Tag: Niko Medved

Jaedon LeDee Helps Lift San Diego St. Past Colorado St., 71-55 At Home

Game Recap: San Diego State 71, Colorado State 55 San Diego State capitalizes on a poor second-half from Colorado State. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire San Diego State stands tall against visiting Rams, thanks to huge second-half from …

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 Game Recap: San Diego State 71, Colorado State 55

San Diego State capitalizes on a poor second-half from Colorado State.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

San Diego State stands tall against visiting Rams, thanks to huge second-half from Jaedon LeDee.

Both the Aztecs and Rams have experienced high & lows this season. A theme no Mountain West team has evaded thus far. Still, both programs find themselves in a four-way tie for second place, just one game behind league leader Utah State.

The last time these two teams met was on January 30th in Fort Collins. That first win stayed with the hosting Rams, thanks to two twenty point performances from Isaiah Stevens & Nique Clifford. Now fast forward a couple of weeks and both squads are in very similar places. Fighting the juggernaut that is the top-7 or so teams in the Mountain West at the moment.

With only six remaining regular season games to not only help these teams vie for beneficial seeding in the Mountain West Conference Tournament but also boost their chances at at-large bids should things not pan out in Las Vegas, time and winning are of the essence.

The Rams didn’t let a second go to waste. After giving up the first points of the game to a Jaedon LeDee Dunk, Colorado State went on an 14-0 before the Aztecs found their next point. The credit for that run goes to the outstanding three point shooting of Josiah Strong, who made three of Rams four opening three pointers.

The Aztecs needed a few moments but they responded. Chipping away at their visitors lead while Colorado State continued their long distance bombardment inside Viejas Arena. Sending their hosts back to their locker rooms down 44-30 at the half.

Brian Dutcher’s group didn’t necessarily have a bad offensive half. Colorado State simply had a great first half from beyond the arc & the Aztecs didn’t have many free throw opportunities to help fill the gap. While Niko Medved’s squad shot over 50% from the floor (16-28) & from deep (7-14).

San Diego State utilized the break to regroup and come out swinging. With the Aztecs going opening the scoring with a 7-0 run, including 5 straight points from their potential All-American Jaedon LeDee.

Colorado State responded with a 5-0 run of their own to help extend their lead back to double-digits (49-37). After that the Rams went several minutes without a made field goal. Which was enough for LeDee to go to work, scoring his team’s next seven points to add to his already fourteen.

The profound defensive juggernaut that is normally San Diego State held the Rams to just 10 points off of 3-17 shooting in the first thirteen minutes of second-half action. Outrebounding Colorado State 22-5 during that same stretch.

Though it wasn’t until the 9:47 mark that the Aztecs too their first lead of the game with a Jay Pal free throw, putting them up 53-52. San Diego State would slow the game down & rely on knocking down free throws to extend their lead.

Scoring became scarcer for the Rams. With a 7-1 run capped by a Lamont Butler Layup before a media timeout grew the Aztecs’ lead to a whopping fifteen points with 3:39 left in the game.

Both sides went scoreless over the next few minutes as Colorado State found themselves still down by fifteen points with a little over a minute to go. After that Brian Dutcher cleared the bench. Sending his star big man to the bench for the night with 27 points, a whopping 22 of them coming in the second-half.

With that San Diego State secured the 71-55 win at home and took sole possession of second place for the time being. LeDee was joined in the scoring column by two 11 point outings from backcourt members Darrion Trammell & Lamont Butler. While Niko Medved had four rams reach double-figures, with the lone exception being starter Joel Scott. Also receiving little to no help (4 points total) from their bench.

Player Spotlights

Colorado State G-Josiah Strong

Stat line: 14 points, 2 assists on 5-12 (41.6%) from the floor & 3-7 (42.8%) from deep in 29 minutes of action

Strong started things off, well strong for the Rams Tuesday night. Although recruited as a scoring sharpshooter, Strong has struggled with his rhythm & injuries during his time in Fort Collins. His three made 3-pointers were a season high and his most since transferring from Illinois State back in 2022.

It’s hard to highlight a good first-half performance after a nearly completely absent second-half (3 points, 1-6 shooting, 0-3 from deep). But let’s look for the silver lining Rams fans.

