Last week, Tad Boyle offered a simple description of what the top priority was for his team in the transfer portal.

The Colorado men’s basketball team believes they have found that piece in former UC Riverside guard Barrington Hargress.

On Thursday afternoon, Hargress announced his commitment to the Buffaloes, filling the first of the three scholarship slots available for Boyle this spring.

Listed by UC Riverside at 6-feet tall, Hargress spent three seasons with the Highlanders, redshirting as a true freshman before developing into one of the top scorers in the Big West Conference. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

“A guard that can score and create his own shot is probably the first thing,” is what Boyle said last week in regard to the top transfer portal priority, and Hargress’ numbers fit that bill.

This year, Hargress earned first team all-conference honors after averaging a league-best 20.2 points per game, which ranked 13th nationally. Hargress might not help turn around a 3-point efficiency that lagged this past season for the Buffs — he shot .323 from the arc in two active seasons at UC Riverside, with a .329 mark this year — but checks plenty of boxes as a playmaker.

Hargress averaged 4.3 assists in 68 games at UC Riverside, while posting a 2.53 assist-to-turnover ratio. His 686 total points set a UC Riverside record.

Hargress was named the Big West Freshman of the Year for the 2023-24 season after averaging 12.6 points per game. Hargress already has enjoyed some success in the state of Colorado, as his half-court heave at the regulation buzzer Nov. 22 at Colorado State kept UC Riverside in a game it eventually won in overtime. Hargress went 11-for-20 in Fort Collins with 31 points and six assists. The Buffs will play at CSU next season.

With Boyle having said repeatedly the Buffs plan to stay at 13 scholarships despite the pending NCAA roster expansion to a possible 15, CU still has two open slots available.