Colorado State University Athletics
Learning On the Fly, Leaning on the Vets
2/19/2024 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Freshmen Evans, Mbemba making most of minutes
These aren't participation minutes. Thanks for coming, glad you're here, we'll get you some time.
Not at all. Niko Medved can't afford such levity with a veteran team with lofty expectations. What comes will be earned, and he finds it impressive freshmen Kyan Evans and Rashaan Mbemba have found a way into the rotation.
"They clearly demonstrate they have the talent to play at this level, the moxie to play at this level and it's demonstrated what they do every day. We brought them here and have given them the opportunity to compete for minutes immediately out of the gate," Medved said, his team ranked No. 22 in the AP poll, No. 24 by the Coaches. "That's hard to at this level no matter what, and it's hard to do on a good team, a team that's winning, veteran guys in front of you. I always think they understood coming in they had a veteran in front of them, and it's, hey, I'm fighting for minutes, but I also have a great opportunity to compete and learn from those guys in front of me."
The benefit for them both and the program is the group surrounding them. There's two sides of the sword for the duo, and for Medved, both are razor sharp.
They're contributing to the present, a major plus for a team in the polls and one at this point destined for the NCAA Tournament. This is a veteran group which has been assembled, led by one of the best point guards in the country. Experience is all over the place for the youngsters to tap into on a daily basis.
Not just in games, but in practice, and that will help them both in the future.
Medved thinks Evans in particular will realize the position he's been in this year in much clearer detail at a later date, but the understudy from Kansas City, Mo., shows up every day with his eyes and ears wide open. What has drawn his attention first and foremost is the leadership aspect. Whether it's a televised game or an empty Moby Arena for practice, Evans finds it all valuable.
"Game experience, there's nothing that compares to that, but playing against Zay every day in practice, there's definitely nothing like that. I don't know too many freshman point guards in the country playing against someone of his caliber every day," he said. "Being able to ask him questions in practice whenever anything is confusing. It's a different feeling I've never had before, just being around somebody like him. I'm definitely gaining from that."
As expected, his minutes have been cut during conference play, so the coaching staff has him hitting the floor with a keen eye on the initial action, to make an impact quickly understanding he may not be on the floor for a long stretch.
For Mbemba, there's been an opposite effect. In the past month, his minutes have grown and remained steady, adding a physical presence to what the Rams are accomplishing inside. Like Evans, he has mentors all around him in Patrick Cartier and Joel Scott, each offering a different perspective of post play from which he can draw.
What he feels has been a connecting effect, with the more he's played, the more natural it has felt for him, allowing him to elevate his game.
"The first few games I had, I was slow in reading what we were trying to do. Everything was a little bit slower, so of course I had to adjust," Mbemba said. "I also had to adjust for such an experienced group who has played in college for so long. To get that opportunity to play in those games with them, it's been better and easier to understand the game. It's valuable to play with Zay or Joel on the court. They help you with details, and that helps me a lot.
"It has to build. I wouldn't say it's confidence, it's more being adjusted to the system here, and also being in good shape. I'm in way better shape than I was, and that helps reading stuff and reacting to spots you have to be. Confidence is part of it, but what I think is way more important is to feel comfortable in how you're playing, where you're playing. That's what has stood out to me most, being more comfortable out there."
And Medved is comfortable with them both in the regular rotation.
What he sees daily in practice from them is an understanding of the importance of those sessions. Not just to prepare for two games a week, but the grind of a 30-plus game schedule they've never experienced.
"One of the things I'm seeing from both of those guys, and what typically happens with freshman, you come in and all the sudden the season starts to get longer than it's ever been," Medved said. "Your body feels different, the grind feels different, scouting reports happen. Most freshmen hit a wall, so to speak, and then what usually happens if they stay with it, you hit this stretch run of the season and they find another gear, another confidence, and I think you're seeing that with both of those guys. They're starting to feel more comfortable and confident as they come down the stretch, and they're a big part of what we're trying to do here."