San Diego State F–Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 27 points & 6 rebounds on 10-14 (46.6%) shooting from the floor, including 7-11 (63.6%) from the line in 26 minutes of action

After beginning the season averaging 26.8 PPG & 10.6 RPG over the Aztec’s first five games. LeDee placed his name in contention for national award watch lists. Not to say that reputation has dimmed over the course of the season, I mean the 6-9 big man hasn’t failed to reach double-digit scoring not once the entire season. Not to mention his current season averages of 20.0 PPG & 8.6 RPG thanks to his 54.9% field goal percentage.

But, his effectiveness to not only dominant a game but help his team win one came into question after San Diego State dropped four games since conference play began. None of that came into LeDee’s head on Tuesday night. As his team emerged from half-time down by 14 points, he went to work. Scoring 22 of his 27 points all in the second half and shooting an impressive 8-11 (72.7%) while doing it.

I can’t see the Aztecs winning so comfortably without that second-half dominance. Which could be extremely useful going forward in San Diego State’s remaining six regular season games.

Three Takeaways:

  • San Diego State made a comeback that came with a side of defensive stalwart that only the Aztecs could have made. It spoke to the always dangerous program that Brian Dutcher has continued to mold since taking over. It made for must see Mountain West TV while kicking off what turned out to be an exciting night for basketball in the conference.
  • Colorado State shot lights out in the first half. It’s always hard to keep offensive momentum going after a half-time break. Which, combined with the Aztec’s infamous defense, led way to a horrendous second-half performance inside Viejas Arena. As ugly as this loss became, it doesn’t spell doom for the Rams. There are plenty of other opportunities to help climb themselves up the conference ladder & better build their Tournament resume.
  • With the Aztecs win, the conference race was better defined Tuesday night. Gone was a huge four way tie for second place. And with it San Diego State helped further solidify their place as a top-3 finish team in this league.

Next Up:

The Aztecs will stay in San Diego to end their two game homestand against longtime conference rivals New Mexico. The Lobos won the first leg of this series back in Albuquerque on January 13th. That 88-70 loss came at the hands of a red hot New Mexico squad. Since then Richard Pitino’s squad has succumbed to the gauntlet that is the Mountain West.

Regardless of previous games, any team can win on any given night, so Viejas arena needs to show up to help avenge their loss at home last season to New Mexico. That rare Friday night game will tip-off at 7:00 PM PT and can be seen on FS1.

While Colorado State returns home to defend Moby Arena against league leaders Utah State on Saturday February 17th. Aside from being the feel good story of the year, the Aggies are a dangerously good team.

But the Rams gave them a run for their money last time out in Logan, so stay tuned for what could be the marquee game on Saturday.That game tips off at 3:30 PM MT and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico & Others Rise

Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico Rises Lobos shine in a tough week for the Mountain West. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire After a tough week in the college basketball landscape, several Mountain West slide and others …

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Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico Rises

Lobos shine in a tough week for the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

After a tough week in the college basketball landscape, several Mountain West slide and others rise. 

After a flattering and impressive first edition of the NET Rankings were released last week, fans around the Mountain West were likely feeling giddy. With a team in the top-ten, four more in the top-50 and more teams in the top-36 than any other conference aside from the Big 12. It felt as though the conference was finally getting the respect it deserved while separating itself from other mid-majors.

That feeling should still be very alive in fans hearts. As the Mountain West is ranked just behind the six high major conferences in KenPom’s current rankings. With an adjusted efficiency margin of nearly double their closest competitors.

So, as any longtime fan can tell you, setbacks do happen. It doesn’t feel great when the conferences leading programs slide down the rankings a bit after what can be considered hard fought losses. But there is still plenty to be hopeful for.

There are still four teams in the top-50 and one just outside of it. Including five teams whose ranks have risen in the last seven days. Not to mention Fresno State’s recent rise, which means no Mountain West team is outside of the top-240.

How It Works

The NET is the NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee a better idea of team’s performances. The new NET ranking’s metrics, shrank from five to just two in 2020, two years after it’s debut in 2018.

Team Value Index-Algorithm set up to reward teams who beat other good teams. Results-oriented component of the N.E.T. *Game results versus Division-I opponents only.

Adjusted Net Efficiency-The adjusted efficiency is a team’s net efficiency (offensive efficacy minus defensive efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played.

Quadrant Ranking System-the quality of wins and losses will be organized based on game location and the opponent’s NET ranking.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Analyzing the Rankings

Still at the top of all Mountain West teams in week two is Colorado State. The Rams like many others have slipped just a bit down the rankings as of Monday morning.

