Showdown in Sin City: How Colorado State can beat Utah State and keep its at-large hopes alive

FORT COLLINS, CO. — The stage is set. With a chance to reach the Mountain West Tournament Championship Game, Colorado State will have to take down the reigning champs and a team that has been one of the faces of the league over the last couple of years, Utah State. 

Led by Neemias Queta and Justin Bean, the Aggies have a unique front court that can present a variety of challenges for teams both offensively and defensively. Queta is a true 7-footer and an absolute beast in the paint. He likely could have gone pro after last season but after injuries slowed him throughout most of the 2019-20 campaign, Queta opted to return to Logan, UT. and has taken his game to a new level this year. 

At 14.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, the big man out of Portugal was the definition of consistency for Utah State. Quite simply, Queta is the piece that makes everything work for the Aggies on both ends of the floor. His impact as a rim protector allows the USU guards to defend the perimeter aggressively with the comfort of knowing their big man is behind them to erase their mistakes. And offensively, when the shots aren’t falling, the Aggies will feed the ball to him in the post until you prove you can stop it. The catch is that if you try to double Queta, he’s a deceptively crafty passer and can work the ball to Brock Miller or Marco Anthony. 

So, how do you beat a team like Utah State? Keeping in mind that completely eliminating the Queta-Bean duo is unlikely, rebounding is paramount. If the Aggies dominate the glass, it allows them to control the pace of the game and play to their strengths. Conversely, if CSU can keep the rebound margin tight, it will help lead to more transition opportunities on offense — something the Rams should try to lean on — considering it would limit USU’s second-chance opportunities and prevent them from setting up their half court defense, where they thrive. 

Another factor for Ram fans to keep an eye on will be turnovers. Utah State was second in the conference in steals per game in league matchups this season (7.2). And turnovers were a consistent issue for CSU throughout conference play. The Rams valued their possessions pretty well against the Bulldogs in their quarterfinal victory over Fresno State on Thursday night, but there’s no doubt that the Aggies are going to be playing with a different level of intensity with what is on the line for both of these bubble teams. 

Finally, if CSU is going to take down the Aggies and reach the MW Championship Game for the first time since 2017, sharing the rock and working the ball for quality offensive looks will be crucial. In the 84-76 win over the Aggies on Jan. 21, CSU recorded 17 assists as a team. So far this season the Rams are 11-5 when they record 10 or more assists in a game. It should be noted that they had 20 in their regular season loss to the Aggies, so it’s not a perfect indicator of success, however, CSU did have double-digit assists in all of the biggest wins of the regular season.

Time and time again we witnessed this young Rams team rise to the occasion despite some serious hurdles to overcome along the way. Ultimately this game is the biggest of the year for CSU men’s hoops so far, though. Another Quad 1 win would go a long way in fortifying CSU’s at-large resume — particularly with Nevada beating Boise State again and making the regular season finale seem less damning.

Win or lose, it’s important to remember what this group accomplished this season. A record-setting performance in conference play is nothing to scoff at. An appearance in the title game and a chance to potentially get revenge against the Aztecs or Wolf Pack would be pretty dang sweet, though. Let’s see what the Rams are made of.