What Virginia basketball is saying about Colorado State ahead of First Four March Madness game

DAYTON, Ohio — Two coaches with great respect for each other and the program they're facing.

That much was obvious Monday as Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett and Colorado State coach Niko Medved took the podium at Dayton Arena ahead of the First Four NCAA Tournament game.

The two know each other well and have family connections. Both respect the challenge the other presents when they meet to open March Madness at 7:10 p.m. MT/9:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 19.

Here's a look at what Bennett, Medved and players said about each other ahead of Tuesday's game.

Virginia basketball on what makes Colorado State a difficult challenge

Bennett: "A lot. I had to do the Westwood radio, and (former Syracuse) Coach (Jim) Boeheim was going to be the radio guy. I said, 'Jesus, this is one of those years where maybe I wish I had Coach Boeheim's zone, wouldn't have to handle all those cuts.' They move, they cut. As I said, their point guard (Isaiah Stevens), he's one of the best passers I've seen, him and Reece (Beekman), two special point guards.

But (Stevens') composure, the way they use him, whether it's ball screens or dribble handoffs and little actions, and then they're cutting the other guys and their physicality, their spacing, their cutting, they score in different ways, it's impressive.

Again, I've known Niko — and my father and him are actually very close — and always have certainly been impressed with what he's done.

And watching it now in the last two days closely, you can see why they've been so successful for the past couple of years in a very difficult league.

Puts a premium on your ability to first get back and you can't stop everything but you have to make them earn and you better be continuous and have great vision, but you've got to be able to guard your guy and get them off the glass, all those kinds of things."

Virginia guard Isaac McKneely: "They've got good guard play. Old, experienced team. They're in a really good conference, the Mountain West has been a good conference this year. It's not a light test at all.

It tests our vision and our defense because they have a high-powered offense. I'm excited for the challenge. They're a really good team. We'll see how we stack up against them tomorrow."

More: Colorado State basketball vs. Virginia set. Here’s time, date for March Madness First Four game

The point guard matchup

Beekman and Stevens are two of the best guards in the country and will be vital in Tuesday's game.

Bennett: "I think you're going to see two of the best point guards go head to head tomorrow. I think Isaiah is special from what I'm seeing. And I know Reece is, and he is too."

Colorado State basketball on what Virginia does well

Medved: "I have as much respect for Tony and what he's done with his program and the way he does it, I think he's one, if not the best coach in the country, gets more out of teams than anyone who has done it.

They are never going to beat themselves. You have to beat them. They're going to play the style of game they want to play no matter who they're playing, and it's been like that through the course of his career. It's difficult to get anything in transition. It's difficult to get quality shots. They're going to force you to guard and screen you and they really, it's like being in quicksand, sometimes, playing against them.

If you're going to have an opportunity to go out and beat Virginia, you'll have to earn it and win possessions and find a way to steal it at the end. And so that's what concerns me because you know the level of consistency and the culture that they have in their program."

Stevens: "Super talented group, very connected group, one that's disciplined on both ends of the floor. They're going to run their stuff all the way through. They're super smart as far as what they're reading, what they're looking for, how they get you in rotation.

And on the defensive end that's where they make their bread and butter. They're super sound, tough, physical. They understand what the rotations look like, how to keep you on the perimeter and not get themselves into too many rotation situations. It's definitely going to be a tall task."

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What Virginia basketball is saying about CSU before March Madness game