June 18:Head coach Tad Boyle works with Ian Inman during CU men’s basketball practice on June 18, 2025 in preparation for their trip to Australia(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
The question marks up front certain to face the Colorado men’s basketball team when the 2025-26 season tips off were magnified by the offseason injury suffered by Bangot Dak.
But finally the Buffaloes are adding some size to the revamped roster.
Head coach Tad Boyle has announced his program has received a commitment from Leonardo Van Elswyk, a 7-foot-1 center out of Italy. The addition of the 19-year old Van Elswyk brings CU’s roster total to 14, with one open slot remaining.
Van Elswyk is the third offseason addition for the Buffs, joining transfers Barrington Hargress (UC Riverside) and Jon Mani (Denver). Van Elswyk becomes the sixth member of CU’s freshman class, including Jalin Holland, Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola, Ian Inman, Isaiah Johnson and Josiah Sanders.
Van Elswyk tentatively is scheduled to join the Buffs on their four-game exhibition trip to Australia, with CU set to leave on July 23. But his availability will be tied to the result of his ongoing tryout for the Italian U20 national team. If Van Elswyk makes the national team, he won’t arrive in Boulder until later this summer. If he doesn’t, Van Elswyk likely will be available for CU’s next set of pre-Australia practices, which begin July 7.
Van Elswyk spent this past season with the club Olimpia Milano, averaging 8.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting .483. In 2022, Van Elswyk played for Italy’s national team at the FIBA U16 European Championship, where his team finished sixth.
Heading into the offseason with only five returning players (Dak, Felix Kossaras, Elijah Malone, Sebastian Rancik and Andrew Crawford, who redshirted) plus a five-player recruiting class signed in November, Boyle’s offseason shopping list featured three priorities — finding a dynamic point guard, fortifying the frontcourt, and addressing CU’s struggles last season from 3-point range.
The addition of Hargress checked off the need for a point guard, although his .323 3-point mark in two seasons at UC Riverside, along with Mani’s .306 mark in 30 games at DU, will leave the Buffs counting on significant long-range improvement from their returning players, as well as production from the freshmen.
Although Van Elswyk projects as a developmental prospect, his addition is the first significant reinforcement to a frontcourt that will be thin on depth next season. Up front, CU boasts Malone, Rancik, Ifaola and Dak, who will not participate in the Australia tour due to his injury. Barring a late change of plan, the Buffs will likely add another frontcourt player with their 15th and final roster spot.
Van Elswyk visited CU earlier this month, and he also has dual citizenship in Canada.
“Leonardo Van Elswyk, coach (Bill) Grier did a lot of work with him,” CU associate head coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Rohn said. “He’s 7-1. He’s probably a developmental guy. He’s coming here with the idea that if he’s ready to play, we’ll play him. He’s a center and he’s very skilled. If he’s not (ready) we can redshirt him. He’s the perfect guy for us because we’re losing Elijah and now we have our (next) center right here with us every day.”
Originally Published: June 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM MDT