LAS VEGAS — The issue Colorado State men’s basketball is all too familiar with it struggling to hit the ground running.
It lagged in its first game of the Mountain West Tournament, but inconsistency like that can be the make-or-break factor. And as the Rams are set to take on No. 2 San Diego State Thursday, the margin for error grows slimmer.
CSU faced the Aztecs twice this season, splitting the series as each team took the win in their home game.
How CSU profiles
In the more recent of the two games, Carey Booth not only fired up the team, but also fans with his six major blocks. He was instrumental in the momentum of the game as he was productive in all areas of the court.
Booth displayed his confidence at the rim, whether that was through blocks or dunks, but also shot 50% from deep. By the end of the night, he finished with a career-high of 22 points.
Brandon Rechsteiner kept the Rams rolling right to the win through the consistency of his 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.
Although Booth and Rechsteiner helped CSU win, this will be the third time within two months that these teams have faced off, and the Aztecs know what to expect.
It’s difficult to pull out surprises this late in the season. So, at this late in the game, it will come down to skill, putting the Rams’ ability to start strong to the test.
“I (have) played in these tournaments every year,” Jevin Muniz said. “It’s just the first game is always the hardest. We know (how to) get (through) the rough stuff, you know, nerd. But, you know, now we’re in momentum. We’ll be good, we’ll be fine and keep playing through.”
In their first round of the MW Tournament, CSU struggled to find its footing and was only making 31% of its shots. But when the dust settled after the rocky first half, Jase Butler emerged at the 3-point line.
He was the only player for the Rams to make more than one 3-pointer, and ended notching a career-high of six from deep.
Throughout the season, CSU showed the quality of its depth, with the bench scoring over 30 points. And in order to go dancing, the Rams have to fit all those pieces of the puzzle together against what the Aztecs are bringing to the court.
“It’s going to be physical, man,” Kyle Jorgensen said. “They’re a physical team; they’re a good team. They’re No. 2 for a reason. We’ve played them recently, and it’s going to be a battle on the glass.”
What to know for SDSU
This year’s Aztec squad has legitimate depth and a productive top three.
Reese Dixon-Waters headlines that group with 13.2 points per game and 29.6 minutes per game while earning a spot within the All-Mountain West second team. The 6-foot-5 senior played two seasons at Southern California, having been recognized as the Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year.
He’s become known for great basketball instincts on both ends of the court and profiles as a leader for the Aztecs.
But the true defensive maestro of SDSU is Myles Byrd.
While Dixon-Waters is a two-way threat, Byrd won MW Defensive Player of the Year while also making his way onto the All-Mountain West third team. He’s leading the Aztecs with 1.9 steals per game and is second on the team with 1.2 blocks per game, but he’s also averaging 10.6 points off 27.8 minutes.
The 6-foot-6 junior can fill a stat sheet as well as he can disrupt an offense. With CSU game planning around limiting luck, Byrd’s ability to flip a game on its head remains ever valuable.
And in the regular season finale, SDSU took its 20th win of the season, in which 6-foot-2 guard BJ Davis led the team with a career-high 30 points. In the final 12 minutes of the game, the sophomore scored 18 points, securing a neck and neck win with a steal.
But no one forgets about 7-footer Magoon Gwath.
The center had a standout first year, garnering MW and national attention off his blocking and rebounding prowess. He’s still leading the team with 1.5 blocks per game and has averaged 17.9 minutes per game, missing eight games in the regular season.
Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher knows how to manage talent, though, and is no stranger to postseason success, coming off two Sweet Sixteen appearances in the last three years. He was also a key piece in recruiting the “Fab Five” as an assistant at Michigan, and has had some of the greatest recruiting wins of any NCAA coach.
SDSU is always a threat to take the MW, and it can’t be counted out.
“There’s not a lot of coaches that have gone to a national championship,” head coach Ali Farokhmanesh said after CSU’s first-round win. “The résumé that coach Dutcher has, it really is second to none. So I know our guys are looking forward to it; it’s going to be an absolute challenge. It’s going to be a dogfight, and I know San Diego State is going to have a ton of fans here, so it will be a packed building tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m.”
How to tune in
The Rams and the Aztecs will faceoff at 7 p.m. MT, broadcasting on CBS Sports Network and airing on K99.1 FM.
Path to the championship
The winner will faceoff against one of No. 3 New Mexico or San Jose State in the semifinals match back in Thomas and Mack Center at 10 p.m. MT Friday.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Utah State took down No. 8 UNLV 80-60 Thursday and moved on to the next round.
Reach Michael Hovey and Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey or @sophgwebb.
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