Colorado State at Aztecs
Records:
Next up:
CSU 5-1, 2-0; SDSU 6-1, 0-0
Series history:
Rams update:
Aztecs update:
SDSU leads 45-41, including the last five straight. The Aztecs swept the series last season, 79-57 in
Fort Collins and 66-60 at Viejas Arena.
They didn’t play a game until Dec. 12 (their latest start since 1942) after COVID-19 issues wiped out the first five on the schedule. A week later, they were held to the second fewest points in the shot clock era in a 55-33 loss at
Saint Mary’s, three days before SDSU blew out the Gaels 74-49. But they’ve looked good since with three straight wins by an average of 19 points. G Isaiah Stevens, the Mountain
West freshman of the year in 2019-20, was a preseason all-conference selection. But the guy you really have to gameplan for is 6-5, 252-pound David Roddy (16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds), who can play inside or out, able to guard posts and make 3s. The Rams clearly miss Nico Carvacho, the
Mountain West’s career leader in rebounds, and have been outboarded in three of their last four games. They start 6-9
Dischon Thomas, but he averages only 16 minutes because they often go small with Roddy at center. It’s a young roster that has no seniors and ranks 305th in Div. I in experience. (SDSU has five and ranks 10th.) The Rams are in the midst of a stretch of six games in 13 days.
The series was originally scheduled for Dec. 3 and 5, but Colorado State postponed it after pausing the program from COVID-19 positives. The plan was to play in early March, then moved when UNLV postponed its Jan. 2 and 4 games against SDSU. The 11 days between games is the longest for the Aztecs since 2017, when they had a 12-day break before beating No. 12 Gonzaga. They are Top 25 everywhere except the Associated Press poll: 15th in the Sagarin ratings, 15th in RPI, 24th in BPI, 23rd in Kenpom and 23rd in the USA Today coaches poll. They are second among others receiving votes in AP. The game matches teams ranked 13th (SDSU, 58.0 points) and 17th (CSU, 58.5 points) in scoring defense and the Mountain West’s leaders in defensive fieldgoal percentage (CSU is .376, SDSU is .377). SDSU’s Div. I opponents are a combined 36-13 in their other games this season, and none is below .500. Coach Brian Dutcher and
CSU coach Niko Medved share an alma mater in Minnesota, although 15 years apart. Dutcher has never lost to the Rams as head coach (5-0). vs. Colorado State on Monday (6 p.m., Fox Sports 1)