A two game homestand last week resulted in a close win over Denver and a three-point dagger in the heart by the always tough St. Mary’s on Saturday. The Gaels don’t have the notoriety in the rankings this year as they did in the past, so losses to Randy Bennet’s squad this season hurt twice as much.

Other schools to slip in the top-50 section of the rankings were San Diego State and Nevada. Nevada fell out of the top-50 all together with a tough neutral site loss in nearby Henderson, NV against Drake. The Bulldogs are led by one of the best mid-major stars in the country in Tucker Devries, coached by his father Darian Devries.

It’s not a bad loss by any means, but the Wolf Pack have a very weak strength of schedule at the moment, with their loss to Drake putting them 1-1 against quad 1 opponents.

Albeit they are 6-0 against all other opponents, but all of those were quad 4 wins, meaning the only weight they carry is as wins. Yes a confusing sentence, but when your wins don’t carry much weight, certain losses carry thrice as much. Look at their 31 space drop as a good example of that.

The Aztecs on the other hand had just entered the AP Top-25 before they went on the road against a Grand Canyon team that is making it’s name as the next powerful mid-major. They fell inside GCU Arena on Tuesday, 79-73 in what is classified as a quad 1 loss. But the level of play both teams brought with them to Phoenix cushioned their fall.

Teams outside of the top-50 that experienced a fall were Air Force, San Jose State & UNLV. The Falcons have an impressive record but no quad 1 or 2 wins. Which means their first loss in under a month to Eastern Washington at home this past weekend hurt enough for a 42 space fall.

While the Runnin’ Rebels chance at a resume booster on the road against Dayton last week was postponed due to the tragic shooting that took place on the UNLV campus last week. That followed by a close loss to Loyola Marymount in the Jack Jones Classic are factors in their 17 place drop.

To end on a high note Boise State, Fresno State & Wyoming all rose up the rankings. Joining them were Utah State, who are currently on an 8 game winning streak and New Mexico.

The Lobos became the talk of the mid-major town this past week. As they extended their eight game winning streak with wins over UC Santa Barbara and Santa Clara by combined average margins of 20.0 PPG. Besides garnering national attention for some convincing wins against quality mid-major opponents of late, New Mexico is doing so while showcasing depth no one could have predicted.

It’s a lot to take in and a lot to research but the Mountain West needs another strong week to keep momentum going as the holidays approach.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

16 (7) Colorado State 9-1 (0-0)

24 (36) New Mexico 9-1 (0-0)

29 (24) San Diego State 8-2 (0-0)

31 (34) Utah State 9-1 (0-0)

52 (21) Nevada 7-1 (0-0)

113 (126) Boise State 6-3 (0-0)

160 (118) Air Force 7-3 (0-0)

150 (130) San Jose State 6-5 (0-0)

172 (187) Wyoming 6-3 (0-0)

214 (197) UNLV 3-4 (0-0)

232 (299) Fresno State 5-4 (0-0)

Just one week removed from our NET Rankings Debut update, things have changed. That’s to be expected and part of the game. The word upset is in the dictionary because anyone can beat anyone on any given night. What matters now is how teams bounce back from tough losses and look forward.

As teams around the Mountain West have a little over two weeks left before the end of the colander year and the beginning of conference play, every game counts.

Full List Here

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AP Top-25: No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Ranking Ever, No. 25 Aztecs Rejoin Top-25

No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Top-25 Ranking Ever Colorado State is unbeaten and ready to take on anyone. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Rams and Aztecs make this week’s AP Top-25 after strong finishes to the month of November. …

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No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Top-25 Ranking Ever

Colorado State is unbeaten and ready to take on anyone.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Rams and Aztecs make this week’s AP Top-25 after strong finishes to the month of November.

The fourth week of college basketball is here and with it, a newly released Associated Press Top-25 poll. And while fans around the Mountain West have had their share of Top-25 appearances over years. Monday’s edition was special for many reasons in Fort Collins particularly.

Colorado State make the Top-25 for the second straight week, rising from 20th to a program best 13th. The Rams also made the Coaches poll at No. 12 and a very impressive first NET ranking of 7th in the nation on Monday.

San Diego State rejoined the Top-25 after making the preseason rankings at No. 17 to start the season.

How they got here

No. 13 Colorado State was picked to finish 5th in the Mountain West preseason poll. Now, this feels rather low one month into the college hoops season. Though folks in the industry needed to see how head coach Niko Medved would put a decent sized freshman class, three transfers & arguably the best point guard the Rams have ever had together.

