Opening night: Colorado State

[Keenan Henderson]

Just got the tickets for the upcoming Colorado State game!  Hope to see a few ORU fans at the game.  With less then a week to go before opening night, what are your thoughts on the CSU game?

[theeagleman5]

Still six days to go....but TheEagleman is thinking it's time for ORU to win a road opener.....it's been a while....anybody know when was the last time?...we beat Illinois St. in a road opener in 1971 and won at Princeton in 1981.....after that i am not sure.....

[Swoll Cracker]

Colorado State fan here. I’m really looking forward to the start of the season and happy it begins with such a quality opponent as Oral Roberts (we follow immediately with UAPB and Peru State).  I have a blog for CSU Basketball and was fortunate enough to attend games last season as a member of the media.

If you have any questions about this year’s CSU squad or plan to visit Fort Collins and need any info. Let me know. I’ll do my best to answer.

[Keenan Henderson]

Hey Swoll Cracker, thanks for your input.  I will be at the game a little early around 7 pm if you want to just give a high five or say hello.  Sitting behind the ORU bench third row (glasses, brown hair, etc).  If not no big deal.  What is your take on the Rams strengths and weaknesses?  

[Dr. Cornelius]

Colorado St. might be the MOST difficult game ORU plays all season.

Tough home court, altitude, one of if not the BEST players in the MWC in David Roddy. It will be very very tough to come out of Ft. Collins with a win.

Quote

Coloradoan: What we’ve learned about CSU men’s basketball after exhibition win over Adams State

The Colorado State men's basketball team cruised to a win Sunday in its lone exhibition game.

The Rams blasted Adams State 92-55.

The usual suspects did damage for CSU. David Roddy had 12 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Isaiah Stevens had 19 points and six assists. CSU's two big men were excellent, with Dischon Thomas notching 14 points and six rebounds and James Moors finishing with 17 points and four rebounds.

Most importantly, the Rams appeared to exit the game healthy.

The details of the game don't matter a ton, it's more about what's next.

Here's a look at what we've learned about the Rams heading into the real season...

 

[Swoll Cracker]

1 hour ago, Keenan Henderson said:

Hey Swoll Cracker, thanks for your input.  I will be at the game a little early around 7 pm if you want to just give a high five or say hello.  Sitting behind the ORU bench third row (glasses, brown hair, etc).  If not no big deal.  What is your take on the Rams strengths and weaknesses?  

I’ll try to stop by pre-game but if I don’t make it maybe we can catch each other on the floor post-game. I usually stick around and talk to the coaches and some of the players.  I’ll try to get a picture of Abmas if he’s around.

As for the Rams’ strengths and weaknesses, how much time do you have?

I’d say the biggest strength is the chemistry of four players who have started about 60 games together. Two seniors who were Coach Medved’s first recruits, Adam Thistlewood and Kendle Moore. Two juniors, Isaiah Stevens and David Roddy, who are both All-MWC level players. They are well-connected on both ends of the floor. Probably a little better offensively than defensively. When they get it going offensively, they play fast and loose and can really score in a hurry.

They’re joined by a young tandem of bigs, James Moors and Dischon Thomas. Both have struggled a bit in the past to find consistency on the offensive end and deliver the appropriate level of physicality on the defensive end. They have spent a lot of time in the weight room in the off-season and are much beefier but we’ll have to see how that translates to the court this year.

The bench consists of a bunch of players between 6’3” and 6’5” all of whom can run, pass, shoot, and defend. Solid but not spectacular. Rams played 9 last season and might play 10 this season with the addition of a talented freshman from Texas named Jalen Lake. CSU’s top 8 return from last year and they added Lake and a D-2 transfer named Chandler Jacobs. Jacobs was a D2 All-American originally headed to Texas Tech who changed his mind.

Dont know how much you’re into advanced stats but there’s a web-site named EvanMiya.com that lists the top lineups from last season in terms of Overall Efficiency.  CSU will come at you with a small lineup that last season featured Roddy, Steves, Moore, Thistlewood, and a player named John Tonje.  They were rated the second most efficient lineup in the nation last season by EvanMiya.com. CSU will play some form of a small lineup at some point against Oral Roberts.

