Scheduling Up Pays Off as Rams Earn No. 6 Seed in NCAA Field

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The day was about curiosity, not drama.

There was no waiting anxiously for the name to be called, just when and who the opponent was. No if they were in, just where they were going.

The excitement was there, even without the threat of disappointment.

"For a while there, it was maybe a little bit of the same feeling, like when it first gets going, but when I saw our team pop up, oh man, I started to feel excited," Colorado State junior guard Isaiah Stevens said. "When our logo popped up on the screen, it was just an unbelievable feeling. It's a sense of shock that I hope I get to feel more and more again.

"I felt like we were in, based on our resume, which is a great feeling to have, but at the same time, you never really know until you see it. I'm really excited for the opportunity in front of me."

Colorado State, 25-5, had built a resume this season so good the NCAA tournament selection committee couldn't say no, it only had to figure out where to put the Rams in the bracket for the first time since 2013. Adding games with St. Mary's (a No. 5 seed) and Creighton (a No. 9) didn't hurt, especially beating both.

The final determination: a No. 6 seed in the South Regional facing No. 11 Michigan on Thursday in Indianapolis, Ind. The team will leave Tuesday, practice at the site -- Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. With a win, the Rams would face the winner of the No. 3 Tennessee/No. 14 Longwood matchup on Saturday.

It is the highest seed for the program since being a No. 8 in 2013.

"I think it's a testament that we really tried to schedule up in non-conference," head coach Niko Medved said. "We put ourselves out there, and I think that's well documented. Then we were fortunate to have some success when we did that; I don't think we lost a game in the non-league, and I think we got rewarded for that. I think the committee wants to see people go out there and schedule."

This will be the 11^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the first coming in 1954. They are 4-11 overall, the last victory coming in 2013, beating Missouri in the opening round.

Sunday was a rush to wait for the team, as the team flight out of Las Vegas was delayed, and the team didn't arrive back in Fort Collins until around 3 p.m. They then changed and gather at Canvas Stadium with Medved on the sixth floor, where he informed him of the contract extension he signed, one which will keep in with the program he's built into a consistent 20-game winner through 2029. Then he told the players and his assistants and families the day was about them, not him, so they should enjoy it all.

They didn't have to wait long to see their banner come across the screen, with the South Regional announcements coming second on the NCAA selection show.

"You get to enjoy it a little more," Stevens said. "You get to see where other teams are going, you try to play out matchups in your head a little it, but you know you're going to be a part of it. It's definitely better than sitting back and waiting."

It was a good day for the Mountain West, as both Boise State and San Diego State earned eight seeds, and Wyoming made the field as part of the first four.

During the conference tournament, the chatter around the league was it had earned four bids, but there was also some concern it could just be three. There was even applause at the announcement rival Wyoming had made the field. Head to head, there may be venom, but as a whole, the league knows there is strength in numbers.

"It's awesome," Medved said. "I think it helps the brand of the league. The league is tremendous. When I came back here to be the head coach, I felt like the Mountain West was on an upward trajectory. I think that's what you're seeing. It's really cool. All of those teams deserve to be in it. I know from playing them and being there night in and night out. It's a testament to our league."

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