Takeaways: Tim Miles and San Jose State surging to postseason as Spartans beat Colorado State
Tim Miles is doing it again.
A down-in-the-dumps program, but Miles the fixer comes in and cleans it up.
The latest step in the Miles rebuild at San Jose State came late Tuesday night against one of his former teams.
San Jose State beat the Colorado State men’s basketball team 63-46 in San Jose to complete a regular season sweep of the Rams.
They’re the first two wins for San Jose State against CSU ever.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
Tim Miles turning heads
Miles turned CSU around once upon a time, and now he’s doing it in San Jose, but this one has to be even more impressive.
San Jose State is lacking in money, resources, fans and everything to make a power program. The Spartans average little more than an announced crowd of 2,000 per game, but the resurgence on the court is real.
The Spartans are now 18-12 overall, 9-8 in Mountain West play and a top-100 NET team (No. 97).
With a winnable game at Air Force on the weekend to end its regular season, San Jose State has a real chance to get to 20 wins (with the Mountain West tournament and further postseason tournament to play) for the first time since the 1980-81 season.
The Spartans, barring a dream MW tournament championship to reach the NCAA tournament, will certainly make a postseason tournament and seem prime candidates for the NIT. SJSU hasn’t made the NIT since 1981.
San Jose State had 20 total wins in the last three seasons combined.
Miles will again be a hot coaching candidate in the offseason.
San Jose State gets dose of revenge
CSU and San Jose State played just once last season in the Spartans' first year under Miles.
It was ugly, as CSU won by 36 in San Jose. Miles said earlier this season he showed his team that film and implored them to remember that, fight to fix it and take pride in turning it around.
Job done. San Jose State won by eight in Fort Collins in late December and by 17 on Tuesday.
Ugly night for CSU
CSU (13-17, 5-12 MW) was never able to get its normally efficient offense going.
The Rams shot 37% and had 13 turnovers and just eight assists. CSU is one of the best assist-to-turnover teams in the nation but was undone by San Jose State’s length and physicality.
San Jose State shot just 39% but hit 11 3-pointers compared with five for the Rams.
CSU cut the San Jose State lead to within one possession several times in the second half but could never tie or take the lead. San Jose State then used a 15-2 run late to really pull away.
Patrick Cartier (17 points) and Isaiah Stevens (10) were the only Rams in double figures.
CSU returns home for a 9 p.m. game Friday, March 3 against New Mexico to end the regular season.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Tim Miles, San Jose State basketball nearing 20-win season, beat CSU
