College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 25-11; 10-8, Sixth in the Mountain West Conference, defeated Virginia in the First Four, lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Niko Medved (Seventh Year; 117-75 at Colorado State, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

G Bowen Born – 5’11”, 170 5th-year Senior

G Keshawn Williams – 6’4″, 175 5th-year Senior

W Nique Clifford – 6’6″, 200 5th-year Senior

W Ethan Morton – 6’7″, 215 5th-year Senior

F Jaylen Crocker-Johnson – 6’8″, 230 Sophomore

Experienced Reserves

G Kyan Evans – 6’2″, 175 Sophomore

G Jalen Lake – 6’4″, 190 Senior

F Rashaan Mbemba – 6’7″, 250 Sophomore

F/C Nikola Đapa – 7’0″, 235 Sophomore

Freshmen

G Darnez Slater – 6’3″, 175

F Jonathan Mekonnen – 6’8″, 195

F Jaden Steppe – 6’8″, 220

F Kyle Jorgensen – 6’9″, 225

Last season wasn’t supposed to end the way it did for Colorado State. Back on January 1, 2024, the Rams were ranked #13 in the AP Poll and owned a sparkling 13-1 record studded with wins over power conference teams. They had even smashed #8 Creighton by a score of 69-48. With a magnificently efficient offense led by superstar fifth-year point guard Isaiah Stevens, it all seemed to be coming together for CSU. 

Then, things stopped working out so well. The Rams stopped making such a great percentage of their shots, a few injuries sapped the lineup’s effectiveness as the meat grinder which the Mountain West Conference has been started churning, and Colorado State began stumbling. They finished league play 10-8 and in sixth place, not quite the statement season which had begun so hopefully. CUS did not fall apart, though. The Rams won 25 games overall, made a run to the MWC tournament semifinals, and won a First Four matchup at the NCAA Tournament. Still, it was not the resounding success which had seemed possible back around the new year, nor a proper send-off for program icon Stevens. 

Since onward is the only way to go, the Rams have regrouped…and will be moving to a new league soon. Niko Medved is heading into his seventh season at the helm in Fort Collins, and he’s led CSU to a pair of 25-win campaigns and two NCAA Tournaments over the past three years. He’s established himself as one of the MWC’s best coaches, and Medved has begun to show that clout on the ‘ol crootin’ trail. He may have lost Stevens and a strong core of fifth-year seniors, but Medved has bolstered his group with an intriguing group of transfers both old and young. Best of all, the Rams got news at the end of May that they were going to have a star coming back to lead the way. 

A skilled, springy, show-stopping wing who can make plays anywhere on the court – and frequently above the rim – Clifford began to put all of his skills together last year.

With his decision to hold off on a pro career and use his extra season of eligibility, Nique Clifford’s return gives Colorado State one of the nation’s most exciting stat-sheet-stuffers. A skilled, springy, show-stopping wing who can make plays anywhere on the court – and frequently above the rim – Clifford began to put all of his skills together last year. In his debut after transferring from Colorado, Clifford led the Rams in rebounding, blocks and steals, finished second in assists, and ranked third in scoring. An inconsistent offensive player whose jumper came and went as a Buff, Clifford scored in double figures in 27 of CSU’s 36 games last winter. He started the so hot, really, that Clifford’s shooting proved to be unsustainably good. Through the end of January, he was averaging 13.9 points while shooting 60.0% from the floor and 50.8% from downtown, but Clifford slumped to 22.0% on three’s and 41.5% from the floor over his final 15 games. 

After working out ahead of the NBA Draft and putting in prodigious effort on his shot this summer, Clifford is hoping to fully assume his place as CSU’s do-it-all star. With further polish offensively, he will have all the game to make such goals a reality. A terrific passer who can execute in the halfcourt or create in transition, Clifford has learned to take advantage of defenders who are primarily worried about him putting them on a poster near the rim. He’s fluid and powerful at the same time and can score tough buckets inside, and Clifford grabbed the 20th-most defensive rebounds in America at the other end. Clifford has also become an increasingly dangerous isolation threat who can score in a bunch of ways and will find whoever has the best look. An excellent defender who sets the tone for his teammates and can cover up and down any lineup, Clifford can do everything on the floor. He’s the sort of leader who gets the job done and inspires his guys to play a complete game themselves, and if Clifford’s best shooting year lies ahead, he will be a strong contender for Mountain West Player of the Year. 

To co-captain the Rams’ offense, Medved went searching for a proven scorer with playmaking skills, and he found former Northern Iowa star Bowen Born. He may be small, but occasionally Born can get hot enough to just about win games by himself. A scoring point guard who loves to navigate off the bounce, Born has a full arsenal of shots and can get things done all over the perimeter. He’s terrific on pull-up’s and runners in the lane, and Born has the quick feet and agility to weave between defenders and open up opportunities. He’s a reliable 42.7% career shooter on mid-range attempts, per Bart Torvik, and when Born is rolling, he splashes buckets all over the perimeter.

At Colorado State, Born’s limitations should be partially masked by the guards around him. Listed generously at 5’11”, Born can be physically overwhelmed by size or strength, and despite his effort defensively, there are other players who simply match up well against him. The Rams have size and proven distributors elsewhere to help Born run the offense, and he should be allowed more freedom than ever before to cook as a scorer. He’s had hip and leg injuries over the past two seasons, and Born was clearly not himself for much of last season. Medved’s staff – which features former Northern Iowa star Ali Farokhmanesh – has had regular success in playing to the strengths of guards who lack prototype size, and Born figures to be the next beneficiary. With a return to health and teammates who should complement him well, Born looks to be primed for a resurgent year. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

57.0% – Team 2FG Percentage (9th)

22.6% – Team Offensive Rebounding (303rd)

6.3 – Opponent 3FG Made Per Game (47th)

75.2% – Team FT Percentage (58th)

0.318 – Free Throw Attempts Per FG Attempt (210th)

Former Northern Illinois scorer Keshawn Williams has come to Fort Collins also, and if he’s healthy, the Rams are counting on good things from the veteran guard. Unfortunately, Williams has hardly played since the beginning of 2023 due to a torn ACL. After beginning his career at Tulsa, Williams became the star scorer for NIU until he was lost to injury. He had been on the radar of Medved’s staff since high school, though, and after missing out on him as a freshman recruit, Colorado State is excited to have Williams on their side for his final campaign.

A dangerous scorer when he gets cooking from the outside, Williams can rip off clusters of buckets in a hurry. He’s not a classic point guard, but Williams is comfortable and composed with the ball in his hands and can handle the task of driving his team’s offense. He was a 65.3% shooter near the rim for the Huskies, per Bart Torvik, and Williams drove his way to the foul line consistently as well. He has not been a volume jump shooter thus far, and over the years, Williams proven much more reliable when given room to spot up from the outside. For the Rams, he figures to function as an occasional coordinator who can keep the offense rolling, and if Williams has steadied his perimeter shot, he should fit in very nicely between Born and Clifford. 

Medved is also returning fourth-year guard Jalen Lake, and there’s every opportunity for him to play starter’s minutes, as well. Though he was banged up last winter, Lake brings good size – he and Williams both stand 6’4″ – and playmaking skills along with what has at times been a very useful jumper. A 42.7% career shooter from the halfcourt’s in-between spots, Lake made 43 triples at a 37.7% rate two years ago as a starter. Things weren’t quite the same for Lake as a reserve last season, but he’s got the skills to bounce back. A good decision-maker and talented distributor, Lake proved effective taking turns in charge of the offense while Stevens hunted his shots a couple of years ago. If he can rediscover consistency from the land of trey and confidently help to get the Rams good halfcourt opportunities, Lake should find himself back to playing a valuable role. 

Medved has also added an interesting transfer from one of America’s best programs over the past few years in former Purdue wing Ethan Morton. A smart player whose feel for the game and outstanding vision at 6’7″ allow him to be a very effective facilitator, the question for Morton is whether or not he can score the ball. With the Boilermakers, Morton fit seamlessly with teams which already had primary scoring options, and he played to his strengths as a clever ballhandler and passer.

He started 29 games for Purdue two years ago and sank a career-high 26 triples, but Morton returned to a bench role last year and entered a deeply invisible period offensively. Though he played in 37 of the Boilers’ 39 games and averaged 10 minutes per contest, Morton scored just 24 total points all year. Medved cannot afford to play a guy who can’t make a discernible dent when left open, but if Morton can rediscover some of the confidence in his shot, he could become a very useful player. With a different perspective on running offense, his keen awareness with the ball, and lots of experience throwing catchable feeds into the post, Morton brings translatable skills if only he can make some buckets. 

The presumptive heir at point guard beyond this season may already be on the roster. Kansas City, MO product Kyan Evans is a young player that the Rams’ coaches really like, and he fits CSU’s profile of a smallish playmaker who knows how to score. Though he didn’t play much behind Stevens and the veterans last year, Evans appeared in every one of Colorado State’s games, and his role should expand as a sophomore. 

