Colorado State men's basketball heads to Mountain West play: Where the Rams stand
This was surely the most challenging nonconference run since Niko Medved took over the Colorado State men’s basketball team.
It’s not just the schedule (which was solid) but the things the Rams dealt with.
CSU hasn’t had a full roster since the summer, with key players trading time sidelined with injury or illness.
Star guard Isaiah Stevens missed nine games recovering from a broken foot. Josiah Strong has missed six of CSU’s 13 games battling aftereffects of mono. Jalen Lake and Tavi Jackson each missed CSU’s final two nonconference games with injuries. And that list doesn’t include big man Jacob Jennissen, who would have been in the rotation if not for an offseason ACL injury.
“We’ve had so many guys in and out of the lineup,” Medved said. “This group, I see them every day, I think they’ve handled it as well as I could have expected. I think we’re growing. I think this team is getting better.”
Now it’s time to reset for Mountain West play. Here’s a look at where CSU stands and what’s to come.
How to grade the nonconference
The nonconference slate was a roller coaster with some bad losses and one of the top wins in all the Mountain West.
CSU is 8-5. Losses at College of Charleston and neutral site to Penn State were missed chances, but not bad hits to the resume. Likewise, the USC game is not a bad resume loss but a big missed chance.
A home defeat to Northern Colorado is an awful (Quad 4) defeat. The Colorado loss isn’t bad on its own, but the lopsided nature hurts.
On the other hand, CSU’s win at Saint Mary’s is a huge Quad 1 win and the Loyola Marymount victory is a solid resume piece.
It wasn’t a bad nonconference run but could have been better. Let’s call it a C+ grade if the scale is based on chasing the NCAA Tournament.
The challenge of the Mountain West
Now the Rams head into the Mountain West, which has the look of a loaded conference.
There are seven teams in the NET top 100 rankings (including CSU at No. 84) and three in the top 38.
CSU heads right into the teeth of the schedule, playing at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, against an undefeated New Mexico (No. 14 NET) team ranked, which is ranked No. 22 in the AP poll.
More:Mountain West basketball teams battling travel issues along with much of the country
The Rams took a few days off after the end of nonconference play before returning to practice Monday. They hope to be close to full health at New Mexico.
The MW is set up as a several bid league to the NCAA Tournament. A top-four finish would put any team at least in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament.
Path to postseason
So, can CSU make a return to the NCAA Tournament? Or another postseason tournament?
The path to the NCAA is narrow, but not nonexistent. That’s because of the quality of the league. As of Dec. 26, CSU has 11 Quad 1 and Quad 2 games combined on the league schedule. Seven of them are Quad 1, that means very difficult games but very big opportunities.
CSU finished last season with 11 total Q1 and Q2 wins on its resume. The Rams have one so far, so plenty of work to do. CSU must protect home court and steal some road wins. Going undefeated at home in Mountain West play would likely mean at least five Q1 and Q2 wins.
Finishing top four would mean a number of resume wins and right now it’s hard to imagine the top two in the Mountain West not receiving an at-large bid (unless it’s a team like Wyoming who surges following a bad nonconference).
The Rams are No 84 in NET right now.
It’s a tough path. Right now, NIT is likely CSU’s best bet, but NCAA isn’t impossible yet.
What are the Quad rankings?
As a refresher, the Quad rankings are one of the main metrics used in NCAA Tournament resume building by the committee. You'll see the Quad rankings frequently referenced with games in regards to how they fit a resume. Quad 1 and Quad 2 records are most important and Quad 4 losses must be avoided at all costs.
The NET rankings are updated daily.
The rankings are broken into four quadrants to give context to wins and losses. Quad 1 includes the "best" or toughest games. They use a sliding scale for home, road and neutral games. Quad 1 and 2 wins (and overall record) are very important, as are avoiding Quad 3 and 4 losses.
Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, neutral 1-50, away 1-75
Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, neutral 51-100, away 76-135
Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, neutral 101-200, away 135-240
Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, neutral 201-353, away 241-353
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Where Colorado State basketball stands ahead of Mountain West schedule
