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Colorado State Basketball: Isaiah Stevens injury brutal for Rams 2022-23 chances

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 23, 2022; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Isaiah Stevens (4) dribbles the ball up court in the second half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2022; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Isaiah Stevens (4) dribbles the ball up court in the second half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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They lost one star player this offseason in David Roddy. Now Colorado State Basketball will have to do without Isaiah Stevens for the foreseeable future after suffering an injury.

It was a big year for Colorado State Basketball in 2021-22, finishing with 25-6 overall and 14-4 in the Mountain West. They got a 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, although they lost early to 11-seed Michigan. Still, it was a successful year for the program to build off of, and despite losing Conference Player of the Year David Roddy to the NBA, they still had another all-conference star coming back in Isaiah Stevens.

One of the best-returning point guards in the country, Stevens is coming off averaging 14.7 ppg and 4.7 apg on 46-38-90 shooting splits. He has 90 career starts in all three seasons and was an all-conference performer in all three as well. He’s a consistent two-way player and can go for 20+ points on any given night. And with Roddy out, taking on more of a scoring role is what he’ll have to take on.

However, now Colorado State as a team will have to find a way to replace the production of Stevens now after suffering a serious foot injury.

Losing your best player and projected best scorer for a couple of months is a brutal blow. The hope is that Stevens is back for Mountain West play but assuming the team struggles in the non-conference without with, the likelihood of getting an automatic bid will be low. It also forces the team to scramble to find who the next point guard will be and how the 30-35 mpg will be split up.

There aren’t a ton of ball-handling options on the roster. Former Loyola guard Baylor Hebb has a year into the season, while senior guard John Tonje, who’ll have to score even more now, could just have the ball in his hands and initiate the offense. Plus, freshman guard Taviontae Jackson is someone will long-term potential that the team may just have to throw into the fire.

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San Diego State is the projected preseason favorite in the Mountain West but on paper, it looked wide open from two-on, with the Rams being in the mix. And assuming Stevens is back by league play, that still very well could happen. But now, the team is in trouble and will have to look all around to find the offense and passing to replace one of the best players in the country.