Rams' Young Backcourt Grows with Each Game

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The roster can say whatever it likes, the players in question just don't want to play into the notion. Or play like the facts.

Every college basketball coach in the nation wants an experienced backcourt, and the truth is Colorado State doesn't have one, not with true freshman Isaiah Stevens and true sophomore Kendle Moore the Rams' starting duo.

"Absolutely not," Stevens said, with a hard reiteration from Moore. "We're still basketball players at the end of the day. We feel like we can compete with anybody."

Experience comes with time. There will be moments of brilliance, as well as mistakes. Nobody understands it more than Medved, and he doesn't feel as if he's riding out a storm.

To the contrary, he's seen more to clap about so far than the times he wants to pull his hair. The attitude they bring to the process is what's most uplifting.

"I think both of those guys are competitors," CSU head coach Niko Medved said. "They're tough guys, I think they're about the right things. They both bring a little bit something different to the table, they don't make excuses and they just keep going. I've seen a lot of positives. Even the game (Wednesday) night, I think there's a lot of opportunities for growth, but the thing I love about those guys is they'll always own it and try to get better."

As the Colorado State men take on the campaign behind the concept of Team Together, the duo of Stevens and Moore – as well as redshirt senior Hyron Edwards – know they have to be bonded as a subsection to help the offense flow.

Stevens calls Edwards "Big Brother," the voice of experience and a key sounding board for his transition to the collegiate level, and after a year in which he started all but one game, Moore relies on the elder statesman, too.

Stevens and Moore don't sit right next to each other in meetings, but they are close. They listen, and they find practices to be the best time to use real-time experiences to build a rapport to be game ready. It helps them understand the nuances of their teammates and the altering combinations on the floor.

"You've got to learn everybody's strengths and weakness," Moore said. "Where they want the ball, where they like the ball. Adam Thistlewood and Nico Carvacho, where they like to shoot or post up. That plays a big factor; it's just knowing each other and embracing our roles.

"I feel those are valuable moments, other than just competing with each other."

The arrival of Stevens, and his subsequent push into the starting five at the point, has allowed Moore to move back out to a more comfortable role of the off guard. As to be expected, both are improving and molding to their roles.

Moore has regained his stroke with a pair of double-digit outings in the past three games, and his assist numbers have him second on the team. Stevens has had 10 or more points in the past four games, including a career-best 21 in the win over Loyola Marymount. A game later, he had his best came as a distributor, dishing out eight assists as all 18 of his have come in the last trio of games.

Moore said his recent play stems from being more aggressive after a feeling out period, and Medved notes they both have to find their way to make the team more productive.

Part of that is reading the moments and situations. Again, knowledge which comes with game experience. Stevens said the key is to run with each moment, a sentiment Medved corroborates.

This week, the work will be force-fed with a trio of game in as many days at the Cayman Islands Classic, opening Monday with a game against New Mexico State (9 a.m. MT).

"A lot of times it is your guards who have to be the primary decision makers," Medved said. "They make decisions on where the ball goes, who it goes to, kind of the tempo of the game oftentimes, and those guys have to be extensions of coaches. They have to think the way you think, and that whole Team Together of all of us being on the same page, they're the ones who set the tone. They dictate a lot of what we're doing, and they have to be connected as a team.

"A lot of that is a feel thing. We want guys who are aggressive, but understand time and score situations, understanding we've got to get the ball to the big fella, being able to read situations. Those things are so huge."

Game by game, the minutes will add up. Along with the court time, Medved is keyed in on the growth process. Some nights will be two steps forward. Others may lead to a step back. Either way, the Rams have to go with it and progress.

The perceived knock of them being young comes with a positive – they're young. They are going to get better, and two years down the line, Medved will have the savvy backcourt every coach craves.

"You can't be successful without great guard play, and that's the bottom line," Medved said. "It's going well. Kendle is a kid who got a ton of experience last year, and Isaiah, as a true freshman, has played beyond his years early on. Both of those guys, the cool thing is they do a lot of good things, but they both have a lot of room for growth."

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