Weaknesses you ask?  

Sometimes they don't rebound at a high level. Sometimes a little too dependent on Roddy to grab a board and if he’s not getting them the other guys aren’t always in position.

They like to double team the low post defensively and sometimes their double teams are either late or not physical enough and therefore give up some easy shots close in or easy passes to the perimeter for open three’s.

They love to play on the edge of really fast in transition. Sometimes too fast and they have been known to turn the ball over a bunch. 

CSU can really shoot the ball but sometimes they get carried away with shooting really bad three’s in transition. Our coach preaches all the time to “Like the three, love the paint” but sometimes they have to be reminded of that during games.

Hopefully that gives you a bit of a feel about CSU.

 

 

[ORUTerry]

Thanks for the scouting report. Here is some additional information that I found about the Rams from the “Three Man Weave”:

https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/colorado-state-2022-preview

Lots of good info. The Rams are not particularly tall, play uptempo, have a veteran/experienced team and are smart. Oh, and they are disciplined and well coached. They can apparently shoot and are athletic. A very, very tough opening opponent. 

[Keenan Henderson]

5 hours ago, theeagleman5 said:

Still six days to go....but TheEagleman is thinking it's time for ORU to win a road opener.....it's been a while....anybody know when was the last time?...we beat Illinois St. in a road opener in 1971 and won at Princeton in 1981.....after that i am not sure.....

The last time ORU begun a season with a road win was 2004, when they beat Northern Arizona on the road 70-69.  Green and Tutt were sophmores and Larry Owens had just started his Golden Eagles career.  That team finished 25-8 and went to the NIT.

[theeagleman5]

So as far as we know ORU may only have won 3 road openers in the past 50 years....tough task and we haven't won one since 2004.....Colorado State is a rough assignment...clearly they are a top 35-40 team in the country while ORU is down in the 100-125 range based on preseason rankings....Good Guys could be a little better than that but will need to prove it on the court starting in Fort Collins next Tuesday night......getting to the nitty gritty....TheEagleman would expect CSU to be the clear favorite probably by 6-8 points or so.....anything more than that I will be tempted to grab ORU....something less then i would go with the host Rams....will be interested to see the initial line probably on Monday....despite our big Sweet 16 finish last season....ORU is going to have to prove they can compete with the top mid majors starting with this opening game.....should be a dandy contest....not sure we can win but TheEagleman expects ORU to compete til the final buzzer....

[Old Titan]

Glass Half-Full Observation:  ORU is 5-1 in their last six games away from the Mabee Center, falling by two in the sole loss.

Granted, they were all neutral-site games, but ya gotta believe!

[Keenan Henderson]

For ORU to win on the road Tuesday night, they will have to play defense and force turnovers.  The Eagles did that in March last year and that is a big reason why they won in the NCAA tournament.  We know they can shoot 3's and score points but defense is the key.  I thought Kareem, Carlos, and Francis gave ORU a nice trio of defenders last year.  We will see if they can keep it up!

[ORU40]

6 hours ago, Keenan Henderson said:

We know they can shoot 3's and score points but defense is the key.  I thought Kareem, Carlos, and Francis gave ORU a nice trio of defenders last year.  We will see if they can keep it up!

I'm concerned about the first part of your thought Keenan, we knew that we could shoot 3's with KO. We haven't seen this years team shoot 3's with that efficiency yet. We know Max can shoot the 3; assuming 3 of the other starters are Kareem, Carlos and Francis I agree they are a good defensive group, but they are not great 3 point shooters?

The main question this year to me is who will fill KO's spot as that 2nd scoring option. I have heard others say we have 6 other players that could ave. double figures, but we wont have 7 players ave. double figures.

The key to our season; in my opinion, is who will be that #2 scorer that when Max is doubled and he will be all year. Who can set that pick for Max and hit that shot when his defender helps! It usually is not a committee, there needs to evolve a clear #2 guy! In Coach Mills offense, It needs to be a big that is involved in that pick and roll with Max otherwise the ball wont get to them. If the screeners defender can double Max and not have to worry about the screener being a threat then the offense is stopped as Max cant just beat one guy to either drive or dish to the help defender as they wont need to help because Max will be stopped up top by the double from the screener's guy.   

The scouting report on every team we play will be; don't let Max beat us! The key to our season is who will make other teams pay when they double or triple Max!!!

I'm hoping Weaver can fill that role, but we'll see!

 

 

[theeagleman5]

Well said sir...Weaver is the key....along with McBride....

[Old Titan]

I'm telling you folks, don't forget Thompson and Jurgens as third options off those Max & Issac/DJ & Francis pick-plays out top; they're both gonna get a lot of wide open looks for three and/or slashes to the basket when the defender runs out on them.  They could either one (both?) average double figures from those sets.

[Swoll Cracker]

Thought you all who go back a few years might like this photo of Kris Martin from his Senior Night.

Kris was instrumental in helping CSU’s program grow under Niko Medved. He was recruited by Larry Eustachy but Eustachy was canned. Kris chose to stay and was an important cog for two years. He unselfishly gave up his starting spot midway through his senior year (to David Roddy) to become the important 6th man and the team got way better.  Don't know how you felt about him leaving Oral Roberts but we loved what he did for our program.

 

[Swoll Cracker]

9 hours ago, Old Titan said:

I'm telling you folks, don't forget Thompson and Jurgens as third options off those Max & Issac/DJ & Francis pick-plays out top; they're both gonna get a lot of wide open looks for three and/or slashes to the basket when the defender runs out on them.  They could either one (both?) average double figures from those sets.

Really good stuff here.

CSU’s coach Niko Medved talked a bunch last night on his radio show about Oral Roberts’ pick and pop capabilities on the perimeter and their ability to get teams into tough rotations. He knows how challenging they are to defend. And mentioned that he talked a little with the Arkansas staff to get a little insight .

Another aside. Medved mentioned that CSU’s two best players, David Roddy and Isaiah Stevens, both worked out with Max Abmas this summer in the Dallas area. Isaiah is from the Dallas area like Abmas. I’m going to stop by CSU’s practice today and see if I can catch Isaiah to talk about how well they know each other from their high school and AAU days in the MetroPlex. I’ll share what he tells me.

[darrenj]

13 hours ago, ORU40 said:

I'm concerned about the first part of your thought Keenan, we knew that we could shoot 3's with KO. We haven't seen this years team shoot 3's with that efficiency yet. We know Max can shoot the 3; assuming 3 of the other starters are Kareem, Carlos and Francis I agree they are a good defensive group, but they are not great 3 point shooters?

The main question this year to me is who will fill KO's spot as that 2nd scoring option. I have heard others say we have 6 other players that could ave. double figures, but we wont have 7 players ave. double figures.

The key to our season; in my opinion, is who will be that #2 scorer that when Max is doubled and he will be all year. Who can set that pick for Max and hit that shot when his defender helps! It usually is not a committee, there needs to evolve a clear #2 guy! In Coach Mills offense, It needs to be a big that is involved in that pick and roll with Max otherwise the ball wont get to them. If the screeners defender can double Max and not have to worry about the screener being a threat then the offense is stopped as Max cant just beat one guy to either drive or dish to the help defender as they wont need to help because Max will be stopped up top by the double from the screener's guy.   

The scouting report on every team we play will be; don't let Max beat us! The key to our season is who will make other teams pay when they double or triple Max!!!

I'm hoping Weaver can fill that role, but we'll see!

 

 

I wonder how many teams will try the Arkansas defense in the 2nd of the game last year. They basically jumped Max with 2 guys at halfcourt to get the ball out of his hands and left someone wide open on most possessions. Now someone has to make a shot in the corner or a big needs to make a layup. ORU does have a nice group of shooters on the team this year. 

[Old Titan]