Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, November 23
Kansas City, MO
2:00 PM
Colorado State
vs
Creighton
Men's Hoops Looks for Thanksgiving Feast Against No. 8/7 Creighton
11/23/2023 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Colorado State and Creighton square off for the Hall of Fame Classic title
KANSAS CITY – Colorado State men's basketball will enter Thanksgiving day with a big appetite as they take on No. 8/7 Creighton in the title game of the Hall of Fam Classic. The Rams and Blue Jays advanced to the game with wins on Wednesday inside the T-Mobile Center. CSU and Creighton tip-off at 2 pm MT on CBS Sports Network
Opening Tip
- Colorado State moved to 5-0 on the year with an 86-74 win over Boston College Wednesday afternoon to advance to the finals of the Hall of Fame Classic.
- Head coach Niko Medved is in his sixth year leading Colorado State. He is 97-64 as the Rams' head coach. With three more wins he will become the fifth coach in program history to reach the 100 wins mark.
- Isaiah Stevens returns for his final year of eligibility and the nation is taking notice of the guard. Stevens was named the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, Wooden Top 50 Preseason List and one of 20 players named to the Bob Cousy Preseason Watch List.
- Stevens has a pair of double-doubles on the year and already reset one of his own records when he posted 14 assists against Wright State. He is averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 59.6% from the field and 50.0% behind the arc.
- Newcomer Joel Scott extended his streak to 52 straight games reaching double figures scoring with his 12 points against Boston College. He packed the stat sheet adding in a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. He is second on the team averaging 16.2 points per game.
- Nique Clifford continues to do a little of everything for the Rams. The transfer put together a 16 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assist performance against Boston College. He is shooting an impressive 69.2% from the field including 66.7% from behind the arc.
- Josiah Strong is starting to find his form after missing over a year of basketball scoring 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting including a pair of 3s in the win over Boston College.
- The Rams lead the Mountain West in assist-turnover ratio (2.1), assists per game (22.8), effective field goal percentage (63.7%), fast break points per game (18.5), field goal percentage (55.2%), free throw percentage (82.5%), 3-pointers per game (9.5) and turnover margin (+4.2).
- Colorado State is 4-40 all-time against Top 10 teams. The last win came on January 19, 1984 against UTEP in Fort Collins with a 63-51 win. CSU has lost the last 22 games against a top 10 team. The last time the Rams faced a top 10 team was February 25, 2020 in a 66-60 loss at San Diego State.
- CSU and Creighton met just two years ago in the US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The Rams came away victorious 95-81 in the game.
Scouting the Blue Jays
Creighton can fill the basket, fast and in a lot of ways. Head coach Greg McDermott's team loves to play fast and let the three fly as they are averaging 91.2 points this season.
Three Blue Jays are averaging over 15 points per game led by Baylor Scheirman and his 19.2 points. Scheierman is shooting an impressive 42.5% from the 3-point range. Joining him with 15-plus points are Trey Alexander (18.4) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (16.0).
Kalkbrenner is a menace on the defensive end as well controlling the paint with his 7'1" frame.
What's Ahead
Colorado State returns home to host rival Colorado on Wednesday, November 29. The Rams and Buffs tip off at 7 pm as part of a Stripe Out at Moby Arena on CBS Sports Network.
Opening Tip
- Colorado State moved to 5-0 on the year with an 86-74 win over Boston College Wednesday afternoon to advance to the finals of the Hall of Fame Classic.
- Head coach Niko Medved is in his sixth year leading Colorado State. He is 97-64 as the Rams' head coach. With three more wins he will become the fifth coach in program history to reach the 100 wins mark.
- Isaiah Stevens returns for his final year of eligibility and the nation is taking notice of the guard. Stevens was named the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, Wooden Top 50 Preseason List and one of 20 players named to the Bob Cousy Preseason Watch List.
- Stevens has a pair of double-doubles on the year and already reset one of his own records when he posted 14 assists against Wright State. He is averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 59.6% from the field and 50.0% behind the arc.
- Newcomer Joel Scott extended his streak to 52 straight games reaching double figures scoring with his 12 points against Boston College. He packed the stat sheet adding in a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. He is second on the team averaging 16.2 points per game.
- Nique Clifford continues to do a little of everything for the Rams. The transfer put together a 16 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assist performance against Boston College. He is shooting an impressive 69.2% from the field including 66.7% from behind the arc.
- Josiah Strong is starting to find his form after missing over a year of basketball scoring 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting including a pair of 3s in the win over Boston College.
- The Rams lead the Mountain West in assist-turnover ratio (2.1), assists per game (22.8), effective field goal percentage (63.7%), fast break points per game (18.5), field goal percentage (55.2%), free throw percentage (82.5%), 3-pointers per game (9.5) and turnover margin (+4.2).
- Colorado State is 4-40 all-time against Top 10 teams. The last win came on January 19, 1984 against UTEP in Fort Collins with a 63-51 win. CSU has lost the last 22 games against a top 10 team. The last time the Rams faced a top 10 team was February 25, 2020 in a 66-60 loss at San Diego State.
- CSU and Creighton met just two years ago in the US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The Rams came away victorious 95-81 in the game.
Scouting the Blue Jays
Creighton can fill the basket, fast and in a lot of ways. Head coach Greg McDermott's team loves to play fast and let the three fly as they are averaging 91.2 points this season.
Three Blue Jays are averaging over 15 points per game led by Baylor Scheirman and his 19.2 points. Scheierman is shooting an impressive 42.5% from the 3-point range. Joining him with 15-plus points are Trey Alexander (18.4) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (16.0).
Kalkbrenner is a menace on the defensive end as well controlling the paint with his 7'1" frame.
What's Ahead
Colorado State returns home to host rival Colorado on Wednesday, November 29. The Rams and Buffs tip off at 7 pm as part of a Stripe Out at Moby Arena on CBS Sports Network.
Players Mentioned
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