In short, they fit together rather well. Well enough to begin the season undefeated at 8-0, with four high major wins and a win over in-state rival Colorado (their first since 2017).

The No. 25 Aztecs make their return to the AP Top-25 since opening the season at No. 17. Brian Dutcher’s squad had a bit of a setback in week one of the season when they fell to Brigham Young in Provo.

That loss saw them knocked out of the Top-25 entirely, but still receiving votes each week. Since, they’ve won six straight games (four on the road), including wins over Pac-12 foes California & Washington.

Some Perspective

For the Colorado State program this is huge. Niko Medved’s best years in Fort Collins have come with floor general Isaiah Stevens healthy and locked in. Last season was a bit of a setback within the program, but injuries can do that. Though it appears last season is far in the rear view of the Rams at the moment.

It seemed as though the last time the Rams were consecutively ranked in the Top-25 may have been the peak of Medved’s squad building potential in Fort Collins. That was the 2021-2022 season, when Colorado State graced the Top-25 for a grand total of six weeks, made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed and had a first round NBA Draft pick in David Roddy.

Boy was I wrong, and in the world of the transfer portal, Medved has shown the ability to utilize every avenue available to build a quality roster in 2023. The Rams’ success has also given fans a great story to endorse when other programs have fallen short of expectations.

San Diego State is still nationally recognized as a dangerous team and still have challenging games ahead. Two road games against Grand Canyon & No. 7 Gonzaga and playing host to Stanford in between are all great opportunities to boost their resume.

With the Aztecs regaining their place, it gives the Mountain West two teams in the AP Top-25 simultaneously for the first time since the 2021-2022 season. Arguably more impressive is that it’s the first time two Mountain West schools have been in the AP Top-25 together in non-conference play since 2012-2013.

The non-conference momentum is trending completely upwards for the Mountain West. Which has solidified itself as the best mid-major conference in the country, at least according to KenPom ($). Schools across the conference need to attack December with the same energy they did in November to begin the 5+ bid-league conversations.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Net Rankings Debut: Colorado State Out In Front At No. 7, Four Others Make Top-40

Net Ranking Debut: The Rams make the top10 after an impressive first month of action. Colorado State leads the conference in first Net Rankings of the season. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The first NET Rankings of the season are out, with …

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Net Ranking Debut: The Rams make the top10 after an impressive first month of action.

Colorado State leads the conference in first Net Rankings of the season.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The first NET Rankings of the season are out, with five Mountain West schools in the top-50, headlined by Colorado State.

The first NET Rankings of the year were released on Monday. Which, are the NCAA’s primary decision making tool come selection Sunday in March. So naturally we took a look at how Mountain West schools have faired after a tough first month of non-conference action.

How It Works

The NET is the NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee a better idea of team’s performances. The new NET ranking’s metrics, shrank from five to just two in 2020, two years after it’s debut in 2018.

Team Value Index-Algorithm set up to reward teams who beat other good teams. Results-oriented component of the N.E.T. *Game results versus Division-I opponents only.

Adjusted Net Efficiency-The adjusted efficiency is a team’s net efficiency (offensive efficacy minus defensive efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played.

Analyzing the Rankings

Noticeably at the top is Colorado State at No. 7. The Rams have been one of the more delightful surprises of the non-conference slate thus far. To say Niko Medved’s group is exceeding preseason expectations is fair, as the Rams were predicted to finish 5th in the Mountain West Preseason Poll in October.

Though after an impressive 8-0 start to the season, which includes four straight wins over high major schools on the road and or neutral site games, they find themselves leading the pack.

The last true rankings booster on the Ram’s non-conference schedule is this Saturday when the Gaels of St. Mary’s come to Fort Collins. Colorado State beat Saint Mary’s in Moraga last season and a win for the second year in a row would help solidify their place in the top-10 in likely both the NET and AP-top 25 before the holiday break.

Other teams to make the top-50 include Nevada (No. 21), San Diego State (No. 24), Utah State (No. 34) & New Mexico (No. 36). All four teams have enjoyed non-conference success so far, with Nevada the only other unbeaten team in the conference. As Steve Alford’s squad boasts a quad 1 win over the Washington Huskies and maybe more importantly five quad 4 wins at home beating teams they should by an average margin of 19.0 PPG.

