Over the last few seasons, Niko Medved has been building up a Mountain West menace in Fort Collins. Despite being currently a bubble team, the Colorado State Rams have one of their best teams in years. The rams currently sit tied for first in the Mountain West conference with San Diego State. The rams are led in scoring by perhaps one of the most overlooked players in the nation, David Roddy. A quarterback in high school who was projected to start for Northwestern football, Roddy is one of the most versatile players around. His stats average of 16 ppg with 9.4 reb is a dangerous combination. His size and agility make him a tough matchup to guard. While primarily a post player, Roddy is more than capable to knock down threes if you give him the chance.
Speaking of knocking down threes, Isiah Stevens and Adam Thistlewood have been trouble for defenders from distance this season. Averaging 15.1 ppg and 9.5 ppg respectively, the duo are some of the most reliable three-point scorers in the Mountain West.
The Rams have not gone dancing since 2013 when they lost to eventual champions Louisville in the second round. However, many people have had their eyes on the rams for months now. Currently projected as a play in game for most bracketologists, CSU still has chances to prove they deserve more. The upside of playing in a non-power conference is the teams you play. The rams only losses come to teams also projected to make the big dance. On top of this, CSU has their most conference wins in program history. But the upside is the same as the downside. Colorado State has 0 Quad 1 wins, a top 50 NET win, and two Quad 2 wins. But many people are questioning if this will be enough for the selection committee to be impressed.
In a multi bid league conference tournament, a MW championship appearance should be enough to seal the deal for the rams. But it’s March and every team has a chance at punching their tickets to the big dance, and possibly stealing some bids. Just last season heavy favorites San Deigo State lost in round one. But if they make the tournament, they can cause havoc. While filling out your bracket on March 14, don’t be afraid to pick an upset and move the rams ahead a few rounds.
But no matter what happens at the end of this season, Niko Medved’s squad isn’t done. The rams will only continue to improve next season. If they can continue the way they’ve played lately, they can become the face of Mountain West hoops.
Photo: Colorado State Athletics