Takeaways from Colorado State's first win of the 2023-24 season — transfers make major impact for the Rams

Colorado State men’s basketball is 1-0 following Monday night’s 81-73 victory over Louisiana Tech. 

With a revamped lineup featuring multiple transfers and a couple of really intriguing freshmen, the Rams grinded out a gutsy victory over a physical Bulldogs squad that refused to go down without a fight. 

There are definitely areas where the Rams will need to be more consistent. CSU got worked on the glass for much of the night and allowed 13 second-chance points. On the other end of the floor, they finished without a single offensive rebound. 

But considering how many new faces there are, and the fact that this was the first time this team has played in front of a crowd, there was also quite a bit to like about how the Rams looked in this one. 

The ball movement was stellar which is unsurprising given Isaiah Stevens is back this season. The fifth-year point guard had 15 points and 10 assists in a game-high 36 minutes of action. The Rams had 19 assists as a team though. So it really was a collective effort. 

The scoring was balanced with four of five starters finishing the night in double-digit figures. What was especially great about this was that the production came from all levels.

CSU had 38 points in the paint, 23 more at the line, and the Rams shot pretty well from deep (38%). They did a nice job of attacking in transition too, finishing the win +16 in fast break points. The Rams really looked versatile which is encouraging considering how good the Mountain West is expected to be. 

Here are some more takeaways from Monday’s comeback win. 

High-level athletes

It did not take long to recognize how much more athletic this team is from top to bottom. The transfers have really added an explosive element to the roster that was lacking last year. And that explosiveness was on full display in the win over the Bulldogs. 

Whether it was Nique Clifford putting the ball on the floor and attacking the hoop with ease, or Joel Scott throwing down an emphatic one-handed jam after beating his defender along the baseline, the Rams showed they’re a team that can really stress a defense on the drive. 

That athleticism came through on the defensive side too. Scott’s two blocks really got the crowd going. And Clifford’s on-ball defense was absolutely stellar. The former Colorado starter led the Rams with three steals in the win.

You’d like to see the added athleticism make more of an impact on the glass. As a team the Rams got out-rebounded 39-23. But considering it was not an issue in the scrimmages against Minnesota or Oregon, I’m really not worried about it moving forward. Getting Rashaan Mbemba back should help there as well. 

Clifford is going to flourish offensively

Nique Clifford is a highly experienced basketball player that we knew from day one could make a major impact on defense. Where I expect Clifford to really make a leap this season is on the offensive end. 

Playing with a true point guard for the first time in his career, Clifford is going to get great opportunities to catch and shoot threes. He actually hit a pair in Game 1 which was a great start. But it’s an element of his game that I expect to continue to improve. Clifford has shot 35 percent from deep in his career, however, I think he can be a player that flirts with 40 percent in the right circumstances. 

For one thing, the mechanics of his shot look good and he seems to put it up with confidence. But the other big key is that Clifford is so dangerous on the drive that defenders have to be cautious with how intensely they close out on him.

His long strides allow him to cover a ton of ground quickly, so he can easily blow past people. He can finish when he gets to the hoop too. That may sound obvious but there are a lot of great athletes that lack touch around the rim.

The more he drives on people and scores in the paint, the more it’s going to create space for him to get his jumper off from deep. And what’s great for a guy like Clifford is that as long as he keeps moving, Stevens is going to get him the basketball in good spots to produce.

“I think he fits really, really well with what we’re doing,” Niko Medved said postgame.

Medved continued, praising Clifford’s growth in just a short period of time. He mentioned that his shot selection has improved and that when Clifford shoots in rhythm, the staff thinks they’re going to go in. 

“When he plays off two feet and uses his athleticism, he’s tough to handle. And I just think he’s going to continue to get better and better throughout the year. He affects the game with his length and his athleticism. And I think he’s a really good rebounder. I think the fans will see him getting that into his game more and more.”

It’s going to be really fun to see how Clifford progresses this season. A change of scenery may be all that he needed to unleash his potential as a two-way star.

Managing rotation will be a challenge 

The final takeaway from the first win of the 2023-24 campaign is that while it is really exciting to have so many talented players on the roster this season, managing the rotation is going to be a unique challenge for Niko Medved and Co. 

There were 10 players that saw at least a couple minutes of action on Monday and that was with the Rams missing Tavi Jackson and Rashaan Mbemba — both of which will definitely be in the rotation when healthy. 

Realistically there are probably only going to be eight to nine guys that play substantially by the time we get to conference play. Depending on the situation, it could be more like nine or ten. But either way, there are certainly going to be players that won’t see the floor as much as they’d like to. 

“It’s hard,” Medved said of the situation. “For us, one of the things we spend a lot of time talking about is accepting roles. And that’s kind of what it is.”

Medved pointed out that Jalen Lake has been outstanding in every way imaginable. But he’s been asked to embrace coming off the bench. Other guys may have to accept smaller roles than what they were used to at their old schools. How they’re able to handle that will ultimately determine how successful this group can be. 

“That’s what we’re going to have to do to be successful,” Medved said. 

“How we handle that is going to really, in my opinion, determine our success. And they’ve been great about it so far. They really have. Everyone wants to play more. Everyone wants that. But at the end of the day, guys want to win.”