New opportunities are up for grabs this season with Colorado losing its top six rotation players, and Bangot Dak is looking to capitalize on a much more significant role in his sophomore season.

From averaging 6.9 minutes across 23 games last season (three games in the NCAA Tournament), Dak flashed on occasion in the post. Dak's impact wasn’t fully felt on the floor as he played limited minutes and was still finding his footing in his freshman season. Head coach Tad Boyle expects a “breakout season” from Dak this year with a likely starting role for the 6-foot-11, 185-pound forward.

“He was just scratching the surface as a freshman, obviously playing behind some really, really talented players last year,” Boyle said. “Explosiveness is sometimes even an understatement with him. He's a quick jumper, he's got good timing. He's probably one of the best shot blockers I've coached.”

In Colorado’s exhibition game against Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday, Dak started and had one of the best performances as he led the Buffs in scoring with 16 points (7-of-11) with an additional five rebounds and three assists.

Boyle is finding new pieces to fill the void left by significant roster turnover, and Dak's offseason has prepared him to be one of the Buffs' top contributors this year. He added five pounds this offseason, and bulking up and developing his body has been beneficial for his game as a post player.

“I know I got stronger,” Dak said “Offensively, I wanted to work on my outside game, get my shot right, play more light off the dribble. And defensively, I just want to be a lot more physical, be able to guard one through five a lot better this year, which I know I'm gonna be able to do.”

Dak’s feel on offense has also improved over the offseason. Last year, he averaged 1.7 points per game and on Saturday he came out as the Buffs' leading scorer hitting a variety of jumpers, two dunks and a 3-pointer.

His touch, shot selection and decisiveness in the frontcourt have been a positive addition to his game as Colorado needs plenty of help replenishing the shooting that was lost.

“I'll start by saying he's one of the most talented players I've ever been around, playing or coaching,” former Buff and first-year assistant coach Evan Battey told CU Sports Report. “And I played with some good dudes, so says a lot. His step as a shooter. I mean, just his hands, his follow through, his release, it's all gotten progressively better. That's why I think he's shown the most growth, taking it step-by-step and not really focusing on the end result of whether the shot goes in or not.”

On defense, Boyle mentioned Dak's elite shot blocking abilities. However, on the same note, the CU head coach is looking for him to play more disciplined and stay away from picking up fouls while he’s going up to block.

“The key for him is he's got to be the second one off the floor, and when he's a second one off the floor, he's pretty darn good,” Boyle said. “If he's the first one off the floor, he's gonna be in a lot of foul trouble because he is thin, and people are gonna get into his body and he'll pick up fouls. So using the discipline and building the habits defensively, he has a chance to be an elite defender, both on the ball and off the ball. Right now, he's a really good off-the-ball defender when he sees man and ball and he stays in a stance, and he's getting better on the ball as well.”

Dak so far has flown under the radar, even dating back to his high school days with interest from a handful of programs such as Utah, Nebraska and Colorado State. Once Dak, a 2024 prospect, received a phone call from assistant coach and director of player development Zach Ruebesam, he reclassified and joined the team in 2023 for what turned into an important developmental year.

“​​Everything paid off for me,” Dak said. “Every decision leading up to this point paid off. I feel like I got to sit behind three NBA players, a really good NBA player, Tristan da Silva. I watched for them all year. Last year, I just watched, just literally watching them helped me a lot. The way Coach Boyle would coach them, the way they would take on information and execute, I feel like that helped me a lot, and it showed me where the pro level was at.”