CSU Hoops Takeaways: Kyle Jorgensen continues to make a leap for the Rams, drops 25 points in dominant win over Omaha

We don’t want to get too carried away before Thanksgiving. There’s still so much basketball to be played. Based on the way that Colorado State has started under Ali Farokhmanesh, though, Ram Nation might want to start thinking about some moves for the dance. 

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not quite NCAA Tournament or bust for a team that is replacing more than 80% of last season’s production and minutes, but with a deep roster that is gelling quicker than most expected, even without Rashaan Mbemba to begin the year, there’s no reason not to start getting excited about CSU’s potential. And if the stars do happen to align, which they very well may under a quality coaching staff, the Green & Gold should very much be in the mix come February and March. 

After dropping 98 in the season opener, the Rams looked sharp offensively once again in Sunday’s 97-74 win over Nebraska-Omaha — a team that returned three starters from last season’s NCAA Tournament squad. 

Led by Kyle Jorgensen, who set a career-high in points for the second straight game, CSU had four double-digit scorers and dominated the glass against the Mavericks. It was an all-around quality performance for the Rams as a whole. CSU got a double-double out of Carey Booth (13 pts, 11 reb) and 13 points in 15 minutes from ‘Auggie’. Jorgensen feasting his way to 25 points and nine rebounds was definitely the highlight of the day though, especially considering he only took 12 field goal attempts. 

Farokhmaneshed praised Joregensen’s efficiency postgame and the way that he took advantage of an advantageous matchup. “We talk about it all of the time. It’s not about how many shots you take, it’s about how efficient you are. And when you score 25 points on only 12 shots, that’s impressive. That’s hard to do.”

The young coach continued, emphasizing that Jorgensen could have taken 10 more shots if he wanted to. UNO clearly could not guard him and he was getting whatever looks he wanted down low. But the big man from Minnesota is too good of a teammate to cog down the flow of the offense. He just took what space the defense was giving him, or created some with fancy footwork, and did a nice job of either scoring or getting to the free throw line. 

“He didn’t force a single shot,” Farokhmanesh said. “Honestly, there wasn’t a shot that he took all night that I had any qualms about. He probably should have shot some more, to be honest.”

Jorgensen talked about his conditioning postgame and how it’s allowed him to play with more physicality in year two. He’s always been skilled and a good finisher. Putting on some muscle in the offseason has given him more confidence to bang around in the post though. 

Currently averaging 20 points per game through the first two contests, Jorgensen said that it’s given him the mindset to keep going. He talked about how some players might relax after seeing some success, but he wants to continue to find ways to elevate his game. 

“I don’t know if I’m going to keep stacking career-highs like this, but I want to keep playing great game after great game after great game.”

Here are some more takeaways from an afternoon matinee at Moby Arena. 

Greedy on the glass

The Rams have owned the glass through the first two games of the season and are currently +45 in total rebounds. Against UNO on Sunday, CSU finished with a 43-21 advantage in total rebounds. But what’s more, the Rams recorded more offensive rebounds (14) than the Mavericks had defensive rebounds (13). 

CSU will play bigger and more athletic teams as the season progresses. I love the mentality we’re seeing right now though. It’s not a situation where everyone is waiting around for somebody else to go get the rebound. Everyone on the floor is attacking the ball and looking to close out defensive possessions and / or keep offensive possessions alive. 

Five different players had four or more rebounds against UNO and seven guys had at least a pair. That’s winning basketball. 

Buy your Booth stock now 

Carey Booth looks “night and day” from when he got to campus, according to his head coach. The former Illinois and Notre Dame forward had his first double-double at CSU on Sunday, finishing with 13 points and 11 boards. 

It’s going to take some patience as he develops. Despite being at two high-major programs before coming to Fort Collins, Booth is still a young and inexperienced basketball player. His raw athleticism is through the roof though. And we’re seeing him find his fit within a complex offensive system. 

All in on Auggie 

Augustinas Kiudulas had 13 points and did his part to get as many Mavs in foul trouble as he could. His 11 free throw attempts were the product of a patient and methodical approach in the post, where the 6-foot-8 forward put on a clinic in how to fluster an opposing defense. 

Auggie isn’t the flashiest player on the team, but he might be the most unique. A former guard who grew 3 inches between his senior year of high school and freshman year of college, Kiudulas can handle the ball and is a highly skilled passer. He’s also deceptively strong and plays much bigger than his frame would indicate. 

The hope is that he can be a Joel Scott-type who can provide spacing along the perimeter but also produce among the tall trees in the paint. Sunday was a very encouraging first step in that mission. 

Don’t forget the bench 

Farokhmanesh had high praise for the bench on Sunday and for good reason. Those guys combined to produce 28 points and 13 rebounds. Quite honestly, it was the rotation that turned up the heat defensively after a hot shooting start from the Mavericks right out of the gate. 

JoJo McIver is going to be a star down the line. His ceiling on both ends of the floor is incredibly high. His impact defensively was what stood out against UNO though. Jase Butler really looked good defending the perimeter as well. He was +14 in 20 minutes off the bench and quietly had a really nice game.