Colorado State’s Road to the Sweet 16: Volume 8

(Check out Colorado State’s Road to the Sweet 16: Volume 7 here)

Let’s start here:

What a year for David Roddy.

I’ve had the pleasure of talking with David multiple times this year (you can find those conversations here and here) and there isn’t a more humble and more deserving guy to receive this accolade. I, on the other hand, have not been as modest...

“Roddy the Body” put up some insane numbers this year, averaging 19.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG while shooting 57.5% from the field and 46.2% from 3. Roddy, along with 2nd team All-Mountain West selection Isaiah Stevens, has led CSU to a 24-4 record.

Boise State has had an equally impressive year, going 15-3 in conference play and 24-7 overall. The boys in blue had already locked up the #1 seed in the MW Tournament going into their matchup with CSU in Fort Collins, but it was an important matchup nonetheless. For the Rams, it meant the difference between a #2 or #3 seed in the conference tourney, and for both teams, this game had seeding implications for March Madness.

Colorado State 71, Boise State 68

This was a battle till the very end between the two best teams in an extremely crowded Mountain West.

CSU had the early advantage after Kendle Moore connected on a 3, making it a 17-10 game with 7 minutes gone in the first half. Boise State came storming back thanks to Max Rice, who couldn’t miss from early on. The Rams came back and hit some shots late in the first half to make it a 41-36 game going into the locker room.

CSU built on their halftime lead right away, going up by as much as 11 early on in the 2nd, but the Broncos wouldn’t go away, and from the 12:00 marker on, this was a back and forth game till the very end. This one ultimately came down to some key defensive stops, a massive offensive rebound from David Roddy, and some clutch free thrown down the stretch from Kendle Moore.

Here’s what the final box score looked like for the Rams:

David Roddy had another massive game, Kendle Moore was the 2nd best player for the 2nd straight game, and Mr. Consistent Isaiah Stevens did what he does. The Rams locked up the #2 seed and got themselves ranked again, coming in at #23 in the latest AP poll.

Now comes the really fun part. Postseason play.

*Update: #7 Utah State has defeated #10 Air Force, moving on the play CSU in the 2nd round.

You would think the #2 seed would get a somewhat easy matchup in their first game of the conference tournament. Not in this year’s Mountain West.

CSU takes on a Utah State Aggies team that gave the Rams everything they could handle just 2 weeks ago in Logan, Utah. This time the two teams will battle on neutral ground in Las Vegas, and Colorado State fans look like they’re going to give the Rams a boost.

These boys have Ft. Collins and the entire state of Colorado buzzin’.

The first game of the MW Tournament for the Rams will come against Justin Bean and the Utah State Aggies tomorrow March 10th @7pm MST on CBS Sports Network.

If CSU manages to get past Utah State, the semifinal game will come against either #3 San Diego State or #6 Fresno State the next day on March 11th.

The Mountain West Championship game will be on Saturday at 4pm MST on March 12th.

It should be a good one. Don’t miss out on any of the action!