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LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO
CONFERENCE: Mountain West
LAST SEASON: 19-11 (.633)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 7-7 (t-4th, WAC Mountain)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Rams
COLORS: Green & Gold
HOMECOURT: Moby Arena (9,001)
COACH: Ritchie McKay (Seattle-Pacific '97)
record at school 19-11 (1 year)
career record 43-40 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Scott Didrickson (Washington '95)
Dale Layer (Eckerd '80)
Brad Soucie (Christian Heritage '92)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 17-18-20-20-19
RPI (last 5 years) 144-81-69-72-88
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in NIT third round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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A first-year coach's goal is simple: leave a lasting imprint on a program. Ritchie McKay did that in year one. Colorado State wore black uniforms for the first time and played a style that hadn't been seen in Moby Arena under more stodgy coaches Boyd Grant and Stew Morrill. The Rams ran. The uptempo style and physical play shocked the WAC Mountain Division as the Rams became one of the toughest teams to beat in the league. They finished 14-2 at home and despite an 11-point loss to Fresno State in a quarterfinal of the WAC Tournament, the Rams weren't finished. They crushed Mississippi State and Colorado in the first two rounds of the NIT and held their own before being over run by Cal in the third round. There were too many question marks in the preseason to think Colorado State could end up a game away from the NIT Final Four in New York. McKay took the job in August after Morrill abruptly switched to Utah State after Larry Eustachy left for Iowa State. Tim Floyd's move to the Bulls began the domino effect that led to McKay leaving the obscurity of the Big Sky's Portland State. But within the first few weeks of the season, McKay used the quickness of Milt Palacio to jump-start a stagnant offense. Palacio was the point man on defense, too, and gave the Rams a legitimate pressure player. They won six of their first seven. The confidence never subsided as the Rams were a player throughout the WAC race. Palacio is done with the Rams. But the Rams aren't through with being a mystery team. It's hard to pick them any higher than fifth with the talent ahead of them in Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming and UNLV. But it's realistic to expect Colorado State to compete for second behind Utah.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT B- INTANGIBLES B
OK, John Sivesind is one of the purest shooters in the MWC, but he's not a point. If McKay has to go with Sivesind, then he's in trouble. He needs freshman Derrick Mansell to be ready to assume the leadership role. Ron Grady did decently at Oregon State and needs to play at a Pac-10 level to have an impact. While Ceedric Goodwyn is a legitimate force inside, he's not going to be if he can't get the ball. The Rams must make teams back off Goodwyn by driving and dishing and having a shooter who can hit the three-pointer. The problem is Sivesind doesn't create his own shot he needs a point who can get him the ball in the right place. Grady could be a creator on the wing that the Rams need. The post play is questionable, too, with David Fisher and John Ford still needing to prove they can produce consistently. McKay is one of the sharpest young minds in the game and can make this work. It'll be tough to duplicate 19 wins, but Colorado State could be a pest in the MWC. Leaping over Wyoming, New Mexico and UNLV might be too much to ask. |
"I want to be the mystery team," McKay said. "Our guys did a great job of buying into our system last year." McKay took a different approach to the non-conference schedule, putting in a few teams that will give them a challenge. The Rams are in a tournament with UNC Charlotte, host rising Oregon State, are at surging Arizona State and got a game with pesky Creighton on ESPN's Big Monday later in the season. "The schedule will be more taxing but we want a schedule that can get us into the NCAA Tournament," McKay said. "We don't want one that gives us wins. We need to play a schedule that gets us the kind of confidence we need to challenge Utah and New Mexico for the league championship. Utah's the clear favorite but it's a wide-open race for second with New Mexico having the edge because of experience." McKay's optimism lies mostly with 6-8 senior forward Ceedric Goodwyn (14.