Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, March 1
Fort Collins, CO
2:00 PM
Colorado State
vs
Utah State
Rams Host Aggies for Saturday Showdown
2/28/2025 1:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CSU men’s basketball hosts its annual Fight Like a Ram Game
FORT COLLINS– Let the madness begin on Saturday as the calendar turns from February to March when Colorado State men's basketball hosts Utah State at 2 p.m. The Rams enter the game a half-game behind USU for second place in the Mountain West.
Saturday's game is also the program's Fight Like a Ram game. For the sixth year in partnership with UCHealth, the players will wear the name of a Cancer Warrior on the back of their jerseys.
Opening Tip
- On Tuesday night, Kyan Evan's strong second half led the Rams over Air Force 77-55.
- The win matched the program's most Mountain West road wins with six, tying the 2016-17 and 2021-22 teams.
- CSU's six road wins are tied for the eighth most in program history.
- Colorado State can match the most conference wins in program history on Saturday with 14, joining the 2020-21 and 2021-22 teams.
- Evans scored a career-high 20 points against the Falcons. Eighteen of his 20 points came in the second half.
- Over the past two second halves, Evans has scored 32 points on 66.7% shooting, including 4-of 8 behind the arc and making all eight of his free throws.
- Kyan Evans has turned a corner since mid-December. Over those 18 games, averaging 11.8 points, shooting 44.0% from 3-point range with 3.4 assists per game.
- Nique Clifford finished a rebound shy of a double-double in his hometown with 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
- Clifford has recorded a double-double in five of the past eight games, only missing by a point in one game and one rebound in two others. He is averaging 18.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists during that stretch.Â
- He is averaging 17.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
- Clifford is one of two Division I players to have 475 points, 275 rebounds and 110 assists along with UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg.
- Clifford is third in the nation with 8.70 defensive rebounds per game and 11th for total rebounds at 10.2.
- He was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team after earning third team honors last season.
- Jalen Lake is having a strong senior season averaging 11.7 points on 41.9% shooting including 34.0% from behind the arc.
- Lake was key at the end of the first half for the Rams against Air Force scoring 10 of his 15 points over the final 10 minutes of it.
- Jaylen Crocker-Johnson is averaging 10.9 points during the past nine games. He has scored in double figures in seven of those, including 13 at Air Force Tuesday.
- The Rams as averaging 16.8 assists per game to rank 24th in the nation. Their assist rate of 63.6% is the sixth best in the NCAA. Â
- CSU ranks 19th in the nation making 77.8% of its free throw attempts this season.
- Since Colorado State and Utah State last played, the Rams are allowing just 58.0 points per game and holding opponents to 43.1% shooting.
- Head coach Niko Medved is in his seventh year leading Colorado State. He is 135-84 as the Rams' head coach. He has the second most wins in program history, trailing only Jim Williams (1955-80) and his 352.
- He became the fifth coach in program history to reach 100 wins in Fort Collins last year. Medved is the only coach in program history to win 20-plus games four times.
- He picked up his 200th career win in November with the Rams' overtime win over TCU.
Scouting the Aggies
Utah State enters Saturday's game a half-game ahead of CSU in the Mountain West standings for second place.
The Aggies are closing out a two-game road trip after falling at Boise State on Wednesday night 82-65.
Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev lead USU's high powered offensive attack averaging 17.0 and 14.9 points, respectively.
What's Ahead
Colorado State hosts its final home game of the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, March 4 when San Jose State at 7 p.m.
The Rams will honor their four seniors, Nique Clifford, Jalen Lake, Bowen Born and Ethan Morton before the game.
Tickets for the games are available at CSURams.com/MBBTickets
Saturday's game is also the program's Fight Like a Ram game. For the sixth year in partnership with UCHealth, the players will wear the name of a Cancer Warrior on the back of their jerseys.
Opening Tip
- On Tuesday night, Kyan Evan's strong second half led the Rams over Air Force 77-55.
- The win matched the program's most Mountain West road wins with six, tying the 2016-17 and 2021-22 teams.
- CSU's six road wins are tied for the eighth most in program history.
- Colorado State can match the most conference wins in program history on Saturday with 14, joining the 2020-21 and 2021-22 teams.
- Evans scored a career-high 20 points against the Falcons. Eighteen of his 20 points came in the second half.
- Over the past two second halves, Evans has scored 32 points on 66.7% shooting, including 4-of 8 behind the arc and making all eight of his free throws.
- Kyan Evans has turned a corner since mid-December. Over those 18 games, averaging 11.8 points, shooting 44.0% from 3-point range with 3.4 assists per game.
- Nique Clifford finished a rebound shy of a double-double in his hometown with 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
- Clifford has recorded a double-double in five of the past eight games, only missing by a point in one game and one rebound in two others. He is averaging 18.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists during that stretch.Â
- He is averaging 17.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
- Clifford is one of two Division I players to have 475 points, 275 rebounds and 110 assists along with UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg.
- Clifford is third in the nation with 8.70 defensive rebounds per game and 11th for total rebounds at 10.2.
- He was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team after earning third team honors last season.
- Jalen Lake is having a strong senior season averaging 11.7 points on 41.9% shooting including 34.0% from behind the arc.
- Lake was key at the end of the first half for the Rams against Air Force scoring 10 of his 15 points over the final 10 minutes of it.
- Jaylen Crocker-Johnson is averaging 10.9 points during the past nine games. He has scored in double figures in seven of those, including 13 at Air Force Tuesday.
- The Rams as averaging 16.8 assists per game to rank 24th in the nation. Their assist rate of 63.6% is the sixth best in the NCAA. Â
- CSU ranks 19th in the nation making 77.8% of its free throw attempts this season.
- Since Colorado State and Utah State last played, the Rams are allowing just 58.0 points per game and holding opponents to 43.1% shooting.
- Head coach Niko Medved is in his seventh year leading Colorado State. He is 135-84 as the Rams' head coach. He has the second most wins in program history, trailing only Jim Williams (1955-80) and his 352.
- He became the fifth coach in program history to reach 100 wins in Fort Collins last year. Medved is the only coach in program history to win 20-plus games four times.
- He picked up his 200th career win in November with the Rams' overtime win over TCU.
Scouting the Aggies
Utah State enters Saturday's game a half-game ahead of CSU in the Mountain West standings for second place.
The Aggies are closing out a two-game road trip after falling at Boise State on Wednesday night 82-65.
Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev lead USU's high powered offensive attack averaging 17.0 and 14.9 points, respectively.
What's Ahead
Colorado State hosts its final home game of the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, March 4 when San Jose State at 7 p.m.
The Rams will honor their four seniors, Nique Clifford, Jalen Lake, Bowen Born and Ethan Morton before the game.
Tickets for the games are available at CSURams.com/MBBTickets
Players Mentioned
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