Justin Neely’s arrival is Colorado’s biggest roster lever for a 2026-27 Big 12 reset

Colorado’s offseason focus is straightforward: the Buffaloes are trying to become a real Big 12 contender again after a pair of seasons that have not quite matched their program’s ceiling. On July 6, one prominent national college basketball outlet pointed to Justin Neely as Colorado’s most important addition for 2026-27, framing the transfer as the kind of inside presence and experience that can help a team move from “building” to consistent league performance.

The rationale starts with context inside the Big 12. Colorado returned to the conference a couple of years ago and, according to Busting Brackets, has struggled to fully acclimate, including finishing last in the Big 12 two years ago and posting an 11th-place finish in the most recent season. Tad Boyle has led the Buffaloes for 16 years in Boulder, and the challenge now is whether this roster reconstruction can be the step that turns strong coaching into sustained results against conference opponents.

The Buffaloes’ roster churn helps explain why Neely matters so much. Busting Brackets reported that Colorado lost four of its top five scorers after the 2025-26 season, including Isaiah Johnson to Texas, Bangot Dak to Vanderbilt, Sebastian Rancik to Florida State, and Alon Michaeli to Saint Louis. Replacing scoring production is one need, but Colorado also had to address continuity, especially with a limited number of returning upperclassmen and shifting roles across the lineup.

Still, not everything is being rebuilt from scratch. The Boulder Daily Camera reported that Colorado has a mostly familiar backcourt and that several pieces from the 2025-26 rotation are returning. It also described the overall construction of the 2026-27 group as nearly complete, with the offseason featuring new scholarship additions and a plan to be at a lower scholarship total than in the previous season.

Within that larger reshaping, the Daily Camera identified Neely as one of the key transfers joining the Buffaloes, alongside other additions, and it described Colorado’s frontcourt as the area with the most change. The paper also noted that Colorado’s reconstruction was driven in part by the transfer-portal departures of multiple big men and the departure of players who were expected to return, leaving the team needing size, rebounding, and interior stability.

What Neely is expected to do, as described in the coverage around his move, is provide more than just minutes. Busting Brackets’ preview language casts him as the most important new piece for Colorado’s 2026-27 outlook, emphasizing the idea that, after losing much of its scoring punch and a large chunk of frontcourt continuity, the Buffaloes need an interior factor that can anchor possessions and make the rest of the roster play more confidently.

The immediate watch item is how Colorado integrates that interior focus with the returning guard group and the new frontcourt rotation as the season approaches. If Neely can help Colorado regain rebounding and improve the way the team handles physical matchups in Big 12 play, the Buffaloes could finally turn offseason movement into the kind of league finish that better matches Boyle’s track record. For now, Colorado’s ceiling hinges on whether this single addition can meaningfully change the team’s day-to-day on-court identity.