The Colorado State men’s basketball team is going back to the Big Dance — just barely.
The very last team selected into the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, the Rams are headed to the First Four in Dayton, where they will face Virginia on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. MDT. The winner travels to Charlotte for a date with No. 7 seed Texas on Thursday at 4:50 p.m.
It marks the second time the Rams (24-10) have reached the NCAA Tournament in Niko Medved’s six seasons in FoCo. But the Rams head coach wasn’t exactly doing handstands after learning his team would have to win another game before it reaches the 64-team bracket.
The Rams beat both fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s and eighth-seeded Creighton in nonconference play, as well as fellow First Four selections Colorado and Boise State, yet somehow found themselves seeded behind all of them.
Medved was shocked not only at his team’s seeding, but much of the Mountain West, which had six teams selected for the tourney but only one with a seed better than No. 8 — San Diego State at No. 5 in the East Region. Outside of 10 seeds CSU and Boise, conference tournament champion New Mexico drew an 11 seed, Nevada a 10 seed and Utah State an 8 seed.
“I’m not the expert or anything, but I think if you talk to the hundreds of people who do the bracketology (they) really had all the Mountain West teams seeded higher than that,” Medved said. “But you know what, that’s fine. They always disrespect our league and now it’s time to go out and try to do something about it.”
For fifth-year senior Isaiah Stevens, who attributed most of his reasoning for staying in Fort Collins this season to getting back to the tournament after a first-round loss two years ago, the placement might provide an edge.
An underdog himself coming out of high school, he tends to thrive when the odds are stacked against him. For most, any reason to have a chip on your shoulder helps in March.
“At this point, you’ve just got to play,” Stevens said. “Every team’s got a chip, nobody wants their season to be over in the next week or two. So it’s going to be super competitive on all fronts. … Man, I’m just excited to keep it going.”
Medved said the team’s focus has to become singular to the game in Dayton. A Tuesday game is a quick turnaround for anyone, especially a team that played in Las Vegas just two nights before Selection Sunday.
Related Articles
March Madness 2024: Printable bracket for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament
CSU Rams to face Virginia in First Four of NCAA Tournament in Dayton
Where will CSU Rams land in NCAA Tournament after Mountain West semifinal loss?
CSU Rams outlast 23rd-ranked Nevada, advance to Mountain West semifinals
Keeler: CSU Rams should retire Isaiah Stevens’ No. 4 jersey now: There’ll never be another like him in FoCo, or maybe anywhere
The fast jump won’t allow much time for drastic changes to the game plan or the tactical side of things. Medved already has a grip on the way Virginia plays, but he said his team will just have to play the way they have all year.
“Obviously, Tony (Bennet) and Virginia are one of the best, if not the best, defensive-coached teams in the country,” Medved said. “They’re going to play one of the slowest tempos in the country and they’ll make you guard for long periods of time. So we’re going to have to be tough-minded.”
When comparing this year’s squad with the David Roddy team two years ago — which lost in the first round as a six-seed to Michigan — he said one of the things he liked most about his current group is the fact they’ve risen to be a talented, tournament-level team despite not having the same expectations attached.
“These guys were picked fifth (in the Mountain West) in one poll and sixth in another, so to see them do this, rally and believe we could be this kind of team is awesome,” Medved said. “Really, really proud of them and this is a special moment for this group. They’ve earned it.”
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.