The other three teams all have one blotch in the loss column to weaken their rankings just a tad. For the Aztecs that was a quad 1 loss to former Mountain West rival BYU on the road in early November.

For Utah State it was an early season loss to Bradley on the road in Peoria, to give the Aggies a quad 2 loss. A small damper on what has been an impressive start to year one of the Danny Sprinkle era in Logan.

Lastly the Lobos, who fell to Saint Mary’s early in the season in the Gaels revenge win over Richard Pitino’s group, who beat them last season in non-conference play. Randy Bennet’s group is struggling a tad this year, losing five of their last six game’s, making New Mexico’s defeat in November a quad 3 loss.

No other team made the top-100 in the ranking’s first iteration. Some surprising pieces being Air Force having a higher ranking than Boise State & UNLV the first time around. There is nothing flashy about the Falcons’ 7-2 record thus far. With no quad 1 or 2 wins, but no non-DI games to weaken their results and more maybe importantly a 3-1 record on the road.

While Boise State & UNLV may simply be victims of their strong schedules. As the Broncos dropped all of their high major contests in the first month of play. The Runnin’ Rebels on the other hand have only one excusable loss. That coming at the hands of Florida State to go along with a less than stellar opening night loss to Southern.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

7. Colorado State 8-0 (0-0)

21. Nevada 6-0 (0-0)

24. San Diego State 6-1 (0-0)

34. Utah State 6-1 (0-0)

36. New Mexico 7-1 (0-0)

118. Air Force 7-2 (0-0)

126. Boise State 3-3 (0-0)

130. San Jose State 4-4 (0-0)

187. Wyoming 3-3 (0-0)

197. UNLV 3-3 (0-0)

299. Fresno State 2-4 (0-0)

Preseason predictions can always be taken with a grain of salt. As teams will always over or under produce with injuries and chemistry issues usually to blame. This season is no different as not many would have predicted their team’s place in the first NET rankings of the year.

Luckily there are plenty of basketball games to be played and anyone can rise through the rankings, but they can also fall at any moment. We’ll do our best here at Mountain West Wire to keep you updated throughout the season.

Full List Here

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A Way-Too-Early Look At MWC Rosters For 2020-2021: Colorado State

A Way-Too-Early Look At The Colorado State Rams There is plenty to be excited about for Rams fans next season, as they return a quartet of starters from a top-5 Mountain West team. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire With out without Nico …

A Way-Too-Early Look At The Colorado State Rams

There is plenty to be excited about for Rams fans next season, as they return a quartet of starters from a top-5 Mountain West team.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

With out without Nico Carvacho, this roster has talent, but if he came back that would be nice too. 

Players have already accepted reality and have begun taking the next step in their careers. For some that is beginning NBA draft preparations a little earlier than expected, for others it is finishing their remaining course loads online to better gear up for next semester. Though the last group of players it is looking for their next opportunity and entering the transfer portal.

After sporting leagues around the globe either canceled or postponed their seasons in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA followed suit by outright canceling scheduled spring sports but rewarding seniors another year of eligibility to return and compete next season. This was a swift and just decision in a time of uncertainty for a lot of student-athletes, but there was still a group left in with uncertainty.

Winter sport athletes have currently been left with hope, given a ruling from the NCAA that would grant them any sort of extra eligibility given their abrupt cancellation of the big dance. So in the spirit of pure fun we will take a look at Mountain West team’s rosters for next season. Taking a look at both scenarios, just in case the NCAA surprises us.

2020-2021 Roster: In the event seniors are granted further eligibility

G Hyron Edwards 6-0 165 R-Sr. East Chicago, IN-East Chicago Central/Trinity Vallley C.C./Texas Tech 

G Kris Martin 6-4 190 R-Sr. Frisco, TX-Kimball HS/Oral Roberts

F/C Nico Carvacho 6-11 245 R-Sr. Frisco, TX-Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)

G Teyvion Kirk 6-4 185 R-Jr. Joliet, IL-Joliet West HS/Ohio

G Kyle Lukasiewicz 6-6 200 Sr. Centennial, CO-Arapahoe HS/NE Oklahoma A&M*

G Kendle Moore 5-10 145 Jr. Danville, IL-Danville HS

G P.J. Byrd 6-1 185 Jr Houston, TX-Bush HS/VCU

F Adam Thistlewood 6-6 00 Jr. Golden, CO-Golden HS

G Ignas Sargiunas 6-5 205 R-So. Kaunas, Lithuania-Jonas Basanavicius Gymnasium/Georgia

