5 takeaways: David Roddy stars in a resilient comeback effort from Colorado State in the Paradise Jam

DENVER — It wasn’t always pretty early but the Colorado State men’s basketball team moved to 4-0 with a 66-60 victory over Bradley (1-3) on Friday morning. 

Led by David Roddy, who dropped a career-high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, the Rams erased a 27-21 halftime deficit with a stellar effort in the second half. After shooting just 24 percent from the floor in the first half, CSU made 58 percent of its attempts out of the break and really dominated in the paint. Roddy was a big part of that with 23 points over the final 20 minutes, most of which were scored in the post. 

Here are the takeaways from Friday’s victory. 

John Tonje’s early spark off the bench kept the Rams afloat

CSU was fortunate to not be trailing by more than 6 at halftime. Part of that was due to the fact that the Braves struggled almost as much offensively as the Rams did. John Tonje definitely deserves praise for the spark that he provided for the Green & Gold off the bench though. While most of his teammates struggled to get it going early, Tonje was able to contribute with a couple of crucial threes in the first half. In total Tonje finished with 13 points in 25 minutes, but none were more important than the 9 he put on the board before halftime. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Omaha native does against Creighton on Sunday afternoon. You know that he’ll have some extra juice going against the hometown program that failed to recruit him out of high school. 

The Rams displayed resiliency 

Over the course of a 30+ game season there are bound to be some games where the shots just don’t seem to be falling. CSU struggled from the perimeter from the get-go in this one and the 3-point shooting never really improved. Instead of repeatedly firing from deep and compounding the issues, the Rams came out in the second half, adjusted to the flow of the game and really forced the issue in the paint. As a result of their persistent effort, the Rams were able to draw a ton of fouls and most importantly they knocked down 13-of-15 free throw attempts down the stretch to secure the comeback win. It was a gritty victory and an encouraging sign for a veteran team is bound to be in some tight games against quality opponents this season. 

David Roddy is playing like an All-American 

Since battling back spasms in a quiet opener against Oral Roberts, Roddy has looked like one of the elite players in the game over CSU’s last three victories. The dominant run started with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and a pair of steals in the win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff. It continued with 17 points, nine boards, four assists and a pair of steals in 28 minutes against Peru State. And obviously the culmination was Roddy’s 30 point showing against Bradley in the opening round of the Paradise Jam on Friday. 

While Roddy’s numbers have been absolutely insane, they’re even more impressive when you realize he’s never attempted more than 15 shots in a game. He’s not playing selfishly at all. He’s simply playing within the flow of the offense and when the opportunity to score presents itself he tries to take advantage. Roddy is the type of superstar that coaches dream of. He’s completely content doing the dirty work for the benefit of the team and allowing someone like John Tonje or Isaiah Stevens to shine when they have the hot hand. But when the moment calls for him to take over, you know that Roddy is up for the task. 

Isaiah Stevens quietly made a big impact

It wasn’t a highlight day for Stevens offensively. He finished 2-of-12 from the floor and really struggled to find the bottom of the net in this one. What was good to see was that while he never played passively or shied away from an open attempt, Stevens didn’t try to press things in the second half. Instead he tightened up on the defensive side and served as a key facilitator for his teammates on the other end. Stevens recorded seven assists in the victory and six of them came in the second half. From a scoring perspective, Stevens will rebound from this one, likely in the next game. His unselfishness and willingness to feed the rock to others made all the difference in the win though.

Dischon Thomas battled 

Finally, much like Stevens, Dischon Thomas doing the dirty work down low made a big impact in a winning effort. Thomas recorded 11 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes of action on Friday. They won’t be on the highlights or get the attention that Roddy’s scoring barrage will, but his three offensive boards in the second half were massively important and led to second-chance opportunities that CSU was desperately lacking early. He continues to impress in the early portion of the season. 

Next Up: Creighton (4-0)