As I’ve said before, this year’s team was a Tim Miles team that happened to be coached by Larry Eustachy. Next year’s squad will have more of his imprint on it. Eustachy’s teams at Southern Miss were pretty guard heavy and I think he’ll have to go the same route this year out of preference and necessity .This is my best guess for the Rams starting lineup versus Metro State or Regis or whomever.

Guards:

Jon Octeus

This one seems pretty obvious as Octeus got more and more playing time and earned Coach Eustachy’s trust. He isn’t a threat from outside, but he can score going to the basket. At 6’4, he’s a great defender and rebounder for his position, locking up his spot in the starting lineup. Another thing in Octeus’ favor is that he’ll spend his summer with Coach E if he gets a spot on the Bahamian National Team.

So we know Octeus has the physical tools, but will he be ready to step in and run the offense?

Jesse Carr

I’m unsure with this selection. Will Carr’s knee be okay? Does he fit into Eustachy’s system?  At the end of the day I think Carr starts if healthy because he compliments Octeus best. Smith and Carr will alternate positions, similar to what we saw with Green and Eikmeier.

Dwight Smith- He didn’t buy into the idea of redshirting for nothing. He’s the defensive stopper we needed all season. Smith and Octeus form a nice defensive duo while letting Carr slide to the weakest offensive threat.

Other contenders:

Joe De Ciman- Eustachy said he could be the best guard CSU has ever had. He usually put in a good effort crashing the boards in the limited action he saw, which will put him in Eustachy’s good graces. It’s hard to say without seeing much of him, but his outside shooting could be better than Octeus or Smith.

David Cohn- Might end up finding time at PG if he adjusts to Division 1 quickly enough and if Carr’s knee doesn’t respond well. He’s a higher rated recruit than Dorian Green or Jesse Carr; so there’s no reason to think that he couldn’t play right away.

Forwards

Daniel Bejarno

Another no-brainer. The Mountain West sixth man of the year earned Eustachy’s trust with his effort on defense and on the boards. To me, Bejarno seems like the type of player who plays better with more minutes, so I’m excited to see him in an expanded role.

Remi Dibo

Okay, he’s not on the roster; but hopefully the Casper College forward is tops on CSU’s list of priorities. He’s 6’9, rebounds, and can shoot for range. He originally committed to Kentucky but got lost in the shuffle and ended up in Wyoming. He decided to stay in Casper for a second season and seems comfortable there, so hopefully CSU’s geography helps us. He currently holds multiple offers from major schools.

A combination of Bejarno and Dibo would give CSU a duo of forwards who can defend, rebound and stretch the floor.

Contenders:

Marcus Holt- Would give the Rams more size and could be the best shot blocker the Rams have had in ages. He was a big time recruit out of high school, but his lack of production at the JC level might be a cause for concern.

Gerson Santo- Eustachy probably trusts him more than any big man on the roster. His play was a little up and down. Extended playing time could be the best thing for him; or expose his game.

Mystery JUCO Transfer- If not Dibo, then someone else.

Those are my guesses. Only nine months until we know for sure!

Before we get started, if New Mexico’s tournament performance was symbolized by a woman getting food out of a kitchen cabinet, they would be this:

Great effort, Lobos.

Moving on. We know that the Commonwealth of Kentucky is among the league leaders in obesity and high school drop outs. We know this. So how does Louisville consistently field elite basketball teams while located in a state full of dumb fat people? They look elsewhere, of course.

Let’s take a look at the melting pot that is Louisville’s starting five.

Peyton Siva; G; Seattle, Washington

Siva is Louisville’s signature player and main ball handler. Basically, he’s Phil Pressey, but not terrible at basketball. He’s not a great three point shooter, so look for CSU to employ the same strategy they’ve been doing all year. Hailing from Seattle; Siva enjoys coffee, Pearl Jam, and umbrellas.

Siva is a tiny guy, so expect to see a lot of Jon Octeus, and hopefully a lot of this:

Russ Smith; G; Brooklyn, New York

Smith is Louisville’s leading scorer and an explosive two way player. There’s a good chance he gets the assignment on the suddenly unstoppable Dorian Green. Smith came to Louisville via Brooklyn where he spent most of his days wearing ironic sweaters.

Gorgui Dieng; C; Kebemer, Senegal

Dieng is Louisville’s center and second leading scorer and top rebounder. He’s also becoming a great passer, so the Rams want to avoid double teaming him. On the defensive end he does well defending the rim, averaging more than two blocks a game. Think Khem Birch, but better. Lately he has been getting in foul trouble, so look for Colton Iverson to pound him down low.