The now matters most. The later, Medved expects to see a benefit then, as well.
Not at all. Niko Medved can't afford such levity with a veteran team with lofty expectations. What comes will be earned, and he finds it impressive freshmen Kyan Evans and Rashaan Mbemba have found a way into the rotation.
"They clearly demonstrate they have the talent to play at this level, the moxie to play at this level and it's demonstrated what they do every day. We brought them here and have given them the opportunity to compete for minutes immediately out of the gate," Medved said, his team ranked No. 22 in the AP poll, No. 24 by the Coaches. "That's hard to at this level no matter what, and it's hard to do on a good team, a team that's winning, veteran guys in front of you. I always think they understood coming in they had a veteran in front of them, and it's, hey, I'm fighting for minutes, but I also have a great opportunity to compete and learn from those guys in front of me."
The benefit for them both and the program is the group surrounding them. There's two sides of the sword for the duo, and for Medved, both are razor sharp.
They're contributing to the present, a major plus for a team in the polls and one at this point destined for the NCAA Tournament. This is a veteran group which has been assembled, led by one of the best point guards in the country. Experience is all over the place for the youngsters to tap into on a daily basis.
Not just in games, but in practice, and that will help them both in the future.
Medved thinks Evans in particular will realize the position he's been in this year in much clearer detail at a later date, but the understudy from Kansas City, Mo., shows up every day with his eyes and ears wide open. What has drawn his attention first and foremost is the leadership aspect. Whether it's a televised game or an empty Moby Arena for practice, Evans finds it all valuable.
"Game experience, there's nothing that compares to that, but playing against Zay every day in practice, there's definitely nothing like that. I don't know too many freshman point guards in the country playing against someone of his caliber every day," he said. "Being able to ask him questions in practice whenever anything is confusing. It's a different feeling I've never had before, just being around somebody like him. I'm definitely gaining from that."
As expected, his minutes have been cut during conference play, so the coaching staff has him hitting the floor with a keen eye on the initial action, to make an impact quickly understanding he may not be on the floor for a long stretch.
For Mbemba, there's been an opposite effect. In the past month, his minutes have grown and remained steady, adding a physical presence to what the Rams are accomplishing inside. Like Evans, he has mentors all around him in Patrick Cartier and Joel Scott, each offering a different perspective of post play from which he can draw.
What he feels has been a connecting effect, with the more he's played, the more natural it has felt for him, allowing him to elevate his game.
"The first few games I had, I was slow in reading what we were trying to do. Everything was a little bit slower, so of course I had to adjust," Mbemba said. "I also had to adjust for such an experienced group who has played in college for so long. To get that opportunity to play in those games with them, it's been better and easier to understand the game. It's valuable to play with Zay or Joel on the court. They help you with details, and that helps me a lot.
"It has to build. I wouldn't say it's confidence, it's more being adjusted to the system here, and also being in good shape. I'm in way better shape than I was, and that helps reading stuff and reacting to spots you have to be. Confidence is part of it, but what I think is way more important is to feel comfortable in how you're playing, where you're playing. That's what has stood out to me most, being more comfortable out there."
And Medved is comfortable with them both in the regular rotation.
What he sees daily in practice from them is an understanding of the importance of those sessions. Not just to prepare for two games a week, but the grind of a 30-plus game schedule they've never experienced.
"One of the things I'm seeing from both of those guys, and what typically happens with freshman, you come in and all the sudden the season starts to get longer than it's ever been," Medved said. "Your body feels different, the grind feels different, scouting reports happen. Most freshmen hit a wall, so to speak, and then what usually happens if they stay with it, you hit this stretch run of the season and they find another gear, another confidence, and I think you're seeing that with both of those guys. They're starting to feel more comfortable and confident as they come down the stretch, and they're a big part of what we're trying to do here."
The now matters most. The later, Medved expects to see a benefit then, as well.
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