Early in the Colorado Buffaloes’ offseason, their circumstances looked bleak. The Buffs lost nine players to the transfer portal and one more to graduation from their 2025 roster. The depleted roster raised a number of concerns for fans, but what was left of the team remained confident.Buffaloes guard Ian Inman revealed in an exclusive interview with Colorado Buffaloes on SI on Tuesday that coach Tad Boyle kept the spirits of his team’s returning players high throughout the process. In doing so, he fueled a fierce mentality that the Buffaloes have worn as their identity throughout offseason workouts. How Tad Boyle guided the Colorado BuffaloesFeb 21, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle reacts in the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectInman was one of the Buffaloes from the 2025 freshman class who chose to stick around for the 2026 season. His trust in Boyle’s abilities to build the program was a major contributor to that decision.“Coach Boyle is always the best coach,” Inman said. “I trust him with all my heart.”The guidance that Boyle gave Colorado’s players through the uncertain times of roster reconstruction has since crafted a powerful mindset for its players.“For us, it really wasn’t rocky,” Inman said. “Sometimes we expect different changes to happen in the new era of basketball, but [Boyle] just put full confidence in us, told us what we need to do, told us how we can impact winning. In this new group, I feel like we have that underdog mentality. Not everybody was highly recruited [out of high school] or out of the transfer portal, so ultimately, it’s just coming in, trying to compete and win games with that underdog mentality.”Who Tad Boyle was able to retain at ColoradoFeb 21, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Jalin Holland (11) dives for a loose ball in the first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAlongside Inman, Boyle brought back guards Jalin Holland and Josiah Sanders from the 2025 freshman class. The Buffaloes will also have another season with star senior guard Barrington Hargress, who will likely take on the leading scorer role at the helm of the Buffs’ offense.The Buffaloes brought back one member of their frontcourt in walk-on forward Nick Randall. He’s entering his redshirt junior season and may be expected to take on significant minutes for the first time in his college career among an uncertain position group.The players Boyle brought back to the program are fully bought into his mentality and the Colorado brand of basketball. Now, they have a significant chip on their shoulders to perform for the program that took a chance on them.The Colorado Buffaloes’ season goals with their new groupMar 18, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; North Dakota State Bison forward Noah Feddersen (34) speaks to the media before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectDespite all of the roster turnover, Colorado’s players have still set lofty goals for the 2026 season. They hope to ride that underdog mentality all the way to March Madness, with Hargress and fellow senior Noah Feddersen spearheading that mission for the Buffs.Making March Madness has been Hargress's life’s dream, and he’s prepared to do everything it takes to accomplish that goal in 2026.“That’s the goal every time I lace up my shoes every season,” Hargress said. “This year, since it’s my last, it’s definitely a big dream, a big goal and it’s going to be heavy on my mind.”Feddersen, as the only player on Colorado’s roster to have made the tournament in his career, has been passing wisdom onto his teammates on what it takes to make the Big Dance. His advice has fueled the Buffaloes in offseason workouts and has certainly added to their inspired underdog mentality.Boyle has made the tournament six times while at Colorado, so he’ll have more to say to them about March Madness preparation than any player possibly could. The guidance he displayed while working the Buffaloes through tough times early in the offseason should make fans even more confident in his abilities to prepare them for that type of stage as well.Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow