Colorado State University Athletics
CSU hoops tabbed fifth in MWC preseason poll
10/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 12, 2010
By Danny Mattie
Athletic Media Relations
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The Colorado State men’s basketball team was selected to finish fifth in the Mountain West Conference preseason media poll when the standings were released Tuesday at MWC men’s basketball media day at the studios of The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network.
The fifth-place prediction marks the highest preseason ranking for the Rams since CSU came into the 2003-04 season as the predicted third-place finisher. The Rams entered that season coming off of the 2003 MWC tournament championship to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament the previous March.
Conference media selected defending MWC tournament champion San Diego State as the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West Conference men's basketball regular-season title in 2010-11. The Aztecs captured 21 of 30 first-place votes and 261 points for the top spot in the poll. BYU collected five first-place votes and 220 points to finish second, followed closely by New Mexico, which garnered three first-place votes and 214 points for third place. UNLV claimed the remaining first-place vote and 203 points to land in fourth.
Colorado State rounded out the top five, receiving 132 points, followed by Utah (105 points) in sixth, TCU (92 points) in seventh, Wyoming (88 points) in eighth and Air Force (35 points) in ninth to round out the poll.
CSU finished 16-16 in 2009-10 and made its first postseason appearance – competing in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational – since the run to the 2003 NCAA tourney. The Rams return a majority of their production from a year ago, and add several key pieces highlighted by the return of redshirt sophomore guard Jesse Carr from an injury that sidelined him for the final six games of his freshman season and all but four games in 2009-10. In addition, the Rams will get a boost from redshirt sophomore guard Wes Eikmeier, who will be eligible after sitting out the 2009-10 season as a Division I transfer from Iowa State, and a solid incoming class of freshmen - Chad Calcaterra, Moe Wiltz and Dwight Smith - who could have an immediate impact.
The Rams are led by a strong senior class of Andy Ogide, who garnered second-team all-conference and NABC all-district honors in 2009-10, Travis Franklin, Adam Nigon and Andre McFarland. CSU’s roster also features a talented crop of sophomores – Pierce Hornung, Dorian Green and Greg Smith – who all made major contributions as true freshmen in 2009-10.
While the Rams have reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season, the players and coaches know that they have to continue to improve to meet their goal of an NCAA tournament berth in 2010-11. The Rams were 7-1 last season against the teams predicted to finish sixth-ninth, but 0-8 against the top four programs.
