For the Rams, it’s been rough going this year.
11 games into their 2015-16 season and the Colorado State Rams men’s basketball team is sitting at 6-5. Considering they started the season 5-0 — including a huge road win against Northern Iowa — 6-5 is a definite disappointment.
The first loss came against UTEP in the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic championship game; CSU lost a 17-point halftime lead and were defeated 99-90 in double overtime. Then they fell to Long Beach State at home, and then to the rival Colorado Buffaloes with another second half collapse. After beating DII opponent Arkansas-Fort Smith, the Rams fell to Northern Colorado in Greeley and were unable to overcome Kansas State in Wichita, Kansas on Saturday.
A lack of size is hurting Colorado State, no doubt about it, but so is a lack of intensity and effort. They’re not playing the game head coach Larry Eustachy’s way, which is all about rebounding and defense first. It’s why Eustachy doesn’t shy away from the fact his team doesn’t practice anything offensive, they just run sprits and learn defensive assignments.
For Eustachy teams to win on a consistent basis, they must control the glass and they must win the 50/50 balls by diving on the floor, willing themselves to victory.
Well, one former player has an idea about who’s to blame, as Daniel Bejarano tweeted this, Monday afternoon:
Hopefully my old teammates get a new coach. We all know who's the problem! Feel bad for them!
— Daniel Bejarano (@bejarano02) December 21, 2015
It’s no secret that Bejarano and Eustachy weren’t the best of friends the last couple of years. Besides the two getting into a yelling match during the game against San Diego State last season, Eustachy pulled the star player from games often when the two didn’t see eye-to-eye.
But why would Bejarano come out with this tweet now? He’s overseas playing professionally and this tweet didn’t come at the end of a loss, it came before their current game against USC Upstate.
The simple truth is this: Eustachy and his current group of players aren’t seeing eye-to-eye either as they aren’t playing his style of basketball.
“They don’t know how,” Eustachy has said after games as they all adjust to new roles on the team. What he’s asking out of the players isn’t rocket science, it’s to play the game with extra effort. For them to “not know how” to dive on the floor for loose basketballs or play with effort on defense is not an excuse; the coach must encourage and will his players to give the effort they need to win.
Colorado State won the game 89-61 and his team ended up playing more Eustachy’s way, giving more effort on defense and rebounding in the second half to win.
Update: And on Tuesday, Bejarano went back to Twitter to clarify his tweet wasn’t about his former coach, Larry Eustachy, nor was it about anything CSU:
My last tweet didn't have to do with anything with CSU. I love my old teammates as well CSU. I hope nothing but the best.😉
— Daniel Bejarano (@bejarano02) December 22, 2015
A “winky” face at the end of a tweet, is that like putting an “LOL” at the end of a text?
