Colorado State University Athletics
Rams Settled in to the Moment They've Sought
3/16/2022 11:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Medved confident they'll enjoy the being here, while still ready to perform
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – David Roddy has been called a lot of things.
Undersized, due to his height and how he operates in the paint, is popular. Big and strong are frequently used, based on his 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame. All-American, works too.
Girthy, however, is new, but that's where Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson went in describing his opponent for Thursday's opening round NCAA Tournament game in Indianapolis (10:15 a.m. MT).
Roddy wasn't sure what to make of it, but he did take it as a compliment.
"That is new. Man, let me take a second," Roddy said during Wednesday's press conferences at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. "No, I don't really care what people call me. That's their choice. That's an interesting one. I think that's a football reference, so I will take that as it is."
For the past three years, people have had a hard time finding the right adjective to describe the Colorado State junior. He's so versatile on the court, and the Rams need him to be. His ability to pass, shoot and create for his teammates make him hard to guard, as does the way he does use his size and strength to be productive inside.
The difficulty in finding descriptors comes from him being seen as a tweener by some, definitely not a post, maybe a tad short for a power forward. Dickinson did hit on the one description no one denies.
"He's definitely not a bad player for sure," Dickinson said. "Somebody that we kind of compared him to is like a Ron Harper type, a guy who is undersized but girthy and can somehow move his body like he does and somebody who is able to pick and pop and put it on the floor and score at all four levels, as Coach (Phil) Martelli says. So he's somebody we will have to definitely stop if we want to win the game."
The teams have had a couple of days now to scour game tape to find tendencies and decipher systems, go beyond what stands at the surface.
There, Michigan's size and length stands out. So does its experience; the Wolverines made a run to the Elite Eight a season ago, but they will be missing a key piece in guard DeVante Jones, who coach Juwan Howard said sustained a concussion in practice and will not be available. He leads the Wolverines with 144 assists on the year and averages 10.7 points per game.
From the other side, Michigan spoke to how the Rams play well as a unit, moving as players and how well they move the ball. Their focus was made clear, as the players and Howard consistently referred to Roddy and Stevens as the "head of the snake."
What the Rams lack in experience and size doesn't matter to them. They've used a small lineup to success the past two seasons, and they've also found a way to take the next step in stride as under coach Niko Medved as the program has continued to take upward mobility seriously.
To the Rams, their personality is it's the next step more than a first one.
"I think our attention to detail and our preparation and also just our competitiveness, man," guard Isaiah Stevens said. "Like you said, we don't have any experience in this tournament, but at the same time, I'm confident in our abilities and our ability to adapt to any kind of environment we are in. So I'm excited to go out there and compete."
This stage is what Medved sought when he came to Colorado State four years ago, and each record has been better than the last. It was the ideal he sold to every recruit, including Roddy and Stevens, and being a part of March Madness is what every one of the student-athletes has wanted to be part of when they signed.
Medved wants them to enjoy it. He also has not doubts they will be ready when the ball is tipped on Thursday. It's possible, he said, to take it all in and advance.
Happy to be here? Most definitely. Ready to play? Same answer.
"I think it's a mistake to say you can't do both. I want these guys to take moments to say, hey, to look around, to enjoy it, to appreciate the fact that they're here," Medved said. "This is a huge moment in these young people's lives. This is what they dreamed of growing up as a kid watching college basketball, and I think to rob them of that is a huge mistake. At the same time, you can still do that and understand and dive into what you have to do to compete and beat a great Michigan team. These guys love to compete. That's what they love to do at their core, they love to play and they love to prepare. And I think this team can really do that, and I think they have done that."
Coming back to the tournament, assistant coach Ali Farokhmanesh knew some memories would flood back from when he became the early poster child for the 2010 tournament, hitting shots in back-to-back games to slay giants.
As a coach, he said entering the tournament was more stressful than his playing days, because back when he suited up for Northern Iowa, it wasn't until game time he felt nerves. He agrees with Medved there is a time to enjoy it all, as well as a point to turn it off.
"I told them the other night, you have to embrace the moment. Enjoy it right now," he said. "Text people back, call them back, retweet whatever you want, like whatever you want. But at some point you have to lock back in, because the basketball is the basketball. What makes the NCAA Tournament special is the pageantry around it, but once you get caught up in that, you lose the fact it's still about the basketball game. It's that fine balance of enjoying the moment of being in the NCAA Tournament, what it all entails. But you've got to remember who was the tight circle who was with you when we were playing Tulsa in a triple overtime game and we won that and six people texted you back. (Sunday) night, you got 100 texts from people you haven't talked to in five years and six numbers that you don't have any more. It's great to respond to those people and whatnot, but at some point, you have to tighten your circle back up, tighten your focus back up and that probably has to start Tuesday for everybody."
On Selection Sunday, the team went to Canvas Stadium knowing they were going to be in the field, which felt like an achievement. When their No. 6 seed was announced, the feeling was it had been earned. As for the opponent being Michigan, a program filled with tournament tradition and recent success, the Rams didn't blink.
All of it just adds to the moment, but none of it was a distraction to Stevens, who reiterated the main task would still be the same, no matter the time or place.
"I guess you could say it definitely adds a little bit to it, but at the same time, man, you gotta go play the game," he said. "Once the ball tips, it's just five-on-five, and you've got to go out there and try and put your best foot forward and try to come out with a win."
At game time, the Rams expect to be ready. And if the moment comes, say, the final 30 seconds of a tight game and there's a decision to pull it out to run off time or take what some would consider to be a risky 3-pointer, Farokhmanesh said the choice is clear.
"A hundred percent shoot it," he said, no hesitation. (Medved) said it was a bad shot by me, but it's never a bad shot if you make it."
