LAS VEGAS — From Division III to the NCAA Tournament.
Sitting at the podium with a smile from ear to ear, Joe Palmer was honest about how excited he is to participate in March Madness.
“I mean, that sounds pretty cool to me,” he said. “Coming from where I come from, the NCAA Tournament is what every kid dreams of. Playing at this level.”
Coming off of a game in which he scored a season-high 14 points and went 4-of-5 from deep, Palmer could have tried to play it cool. He could have given some stereotypical cliche about how this was just another game. After shooting 16 percent from deep over the last six weeks, though, the charismatic sixth man for Colorado State was genuine. When asked what went through his mind when the first three fell, Palmer said what was probably going through the minds of Ram fans at the time, too.
“I think honestly it was just like, thank God, finally,” Palmer said. “I’ve been texting with my coaches all week and just being like, you know, it’s March. Anything can happen… I kind of was just saying that to myself before the game. It’s March and anything can happen. So I was just like, about time.”
Palmer hit a pair of threes in each half on Wednesday and despite the fact that Colorado State ended up beating San Jose State, 72-62, the Rams needed every one of Palmer’s shots in the win.
His first three put the Rams up 13-11 and snapped a stretch of about 4 minutes where CSU only had one made field goal. His second make from deep pulled the Rams within 1 after going down by a couple of possessions — that is before a 15-0 run for the Green & Gold gave the team some life before halftime. And then in the second half, both of Palmer’s threes occurred while the game was tight and within a single score.
Without Palmer’s spark off the bench, it’s possible that the Rams would have been upset by a feisty Spartans squad that defended well and played extremely hard. Or at the very least, the game would have been even more nerve wracking than it already was. On a day where CSU desperately needed somebody to step up and knock down a couple of shots, though, “Headband Joe” was up for the moment.
Following the win, Niko Medved emphasized the grit that his team displayed with their backs up against the wall. He talked about how there is a different energy during this time of year and how you can feel it inside the building.
“It just feels different,” he said. “Just the vibe, the intensity, your nerves start to come out a little bit. So that’s what’s awesome. You know it’s going to be hard. Coach Miles is going to have them prepared. You know, we struggled to make a few shots early. They’re a great attacking team. I thought our guys showed a lot of grit and they dug in.”
Medved continued, praising Palmer for making enormous shots when CSU absolutely had to have them. He also reflected a little bit later on about how tremendous of a person and teammate that Palmer is.
“Joe is one of one. And I mean that in a very endearing way. I love him to death.”
Medved explained how Palmer’s positive energy is infectious in the locker room. It pumps the guys up and they love to be around him. There were times along the way where Palmer had to maybe dial it back a little bit. Times where his emotion got the best of him. But as he’s grown as a player and a young man, Palmer has really turned into a major asset for this team over the last two years.
You need players that are willing to dive for loose balls. Guys that don’t hang their heads if they don’t see 20 minutes on the floor that night. When they do get their chance to hit the court, though, they leave it all on the line. For CSU, that player is Joe Palmer.
Seeing a guy like him get to have a special moment is what March Madness is all about. We’ll see if he has a few more in store in the coming days.
