Shootaround: Different Styles, Same Approach

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The style will be different, which will have to be accounted for to some degree, but that works both ways.

When 10^th-seeded Colorado State (25-10) faces No. 7 Texas (20-12) at the Spectrum Center on Thursday (4:50 p.m. MT) in the NCAA Tournament, the Rams will match up with a team which takes a vastly altered approach to the Virginia team it beat in the First Four.

The Longhorns will play with purpose, not deliberation, on both ends of the floor. They won't change, and neither will Colorado State.
"I explained to our team last night, about nine percent of the teams in college basketball get an opportunity to be an at-large team," CSU coach Niko Medved said. "So you're among the best of the best, and you did that by doing certain things well throughout the season. Now is not the time to get away from those things. Now is the time to double down and embrace those things.

"Yes, we have to do that. Just like our opponent would say the same thing. The things that allow them to get to this point right here are the things you want to rely on. Yes, your opponent presents all kinds of challenges -- Texas does -- but we have to go out there and do the things we've done at a high level to be successful."

The Rams stuck to their guns against the Cavaliers and it paid off quite well. They leaned on the actions which worked best against Virginia's style of defense, and while some viewed it as a low scoring game, the Rams' were extremely efficient with limited possessions. They shot 55.3 percent from the field and pounded the paint with three interior players scoring in double figures.

They were productive inside the arc so they only attempted 14 3s, making five. Defensively, the same attention to detail worked in limiting Virgina to just 25 percent from the floor.
Texas is different. The Rams know they just have to be themselves.

"It's going to be a tough game no matter what. Obviously at this stage, we know what we do really well, and you don't want to start straying too far away from that," CSU point guard Isaiah Stevens said. "But we also do a really good job of adjusting to our opponents as well.

"Texas does some things very unique that we're going to have to be ready for. They're a very athletic, tough, disciplined, scrappy group, and that changes some things about how we want to attack them, but at the same time, we also do some things really well that, if we stick to our guns, we can have success as well."

Colorado State is 6-1 in neutral site games this season; Texas is 2-2.

Crowd Support

Colorado State sold out the 350 tickets it was required to buy and then had to start to direct other requests to the NCAA site. It won't be a sold-out Moby Arena, but the team isn't expecting to feel like the road team either, despite being 1,616 miles from home.

Knowing there is a dedicated section of supporters helps.

"Having fans here with us, even seeing them in the hotel and all around, that means a lot," guard Josiah Strong said. "They're willing to make quick turnarounds to support us, quick trips to support us. It doesn't make it feel like a home game, obviously, but knowing your fans are right there for you goes a long way."

There will be four teams playing in the second session at Spectrum Center, each with their own bases, and most will be in attendance for both games. There will also be some neutral fans in the crowd, and they'll eventually pick a side.

The norm in early tournament games is those without a vested interest in either team generally cheer for the underdog. Strong hopes they'll side with his 10^th-seeded Rams against the Texas name recognition.

"I think that kind of comes with the territory for sure," he said. "We kind of see ourselves as the underdog, but I'm not sure how the fans look at us here. Playing a big name like Texas, they probably view us that way. Having all those fans in there cheering for us will give us a boost if they choose to do that.

"I also feel a lot of people, especially on this side of the country, don't know us yet. This will be an opportunity to showcase what we can do, and maybe they'll get a chance to learn a little bit more about us as a collective."

Nice and Warm

Having to play in the First Four is seen by many as a disadvantage, and considering Colorado State's travel path, it would make sense. Leaving Dayton right after the win over Virginia and landing in Charlotte around 3 a.m. wasn't ideal for the sleep cycle, but the team felt caught up by the time they practiced on Wednesday.

A positive attitude never hurts.

"It's definitely a good thing, again, to get all the jitters out," Nique Clifford said. "Everybody's now played a game in the tournament, so we feel good going into this next one against a high-level opponent."

All of it beats the alternative of being home and watching the tournament.

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