Colorado State University Athletics
Wednesday, March 11
Las Vegas, NV
7:00 p.m.
Colorado State
vs
Fresno State
Photo by: Brandon Randall
Shootaround: Simple Habits, High Stakes
3/11/2026 3:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Rams rely on the habits which got them there.
LAS VEGAS — In unfamiliar places the importance of habits reveals itself quickly.
In a city built for distraction — designed to pull the vacationing salaryman away from routine — there's little room for a team to fall behind on the very things that brought them here. Early mornings, film sessions and moments of adversity all demanded something deeper beneath the surface.
The simple habits
.
"We want these guys to play free of mind and be able what they're supposed to do," assistant coach Ken DeWeese said. "Just know, what are our defensive principles? Our offensive principles? What do we know we're going to do in basic situations? We can just rely on them to do what they do with great pace and execution."
It's been a point of focus for Colorado State basketball since the beginning.
Because on and off the court it builds a baseline. Of course in finishing off the glass or setting a screen. But also in going to bed on time or fueling your body with the right things. Possibly even observing a small superstition.
"I'd say I'm a little superstitious in terms of what I wear," Jase Butler said. "A lot of people have something. But for me, I have to get my corner shots before I step on the court. Just to kind of get that mind-body-ball connection. But I just try to keep things consistent."
Butler has seen how those habits impact the game.
He was on the bench for the first half of the season. Coming in for some consistency mainly, whether it was behind the arc or deep in the paint. But the lineup changed after losing the Fresno State away from home. The game ended 79-69 after a 14-point halftime deficit which could not be overcome.
Though Butler didn't shoot particularly well, his defense showed a needed steadiness on both ends of the floor. He recognizes the poetic timing of it all — as if everything keeps circling back to Fresno.
"It's definitely cool," Butler said. "But you can't really get lost in it because the season just goes so fast. I started and then it feels like right after that we're playing the first round of the tournament."
When CSU saw Fresno again, this time at home, the Rams erased a 13‑point deficit and edged out a 74–70 win. Their grit surfaced exactly the way they wanted it to — not chaotic but calculated. The payoff of the mindset necessary during a tournament setting.
When tensions rise and games hinge on countless converging details, the Rams return mentally to the practice gym where all of it began. Before streaks, before injuries, before narratives formed about what Ram basketball is.
"We've been building these habits all year," Butler said. "It didn't show up very obviously at the start but by the end we've showcased them. Now it's keeping the same mentality that coach has been preaching of just trusting our work. We've put in the shots and reps so now we go out that and play for ourselves."
Their habits — quiet, unglamorous, relentlessly practiced — have become the compass they trust most. In a city full of noise, it's the simplest routines that steady them. And as the lights get brighter, those same habits are what they hope will carry them one step further.
Â
Faith in the Familiar
The familiar is often comforting.
But in college basketball, familiarity becomes a liability. Once opponents know your tendencies, it's less about surprising them and more about preparing for ways they might counter.
"The though part is trying to anticipate or assume what they might do," DeWeese said. "It's really about going back through some of the adjustments we made from the first to the second to now the third game. Seeing what they've done against other teams who have made those adjustments and preparing for what it might look like."
DeWeese did the scouting last year when the Rams made their way through to the end of the conference. This year, it's the last time the Rams are competing in the Mountain West.
The times they are a changing, but the Bulldogs are still the team they battled in Moby Arena at the tail end of February. A team they muscled a win over after a tumultuous start to the second half.
"We know that if we do the things we're supposed to do we have enough in this locker room to overcome it," DeWeese said. "Home vs. road is normally a little different, but in a tournament situation it's all about how you roll with it."
Familiarity may blur the element of surprise, but it sharpens something more important: identity.
Â
The margins are slim, the scouting exhaustive and the stakes at their peak. But in a tournament where chaos is expected, the Rams' greatest advantage might simply be their belief they can withstand whatever comes next. Because in the end, familiarity doesn't guarantee the outcome — only the confidence to face it.
Â
In the Paint
This is No. 7 CSU's first matchup of the Mountain West Tournament, coming in against a No. 10 Fresno State team it split the regular‑season series with. … The Rams took the most recent meeting in Fort Collins, erasing a double‑digit second‑half deficit to secure a narrow win. … Fresno State last beat CSU earlier in the year at home, using defensive pressure and capitalizing on 11 CSU turnovers. … FSU has struggled away from home this season (2–9), while CSU holds the tournament edge at 4–1 across the five times the teams have met in March.
