The first official practice for the 2025-26 Colorado men’s basketball team is in the books. And it was a shorthanded affair for a Buffaloes program intent on bouncing back from a last-place finish in the Big 12 Conference.

CU held the first of the 10 practices allowed ahead of its exhibition tour of Australia on Monday without forward Bangot Dak, who is recovering from an injury. Dak will be sidelined throughout the summer, including the four-game trip through Australia that begins next month. But after Wednesday’s practice, head coach Tad Boyle said Dak is expected to be full strength when preseason practices begin in a little more than three months.

“He’s got to attack his rehab just like he would attack practice,” Boyle said.

“Because we need Bangot. He’s a big, big part of next year’s team and our plans, because he is experienced and he’s got great size and rim protection and his ability to score the ball.”

After playing sparingly as a freshman, Dak overcame a slow start to his sophomore season last year before evolving into one of the more encouraging bright spots during the 21-loss campaign.

The versatile, 6-foot-11 Dak started the first two games last season, but after going a combined 4-for-11 with only one rebound in nearly 15 minutes in the second game against Northern Colorado, Dak came off the bench in the next 13 games.

Dak announced his return to the starting lineup Jan. 15 against Cincinnati with a dominant 7-for-13, 18-point, eight-rebound performance, numbers that all counted as new career-highs at the time. Dak went 8-for-14 with a career-high 20 points at Iowa State and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds at TCU on Feb. 2.One of just three players to play in all 35 games, Dak averaged 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds, although during regular season Big 12 play those numbers improved to 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds. Dak is just one of five scholarship players back from last season, and given the Buffs have yet to add frontcourt depth beyond freshman Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola, Dak will be leaned upon for improved rebounding next season, as will returning forwards Sebastian Rancik and Elijah Malone.

Dak isn’t the only absent player on a roster still two players short of the 15-man limit.

Guard Jon Mani, a transfer from the University of Denver, has been training with the Israel national team and remains overseas as the nation falls into war with Iran. All five of CU’s freshmen are on campus, but one — guard Isaiah Johnson — arrived earlier this week and is still getting cleared for practice. Johnson’s late arrival was due to his high school in Southern California having a later graduation date, but he is expected to be available for the Australia trip.

CU will split its final nine practices over the next several weeks until the final practice date of July 23. The Buffs leave for Australia that day and play four games Down Under, including a showdown against the Australian Boomers, the country’s national team, July 31.

The shortened roster, along with the absences of Dak and Mani, has provided the freshmen and new point guard Barrington Hargress, a transfer from UC Riverside, extra opportunities to get acclimated.

“The great thing is, these young guys are getting a lot of reps,” Boyle said. “That’s good.”