G Isaiah Stevens 6-0 160 So. Allen, TX-Allen HS

F Dischon Thomas 6-9 215 So. Phoenix, AZ-Hillcrest Prep

G David Roddy 6-5 250 So. Minneapolis, MN-Breck School 

G John Tonje 6-5 195 So. Omaha, NE-Omaha Central HS

F James Moors 6-10 200 R-Fr. Auckland, New Zealand

F Isaiah Rivera 6-5 185 Fr. Geneseo, IL-Geneseo HS

C Jacob Jennisen 7-0 205 Fr. Sauk Centre, MN-Sauk Centre Secondary School 

G Trace Young 6-3 165 Fr. Dripping Springs HS-Austin, TX*

Point Guard Shooting Guard Small Forward Power Forward Center
Isaiah Stevens So. Kendle Moore Jr. Adam Thistlewood Jr. David Roddy So. Nico Carvacho Gr.  
P.J. Byrd Jr. Teyvion Kirk R-Jr. John Toje So. James Moor R-Fr. Jacob Jennisen Fr.
Hyron Edwards Gr. Kris Martin Gr. Isaiah Rivera Fr.    
Trace Young Fr.* Ignas Sargiunas R-So. Kyle Lukasiewicz Sr. *    

Things of Note:

  • This team would have 16 players total with two walk-ons in Young and Lukasiewicz.

Niko Medvid has done a great job in Fort Collins in just two seasons in charge since arriving from Drake. The Rams enjoyed a top-five conference finish, 20-win season and conference accolades for multiple players.

With four returning starters and transfers Teyvion Kirk and Ignas Sargiunas eligible to play next season after sitting out 2019-2020, this team is loaded. But given the chance to welcome back one of the best big men to dawn a Colorado State uniform in Nico Carvacho, next year’s squad would challenge any in the Mountain West for the top spot.

It’s hard to say whether Carvacho or any of the three seniors scheduled to graduate this spring would be guaranteed returns next season. Carvacho already spurned high major programs when former head coach Larry Eustachy was fired after his sophomore season, would he do it again given extra eligibility? It’s hard to say.

But in the event that the NCAA rules against awarding additional eligibility for winter sport athletes, which still seems like a possibility given how long it has taken to hear any news regarding the matter. Here is a list followed by a depth chart of the Colorado State roster given their current recruiting class and who we know has entered the transfer portal.

Next: Roster and Depth Chart

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Air Force vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Air Force vs. Colorado State: Game Preview Rams look for sweep of Falcons on senior night. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Colorado State looks for a win on senior night as they welcome in-state foe, Air Force. WHO: Air Force Falcons (11-18, …

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Air Force vs. Colorado State: Game Preview

Rams look for sweep of Falcons on senior night. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Colorado State looks for a win on senior night as they welcome in-state foe, Air Force.

WHO: Air Force Falcons (11-18, 5-12 Mountain West) At Colorado State Rams (19-11, 10-7 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, February 29th—1:00 PM PST/2:00 PM MST/4:00 PM EST

WHERE: Moby Arena, Fort Collins, CO

TV: ESPN3

STREAM: WatchESPN

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Colorado State leads all-time series 81-33

PREVIEW: 

The end of the 2019-2020 regular season is almost upon us and with it comes one of the more bittersweet aspects of college basketball, senior night.

The Rams say goodbye to Hyron Edwards, Kris Martin and a familiar name to college basketball fans everywhere Nico Carvacho. Head coach Niko Medvid found had success in his second year in charge in Fort Collins and look to end the regular season with a win at home before heading to Las Vegas next week for the Mountain West Conference tournament.

Air Force had their senior night on Wednesday when they hosted the Lobos in a narrow 2-point victory. But will have five seniors playing their final regular season game Saturday afternoon against the Rams in LeSean Brown, Caleb Morris, Sid Tomes, Lavelle Scottie and Ryan Swan.

The last time these two met was back on January 18th when the Rams traveled south and left with a 13-point win in Clune Arena. Senior Kris Martin scored what still stands as his season high that night with 19 points on 4-7 shooting from deep and another big performance could provide a nice senior night momentum for Martin. The Falcons had two players score a team high 16-points a piece in that loss with Lavelle Scottie and Sid Tomes combining for 11-18 made field goals on the night.

