FORT COLLINS, CO. — Entering the fourth season under Niko Medved, expectations for Colorado State men’s basketball are simple: contend for the Mountain West Championship and reach the NCAA Tournament.
With a roster that has grown together over the last 2-3 years, including one of the best duos in the entire country, David Roddy and Isaiah Stevens, all returning to the program it makes sense that Ram Nation is feeling confident. CSU was a win over Nevada or Utah State away from reaching the Big Dance in 2020 after all.
The big question, though, is will losing two assistant coaches and a few other important staffers behind the scenes hold the Rams back?
Chemistry and cohesion are some of the most important factors for a team on the court. Knowing when to cut, when a teammate will be open in the corner, when to slide over and help defensively — all of these things come with familiarity and repetition. But what’s often overlooked is that chemistry and cohesion also matters for the coaching staff and beyond.
Niko Medved, Ali Farokhmanesh and Aaron Katsuma are thankfully still in town. From recruiting to on-court development, though, Dave Thorson and J.R. Blount played big parts in the accession of the program. Not only were they good at their jobs, they also understood the collective vision for what the staff was trying to accomplish. They identified talented players that would buy into the system and then helped develop those guys when they got to campus. Beyond basketball, they were influential figures and role models for the players. Replacing them is not going to be easy.
Academic advisers, grad assistants, athletic trainers, etc., all serve crucial roles as well. So much goes on behind the scenes in the college game that most fans would never think of.
It can be a bit of a cliche for a team to refer to themselves as “family”, but it’s often the truth; and it’s been especially true with this CSU squad over the last couple of years. From top to bottom, everyone associated with CSU men’s basketball was seemingly thick as thieves. If you think that didn’t have a positive impact, I suggest you try and accomplish any goal with a group of people that possess various skills, but don’t see eye to eye, or aren’t willing to compromise. It’s not going to go well.
Building a winning basketball program is a delicate balance and for the last three years, Medved and Co. have benefitted from the pillars remaining consistent. Obviously, in an ideal world, that would have remained the same with preseason expectations for this group being so high. What’s important to remember is that change can be a good thing.
New perspectives can help teams progress in areas where they might have been previously stagnant. New eyes can help identify ways to maximize talent. The basketball background of both Brian Cooley and Sam Jones are certainly credible. It’s very possible that a minor shake-up could do great things for a team that is already experienced, talented and battle-tested in the postseason, albeit the NIT.
What’s great about the current roster is the fact that it’s filled with intelligent, team-oriented players. It’s not as if they will simply forget the lessons learned under the previous iteration of the coaching staff. If anything, they will take those principles and build off it with even more knowledge obtained from Cooley and Jones.
Cooley’s teams have perennially been winners. In his nine seasons at South Dakota State, the Jackrabbits at one point qualified for the postseason in five consecutive seasons, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. As the associate head coach at Wright State, Cooley was part of three regular-season conference championships in five years and the program’s first March Madness bid in over a decade. The guy has seen what it takes to win consistently and even punch up. I imagine Ram fans and players could all get used to that.
Jones spent the last half decade working with professionals in the G-League and NBA. He also played 10 seasons overseas, winning two championships and qualifying for multiple all-star games along the way. For players with pro potential, Jones will be an invaluable asset because he’s been there and done that. There will likely be an adjustment period while Jones learns how to recruit, help guys in the classroom, and all of the other duties that come with college jobs. At the end of the day, though, basketball is basketball, and Jones clearly knows the game.
As challenging as it will be to succeed a pair of beloved assistants, the reality is that CSU has as much talent as any group in the Mountain West. One could even argue that the Rams might be the best non-high major program in the country coming into 2021-22 — though St. Bonaventure and Richmond fans would likely take exception to that statement. The point is that this team is built to win now. So, while it may be a little different on the sidelines this season, the guys that will directly impact the outcome the most are still in place. And when it’s all said and done, it just might be the change that allows the Rams to make that final leap to the top.
