Strike 1: Last season at this point, we were carefully watching things like “Net Rankings” and KenPom” and all the other experts with their “bracketology” projections and wondering where the Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State Rams might end up when March Madness arrived.
This year, there’s no need to worry about any of that stuff. This year, all that’s left to talk about is being a so-called “bid stealer” when conference tournaments arrive.
Honestly, even those prospects still look bleak for the CU Buffs, who are having a down season in the rugged Big 12 conference. However, for CSU, there’s still a shot at returning to the big dance the more conventional way: Earning the automatic bid by winning the Mountain West conference tournament.
CSU’s 6-5 non-conference record pretty much squelched their chances of getting another at-large NCAA tournament bid. There isn’t a single marquee type win on the ledger – which also includes getting drilled by the struggling Buffs in Boulder. Still, as they head down the homestretch of the conference season, the Rams sit 12-4 in league play after picking up a road win at UNLV, and in third place in the MW. A strong finish could earn them a nice seeding and give them a chance to commit some thievery when they return to Vegas in a few weeks.
The Mountain West as a whole isn’t as strong as last year, when the league captured six tournament bids. It’s looking like the MW will be a three-bid league in 2025. New Mexico is having a big season, and will likely win the MW regular season title. The Lobos are followed closely by Utah State, with those two having done enough to this point to be considered locks for NCAA bids. San Diego State, whom the Rams split with during the regular season and who trail CSU by one game in the conference standings, is also on most of the experts bracket projections at this point – once again on the strength of what they did before league play began. The Aztecs have wins over nationally ranked Creighton and Big 12 power Houston on their non-conference resume.
It’s the Aztecs bid – or perhaps Boise State’s, which is also still in the mix – that CSU could swipe if they can win the conference tourney.
Does Nico Medved’s team have the horses?
A season ago, with Isaiah Stevens running the point, the Rams did very well in the non-conference, but slogged through league play unable to win on enemy courts. Still, they did get that at-large berth. This year, with only Nique Clifford performing in standout fashion, the Rams have actually found ways to win away from Moby Arena, going 4-4 thus far, including a win at Nevada and Saturday nights win at UNLV. The Rams regular season finale at Boise State won’t be for the regular season title or the top seed, but it very well might be for third place, which could mean avoiding New Mexico until the tournament title game.
CSU last won the MW tournament way back in 2003, when they outlasted UNLV by a single point to earn that automatic bid and a date with Duke in the first round of the big dance.
Careful what you wish for, right?
Still, just getting there is a huge win for the program. And if CSU were to find a way to make the tournament for the third time in four years, it would be Medved’s best coaching job to date.
