Who starts? Who'll come off the bench? Guide to Colorado State men's basketball roster
The first real look for fans at the much-changed Colorado State men's basketball team will be in the important season-opener.
The Rams didn't play a public exhibition, so a tricky nonconference game against Louisiana Tech (8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6) at Moby Arena is the first chance to see how different this team is from a year ago.
CSU did play two "secret" scrimmages, blowing out Minnesota in Fort Collins and winning by 10 at Oregon, a potential NCAA Tournament team. Take secret scrimmage results with a big grain of salt (teams will be cautious with injuries, personal fouls don't count, teams are testing new rotations, etc.) but it at least is a signal that CSU's talent can hang in with big-conference foes.
This is an old, experienced team but with many pieces new to CSU. Here's a player-by-player guide to the roster, detailing what each player brings and what their role is expected to be.
0, Kyan Evans
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 175 pounds
Year: Freshman
Role: Evans will begin the season as the backup point guard. The staff is excited about the potential of Evans, who is coming off winning the Missouri Player of the Year award as a high school senior. A big talent and should have flashes on offense but, like most freshmen, will face growing pains on defense.
1, Joel Scott
Position: Forward
Height/weight: 6-7, 225
Year: Graduate student
Role: Scott will start at one of the big man positions and often guard the best interior scorer on the opposing team. The Lewis-Palmer graduate was a four-year star at Black Hills State (South Dakota) and was the 2022-23 NCAA Division II Player of the Year. Scott will have to adjust to the pace of play at this level but won’t be needed to score as much as he did at the DII level, and his rebounding should translate.
2, Taviontae Jackson
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-2, 165
Year: Sophomore
Role: Jackson showed flashes of promise last season but has also battled injury and illness through his time on campus. He's had a stop-start preseason with limited practice time and likely won't be available early in the season.
3, Josiah Strong
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-4, 195
Year: Graduate student
Role: Strong may feel like a new addition to fans since he only played in a handful of games last season before being forced into a medical redshirt due to illness. For those in the program, it’s exciting to have a player back who they had high hopes for a year ago. Strong is expected to start at shooting guard, where he brings physical defense and 3-point shooting. He shot 41% behind the arc two years ago.
4, Isaiah Stevens
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-0, 185
Year: Graduate student
Role: Stevens is HIM, as the kids say. Already one of the most decorated players in program history and the preseason Mountain West Player of the Year, Stevens is back for an encore after testing the NBA waters. He’ll leave as a program record-holder in almost every scoring/assist category. A healthy Stevens gives CSU a chance in every game because he’ll be the best player on the floor almost every night.
10, Nique Clifford
Position: Wing
Height/weight: 6-6, 191
Year: Senior (two seasons of eligibility remaining)
Role: Perhaps the most intriguing offseason addition for CSU. Medved and the Rams heavily recruited Clifford out of The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs before he chose rival Colorado. He started 50 games at CU and played in an NCAA Tournament but seemed in need of a fresh start after last season. He’s arguably CSU’s most athletic player and should benefit from playing with a pass-first point guard. Consistency will be his most important thing, but he can raise the ceiling for CSU’s season.
More: Southern Colorado connection taking over CSU basketball: ‘Fate brought us here’
11, Jack Payne
Position: Wing
Height/weight: 6-6, 195
Year: Redshirt freshman
Role: Can Payne wrestle his way into the rotation? As a redshirting scout teamer last season he showed himself to be a hard-nosed player unlikely to back down from a challenge. CSU has a bevy of wings and there won’t be minutes for all of them, but Payne is one in the battle for time.
12, Patrick Cartier
Position: Forward
Height/weight: 6-8, 220
Year: Graduate student
Role: Cartier will start at the other post position alongside Scott. His 64.7% field goal percentage last year was the sixth-best in a season in program history as he transitioned from Division II to Division I. He’s not a volume 3-point shooter but has become efficient from outside. Coaches say his defense has improved and if he’s adequate on that end (with Scott protecting him) he can be a dominant force because of his offensive efficiency.
13, Javonte Johnson
Position: Wing
Height/weight: 6-6, 215
Year: Senior (two seasons of eligibility remaining)
Role: Johnson transfers in after three seasons at Mountain West rival New Mexico, where he started 62 games. It will be an intriguing role, going from starter to the bench where he’s in a battle for minutes. Johnson shot 45.5% on 3-pointers two seasons ago before a slump last season. Johnson and Payne are likely battling for the last spot among wings in the rotation and the veteran probably has a narrow edge early on.
14, Luke Murphy
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-2, 170
Year: Redshirt freshman
Role: Murphy is back for a second season as a walk-on for CSU, where he serves on the scout team in practices.
15, Jalen Lake
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-4, 190
Year: Junior
Role: Lake likely begins the season as the sixth man but is a de facto starter. Coaches say he had an excellent offseason. Lake is a strong perimeter defender and shot 37% on 3-pointers last season. A player who could make a jump this season.
20, Joe Palmer
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-4, 190
Year: Graduate student
Role: Palmer became a fan favorite last season with his “hair on fire” playing style that also had substance. He’s not a high-minutes player, but he shot 35% on 3-pointers and made several key plays last season as he jumped from Division III to Division I. He has the trust of the coaches and will once again be in the rotation for important bench minutes.
21, Rashaan Mbemba
Position: Forward
Height/weight: 6-7, 250
Year: Freshman
Role: No, that’s not David Roddy back for another season as a Ram. No lie, it is startling the first time you see Mbemba. He’s wearing Roddy’s old number, he has a similar build, similar hairstyle and beard. It’s worthy of a double-take. This is not to say Mbemba will become Roddy, because that’s an unfair peg to put on a young player, but he does have on-court similarities as well. Mbemba is older than a typical freshman. He’ll take time adjusting to the speed of play in the United States and the offense may take some time, but he's physical and can carve space in the paint and grab a rebound. He might be the first big off the bench, although he has a minor injury which may keep him out of the opener and possibly opening week.
22, Cam Lowe
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-5, 210
Year: Freshman
Role: Another in the huge contingent of Colorado Springs to CSU players (along with Scott, Clifford and Johnson). Lowe is a walk-on who was at Air Force’s prep academy and was the 2022 Colorado 4A Player of the Year. He’ll be on the scout team.
32, Kyle Evans
Position: Forward
Height/weight: 6-10, 215
Year: Sophomore
Role: Evans will be an intriguing one to watch to see if he can force his way into an important role. He brings length and shot-blocking ability in the paint that CSU hasn’t had in years. He was beginning to find his footing last season when he broke a thumb and missed the rest of the season. Evans is battling Mbemba for minutes as a backup big.
Projected starting lineup
Here's how I project the Rams to start Monday:
Isaiah Stevens
Josiah Strong
Nique Clifford
Joel Scott
Patrick Cartier
Bench: Jalen Lake sixth-man. Kyan Evans is the backup point guard. Rashaan Mbemba first big off the bench, but Kyle Evans may play. Joe Palmer and Javonte Johnson are the next two wings up in the rotation.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Guide to Colorado State men's basketball 2023-24 roster
