoreless for nearly three full minutes to turn a four-point lead into a nine-point lead in the final minute. 

While Boyle is watching other teams around the Big 12 improve on film, he’s watching his own team get better week after week in front of his own eyes.

“That’s the whole thing with me since I’ve been here… to make sure our team is playing better as the season progresses,” Boyle said. “Sometimes, the schedule does not favor you, especially in this league. You can be improving without the wins coming. Progress is coming.”

The next step for this young group is clear: can they take it on the road and pick up wins away from Boulder? The Buffs will get to show whether or not they can this week with their toughest week on the road this season, featuring two games against ranked opponents, starting Wednesday (6 p.m. ESPN+) at No. 13 Texas Tech and continuing next Saturday at No. 16 BYU.

“We’ve gotta understand (that) we gotta play with more toughness and more energy and more togetherness when we’re away from home and we don’t have the crowd here to energize us. That’s the challenge,” Boyle said. “Guess what? We’ve got two challenges in front of us this week in Lubbock and then in Provo against two really good teams. All you can ask for in life is an opportunity. We’ve got that.”

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GAME RECAP

Colorado 78, Arizona State 70

What happened: The Buffaloes (14-10, 4-7 Big 12) surpassed last season’s Big 12 win total and completed a season sweep over the Sun Devils (12-12, 3-8). CU closed the game strong defensively, while getting solid offensive production from a handful of players, led by Barrington Hargress’ 23 points, which tied a season-high.

Star of the night: With his mother and grandfather visiting from Slovakia, sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik delivered his first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, answering the calls from coach Tad Boyle to make more of an impact on the glass.

Quotable: “It means everything. I love my mom and my grandfather so much. Just being here, my mom cooking for me every day has helped. I wish they could stay longer. I’m just really grateful that they could come out.” — Rancik on his mother and grandfather’s visit 

Up next: The Buffs hit the road for a tough two-game road trip against a pair of ranked teams, beginning Wednesday (6 p.m. ESPN+) at No. 13 Texas Tech.