Year-in-review: Isaiah Stevens elevated his game to a new level in his second season with the Rams

FORT COLLINS, CO. — Every now and then a player completely changes the way you can operate as a team. A player so unique, so talented, that his addition alone makes you significantly more dangerous — partially due to his own talents and skills, but also a mindset and vision that separates him from everyone else on the floor. 

For Colorado State men’s basketball, there are two players that arguably fit the aforementioned description, and both of them were still just sophomores this past season. Today, though, we are talking about Isaiah Stevens, one of the best point guards in the entire country. 

Listed at 6-foot-0, 180 pounds, Stevens isn’t exactly an imposing figure — at least in the way that his running mate David Roddy is. While Stevens may not look like he could curl a tree, when he is running the offense for the Rams and things are clicking at the highest level, it’s truly a beauty to watch. 

For one thing, there isn’t anything that the versatile point guard out of Allen, TX., can’t do on the floor. He’s a phenomenal facilitator with the type of vision very few young guards possess; plus he has the passing skills to back it up. Stevens is solid on the drive and can finish with finesse at the rim. He has the quickness and handles to create his own shot when necessary. And honestly, of everyone on the roster, Stevens was the most consistently clutch jump shooter for the Rams — much like he was as a true freshman, when he hit a pair of game-winners against Tulsa and Nevada. 

Over the course of his career, Stevens has been rock solid with an average of roughly 14 points per game to go along with five assists and four rebounds. What was encouraging about the 2020-21 campaign, though, was despite playing more minutes and putting up shots at a higher volume, he still managed to shoot 46 percent from the field for a second straight year. 

What really stood about the former Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2020-21 was that he made significant strides as a 3-point shooter as well, increasing his average from a respectable 38 percent in 2019-20 to an outstanding 43 percent. Considering the lengthy pauses and shaky circumstances that the team had to endure, the fact that he was able to shoot that much better from deep is definitely impressive. In fact, Stevens was so good as a 3-point shooter this past season, I fully expect the staff to try and create more sets designed to get him open looks that are in rhythm and off the pass. 

As the primary facilitator for the offense, oftentimes Stevens was creating his own shot — a necessary skill for any elite scorer, but also a significantly tougher way to consistently succeed — unless your name is Steph Curry of course. If they could get Stevens a couple of more looks per game where he just gets to put up wide-open jumpers off of crisp passes, opposing defenses are going to be in a world of hurt. Stevens can already kill you by slashing, dashing, and getting in the paint. If he also becomes a guy that hits three or four 3’s a night on average, how in the world are you going to slow him down? It’s not like you can hack him, the guy shot 86.5 percent from the charity stripe.

While I could ramble on for days about the reasons why Stevens is a generational-type point guard, the thing that truly separates him from other talented guards that have come through the program in recent years is his maturity. From Day 1 Stevens has had the work ethic, team-first mentality, and type of selfless personality that you just rarely see in the modern era. 

He obviously has all the talent necessary to succeed and always has. But it’s never been about him getting the glory or putting up highlights. Even after some of his biggest moments, games where he unarguably positively impacted the outcome for his team, Stevens has always deflected the credit and praised his teammates and coaches.

Equally important, as skilled and as clutch as Stevens has been in his young career, he rarely presses things or puts up bad looks. A great example of this was the comeback victory against San Diego State, when Stevens created separation from his defender but opted to dish the rock to an open John Tonje in the corner for the game-winning 4-point play. (*Tonje was fouled on a successful 3-point shot.) On a night where Stevens was not his best offensively — he finished 2-of-7 from the floor — he could have elected to try and redeem himself with some “hero ball” down the stretch. That’s just not Isaiah Stevens, though. So, he did what he always does, and that’s make winning plays for his squad. 

As CSU continues to increase its profile as a hoops school, the hype should only increase for Stevens on a national level. True college basketball die-hards are well aware of the type of baller that No. 4 is, but it would be pretty surprising if Stevens doesn’t get more recognition for his abilities on a mainstream level. With the Rams projected to contend for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Stevens should have an opportunity to do his thing for a larger audience. On that same note, Stevens should be one of the favorites for preseason MW Player of the Year, as will David Roddy. 

The last two years have been a whole lot of fun for the Ram Faithful. I cannot wait to see what Year 3 with Stevens running the show looks like.