Colorado State men's basketball star Isaiah Stevens to miss extended time with injury
The Colorado State men's basketball team has suffered a big blow before the season has even started.
Star point guard Isaiah Stevens is out "indefinitely" after suffering a foot injury in practice. The team confirmed the news Thursday night.
The injury requires surgery but "it is not season-ending," per a CSU release.
“First and foremost, myself and the team feel terrible for Isaiah. He is a special player and a tremendous leader. We are confident that Isaiah will get through this and make a full recovery,” CSU coach Niko Medved said in a release. “While we know that his presence and leadership will be missed, I know this team will respond. We will continue to work diligently and we are really excited to get this season started.”
Stevens averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game last year. He's second in career assists at CSU with 443 and in the top 25 in points scored.
With David Roddy gone to the NBA, Stevens was the unquestioned leader and focal point of this team.
Stevens is a senior, but he does have two seasons of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA's extra COVID year.
The point guard position is now a huge question mark. Baylor Hebb, a Loyola-Chicago transfer who played limited minutes for the Rams last season, is one option. True freshman Taviontae Jackson is another possibility.
Hebb played in 11 games and only 36 minutes last season for CSU. Jackson is a 6-foot-2 freshman. He averaged 26.3 points, 4.4 assists, 12.2 rebounds and 3.7 steals last season as a senior in high school. He chose CSU over Utah, Wyoming, Pacific and Siena, among others.
"Tavi’s athletic, he’s strong, wants to be coached. Has a lot of talent and ability," Medved told The Coloradoan during the summer. "He’s got the makings of being a terrific player … He sees the floor well, he can get into the paint, he’s a terrific rebounder, he plays really, really physical for a young player."
Illinois State transfer Josiah Strong is more of a shooting guard but could also be in the mix to be a main ball-handler at times.
CSU is hosting an open scrimmage at 1 p.m. Saturday at Moby Arena.
The Rams host MSU Denver on Oct. 28 in their lone exhibition of the season and then host Gardner-Webb in the season-opener on Nov. 7.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado State basketball guard Isaiah Stevens out with foot injury
