The Dish: Bench a Contributing Factor in Victory

This is going to be a learning experience for everybody.

Players are recruited to college because they were really good, always had the ball in their hands and were seeing their names in the headlines. Then they move on to the next level, and sometimes the role has to change, especially early in a career.

Ask David Roddy, who came off the bench for Colorado State early in the season a year ago before becoming a force in the Mountain West.

"Coming in as a young freshman … Your senior year in high school, you had the ball in your hands the whole game," Roddy said. "Going to college and not starting, it could be pretty difficult for a freshman. I did it for the first half of the season (last year). Just understanding your role and embracing it is the biggest thing that they've been able to do, and I'm really proud of the young guys for doing that."

A bench is always needed, no matter the layout of the season. Last year when Colorado State coach Niko Medved went to his reserves, the first two guys he called on were seniors. They had experience, and 95 percent of the time, he knew he was going to get a solid showing from Kris Martin and Hyron Edwards, with Dischon Thomas and Tonje growing into their roles.

This year, Medved's learning as much as they are, and Wednesday's 81-59 runaway over Fresno State at Moby Arena gave him a chance early in the season for extended minutes to be granted and performers an opportunity to shine.

Some of it was forced. True freshman Isaiah Rivera was called on earlier than normal when Kendle Moore picked up a second personal foul just two minutes into the contest. Dischon Thomas was in foul trouble by halftime, picked up his fourth just 14 seconds into the second and fouled out with a tad more than six minutes to play. That led to extended minutes for James Moors.

By halftime, the Rams' four main bench components – Rivera, Moors, John Tonje and P.J. Byrd – had already exceeded half of their normal playing time. Just 10 minutes into the second half, Byrd, Moors and Rivera had exceeded their average in minutes played, all playing more than 20 in the game.

"We were fortunate enough to get a big lead, and fortunate enough when we got into some foul trouble, some other guys stepped up," Medved said. "It was awesome to see P.J. Byrd, Isaiah Rivera, James Moors – some of these guys who haven't played a lot, really get a chance, not only to play but have an impact."

The best part of the extended playing time was nobody could tell the difference. The defense was sticky regardless of who was on the court. The shots were falling at a 50-percent clip as the lineup continued to change. They filled the stat sheet, very encouraging sight for Medved as he moved the players in and out.

He was able to do so because the Rams built up as much as a 33-point lead in the second half, and really, they were never challenged by Fresno State out of the gate. But it wasn't just the starters building a lead and yielding time, the bench made real contributions.

"We got a lot of guys involved, especially off the bench. That's their job," said Roddy, who posted a double-double for the second consecutive game (and third time this season) with a team best 17 points and 11 rebounds. "The starting five has to start off with the first punch, then they've got to come in with the same intensity, eight minutes in, four minutes into the game. I was really proud of the guys, the way they were consistent, trusting the offense and moving the ball. Kudos to them for this big win."

The Rams picked up nearly half of their scoring with 40 points off the bench, with Byrd putting up a career-best 14, including an 8-of-8 performance from the charity stripe. Rivera hit double-digits for the first time, finishing with 11. He added three assists; Moors pulled down six rebounds.

The group is starting to come together.

Byrd is the most experienced of the group in a way, because he appeared in 33 games at VCU a few years back. But he also only played in eight games last year, so he's still very much working his way back into the flow of things at his new home.

But days like Wednesday make putting in the work easier.

"I think our team is getting better. We're jelling a little bit more; the chemistry level is going up," Byrd said. "People are starting to understand how to do their job and making sure we're doing our job at all times, and it's working out for us."

The win was great, as it moved the Rams to 2-0 in conference play as they head to San Diego State. This started a stretch of four games in eight days, six in a span of 13. Medved can't worry about keeping legs fresh in a compacted slate, but wondering about his bench could lead to sleepless nights.

The Rams are going to need the group, and nobody is really sure when the moment will come. More foul trouble. An off night. Maybe an illness. Who knows?

Being prepared is the key, and to get there, they all need minutes, like the ones they played Wednesday.

"Not just what they're going to give us, but just simply getting them experience. We had a couple of seniors obviously who came off the bench last year that had played," Medved said. "Now we have young guys – Rivera, James Moors, they're freshmen. P.J. Byrd didn't get to play a lot and hasn't played a ton these last few years. Again, our bench is guys who haven't played a lot. I think they're going to get better and better, so it's getting those guys opportunities to do that, and I think that's a thing that turns into a strength of ours as we get further down the road, but I thought it was really good to see. We're going to need that moving forward."

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