In a city built for distraction — designed to pull the vacationing salaryman away from routine — there's little room for a team to fall behind on the very things that brought them here. Early mornings, film sessions and moments of adversity all demanded something deeper beneath the surface.
The simple habits
.
"We want these guys to play free of mind and be able what they're supposed to do," assistant coach Ken DeWeese said. "Just know, what are our defensive principles? Our offensive principles? What do we know we're going to do in basic situations? We can just rely on them to do what they do with great pace and execution."
It's been a point of focus for Colorado State basketball since the beginning.
Because on and off the court it builds a baseline. Of course in finishing off the glass or setting a screen. But also in going to bed on time or fueling your body with the right things. Possibly even observing a small superstition.
"I'd say I'm a little superstitious in terms of what I wear," Jase Butler said. "A lot of people have something. But for me, I have to get my corner shots before I step on the court. Just to kind of get that mind-body-ball connection. But I just try to keep things consistent."
Butler has seen how those habits impact the game.
He was on the bench for the first half of the season. Coming in for some consistency mainly, whether it was behind the arc or deep in the paint. But the lineup changed after losing the Fresno State away from home. The game ended 79-69 after a 14-point halftime deficit which could not be overcome.
Though Butler didn't shoot particularly well, his defense showed a needed steadiness on both ends of the floor. He recognizes the poetic timing of it all — as if everything keeps circling back to Fresno.
"It's definitely cool," Butler said. "But you can't really get lost in it because the season just goes so fast. I started and then it feels like right after that we're playing the first round of the tournament."
When CSU saw Fresno again, this time at home, the Rams erased a 13‑point deficit and edged out a 74–70 win. Their grit surfaced exactly the way they wanted it to — not chaotic but calculated. The payoff of the mindset necessary during a tournament setting.
When tensions rise and games hinge on countless converging details, the Rams return mentally to the practice gym where all of it began. Before streaks, before injuries, before narratives formed about what Ram basketball is.
"We've been building these habits all year," Butler said. "It didn't show up very obviously at the start but by the end we've showcased them. Now it's keeping the same mentality that coach has been preaching of just trusting our work. We've put in the shots and reps so now we go out that and play for ourselves."
Their habits — quiet, unglamorous, relentlessly practiced — have become the compass they trust most. In a city full of noise, it's the simplest routines that steady them. And as the lights get brighter, those same habits are what they hope will carry them one step further.
Â
Faith in the Familiar
The familiar is often comforting.
But in college basketball, familiarity becomes a liability. Once opponents know your tendencies, it's less about surprising them and more about preparing for ways they might counter.
"The though part is trying to anticipate or assume what they might do," DeWeese said. "It's really about going back through some of the adjustments we made from the first to the second to now the third game. Seeing what they've done against other teams who have made those adjustments and preparing for what it might look like."
DeWeese did the scouting last year when the Rams made their way through to the end of the conference. This year, it's the last time the Rams are competing in the Mountain West.
The times they are a changing, but the Bulldogs are still the team they battled in Moby Arena at the tail end of February. A team they muscled a win over after a tumultuous start to the second half.
"We know that if we do the things we're supposed to do we have enough in this locker room to overcome it," DeWeese said. "Home vs. road is normally a little different, but in a tournament situation it's all about how you roll with it."
Familiarity may blur the element of surprise, but it sharpens something more important: identity.
Â
The margins are slim, the scouting exhaustive and the stakes at their peak. But in a tournament where chaos is expected, the Rams' greatest advantage might simply be their belief they can withstand whatever comes next. Because in the end, familiarity doesn't guarantee the outcome — only the confidence to face it.
Â
In the Paint
This is No. 7 CSU's first matchup of the Mountain West Tournament, coming in against a No. 10 Fresno State team it split the regular‑season series with. … The Rams took the most recent meeting in Fort Collins, erasing a double‑digit second‑half deficit to secure a narrow win. … Fresno State last beat CSU earlier in the year at home, using defensive pressure and capitalizing on 11 CSU turnovers. … FSU has struggled away from home this season (2–9), while CSU holds the tournament edge at 4–1 across the five times the teams have met in March.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballColorado State Basketball (M): Ali Farokhmanesh Post-Game (Boise State)
Saturday, March 07
Colorado State Basketball (M): Kyle Jorgensen (L) & Jevin Muniz (R) Post-Game (Boise State)
Saturday, March 07
Rams Live: Jevin Muniz MBB Senior Spotlight
Friday, March 06
Rams Live: Ali Farokhmanesh Boise State Pregame Preview
Friday, March 06