CSU Rams debut in AP men's basketball top 25 ahead of battle against CU Buffs
Nov. 27—It has been almost four full years since the Colorado men's basketball team last visited Fort Collins. In terms of the history of the rivalry against Colorado State, it's been an eternity.
In the history of a series that dates back to 1906, rarely has the buzz, or the stakes, been higher.
On Monday, two days before the 131st matchup between the state rivals on Wednesday night at CSU's Moby Arena (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network), the Rams jumped into the latest Associated Press top 25 poll, coming in at No. 20. CSU is off to a 6-0 start and turned heads with a decisive win against then-No. 8 Creighton on Thanksgiving.
The Buffaloes, meanwhile, dropped out of the top 25 after being ranked at No. 18 last week. CU suffered an overtime defeat against Florida State at the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, but rebounded at home on Sunday to post an 85-68 win against Iona. It wasn't enough to sway voters, however, as the Buffs unofficially finished at No. 28 as the third team among others receiving votes.
CU was ranked at No. 24 when it made its last visit to CSU on Dec. 13, 2019, toughing out an ugly 56-48 win. But having either side ranked is a rare occurrence in the rivalry. Prior to that 2019 game, the last time either team was ranked in the AP top 25 going into the rivalry matchup was on March 13, 1969, when the Rams toppled the 18th-ranked Buffs in the NCAA Tournament.
It will be the first time CSU has been ranked going into a game against the Buffs.
"We're going to go into a hostile environment and it's going to be like a conference road game," CU head coach Tad Boyle said following Monday's practice. "Colorado State just beat a top-10 team on a neutral floor. And didn't just beat them. They thumped them. They're very talented.
"They're really shooting the ball. When you look at their numbers, it's kind of like we were going down to Florida. Video game numbers. If they shoot that way against us, we'd better score a hundred-plus to give ourselves a chance. It's going to be a test for our defense and a test for our ability to go into a hostile environment and play together."
In what will be a quality win for the victor, there will be an abundance of storylines. Most prominently is the matchup against former Buffs player Nique Clifford, the wing from Colorado Springs who spent the past three seasons at CU, playing in 82 games with 50 starts, before transferring last spring. Clifford has enjoyed a solid start with the Rams, averaging 13.2 points with a .638 field goal percentage during CSU's 6-0 start.
Boyle also will see a semi-familiar face in CSU's Joel Scott, the younger brother of former CU standout Josh Scott. Also new to CSU, Joel Scott was a standout at Division II Black Hills State before transferring. Boyle said the Buffs talked with Scott during the spring recruiting cycle, but given CU already had a player entrenched in the rotation with a similar skill-set in J'Vonne Hadley, Scott eyed a bigger opportunity at CSU. He leads the Rams at 6.8 rebounds per game and ranks second in scoring at 14.5 points per game.
Oh, and standout CSU point guard Isaiah Stevens on Monday was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week after putting up 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win against Creighton.
"He's off to a great, great start," Boyle said of Clifford. "I said this when he left, but he's just a phenomenal human being. I've got nothing but love for Nique. Now, we want to beat him. Just like he wants to beat us. But I'm happy he's off to a good start."
