Friday, November 1
Fort Collins, Colo.
7 p.m. MT
Colorado State
79
vs
41
Western Colorado (Exh.)
Photo by: Cris Tiller
Men Solid in Exhibition Win over Western Colorado
11/1/2019 9:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Nine Rams play at least 10 minutes
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After a summer worth of practice, Niko Medved didn't have any idea what to really expect.
Then again, neither did Colorado State's players, underlying the importance of Friday's exhibition game with Western Colorado at Moby Arena. The word itself does a disservice to the importance those 40 minutes at Moby Arena carried for a men's basketball team with so many questions due to a changeover to the roster.
"I thought generally the guys played with pretty good energy," Medved said after the 79-41 victory. "I thought they talked defensively, they tried to help each other. We knew this team was going to run some motion, which can kind of put you in some tough spots with your help defense. There were mistakes and stuff early in the game, but I thought they played pretty hard, their hands were active, they were helping each other, so I thought there were some encouraging things there."
Then, as a coach has to after a test, he listed off some items which will be hit upon in practice before they play for real for the first time on Tuesday when Denver comes to visit (7 p.m.).
The Rams didn't rebound great. The perimeter game was weak on a night when they still hit 50 percent from the field (just 5-of-22 behind the arc).
What did look good was the bench. Nine Rams played double-digit minutes, none more than 25. As things sit today, Medved sees a rotation of nine, maybe even 10 players, and ideally, he'd like the minutes split.
His point was last year, too many people absorbed too much time on the court, and he'd like that to change. What it meant was a host of different combinations on the floor, all having to build chemistry.
One freshman started, and three more played major minutes off the bench. No wonder returning guard Kendle Moore had questions himself.
"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. I just knew we were going to come out. bring our all. Coach wrote on the board "enthusiasm," so we tried to come out with a lot of energy. I feel like that's what we did today."
He's feeling better after rehabbing his knee, and he looked quick and active in his 25 minutes, scoring 12 points, distributing for a few assists and producing four steals against just one turnover. As a team, the Rams forced the Mountaineers into 25.
David Roddy ran as a Ram for the first time, and he also came through with 12 points on the night. Medved has been impressed with Isaiah Stevens' performance at guard, saying he's looked like an upperclassman in practice, earning a starting assignment. John Tonje, who will be in the rotation, proved he's not afraid of contact with six points and rebounds to match.
As Medved said, to get experience one needs experiences, and the freshmen have some now.
"It was good. We usually kind of mix it up, especially in the summer," Roddy said. "Coach is trying to figure out who to play and things like that, but now we have a solidified kind of first group, second group, but it was good at the end to finally get a different feel for other players on the team."
Even the returners had things to prove, precisely they've matured and improved. Adam Thistlewood is showing off a new physique, and that helped him produce a team-best seven rebounds.
As Medved noted, it was what the sophomore had to do, add bulk and use it aggressively on the glass, so he did.
In an exhibition, coaches need to see the mistakes, the players need some positives to build the confidence. Under that microscope, the Rams hit their mark, expected or not.
Then again, neither did Colorado State's players, underlying the importance of Friday's exhibition game with Western Colorado at Moby Arena. The word itself does a disservice to the importance those 40 minutes at Moby Arena carried for a men's basketball team with so many questions due to a changeover to the roster.
"I thought generally the guys played with pretty good energy," Medved said after the 79-41 victory. "I thought they talked defensively, they tried to help each other. We knew this team was going to run some motion, which can kind of put you in some tough spots with your help defense. There were mistakes and stuff early in the game, but I thought they played pretty hard, their hands were active, they were helping each other, so I thought there were some encouraging things there."
Then, as a coach has to after a test, he listed off some items which will be hit upon in practice before they play for real for the first time on Tuesday when Denver comes to visit (7 p.m.).
The Rams didn't rebound great. The perimeter game was weak on a night when they still hit 50 percent from the field (just 5-of-22 behind the arc).
What did look good was the bench. Nine Rams played double-digit minutes, none more than 25. As things sit today, Medved sees a rotation of nine, maybe even 10 players, and ideally, he'd like the minutes split.
His point was last year, too many people absorbed too much time on the court, and he'd like that to change. What it meant was a host of different combinations on the floor, all having to build chemistry.
One freshman started, and three more played major minutes off the bench. No wonder returning guard Kendle Moore had questions himself.
"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. I just knew we were going to come out. bring our all. Coach wrote on the board "enthusiasm," so we tried to come out with a lot of energy. I feel like that's what we did today."
He's feeling better after rehabbing his knee, and he looked quick and active in his 25 minutes, scoring 12 points, distributing for a few assists and producing four steals against just one turnover. As a team, the Rams forced the Mountaineers into 25.
David Roddy ran as a Ram for the first time, and he also came through with 12 points on the night. Medved has been impressed with Isaiah Stevens' performance at guard, saying he's looked like an upperclassman in practice, earning a starting assignment. John Tonje, who will be in the rotation, proved he's not afraid of contact with six points and rebounds to match.
As Medved said, to get experience one needs experiences, and the freshmen have some now.
"It was good. We usually kind of mix it up, especially in the summer," Roddy said. "Coach is trying to figure out who to play and things like that, but now we have a solidified kind of first group, second group, but it was good at the end to finally get a different feel for other players on the team."
Even the returners had things to prove, precisely they've matured and improved. Adam Thistlewood is showing off a new physique, and that helped him produce a team-best seven rebounds.
As Medved noted, it was what the sophomore had to do, add bulk and use it aggressively on the glass, so he did.
In an exhibition, coaches need to see the mistakes, the players need some positives to build the confidence. Under that microscope, the Rams hit their mark, expected or not.