It happened again in the Mountain West Conference. There was another bid stolen in a league that typically has a bid stealer most years. This year, San Diego State, New Mexico, and Utah State were all at large teams that bubble teams were rooting for. Instead, the Colorado State Rams won the conference tournament and are headed back to the NCAA Tournament. Colorado State claimed the 19th automatic bid into the tournament.
Colorado State is making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 14th overall. The Rams had a quietly good season, finishing the year at 25-9 overall and 16-4 in Mountain West. So then why did they need the automatic bid to qualify? It was the non-conference portion of the schedule. Colorado State lost to UC Riverside, Washington, and Colorado. Riverside is a Big West opponent who was lower in the NET, and Colorado and Washington both finished in dead last place in their conferences.
As a result of that, the Rams earned a 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Everyone has seen the hot team that got an automatic bid that goes on to win a game in the NCAA Tournament that they otherwise would not have won. This is also the potential last ride for head coach Niko Medved. He is the current front-runner for the Minnesota job. Don’t count out Colorado State they are hot right now. Here are some reasons they can win a game in the NCAA Tournament.
Ride the Wave
I mentioned that Colorado State was hot and that is never more evident seeing them having won 10 games in a row and 11 out of 12. That winning streak includes two wins over Utah State, one of them being by 30 points and two wins over another bubble team, the Boise State Broncos. The winning streak has built a confidence in the Rams that they didn’t have through the first 2/3 of the season. They all trust each other to make the right play, and when they shoot, they trust that the ball is going to go in the basket. Playing with confidence does strange things to teams who are otherwise overmatched. The confident Rams are a much better team than the ones who lost to Washington and Colorado in November.
Nique Clifford
Over the last five seasons I have been trying to sing the praises of Clifford to anyone who will listen. The point guard is one of the most unique players in the country. He is an elite passer and elite rebounder. He is currently leading the Rams in points with 19.0, rebounds with 9.7, and assists with 4.4. He does everything, and the fact that a 6’5” point guard is averaging close to a double-double with rebounds tells you all you need to know about the type of player that Clifford is. The guard shoots 57% inside the three-point line and shoots 40% from deep. He makes huge shots and never leaves the floor. If his offense wasn’t already enough, he is one of the best defenders in the Mountain West and was named to the all-defensive team in the conference. He leads Colorado State in steals and blocks. He will be tasked with taking the opponent's best player out of the game on defense. Clifford has gotten the Rams into the NCAA Tournament; can he get them a win in the event as well?
Offense
Coach Medved is an offensive guy who always runs a crisp offense that revolves around ball movement and getting high-percentage open looks. That is exactly what the Rams do on offense this year, especially through the last 12-game stretch. Colorado State averages just under 17 assists per game, which is good for 25th in the country; they shoot threes at a 37% clip as a team, shoot 57% from two-point range, and 48% overall. Defense is one thing, but being able to score even on good defenses is a good way for a lower-seeded team to continually put pressure on a higher-seeded team. The Rams are going to have to keep scoring points and keep this game close and who knows what will happen.
Colorado State did take some early season bad losses but those seem to be behind them. They finished second overall in the loaded Mountain West and won the conference tournament. They won’t be scared and are going to be in the game with a chance to win it late. Efficiency is always key, and efficient offense is a scary thing for the higher seed in a single elimination format.