NCAA Basketball: Duke, Memphis, Michigan State rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
19. Colorado State (13-2)
These Rams passed their early tests this season, with the only nonconference loss coming against a strong Saint Mary’s squad back in December. Winning big against Creighton got national attention for Colorado State and they’ve defended that with continued performances. Their MWC slate opened this week with some significant challenges but how did they fare?
They passed their first test, getting a 76-68 home win over a talented New Mexico team back on Wednesday night. Patrick Cartier had 21 points, Isaiah Stevens had 18, and Nique Clifford had a double-double. Saturday did not go as kindly for the Rams, who fell 77-72 on the road against Utah State, just their second loss of the season. Despite the loss, Stevens looked solid with 21 points and 8 rebounds while Clifford added 18 himself.
This week was quite the performance for Colorado State and didn’t tell us anything too concrete. There will be battles in the MWC and the Rams have the talent to ability to beat anyone in this league. We’ll keep our eye on Stevens and this talented team in the weeks ahead, eager to see how they respond when they get another shot at some of these teams. A tough road game at Boise State is the next test on this tough opening stretch of conference play.