Colorado State University Athletics
The Dish: Stevens Waved Away the Nerves Long Ago
3/10/2022 11:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Guard makes three big plays down the stretch in tournament victory
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The moment didn't always feel this way. Like it was just another play. Just any ol' point of the game.
No pressure.
It is now for Isaiah Stevens. Thursday night in the quarterfinal round of the Mountain West Tournament, Colorado State called upon their point guard to make winning plays. He made three – and there was a fumble, too – in the Rams' 53-51 victory over Utah State.
It feels natural now. Just not at first.
"Tulsa. Tulsa's the one," Stevens said. "I remember dribbling down, we were in a buttonhook situation, and it just felt like I was supposed to be in that moment. The first time, against Loyola Chicago, that was a little nerve-wracking, just nervous coming out when coach drew up the play for me."
Those games were his freshman year. He's waved off the anxiousness and nerves so often, it was nothing for him to wave goodbye to the Aggies at the Thomas & Mack Center.
In the final 2 minutes of the game, Stevens drove the lane four times. The first was a jumper from the free-throw line for a 48-47 lead. With 55 seconds remaining in the game, he drove down even deeper and came away with a turnaround jumper for a 51-47 edge in a game where any basket felt like a mini run. It felt that way because it was the fewest points in a win for the team since scoring a 44-40 win over Denver at Moby Arena back in December of 2007.
"It definitely started to feel like that. It was a slugfest from start to finish," Stevens said. "Just knowing that each and every bucket that we were going to have to work for it on the offensive end; it just wasn't going to come easy. I think that screams March Madness at this point of the year."
He was screaming at himself with less than 20 seconds on the clock as he drove once again, but he lost control and Utah State's Justin Bean looked destined to tie the game on a breakaway play.
"When I was trailing back, I was just thinking in my mind, somebody please set a charge, set a charge," David Roddy said. "They didn't seem like they wanted a 3, and they had a lot of time left on the clock. That's a huge charge from Mook (Kendle Moore) and we need him to take a lot more. That one took about four years for that."
A comment which made head coach Niko Medved laugh. Then it triggered his memory to another Ram who drew a rare charge.
Stevens. All he could do was nod in agreement.
But one can understand why Medved wants Stevens to have the ball in his hands at moments in games which are pressure-filled and clutch is needed. Just like his point guard feels now, there is no hesitation.
"You've watched him here for three years, so I've seen it enough," Medved said. "He had that look in his eye tonight, just very, very confident, swagger. He was able to get in the paint, and I think we obviously needed to get in the paint tonight. It was just one of those games."
Because 3-pointers weren't falling for anybody. The Aggies didn't think about a 3 late because they only made one of the 15 they took. The Rams weren't much better, just 3-of-18. This game was going to be decided down low, as Utah State bigs Justin Horvath (17 points) and Bean (15) were carrying the load. Roddy came through with 13 for the Rams, six off a trio of thunderous dunks.
But you don't have to be big to score down low, and in a tie game with the clock winding down, the Aggies knew which Ram would have the ball, and they'd seen enough to guess what he was going to do.
Guess again.
"I was just trying to be aggressive and get down hill," Stevens said. "Once I started to see the defense rotate over, we have a designed cut when that happens and I was just able to find the open man for a layup."
The man was Chandler Jacobs, and as two Aggies flew at Stevens, he pushed a ball past them both, and Jacobs delivered his only basket of the game.
The winning one.
"It was kind of his night," Medved said of Stevens. "I've always had that trust in him, and he's been that way from day one. Tonight was just another example and the stage gets bigger and bigger, but it's never too big for him."
One time it felt that way. But he came through. And now he's over it.
No pressure.
It is now for Isaiah Stevens. Thursday night in the quarterfinal round of the Mountain West Tournament, Colorado State called upon their point guard to make winning plays. He made three – and there was a fumble, too – in the Rams' 53-51 victory over Utah State.
It feels natural now. Just not at first.
"Tulsa. Tulsa's the one," Stevens said. "I remember dribbling down, we were in a buttonhook situation, and it just felt like I was supposed to be in that moment. The first time, against Loyola Chicago, that was a little nerve-wracking, just nervous coming out when coach drew up the play for me."
Those games were his freshman year. He's waved off the anxiousness and nerves so often, it was nothing for him to wave goodbye to the Aggies at the Thomas & Mack Center.
In the final 2 minutes of the game, Stevens drove the lane four times. The first was a jumper from the free-throw line for a 48-47 lead. With 55 seconds remaining in the game, he drove down even deeper and came away with a turnaround jumper for a 51-47 edge in a game where any basket felt like a mini run. It felt that way because it was the fewest points in a win for the team since scoring a 44-40 win over Denver at Moby Arena back in December of 2007.
"It definitely started to feel like that. It was a slugfest from start to finish," Stevens said. "Just knowing that each and every bucket that we were going to have to work for it on the offensive end; it just wasn't going to come easy. I think that screams March Madness at this point of the year."
He was screaming at himself with less than 20 seconds on the clock as he drove once again, but he lost control and Utah State's Justin Bean looked destined to tie the game on a breakaway play.
"When I was trailing back, I was just thinking in my mind, somebody please set a charge, set a charge," David Roddy said. "They didn't seem like they wanted a 3, and they had a lot of time left on the clock. That's a huge charge from Mook (Kendle Moore) and we need him to take a lot more. That one took about four years for that."
A comment which made head coach Niko Medved laugh. Then it triggered his memory to another Ram who drew a rare charge.
Stevens. All he could do was nod in agreement.
But one can understand why Medved wants Stevens to have the ball in his hands at moments in games which are pressure-filled and clutch is needed. Just like his point guard feels now, there is no hesitation.
"You've watched him here for three years, so I've seen it enough," Medved said. "He had that look in his eye tonight, just very, very confident, swagger. He was able to get in the paint, and I think we obviously needed to get in the paint tonight. It was just one of those games."
Because 3-pointers weren't falling for anybody. The Aggies didn't think about a 3 late because they only made one of the 15 they took. The Rams weren't much better, just 3-of-18. This game was going to be decided down low, as Utah State bigs Justin Horvath (17 points) and Bean (15) were carrying the load. Roddy came through with 13 for the Rams, six off a trio of thunderous dunks.
But you don't have to be big to score down low, and in a tie game with the clock winding down, the Aggies knew which Ram would have the ball, and they'd seen enough to guess what he was going to do.
Guess again.
"I was just trying to be aggressive and get down hill," Stevens said. "Once I started to see the defense rotate over, we have a designed cut when that happens and I was just able to find the open man for a layup."
The man was Chandler Jacobs, and as two Aggies flew at Stevens, he pushed a ball past them both, and Jacobs delivered his only basket of the game.
The winning one.
"It was kind of his night," Medved said of Stevens. "I've always had that trust in him, and he's been that way from day one. Tonight was just another example and the stage gets bigger and bigger, but it's never too big for him."
One time it felt that way. But he came through. And now he's over it.
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