Air Force is coming off of a nice win at home against New Mexico, while Colorado State is coming off of a close loss to the regular season conference champions San Diego State. This in-state match up means a lot for these two schools but a win for either will provide much needed momentum going into next week.

The stakes, 

Air Force is currently sitting in seventh place in the conference standings and are playing for a sixth conference win to end the regular season. If Air Force loses while on the road on Saturday afternoon they will finish in nine place on the season, only one spot lower than previously picked by the media in preseason. But a win will place them in a possible three way tie for sixth with Fresno State and New Mexico who also playing their final games this weekend.

The Rams like the Falcons are just playing for tournament positioning at this point. A best case scenario would be a 5th place finish which they would share with Boise State. But Colorado isn’t in a bad spot and don’t have the possibility of a huge drop in the standings with ten wins currently and no team below them closer than six.

Match up of the night: Two “youthful” guards

G A.J. Walker Air Force vs. G Isaiah Stevens Colorado State

The Stats: Walker (10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG & 3.1 APG) & Stevens (12.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG & 4.5 APG)

Tonight’s key match up will be between sophomore A.J. Walker and freshman Isaiah Stevens, who both lead that team’s as floor generals in just their second and first season’s. These guys are the future of their respective teams and will play plenty of basketball against each other in the near future, so let’s get a glance of this mainstay match up one more time on Saturday.

Walker stepped into starting role full time during conference play last season as a freshman and has seen a bump in production this season as the full time starter. This team will say goodbye to five seniors this off season and four of them regular starters in the rotation. In short, this should be Walker’s team next season and he should enjoy the proven options he will have alongside him for the couple of more games he has them there.

Isaiah Stevens has had a major impact in his first season in Fort Collins, and alongside some other stellar sophomores and freshman is a part of a group solidifying a Ram’s resurgence in the conference for years to come. He’s leading the team in scoring and assists but struggled to do either last time Colorado State faced Air Force on the road with 11 points on 3-7 FGs and 2 assists on the night.

Prediction: Colorado State 85, Air Force 70

The last time these two teams met the Rams were able to come away with a thirteen-point win in a close one on the road. The Falcons haven’t beat the Rams since back in 2018 when they completed their own regular season sweep. Colorado State has an 81-33 all-time lead on the series which get’s even more impressive when you look at their home record in that span, which is 43-11.

If Air Force wanted to beat Colorado State it would have been easier on their home turf. But hey this is college basketball right, anything is possible but I think the Rams make this a special senior night win.

The X-Factor:  Nico Carvacho

It’s senior night for the big guy, and no one has been more dominant on the glass in a Ram’s uniform this decade. Carvacho will leave the Mountain West as it’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,271 to his name at the time this article is published.

On Saturday he will look to take advantage of a much smaller Air Force frontcourt. Last time around the big man had trouble scoring, only notching ten-points, but in true Carvacho fashion grabbed 13 boards.

A big night rebounding and scoring from Carvacho could be the difference in this one, but he needs some help as they were out rebounded 40-30 last time around. Those other guys need to get used to crashing the glass without the senior present next year, might as well start Saturday.

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Colorado State Looking to Bounce Back with Border War Win

Colorado State at Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Cowboys out for an upset in latest Border War matchup Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire GAME DETAILS WHO: Colorado State (17-9, 8-5 MWC) at Wyoming (6-19, 1-12 MWC) …

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Colorado State at Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Cowboys out for an upset in latest Border War matchup

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Colorado State (17-9, 8-5 MWC) at Wyoming (6-19, 1-12 MWC)

WHEN: 2:00 P.M. Mountain / 1:00 P.M. Pacific

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium, Laramie, Wyo.

WATCH: AT&T SportsNet; Get a free trial of FuboTV.

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: The Cowboys lead the series, 135-97.

ODDS: Colorado State -10, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

Niko Medved will look to keep his team up in the top half of the Mountain West standings, as the Rams head to Wyoming for this year’s second installment of the Border War.

Colorado State has outperformed their preseason projections this season, having been pegged as the league’s ninth-best team before the 2019-20 campaign began.

That initial ranking did not take into account just how impactful freshmen Isaiah Stevens and David Roddy would be to this club, though.

The rookie pairing has combined to average roughly 26 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per night, providing cover for heralded senior big man Nico Carvacho. Add in the solid sophomore efforts from Adam Thistlewood and Kendle Moore, plus the veteran experience of Kris Martin off the bench, and this is a much-improved team from last year.