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, .530 FG, .430 3 PT). The physical power forward will have the offense funnel through him this season after Palacio dictated things from the top of the perimeter. Goodwyn was supposed to help Morrill get into the tournament two years ago but he wasn't eligible out of junior college and had to sit out the 1997-98 season. McKay benefited from Goodwyn's presence inside as he scored 20 or more points four times and led the team in scoring seven times. He was the rebounding leader nine times. While Utah's Hanno Mottola and Alex Jensen are the preseason locks for first-team MWC, Goodwyn is right behind them, pushing for a spot on that all-league roster. "He's as good offensively as any player in the league," McKay said. "He's extended his range and gotten stronger and more physical. He's someone who can be our go-to player down the stretch. The best thing about him is he's unselfish." Goodwyn has hit the three-pointer but also refined his mid-range shot from the free-throw line extended. He's also expected to average nearly nine rebounds a game. "Do that," McKay said, "and he'll be first team all-Mountain West for sure." McKay has options inside. He could use 6-9 senior John Ford (3.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) next to Goodwyn in the middle. McKay thinks Ford's a double-digit rebound guy this season. "He's starting to assert himself by how he finished last season," McKay said. "He's becoming a really good shot blocker too (33 last season)." If Ford struggles, McKay can go with 6-10 junior David Fisher (2.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg), a strong, physical player who understands how to play in the post. "If he stays healthy, which he hasn't, then we have a legitimate front line," McKay said. Garrett Patik (4.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg), a 6-7 junior, is Colorado State's player who will dive on the floor for loose balls, play tight defense and get to the boards all off the bench. Goodwyn, Ford, Fisher and Patik are a lock to work in the frontcourt rotation. McKay can also go deeper on the bench with 6-8 freshman Brian Green (Horizon HS/Thornton, Colo.), 6-8 junior R'Cell Harris (West Valley College/Saratoga, Calif.) and 6-9 junior Paul Martin (0.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg). Green is an active, undersized power forward who could find some minutes. Harris is a scoring post player with range to 15 feet who adds some athleticism on the low block in contrast to the more robotic Fisher. Martin has size but will struggle to find minutes. Now, who's going to get them the ball inside, especially to Goodwyn? That's where this team will be defined. Losing Palacio (18.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.3 apg) puts immense pressure on McKay to find a point guard. His first inkling is to go with 6-1 freshman Derrick Mansell (Mater Dei HS/Santa Ana, Calif.). McKay said Mansell's the type of point who can carry the program because he's smart, quick and a decent shooter. If he wants a more experienced pick, at least in age, he could go with 5-9 junior Aki Palmer (Eastern Wyoming JC & Northern Arizona). He's tough, scrappy and supposedly a decent shooter. If McKay's not pleased with either newcomer, he'll move 6-3 junior John Sivesind (10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to the point. He's a natural shooting guard, but McKay wants the ball in his hands. He and Palacio were the only two players to start all 30 games last season. Sivesind finished fourth on the the team in scoring and had 54 assists and 36 turnovers. He also made 75 three-pointers and shot .740 from the free-throw line. His three-point percentage (.408) was good for fourth in the WAC. While Sivesind is a lock to start, so too is 6-3 junior Oregon State transfer Ron Grady. He'll be eligible in mid-December and gives the Rams a Pac-10-level player who can deliver 10-12 points and four to five boards from the wing. "He's done it at a level we're trying to compete at," McKay said. "He wants to take shots at the end of the game. and he's not afraid to make a mistake." Before Grady is eligible, McKay will probably start 6-4 freshman guard Andy Birley (Battle Ground HS/Vancouver, Wash.). He's already billing him as the next Richie Frahm, the sharp-shooting senior forward at Gonzaga. "Birley can shoot it that well," McKay said. Shawn Harris (3.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg), a 6-6 senior swing guard, started three games last season but will be relegated to bench time. He's potentially a defensive stopper and anything he can do is a bonus like dunking, rebounding and hitting the occasional three-pointer. Erik Smith (1.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg), a 6-3 sophomore, will find it hard to get on the floor.
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