Colorado State University Athletics
Men’s Basketball Back in Action in Front of Moby Crowd
10/14/2023 7:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Intrasquad scrimmage gives fans a look at revamped lineup weeks before opener
Rams fans got their first glance at the Colorado State men's basketball team at their annual intrasquad scrimmage to tip off Homecoming weekend at Moby Arena.
Among the crowd — or at least among those who didn't do any coaching — was head coach Niko Medved. While assistants Brian Cooley and C.J. Rivers took coaching duties for the Green and Gold teams, Medved was able to soak in a scrimmage between a roster which includes a lot of new faces.
It was an opportunity to take stock in what he has to work with and also to let his players experience Moby with fans in the stands for the first time in more than seven months.
"We wanted these guys to have a chance to get up and down and obviously connect with the fans," Medved said. "The turnout was good today for this, and I think it fits in really well with basketball season being right around the corner. People start to talk hoops and it gets our fans and our players excited about the season."
"We try to keep it pretty basic, not running a lot of plays, just letting these guys get up and down and kinda feel what it's like to play in front of the fans. But yeah, we tinker with lineups a bit and we've done that a lot in practice too. There's still a lot to be decided here."
One of the decisions waiting to be made is who will be included in the starting lineup. That's a tough ask this year for a squad with, according to Medved, more individual versatility and depth than in recent years. It's a good problem to have, but it doesn't make his job any easier.
Aside from the talent acquired in the transfer portal, Josiah Strong was able to suit up in front of fans, fully healthy, for the first time since he arrived in Fort Collins prior to last season. According to Medved, his return will be all the more beneficial for the Rams.
"(Strong) can really move his feet defensively, plays with great energy, he's obviously a terrific shooter and he's an older guy, a veteran," Medved said. "He's been a great teammate for all of us so we're really excited to have him back. Nobody's more excited than him to be back."
Strong's return was a long time coming for the graduate student, who was sidelined for all but seven games last year with a lingering illness.
While the coaching staff and teammates have anxiously awaited his return to health, few were more excited than Strong himself to get back on the floor.
"Today was awesome. It was a great time to get out here with these guys, obviously last year was a slippery slope for me, but I was able to get my health back," Strong said. "We brought a lot of new guys in, and it's been really fun to compete with them, so I can't complain at all."
For fifth-year senior guard Isaiah Stevens, the scrimmage was one of his first 'lasts' of his college career. Nov. 6, he'll play his last first game of the season, then the last home game and eventually the last game of his career at CSU.
None of which is too heavy on Stevens' mind.
"(I want to) play as hard as I can, leave nothing to chance and just have fun and play with joy out there," Stevens said. "It's not every day you get to walk out there with your brothers on the Moby floor. I'm just embracing each and every moment as it comes."
Among the crowd — or at least among those who didn't do any coaching — was head coach Niko Medved. While assistants Brian Cooley and C.J. Rivers took coaching duties for the Green and Gold teams, Medved was able to soak in a scrimmage between a roster which includes a lot of new faces.
It was an opportunity to take stock in what he has to work with and also to let his players experience Moby with fans in the stands for the first time in more than seven months.
"We wanted these guys to have a chance to get up and down and obviously connect with the fans," Medved said. "The turnout was good today for this, and I think it fits in really well with basketball season being right around the corner. People start to talk hoops and it gets our fans and our players excited about the season."
"We try to keep it pretty basic, not running a lot of plays, just letting these guys get up and down and kinda feel what it's like to play in front of the fans. But yeah, we tinker with lineups a bit and we've done that a lot in practice too. There's still a lot to be decided here."
One of the decisions waiting to be made is who will be included in the starting lineup. That's a tough ask this year for a squad with, according to Medved, more individual versatility and depth than in recent years. It's a good problem to have, but it doesn't make his job any easier.
Aside from the talent acquired in the transfer portal, Josiah Strong was able to suit up in front of fans, fully healthy, for the first time since he arrived in Fort Collins prior to last season. According to Medved, his return will be all the more beneficial for the Rams.
"(Strong) can really move his feet defensively, plays with great energy, he's obviously a terrific shooter and he's an older guy, a veteran," Medved said. "He's been a great teammate for all of us so we're really excited to have him back. Nobody's more excited than him to be back."
Strong's return was a long time coming for the graduate student, who was sidelined for all but seven games last year with a lingering illness.
While the coaching staff and teammates have anxiously awaited his return to health, few were more excited than Strong himself to get back on the floor.
"Today was awesome. It was a great time to get out here with these guys, obviously last year was a slippery slope for me, but I was able to get my health back," Strong said. "We brought a lot of new guys in, and it's been really fun to compete with them, so I can't complain at all."
For fifth-year senior guard Isaiah Stevens, the scrimmage was one of his first 'lasts' of his college career. Nov. 6, he'll play his last first game of the season, then the last home game and eventually the last game of his career at CSU.
None of which is too heavy on Stevens' mind.
"(I want to) play as hard as I can, leave nothing to chance and just have fun and play with joy out there," Stevens said. "It's not every day you get to walk out there with your brothers on the Moby floor. I'm just embracing each and every moment as it comes."
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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