The words CSU and basketball were not always a feared dyad. That all changed this year.
Colorado State made its first appearance in March Madness since 2013, and while the results were disappointing, this season certainly was anything but.
If you walk around campus or in Fort Collins you can feel it. That buzz. Colorado State has become a basketball school.
Since the 1995-1996 season, the average attendance has never reached the totals of this year at 6,174 fans. From alumni to current students, faculty and staff, Rams could not stray away from Moby Arena this season. And for good reason.
CSU Men’s Basketball finished with an extraordinary record of 25-6, good enough to settle in as a sixth seed in March Madness. Headlined by second-year point guard Isaiah Stevens and junior forward David Roddy, the Rams struck fear into the hearts of the Mountain West division.
David Roddy led the team in scoring, rebounding, and passionate yells, with 19.2 PPG 7.6 RPG as Isaiah Stevens excelled with his ball movement and clutch scoring adding 4.7 APG on 90.2% from the free throw line. And, this one two punch still has another year together. Their chemistry has become unmatched and their pick and roll was as essential as food and water in each victory.
Sure, this season didn’t end how the Rams had hoped, but that should not discontinue the celebration that occurred this year. While there is no guarantee that our entire team will be back next year, these Rams have heart and they love the game of basketball. They’re going to come back next season with an innate feeling of vengeance and a properly found confidence.
That kind of confidence can take a young team very far. With solidified head coach Niko Medved, who says that the Rams will not have an even better season next year?
Through this all, an infectious community was derived. It has become nearly impossible to be affiliated with CSU and not fall in love with this team. This association of CSU Basketball fans, of people who love to watch the Rams play an outstanding brand of basketball, is something that not every university is able to enjoy.
Those sold out nights at Moby where the air is thinned by the aroma of competition and thickened by the nerves of the game, they seldom happen and must always be enjoyed. CSU is becoming a great basketball school right before our eyes.
Be excited for what is to come but also appreciate what has transpired. For our Rams, finishing this season with tears in their eyes will only make their smiles that much bigger when they break through next year. The CSU community will be watching with eagerness and growing with support.
For more information and stats about our team, visit csurams.com.