Which, he did, to vanquish Kansas. And on the record, Medved said to shoot it, too. The Rams need to seize the moment for it to be truly embraced.
Undersized, due to his height and how he operates in the paint, is popular. Big and strong are frequently used, based on his 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame. All-American, works too.
Girthy, however, is new, but that's where Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson went in describing his opponent for Thursday's opening round NCAA Tournament game in Indianapolis (10:15 a.m. MT).
Roddy wasn't sure what to make of it, but he did take it as a compliment.
"That is new. Man, let me take a second," Roddy said during Wednesday's press conferences at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. "No, I don't really care what people call me. That's their choice. That's an interesting one. I think that's a football reference, so I will take that as it is."
For the past three years, people have had a hard time finding the right adjective to describe the Colorado State junior. He's so versatile on the court, and the Rams need him to be. His ability to pass, shoot and create for his teammates make him hard to guard, as does the way he does use his size and strength to be productive inside.
The difficulty in finding descriptors comes from him being seen as a tweener by some, definitely not a post, maybe a tad short for a power forward. Dickinson did hit on the one description no one denies.
"He's definitely not a bad player for sure," Dickinson said. "Somebody that we kind of compared him to is like a Ron Harper type, a guy who is undersized but girthy and can somehow move his body like he does and somebody who is able to pick and pop and put it on the floor and score at all four levels, as Coach (Phil) Martelli says. So he's somebody we will have to definitely stop if we want to win the game."
The teams have had a couple of days now to scour game tape to find tendencies and decipher systems, go beyond what stands at the surface.
There, Michigan's size and length stands out. So does its experience; the Wolverines made a run to the Elite Eight a season ago, but they will be missing a key piece in guard DeVante Jones, who coach Juwan Howard said sustained a concussion in practice and will not be available. He leads the Wolverines with 144 assists on the year and averages 10.7 points per game.
From the other side, Michigan spoke to how the Rams play well as a unit, moving as players and how well they move the ball. Their focus was made clear, as the players and Howard consistently referred to Roddy and Stevens as the "head of the snake."
What the Rams lack in experience and size doesn't matter to them. They've used a small lineup to success the past two seasons, and they've also found a way to take the next step in stride as under coach Niko Medved as the program has continued to take upward mobility seriously.
To the Rams, their personality is it's the next step more than a first one.
"I think our attention to detail and our preparation and also just our competitiveness, man," guard Isaiah Stevens said. "Like you said, we don't have any experience in this tournament, but at the same time, I'm confident in our abilities and our ability to adapt to any kind of environment we are in. So I'm excited to go out there and compete."
This stage is what Medved sought when he came to Colorado State four years ago, and each record has been better than the last. It was the ideal he sold to every recruit, including Roddy and Stevens, and being a part of March Madness is what every one of the student-athletes has wanted to be part of when they signed.
Medved wants them to enjoy it. He also has not doubts they will be ready when the ball is tipped on Thursday. It's possible, he said, to take it all in and advance.
Happy to be here? Most definitely. Ready to play? Same answer.
"I think it's a mistake to say you can't do both. I want these guys to take moments to say, hey, to look around, to enjoy it, to appreciate the fact that they're here," Medved said. "This is a huge moment in these young people's lives. This is what they dreamed of growing up as a kid watching college basketball, and I think to rob them of that is a huge mistake. At the same time, you can still do that and understand and dive into what you have to do to compete and beat a great Michigan team. These guys love to compete. That's what they love to do at their core, they love to play and they love to prepare. And I think this team can really do that, and I think they have done that."
Coming back to the tournament, assistant coach Ali Farokhmanesh knew some memories would flood back from when he became the early poster child for the 2010 tournament, hitting shots in back-to-back games to slay giants.
As a coach, he said entering the tournament was more stressful than his playing days, because back when he suited up for Northern Iowa, it wasn't until game time he felt nerves. He agrees with Medved there is a time to enjoy it all, as well as a point to turn it off.
"I told them the other night, you have to embrace the moment. Enjoy it right now," he said. "Text people back, call them back, retweet whatever you want, like whatever you want. But at some point you have to lock back in, because the basketball is the basketball. What makes the NCAA Tournament special is the pageantry around it, but once you get caught up in that, you lose the fact it's still about the basketball game. It's that fine balance of enjoying the moment of being in the NCAA Tournament, what it all entails. But you've got to remember who was the tight circle who was with you when we were playing Tulsa in a triple overtime game and we won that and six people texted you back. (Sunday) night, you got 100 texts from people you haven't talked to in five years and six numbers that you don't have any more. It's great to respond to those people and whatnot, but at some point, you have to tighten your circle back up, tighten your focus back up and that probably has to start Tuesday for everybody."
On Selection Sunday, the team went to Canvas Stadium knowing they were going to be in the field, which felt like an achievement. When their No. 6 seed was announced, the feeling was it had been earned. As for the opponent being Michigan, a program filled with tournament tradition and recent success, the Rams didn't blink.
All of it just adds to the moment, but none of it was a distraction to Stevens, who reiterated the main task would still be the same, no matter the time or place.
"I guess you could say it definitely adds a little bit to it, but at the same time, man, you gotta go play the game," he said. "Once the ball tips, it's just five-on-five, and you've got to go out there and try and put your best foot forward and try to come out with a win."
At game time, the Rams expect to be ready. And if the moment comes, say, the final 30 seconds of a tight game and there's a decision to pull it out to run off time or take what some would consider to be a risky 3-pointer, Farokhmanesh said the choice is clear.
"A hundred percent shoot it," he said, no hesitation. (Medved) said it was a bad shot by me, but it's never a bad shot if you make it."
Which, he did, to vanquish Kansas. And on the record, Medved said to shoot it, too. The Rams need to seize the moment for it to be truly embraced.
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