Barrington Hargress emerged as one of the top scorers on the entire West Coast last season.
Hargress could very well enjoy more than a few high-scoring games this season for Colorado. Maybe he even ends the campaign as the Buffaloes’ leading scorer.
But part of Hargress’ attraction to Colorado once he entered the transfer portal last spring was that it was a program where they wouldn’t necessarily need him to score. That mindset has led to an encouraging preseason from Hargress, a transfer from UC Riverside who likely will be the Buffs’ primary point guard when they tip off the season against Montana State at home Monday night (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Hargress can, and probably will, score when needed. But his primary role will be to direct an attack that expects to be versatile and dynamic.
“The depth shows up constantly,” Hargress said of his new team. “There’s so many young guys that could contribute. Then you have vets like BD (Bangot Dak), Sebastian (Rancik), Elijah (Malone) and myself that are going to get it going and know what it takes to win. All that together, we have a really deep team.
“I’m like a kid in a toy shop right now. I just use different toys, use them how I can. Elijah is such a presence down low. And then I’ve got shooters. Guys that are capable of putting the ball in the basket. I get to put the defense in whatever position they don’t want to be in, and that frees myself up and I can be a little more aggressive.”
The 6-foot-1 Hargress averaged 20.2 points per game last year at UC Riverside, a mark that led the Big West Conference and ranked 15th nationally. Hargress’ 686 total points set a program record, and at CU he profiles similarly to former point guard McKinley Wright IV as an undersized floor general who might not be the strongest 3-point shooter but can score at the rim and make plays for others.
“If he’s anything like McKinley, we’re in a good spot. Competitive-wise, I think they’re cut from the same cloth,” said CU assistant coach Nate Tomlinson, a former Buffs point guard. “They’re both undersized guards but don’t take a back step to anybody. Barrington has come from a league and a program where he was relied on to score the ball heavily. But his role on this team is going to be a little different. We’ve got guys that can score the ball. He’s going to have to play that floor-general spot a little bit. He’s finding that balance of coming up a level and then stepping into a new role. And he’s done it phenomenally so. He’s been ultra-efficient.”
Hargress averaged 4.0 assists per game last year and 4.3 in 68 games over two seasons as Riverside’s point guard. He posted an assist-to-turnover rate of 2.53 during those two seasons, and considering the three guards who logged the most playing time last year for the Buffs — Julian Hammond III, RJ Smith and Javon Ruffin — combined to produce an assist-to-turnover rate of 1.32, Hargress should be a significant upgrade at the top of the attack.
“It’s super exciting. The team’s been putting in a lot of work,” Hargress said. “It feels good to finally be right there where you’re about to play. You see all the work that you’ve put in, all the things we’ve been talking about, emphasizing. Now you get to go show it out in front of the fans.”