Guest reporter Luke Zahlmann, from TheRockyMountainCollegian, provides a bit of insight Colorado State men’s basketball team for Bulldog fans going into Saturday’s game at the Save Mart Center.
LZ: The story of Colorado State thus far in its first year under Niko Medved is one of inconsistency.
To open the year, the Rams won four of their first five and looked to be on their way to a resurgence. After that stint though, the team has gone 3-11 in their next stretch including a two-game losing streak entering the Fresno State matchup.
Medved’s system has preached ball movement. Under the Rams’ previous regime, ball movement was a secondary task with several scorers playing is isolation often. The change has been a slow one for the team as they are finally beginning to adapt and raise their assist averages as well.
Though it will not be easy, the key for the Rams will once again be Nico Carvacho, one of the conference’s premier centers. On the year, Carvacho has averaged career highs in both points (15.7) and rebounds (12.4), with his rebounding average sitting atop the entire nation.
Alongside the big man is fellow upperclassmen J.D. Paige who is also having a career year in his redshirt senior season. On the year, the guard has averaged 15.2 points per game. His efficiency has also risen as his 40.9-percent mark from outside leads all Rams’ starters.
Paige will also be tasked with guarding Bulldogs’ standout Deshon Taylor. The matchup between the pair of guards will be a premier matchup in the game and likely fill the highlight reels following its conclusion.
The final piece of the puzzle for the Rams in their pursuit of an upset will be freshman Kendle Moore. Seen as a sparkplug for the team, the guard leads the Mountain West in steals (31) and has used his thievery to set up multiple fast break opportunities for the team throughout the season.
If the trio can find their groove early in the matchup, the Rams will contend well with their conference foes. If not, they will likely drop their third-consecutive conference matchup and drop further in the MW standings.