Keys to Victory: How Colorado State can beat Michigan and advance to the round of 32

DENVER — This is March. 

It’s been an exciting ride for Colorado State men’s basketball. 

The Rams spent six different weeks in the top 25, including finishing at No. 24 in the final AP Poll. 

They were led by the conference player of the year David Roddy, who on a nightly basis treated the fans with an all-out effort on both ends of the floor and a barrage of highlights along the way. 

Really, when you look at everything the Rams have already accomplished  — like winning a multi-team event (MTE) down in the Virgin Islands, topping an experienced Saint Mary’s team by 16, taking down an SEC school on a neutral court, sweeping the league champions, etc. — in a lot of ways the 2021-22 campaign has already been one of the more thrilling journeys in program history. 

This has been a season that will be cherished forever. And it should be. It’s been one hell of a unique experience. 

As special as the 2021-22 season has been, though, this is March. And in March everything that you did in the past goes out the window. 

From here on out, it’s win or go home. It doesn’t matter whether you are a 1-seed with all of the country picking you in their bracket pools, or if you’re the Cinderella team that makes a surprise run to the Final Four, everyone is a tough game away from having their dreams crushed. 

For a CSU team that’s had to play in a bunch of tight contests this season, the pressure should be nothing new. Including last week’s games in Las Vegas, the Rams have played 10 games against MW opponents that were decided by two or less possessions. Two of those road games even went to overtime, so playing in a tight matchup is something that the Rams are very used to. 

Having said that, though, you just never know what kind of butterflies the guys will have in their stomachs at the start of the game. As mature as this group has been this season, they’re still just college kids and it’s natural to expect a few jitters on such a big stage. The trust is there but we’ll have to see how they respond when the lights are brightest. 

Here are three more keys to victory for CSU on Thursday. 

Limit Dickinson’s impact

Along with dealing with the intensity of the moment, one of the biggest keys for CSU on Thursday will be trying to contain a true 7-footer in Hunter Dickinson. The Wolverines have been inconsistent at best this year, particularly on the defensive end, but Dickinson presents a size mismatch that you just don’t encounter very often. 

While the Rams have faced some talented bigs this season, none have been as gifted offensively as Dickinson is in the paint. He has nice touch around the rim and does a solid job of playing at his own pace. The big man is incredibly challenging to stop from scoring once he’s established position down low. 

Inevitably Dickinson is going to play a factor in this one. He hasn’t scored less than 10 points in a game since Dec. 01, so you know that he is going to get his touches, especially now that senior guard Devante Jones is going to be out with a concussion. The crucial thing for CSU is just going to be to try and mitigate the damage. Keep him below 20 points and the Rams should have a solid chance to win this game. That is as long as the Green & Gold can score like they have for the majority of the season. 

Get the guards involved

One of CSU’s greatest strengths is the amount of bodies they can throw at an opponent on any given night. It’s essentially the complete opposite position of Wyoming, whose lack of depth proved to be a big factor over the final 10 games or so. 

You know that David Roddy and Isaiah Stevens are going to get plenty of chances in this one, which is good, because in a win-or-go-home scenario there’s nobody Ram Nation would want to lean on more. It can’t just be a two-man show though. 

If CSU is going to take down the Wolverines in Indianapolis on Thursday, the Rams are going to need guys like Kendle Moore, Chandler Jacobs, John Tonje,and Isaiah Rivera to be able to knock down open shots, drive in the lanes and score some points themselves. 

For one thing, it makes it so the opposing defense has to aggressively close out on all shooters. This is tiring for the defenders but it also puts them in riskier situations to pick up fouls. More importantly, though, when Moore, Tonje, etc., are scoring, the entire floor opens up, so the defense can’t just sag down around Roddy in the post. And in a matchup where the Rams are giving up two inches of height on average across the roster, that’s going to be especially pertinent. 

The Rams have been the smaller team all year long, so I don’t expect the difference in size to be something that disrupts them any more than usual. But if CSU can’t stretch the floor with some outside shooting, it’s really going to put a ton of pressure on Roddy and Stevens to create for themselves in isolation. Don’t get me wrong, they’re talented enough to win that way, but it’s just much harder to sustain for 40 minutes. 

Punch first

The Rams may be the higher seed but Michigan is going to waltz into this game thinking that they will be able to bully the boys from the Mountain West. That’s why on both ends of the floor, CSU needs to play with an aggressive mindset and really set the tone. 

If CSU can establish a substantial lead early on and get some doubt lingering in the back of the minds of the Michigan players, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them wilt under the pressure. The Wolverines haven’t exactly been the most composed group this year. 

Conversely, even despite the flaws, with as much talent as Michigan has on the floor a hot start for the Blue could be all that it takes to awaken the beast. 

Basketball is ultimately a game of runs, so building up an early lead won’t guarantee anything if the Rams don’t keep up the pressure for the entire game. I really do think that landing a few jabs early and staggering the Wolverines early will be key though. 

The Rams were forged in fire this season, come out and show that you aren’t scared of anyone.