March Madness is not exactly a common theme in Fort Collins. Though the Rams made the tournament in 2022, it was their first appearance since 2013. In fact, they have made just five total appearances in the tournament since 1990, their lone win coming in 2013 against Missouri in the round of 64.
Looking into the past is just that: in the past. The time is now and looking ahead to the 2023 incarnation of March Madness, the question for Colorado State is whether or not they can punch their ticket. Sitting at 11-15, is it possible for the Rams to go dancing?
The Mountain West
It doesn’t help things out of the gate that the Mountain West Conference, the Rams’ home, is as competitive as it has been in years. The reigning champions, the Boise State Broncos, are one of the favorites heading into the conference tournament. The winner gets an automatic bid into the March Madness tournament.
More importantly, there are several hopefuls for the tournament itself. Boise State is just one of several teams that have real hopes for a tournament bid. San Diego State (21-5), Boise (20-6), New Mexico (19-7), Utah State (20-7), and Nevada (20-6) all have much better records than CSU (11-15).
The sledding is going to be tough no matter how you cut it. That said, let’s take a look at what remains and how the Rams can possibly punch their ticket to March Madness. If you are thinking of betting on March Madness in Colorado here is what you can expect from the Rams.
The Schedule and the Reality
There are only five games remaining in the conference and regular season slate. It is likely too late for Colorado State to punch their ticket solely based on their regular season performance. The record alone is troublesome, but they have no real wins of substance to hang their hat on.
More than that, the five games are going to be tough sledding. Wyoming is the only team left on the schedule that the Rams are ahead of in the standings. San Diego State and New Mexico have legitimate shots to make the tournament as it stands. Winning two or three of the five remaining games is going to be an uphill battle.
Unfortunately for Colorado State, the reality is this: even if they win their last five, their record will sit at 16-15. That’s simply not enough to get into the dance on merit alone. It might earn them the argument of being a dangerous team, one that is getting hot at the right time. In reality, it is no more than a moral victory.
But there may be another way.
Mountain West Tournament
The winner of the Mountain West post-season tournament gets their ticket punched as an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As it stands, that should be the focus for Colorado State if their hope is to go back to the tournament two seasons in a row for the second time in program history (they went in 2012 and 2013).
Winning the conference tournament is going to be no easier than running the regular season slate. The will likely have a date with a few of the top teams in the conference, something that has not gone their way in the least this season.
Running the table and taking the Mountain West Tournament crown is going to be more than a tall task. As a matter of fact, since the inception of the conference tournament in 2000, Colorado State has only won the whole thing once. That came in 2003 with Matt Nelson claiming tournament MVP in a 62-61 victory over UNLV.
It’s not impossible but for this Colorado State team, the challenge will be there every game. Will they be up to it?
What are @coachNikoMedved and @isaiahstevens4 laughing about? 🤔#Stalwart x #TeamTogether pic.twitter.com/o5TxfTRKew
— Colorado State Men’s Basketball (@CSUMBasketball) February 21, 2023
Impact Players
The Rams are currently led by guard Isaiah Stevens. He leads the team in points per game with 18.7, assists per game with 6.8, and is one of their best free-throw shooters at just over 87%. He will need to play out of his mind in the tournament to give the Rams a shot to win.
Behind him, fellow guard John Tonje and forward Patrick Cartier. The duo averages 13.8 and 12.8 points per game, respectively, though they will need to be better for the Rams to pull off a major upset in tournament play.
Defensively, forward James Moors has the capacity to be a player as he averages a half-assist and nearly a block per game.
Can it happen?
Technically, yes, the Rams can still make the NCAA Tournament. Their only path, however, is through a Mountain West Conference tournament victory. The reality of the situation is that it is not only highly unlikely, but virtually impossible.
There have been bigger Cinderella stories but this one would rank pretty highly. If they want to go dancing for the second year in a row, their path is clear.
No surprise it’s a battle early#Stalwart x #TeamTogether pic.twitter.com/wpPp7Oap6e
— Colorado State Men’s Basketball (@CSUMBasketball) February 22, 2023
Credits on Featured Image: Joshua Lawton/Flickr
