Colorado State Rams
Mountain West (20-11, 8-6)
UNLV, San Diego State and New Mexico got all of the attention in the Mountain West, but Coach Tim Miles and his Colorado State squad put together a great season. The Rams are not a flashy group, but they are steady defensively and take smart shots on the other end of the floor.
Big Wins: 11/30 Colorado (65-64), 1/28 San Diego State (77-60), 2/29 UNLV (66-59)
Bad Losses: 11/15 at Stanford (52-64), 1/21 at Wyoming (51-70), 2/15 at Boise State (69-70)
Coach: Tim Miles (5 seasons at Colorado State)
Why They Can Surprise:
The smart offensive play starts with point guards Dorian Green and Jesse Carr. Those two will both occasionally start and Coach Miles will certainly put them on the floor at the same time when necessary. But it is Green who is the catalyst of the offense most of the time. The 6-2 junior is a fine passer, but he is a better shooter. Green will knock down the long ball with great consistency and attack the basket with ease. Wes Eikmeier has stepped up his game during his junior campaign. Finally healthy, Eikmeier has emerged as the Rams best overall scorer. Colorado State also has Kaipo Sabas and Dwight Smith adding even greater shooting from the perimeter. Sabas is pretty much a three-point specialist, but Smith is an athlete who can shoot and attack the basket.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The backcourt has shown plenty of scoring punch and there are a lot of options. However, the frontcourt has some issues. Greg Smith, Will Bell and Pierce Hornung are the three forwards Coach Miles will use in his usual eight man rotation. Unfortunately, none of those guys are over 6-6 and Smith is dealing with an ankle injury. They may be a tough frontcourt trio, but they are not tall. That result has been a team that struggles on the glass and allows the opposition to score way too many easy buckets. Smith is a decent scorer who can step outside and knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. Bell is a big bodied player who can do the dirty work in the paint. Hornung is the most experienced player in the frontcourt and is a beast on the glass. Yet, none of them are strong shot blocking threats and that makes it way too simple for the opposition to get into the paint and score.
Probable Starters:
Dorian Green, Junior, Guard, 13.5 ppg, 2.5 apg
Wes Eikmeier, Junior, Guard, 15.6 ppg, 2.1 apg
Greg Smith, Junior, Forward, 9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Pierce Hornung, Junior, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg
Will Bell, Senior, Forward, 8.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jesse Carr, Junior, Guard, 7.1 ppg, 2.6 apg
Kaipo Sabas, Senior, Guard, 4.8 ppg
Dwight Smith, Sophomore, Guard, 5.2 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.8 (105th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.3 (214, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.5 (26, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.7 (199, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.0 (180, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.7 (5, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.9 (5, 1)
Rebound Margin: 1.2 (146, 5)
Assists Per Game: 12.3 (219, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (93, 3)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Colorado State 2011 NIT First Round loss to Fairfield
Colorado State 2010 CBI First Round loss to Morehead State
Colorado State 2003 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Duke
Colorado State 1999 NIT First Round win over Mississippi State
Colorado State 1999 NIT Second Round win over Colorado
Colorado State 1999 NIT Quarterfinal loss to California
Colorado State 1998 NIT First Round loss to Minnesota
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
