Mountain West Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2023-24 season
. . Rams . 3. team. 503.
The conversation surrounding Colorado State begins and ends with Isaiah Stevens. So long as he remains one of the best guards in not only the Mountain West, but the country, the Rams should be a strong contender in the conference.
Stevens is one of the two most important players in what can be considered the greatest era of Colorado State basketball. The other player is David Roddy, who left after the 2021-22 season and is hanging around the NBA.
When Roddy left, however, some of the magic did too. Colorado State finished the 2021-22 season as a ranked squad for the first time ever. Last season, the Rams finished with a losing record in league and overall play, failing to make the postseason.
Stevens, who has spent his entire collegiate career in Fort Collins, will be motivated to elevate Colorado State once again before his time in school comes to a close.
Continuity could prove helpful to Colorado State, despite its struggles a year ago. The Rams are among the top teams in the Mountain West in returning minutes. Another year in Niko Medved’s system could help this team gel.
Patrick Cartier will be Stevens’ wingman in Colorado State’s quixotic quest back to glory. Last season, the former Division II star averaged 12.3 points per game while splitting his time between the bench and the starting unit. His 64.7 percent shooting accuracy was one of the best years in school history and he should give the Rams a strong inside presence.
There may not be another double-digit scorer on the roster, but Colorado State should have solid depth. There shouldn’t be a major gap between when the starters come off the floor and the top two or three bench players check in.
It may be overly simplistic, but Stevens and Medved are too good at their jobs to let something like last season happen again. And so it won’t.