That improvement might eventually take Medved to greener pastures than the green and white of Fort Collins, but that is a conversation for another day. For now, the second-year head coach needs to focus on keeping his team in the race for a top-three seed in the Mountain West Tournament.

A big win in Laramie could help Colorado State shake off the disappointment of their home loss to Utah State earlier this week. A victory could have seen the Rams hold onto second place in the Mountain West, but it was instead the Aggies that left Moby Arena with an important road win.

Wyoming, on the other hand, doesn’t need a big win.

They just need a win.

The Cowboys have stumbled to a 1-12 start in league play, with their sole victory coming against San Jose State—one of the teams currently tied for the second-worst mark in the Mountain West. Wyoming is 6-19 overall, with one of those victories coming against Division III opponents Nebraska Wesleyan.

Sophomore guard Hunter Maldonado has been the only bright spot for Allen Edwards’ squad this year, though fellow underclassmen such as Hunter Thompson, Kwane Marble II, and Trevon Taylor have shown potential in flashes.

Still, even in the midst of a lost season, a rivalry is a rivalry. Wyoming may not have much to play for at this point, but pride and revenge can both be strong motivators.

Colorado State must keep their eye on the ball and take care of business ahead of an important road game on Tuesday against UNLV. If they lose the War, they’ll be facing an uphill battle to finish in the top three of the Mountain West.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Wyoming vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

The basketball version of the bronze boot takes place on Saturday.

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Wyoming V.S. Colorado State: Game Preview

Both teams need a conference win, what better than in a win in the Border War?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Who comes away with their first conference win on Saturday?

WHO: Wyoming Cowboys (5-10, 0-3 Mountain West) At Colorado State Rams (9-7, 0-3 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, January 4th—1:00 PM EST/11:00 AM MST

WHERE: Moby Arena, Fort Collins, CO

TV: AT&T Sportsnet

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Wyoming leads all-time series 136-94

ODDS: Colorado State -12, per KenPom

PREVIEW: Conference play has brought fans around the Mountain West joy and sorrow this past week. With New Mexico and Utah State suffering their first losses in conference play this past Wednesday at the hands of San Jose State and UNLV respectively and an improved Colorado State team that has gone winless in three games so far, it has been a mixed bag. 

Looking ahead to Saturday as Wyoming takes a trip south to Moby Arena to face Colorado State in the first Border War game of the decade. Wyoming leads the all-time series and even though the Rams have a .702 win percentage at home, the Cowboys lead the all-time series in Moby Arena 56-52. This is a big game for both schools and a win means a lot for both sides, in basketball and all sports, just ask Allen Edwards.

Colorado State looks much improved from last year, with some solid wins in non-conference play at Tulsa, against PAC-12 member Washington State and Loyola Chicago. But a 0-3 start in conference play puts a bit of a halt to their momentum heading into the new year. Guys who are getting a lot of minutes on this team are freshman and sophomores and the experience they are getting for the future will be invaluable but their youth shows at times on the court.

Senior center Nico Carvacho has taken a step back from his dominant statistics a year ago, but you could also argue that he has a different team around him. I think a jump in production from the senior in conference play may be the difference maker and the addition of VCU transfer P.J. Byrd at semester break has been a positive one to an already strong backcourt. Byrd had 5 points, 1 steal and 6 Assists in 17 minutes of play against Doane last Saturday.

It needs to be a team effort for the Rams on Saturday but Carvacho needs to take advantage of a Cowboy team down low that ranks 262nd in rebounding. (The Rams rank just outside the top-50 at 53rd)

The Cowboys also need a conference win on Saturday and they will rely on guards Hunter Maldonado and Jake Hendricks to do so. Hendricks’ play has been a bit lack luster and many expected a jump in production heading into his senior year with his best game thus far against D-III Nebraska Wesleyan in which he scored 21 points on 6-14 shooting from three. He’s averaging 18.6 PPG over his last three games against moderate competition but it’s never a bad time to start getting hot from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Hunter Maldonado like many on the Cowboys roster hails from Colorado (four in total) and leads the Cowboys in scoring (17.6 PPG) and rebounding (5.5 RPG). Aside from Hendricks, Maldonado hasn’t received consistent help all season and looks very much like a certain Sacramento King who played a similar role for the Cowboys in his career.

Allen Edwards needs a great shooting night from his guards and a promising defensive/rebounding effort from sophomore big man Hunter Thompson to secure a win.

Prediction: Colorado State 77, Wyoming 64

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