Colorado State University Athletics
The Dish: Bench Continues to Provide a Lift
2/1/2020 5:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – People are gaining an appreciation for Colorado State's two freshman starters. And on Saturday afternoon, Nico Carvacho reminded the Moby Arena faithful once again the senior is pretty darn talented in his own right.
But a complete team needs a bench, one which will perform the duties asked. Those will change game by game, and in Saturday's 95-77 Mountain West victory over UNLV, the role players showed up big on the offensive end.
A game after scoring eight points as the Rams beat Nevada at the buzzer, the group rolled in 27 – about eight better than average -- led by nine from true freshman Dischon Thomas. They still played solid defense and provided some energy, but the buckets they provided really helped.
Coach Niko Medved believes the group is intrinsically understanding what is required each game, and the starters have a trust level they'll deliver on the duties assigned.
"You just kinda have to take it game by game. Every game is different," Isaiah Stevens said. "Sometimes we need them to come in here and give us a spark on the defensive end, like we've seen time and time again, or sometimes, nights like tonight, we need Dischon Thomas to come in and give us a spark offensively or John Tonje to hit a big 3. Different things like that."
Medved felt both Kris Martin and Hyron Edwards – the elder statesmen of the group – delivered a defensive toughness while adding a bit of offense. Even though Carvacho was being normal self, scoring 16 points and pulling down 11 rebounds for his 45th career double-double to tie the all-time Mountain West record in the category, he was also in foul trouble. From Thomas, the Rams needed extended minutes, and he pulled down four rebounds to help bridge the gap.
For Thomas, the game message was clear to him and the entire reserve squad.
"I definitely had to step up in there," he said. "I thought everybody brought defense and energy off the rip, and there's no layoff once Nico came out. There had to be no letup.
"We definitely talk. My job is to come off the bench and provide energy, whatever the team needs."
The team struggled early offensively, turnovers and lackluster shooting the main cause as the Rams went nearly seven minutes without a field goal at one point of the first half. Down eight, Tonje helped close the gap with a 3-ball from the top of the arc. In the second half, with the Rams starting to pull away, the bench lent a helping hand.
"I thought both Kris and Hyron were terrific today. They came off the bench and gave us a really big spark defensively, then they knocked down a couple of shots," Medved said. "Hyron didn't play a ton of minutes, but he impacted the game in a big-time way. John made some big plays, DT got a couple of buckets. That was awesome to see.
"I think we had four guys on the bench in the game at a critical moment there in the second half and we extended the lead. I thought that was awesome to see."
Again, people are getting used to the freshmen in the forefront. Stevens paced the team with 21 points, missing just one shot the entire game (he was 7-of-8 from the field, hit all five of his 3s and drained two free throws). David Roddy came alive for 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. By the end of the game, Adam Thistlewood made it four starters in double figures (he finished with 12).
Even with those numbers, the starters need help. When they need a break, be it scheduled or forced by foul trouble, the minutes have to count. With the Rams moving into a guaranteed share of second in the MW standings (16-8 overall, 7-4 MW), they most definitely have.
"They offer a big piece," Carvacho said. "Hyron and Kris have started games at this level before, so I'm proud of them for embracing their role. Coming off the bench is not an easy thing. They've done a really good job. Like we say, you come off the bench, you don't see any difference in the way we score or the way we defend. We're a big unit."
But a complete team needs a bench, one which will perform the duties asked. Those will change game by game, and in Saturday's 95-77 Mountain West victory over UNLV, the role players showed up big on the offensive end.
A game after scoring eight points as the Rams beat Nevada at the buzzer, the group rolled in 27 – about eight better than average -- led by nine from true freshman Dischon Thomas. They still played solid defense and provided some energy, but the buckets they provided really helped.
Coach Niko Medved believes the group is intrinsically understanding what is required each game, and the starters have a trust level they'll deliver on the duties assigned.
"You just kinda have to take it game by game. Every game is different," Isaiah Stevens said. "Sometimes we need them to come in here and give us a spark on the defensive end, like we've seen time and time again, or sometimes, nights like tonight, we need Dischon Thomas to come in and give us a spark offensively or John Tonje to hit a big 3. Different things like that."
Medved felt both Kris Martin and Hyron Edwards – the elder statesmen of the group – delivered a defensive toughness while adding a bit of offense. Even though Carvacho was being normal self, scoring 16 points and pulling down 11 rebounds for his 45th career double-double to tie the all-time Mountain West record in the category, he was also in foul trouble. From Thomas, the Rams needed extended minutes, and he pulled down four rebounds to help bridge the gap.
For Thomas, the game message was clear to him and the entire reserve squad.
"I definitely had to step up in there," he said. "I thought everybody brought defense and energy off the rip, and there's no layoff once Nico came out. There had to be no letup.
"We definitely talk. My job is to come off the bench and provide energy, whatever the team needs."
The team struggled early offensively, turnovers and lackluster shooting the main cause as the Rams went nearly seven minutes without a field goal at one point of the first half. Down eight, Tonje helped close the gap with a 3-ball from the top of the arc. In the second half, with the Rams starting to pull away, the bench lent a helping hand.
"I thought both Kris and Hyron were terrific today. They came off the bench and gave us a really big spark defensively, then they knocked down a couple of shots," Medved said. "Hyron didn't play a ton of minutes, but he impacted the game in a big-time way. John made some big plays, DT got a couple of buckets. That was awesome to see.
"I think we had four guys on the bench in the game at a critical moment there in the second half and we extended the lead. I thought that was awesome to see."
Again, people are getting used to the freshmen in the forefront. Stevens paced the team with 21 points, missing just one shot the entire game (he was 7-of-8 from the field, hit all five of his 3s and drained two free throws). David Roddy came alive for 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. By the end of the game, Adam Thistlewood made it four starters in double figures (he finished with 12).
Even with those numbers, the starters need help. When they need a break, be it scheduled or forced by foul trouble, the minutes have to count. With the Rams moving into a guaranteed share of second in the MW standings (16-8 overall, 7-4 MW), they most definitely have.
"They offer a big piece," Carvacho said. "Hyron and Kris have started games at this level before, so I'm proud of them for embracing their role. Coming off the bench is not an easy thing. They've done a really good job. Like we say, you come off the bench, you don't see any difference in the way we score or the way we defend. We're a big unit."
Players Mentioned
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