After years of being rather small up front, Colorado State will have some genuine size and depth in and around the post this year. After trotting out a pair of highly effective and highly tested fifth-year forwards last fall, though, the Rams are going to be quite young this time around. How much the kids can grow up, and how quickly, could provide a whole new tone to this team’s outlook. 

In his debut last winter, Rashaan Mbemba positively tantalized CSU fans at times. The sophomore out of Austria grew up as a big, powerful wing player. Now, checking in at 6’7″, 250, Mbemba’s development is trending towards the paint more than ever before. He’s got a good handle and some back-to-the-basket skills already, and Mbemba can be a difficult matchup when he isolates defenders. He has a crafty approach to passing the ball inside the arc, and Mbemba’s increasingly lively footwork inside gives him a great variety of moves and fakes to pair with his strength. He uses his hips well enough to please a hockey coach, and when Mbemba establishes good position and seals a defender, he’s got the touch to be a great play-finisher under the basket. As his shooting range and confidence handling the ball grow, it’s easy to see why the folks in Fort Collins see some David Roddy in Mbemba’s game. 

In his own debut last year for Arkansas-Little Rock, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson was named the Ohio Valley Conference Rookie of the Year. The youngster from San Antonio, TX, started all but one of the Trojans’ games and proved to be a fairly versatile young player at forward. He can score around the paint and has the makings of a reliable jumper, and Crocker-Johnson’s range extends out to the three-point arc. At 6’8″, Crocker-Johnson can take slower defenders off the bounce and post up smaller ones, and if he can become more efficient from the outside he will offer a quality arsenal offensively. He held up well down the stretch as Little Rock won 12 of 13 games to finish the year and earn a share of the OVC regular season title, and ‘JCJ’ didn’t shy away from veteran players inside. He isn’t meant to be a low-post banger, though, and if the Rams can allow him to play the majority of his minutes at the 4 spot they should get the most out of Crocker-Johnson. 

CSU’s third sophomore big guy is newly arrived from Serbia by way of LIU Brooklyn. He didn’t play a whole lot for the Sharks, but Nikola Đapa brings some face-up potential and the most size Colorado State has had since James Moors left a couple years ago. One of many recent European prospects to come stateside and play for the Hoosac School in New York, Đapa is still developing, but his frame, jumper, and rebounding instincts are headed in the right direction. He also committed the most fouls in the Northeast Conference last winter, so there are still plenty of rough edges yet to be sanded down. Overall, though, Medved’s staff is pleased with the tools that Đapa has shown and feel as though he can become an impact player in the future. His impact for the upcoming season is a question yet to be answered, but if Đapa can hold his own on the glass, defend without hacking, and finish the looks he is provided for upwards of 20 minutes per game, the Rams will be pleased. 

A couple of true freshmen will get a chance to crack CSU’S rotation early on. Combo forward Jonathan Mekonnen is one of two new guys up front who hail from Minnesota. He already has the inside-out scoring instincts that so many people look for in a modern forward, and Mekonnen caught the eyes of quite a few prominent mid-major programs before choosing the Rams. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N VCU – December 14

N Ole Miss – November 16

N TCU/Santa Clara – November 29

N Washington – November 28

@ Colorado – December 7

“He needs to add strength and get more consistent with his jumper, but he’s got all kinds of athletic tools and enough size that he could add value by sliding to the four and utilizing his quickness advantage,” observed 247 Sports writer Eric Bossi when speaking about Mekonnen. If he can handle the physical play up front, Mekonnen should offer even more versatility and potential to the budding frontcourt in Fort Collins.

Kyle Jorgensen is also arriving from the north woods to strengthen the Rams up front. Like his statesman Mekonnen, Jorgensen needs to add muscle, but he’s mobile and has a rather smooth face-up game to build upon. Jaden Steppe, from Oregon, is a feisty 4-man who has some range of his own, and will join the cast of youngsters who will be strength training in anticipation of an important role going forward. Rounding out the rookies, Darnez Slater is a California product who will develop behind the veteran guards.

CSU’s offense was so precise early last year that it proved unsustainable, and shooting continuity – or lack thereof – had a lot to do with things breaking down. There are guys who will get buckets on this year’s team, and the Rams are hoping to become stronger up front as the season marches on. Can this group stay steady in the ways that a now-departed veteran core couldn’t?

The first few games aren’t going to be that tough, but Colorado State will be tested early on by quality opponents such as Mississippi and VCU. Oh, and they are going to catch some terrific blows from the Mountain West foes they’re leaving behind once conference play begins. This is a program which has made steady gains the past few years, and with Medved sticking around, they’re continuing to climb. Though it will take new leadership to see the Rams into a shot at the Big Dance once more, CSU is going to give themselves a chance to play important games in March.