Basketball season started in Boulder with a bang, as the Buffaloes bested the Montana State Bobcats by a final score of 84-78. Despite ten lead changes in the back-and-forth game, Colorado got a late push
from an expected star to get them across the finish line for their first win of the year.
The Buffs started strong, jumping out to a 14-7 lead thanks to six early points and two gorgeous dunks by forward and returning star Bangot Dak. Colorado was getting its young players involved, its shots were falling, and all looked promising at the CU Event Center for the first 11 minutes of play.
Unfortunately, with just over eight minutes to play before the break, that started to change. Colorado’s shots stopped falling and the Buffs got a little too anxious on defense, as they began racking up fouls against MSU. The Bobcats were able to parlay the freebies that CU gave them into momentum, as they ripped off a 14-3 run to take a 33-32 lead into halftime.
The Buffs came out of the break sluggish, allowing Montana State to extend its lead to five points. After allowing a Big Sky team to come into their gym and go shot-for-shot with them, things started looking bleak for CU. Could the Buffs really lose their season opener to Montana State and squander expectations immediately?
Enter Isaiah Johnson, a true freshman guard out of Campbell Hall High School in Los Angeles and son of renowned NBA trainer Chris Johnson. In his college debut, in front of family and his godfather Dwyane Wade (Yes, THAT Dwyane Wade!), Johnson began getting hot.
Despite only scoring four first-half points on three attempts in the first half, Johnson began to take over the game. After checking in with 16 minutes remaining and Colorado down four points, Johnson constantly put himself in a position to get good looks and made the most of it by hitting his shots.
Johnson was working in the paint by hitting clean layups and jumpers, drilling his freebies, and even working beyond the arc, making two of his three attempts from deep. Before fans could even process what they were seeing, Johnson had racked up 20 points in the second half, powering a six-point CU victory.
Postgame, the vibes were high. The Buffs had officially gotten their season off on the right foot, an NBA legend was in the house, and a potential new star had emerged for this team. Many comparisons were made between Johnson and legendary Buffalo McKinley Wright, including by coach Tad Boyle and Wright himself.
With a record of 1-0, the Buffs will now focus their attention on Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon, as the Eagles become the second straight Big Sky opponent to face Colorado in Boulder. Tip-off is at 2:00 p.m. MT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
