Date in Dayton
CSU Rams selected to play in ‘First Four’ game of NCAA Tournament
FORT COLLINS >> While it wasn’t quite where they expected to land, the Colorado State men’s basketball team and supporters who had gathered for a watch party Sunday at Canvas Stadium broke into applause when CSU was finally revealed on the NCAA Tournament bracket.
The Rams (24-9) felt for weeks like they were solidly in the field of 68, but when their matchup was displayed, there were mixed feelings when it was announced they were the last team in the tournament and placed in a “First Four” game.
CSU will face Virginia (23-10) Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m. MT in Dayton, Ohio, to earn the No. 10 seed when the tournament continues Thursday. The winner of the Csu-virginia game will face No. 7 Texas (20-12) on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.
Despite where they were placed in the bracket, the team and head coach Niko Medved are excited about the opportunity.
“One of the hardest things to do in our sport is get an opportunity to earn an at-large into the NCAA tournament,” Medved said. “Getting to do that is just incredible for these young people. We talk about it at the beginning of the year what a small percentage of teams gets to do that. So to be in this moment and have an opportunity to earn an at-large is just really awesome for us, for the program and we’re excited about the opportunity.”
The Rams had been projected to be as high as an 8 or 9 seed, but the selection committee felt that was too high, even after the Rams advanced to the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament by defeating Nevada in the quarterfinals.
For CSU graduate point guard Isaiah Stevens, who holds many program records including career points and assists, this was one of the reasons he decided to return.
Regardless of seeding, Stevens and the Rams are excited to get to play another game and hope they can make some noise beginning with Tuesday night’s contest.
“This has a lot to do with the reasons I came back this year,” Stevens said. “I felt like we put together a schedule and a roster to go out there and compete each and every night and put ourselves in a great position to play in March and hopefully we can keep this thing going.
“You never really know how these things go. You don’t know where you are going to land, exactly. Just to see the name pop on is all that we were hoping for. It didn’t matter if we were the 1 seed or the 16 seed, we just wanted to be a part of the tournament.”
It is CSU’S second tournament appearance in the past three years. In 2022, the Rams were the No. 6 seed in the South Region and lost to No. 11 Michigan 75-63 in Indianapolis. Prior to that, CSU last made the tournament in 2013, when it was the No. 8 seed and lost in the third round to top seed Louisville (82-56) after defeating No. 9 Missouri (84-72) in the second round.
Overall, it is CSU’S 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to its first selection in 1954. The Rams are 4-12 all-time in the Big Dance.
Medved said this team is different than the one three years ago, when the Rams were Mountain West favorites and led by now-phoenix
Sun David Roddy.
“This group kind of came in with not as many expectations,” Medved said. “The group two years ago was picked to win the league. These guys were picked fifth in one poll, sixth in another. To see them kind of do that and rally and believe that we could be this kind of team, is awesome. So, really, really proud of them and this is a special moment for this group and they’ve earned it.”
The Mountain West Conference ended up with six teams in the 68-team field. Utah State, Boise State, San Diego State, Nevada and New Mexico join the Rams in the tournament. The Aztecs earned a No. 5 seed and were the only team seeded as high as many projections had them.
The Aztecs are in the East Region and will face No. 12 UAB in the first round. Regular season
MWC champion Utah State is the 8 seed in the Midwest Region and will face TCU in the first round. MW tournament champion New Mexico earned the 11 seed in the West Region and will face Clemson in the opening round. Nevada is the 10 seed in the West Region and will open against Dayton. Boise State joins CSU as one of the last teams in and will face Colorado in one of the other First Four games.
“To be honest, I was surprised how most of the Mountain West was seeded,” Medved said. “I’m not the expert, but I think if you talk to the hundreds of people who do the bracketology I think they really had all the Mountain West teams seeded higher than that. You know what? That’s fine. They always disrespect our league and now it’s time to go out and do something about it.”