There’s a first time for everything.
Colorado State men’s basketball had a lopsided loss against San Diego State in the quarterfinal matchup of the Mountain West Tournament, but its season has been revived for a second chance in the NIT Tournament.
Saint Joseph’s will make the 1,700 mile journey to Moby Arena at 9:00 p.m. tonight, where the Hawks and the Rams will meet for the first time in any sport.
And after SJU was bounced by VCU in the Atlantic 10 semifinals, both teams are fighting to play one more game this year.
How CSU profiles
Throughout the course of the MW Tournament, one player stood out from the rest: Jase Butler.
In CSU’s first game of the tournament against Fresno State, Butler had his second-highest production night of the season with 20 points, finding most of his points from deep.
At the beginning of the game, CSU wasn’t generating anything substantial, but then — in the second half — Butler’s power reared its head.
He managed to score 17 points in the second half and ended with a season-high of six 3-pointers.
As the Rams finished off their quarterfinal matchup and MW career, Butler tacked on the second-most points of the night for CSU with 14.
Butler has grown exponentially throughout the season. He started coming off the bench but worked to be more consistent, solidifying his spot as a starter and leader.
The weight of his presence on the court could be the make-or-break moment against SJU.
Carey Booth has also had several flashes of greatness throughout the season. In one of the Rams’ games against SDSU, he had one of the best nights of his career in which he had six forceful blocks and drove the momentum of the game.
Like Butler, Booth’s confidence grew throughout the season as fans have been able to see him be more aggressive at the rim.
Seven of SJU’s players are 6-foot-7 and above, and Booth needs to take what he learned from CSU’s most recent loss against SDSU and find his strength early as the Rams’ blossoming low-post player.
But Booth is not the only one who needs to get going early. All of the Rams need it, too.
If the Rams had lost their first MW Tournament game against the Bulldogs, a large factor would have been from the inconsistency from the first half.
CSU time and time again has struggled to hit the ground running, and it has cost them multiple games.
In what could be the Rams’ last game of the season, they can’t let one of their biggest weaknesses show.
What to know about SJU
Philadelphia sits at 39 feet of elevation. Fort Collins is up at 5,000.
That sort of difference alone gives SJU some issues coming into a road matchup after playing two games in the A10 Tournament.
After finishing 13-5 in an A10 conference which could be argued as less intimidating than the MW, the Hawks bring size and a solid defense to Moby.
SJU averaged more than double the amount of blocks than the Rams, and they grabbed 5.5 steals per game this season, too.
And with a taller roster comes more boards.
Ranking No. 28 within Division I teams, SJU rebounds 27.2 times per game on the defensive end, limiting second-chance points and possessions.
CSU’s tendency to play a relatively slow, effective offense has led to a winning season, but SJU’s proficiency on defense could pose a problem for the Rams.
If the Hawks can figure out how to effectively apply ball pressure, as CSU has struggled with in the past, they have a path to victory.
And while SJU leans on its defense to grind out games, it lacks offensive prowess.
The Hawks are shooting just 30.8% from deep as a team this season, and average 70.3 points per game.
Jaiden Glover-Toscano solely leads the team with 15.8 points per game now that Deuce Jones entered the transfer portal. Derek Simpson isn’t far behind at 13.5, but he also acts as a facilitator, leading the team in assists and steals.
Glover-Toscano is the main offensive threat on the Hawks, shooting 3’s most effectively and most often on the team while scoring from every level.
Even though SJU’s offense isn’t necessarily high powered, it’s proven stubborn down the stretch, winning 5-of-5 games in one possession finishes.
As long as the Hawks can hang in there through two halves, their track record has them staying in any game until the clock shows zero.
How to watch
The Rams and the Hawks will face off in a late-night match at 9 p.m. MT, televising on ESPNU and broadcasting on K99.1 FM.
NIT bracket
If CSU takes the first round of the NIT, its path to Indianapolis will still have a few more stops.
With five total rounds in the tournament, the Rams would take on the winner of the California and UIC game with the Golden Bears profiling as a -6.5 favorite, according to BetMGM.
New Mexico, Sam Houston, Tulsa and SFA slot in the No. 1 “seed” matchups on CSU’s side of the bracket, and likely pose the biggest threat in the Rams making it to an NIT championship.
Reach Michael Hovey and Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey or @sophgwebb.
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