Dieng grew up in Senegal where he spent most of his days racing dirt bikes with the dream of competing in the Dakar Rally. Unfortunately due to security concerns in North Africa; the Rally was moved to Argentina, of all places. You win this one terrorists.

Wayne Blackshear; F; Chicago, Illinois

Wayne plays basketball for Louisville and is from Chicago. The end.

Chane Behanan; F; Cincinnati, Ohio

I’m sure at one point in his career, someone said that Behanan’s game was “Off the Chane”. Hopefully whoever said that got punched in the face.

Chane hails from Cincinnati. I know nothing about that city, but I heard they serve chili on top of spaghetti noodles.

So there you have it, Lousiville’s starting five!

Due to the weather conditions in Colorado I will be staying at my house for this game. I hope everyone stays safe and warm. My advice? Break out the Snuggies:

It’s hard to know much about Missouri. They’ve moved to the SEC basketball abyss, and I can’t say that I’ve seen more than a couple of their games. So lets use the power of YouTube and Animated GIFs to get to know the Missouri Tigers.

Phil Pressey, G, 5-11, 11 PPG, 7 ASTS

If you listen to Missouri fans, the fate of their team lies in Pressey’s hands. Or more accurately, in his brain. Pressey has the reputation of either being brilliant or reckless and no where in between. Missouri is simultaneously excited and terrified whenever he has the ball in his hands. I went to the YouTubes to investigate and the stories are true. The guy makes a ton of stupid plays. He’s the master of the drive and dish to the other team. How would it feel to be Pressey and reading all these articles and message boards where all the fans are saying that Missouri will be fine as long as he doesn’t go full retard. Must feel good.

Instead of going the obvious route and posting a GIF of a turnover, I decided to post an infamous foul by UCLA. Three crazy things about this clip: 1) This play was not called an intentional foul! 2) Brilliant Phil Pressey was on display that day, he had 19 assists. 3) This was Missouri’s only OOC road game. THEY PLAYED ONE ROAD GAME!

Bah, what the heck. Here’s a Pressey turn over. My favorite part of this play is that he gets his pocket picked cleaned, and then taps his chest to say “My bad”. Yeah, no shit your bad.

Laurence Bowers, F, 6-8, 14 PPG, 6 RPG

Laurence is Missouri’s leading scorer. He is also their best three point shooter, so it’s likely that Pierce Hornung will match up with him to defend the three point line. The GIF is from a fight he was involved in earlier this year. It reminds me of the fight Will Smith got in during the opening credits of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I just hope Laurence’s mom didn’t get scared.

Here is a bonus GIF of a Missouri fan really enjoying Bowers’ free throw attempt:

Jabari Brown, G, 6-5, 13 PPG

Brown is a transfer from Oregon. He’s a good shooter and looks like a bad matchup for CSU’s guards. I decided to include a GIF of him making a stupid play because it seems like Missouri makes a lot of stupid plays. This one in particular is a comedy of errors. More on this later.

Alex Oriakhi, F, 6-9, 11 PPG, 8 RPG

Oriakhi is a transfer from UConn. He was eligible to play immediately, so I’m guessing that has something to do with UConn being dirty cheaters. I’m not sure though. Oriakhi is Missouri’s leading rebounder and will probably draw Colton Iverson duty. He is most known for that crazy free throw he shot a couple years ago.

Keion Bell, G, 6-4, 11 PPG

Bell transferred to Missouri from Pepperdine. In this clip, Missouri is up two with a couple seconds left. Bell fouls the guy and he converts a three point play for the win. I’m showing this clip for two reasons: 1) The Arkansas player’s celebration is hilarious. We must enhance:

2) I don’t want to search for Keion Bell clips any more. Ram fans, DO NOT LOOK UP KEION BELL ON YOUTUBE. If you’re afraid that Missouri has better athletes than us, then his clips of dunking on fools will keep you up at night.

Earnest Ross, G, 6-5, 10 PPG

Ross is Missouri’s first player off the bench. He’s a really good three point shooter, and is most likely the guy that’s going to go for 30 points against CSU. Going through Missouri’s highlights, it looked like most of the Tigers’ errors were unforced errors. And it’s not just Pressey who is screwing up. In this GIF, Ross is saving the ball underneath his own basket- something we learn not to do in grade school.

The problem with CSU is that they’re among the worst teams in the tournament in forcing turnovers, so it’s hard to see them benefiting from Missouri’s flippant attitude towards ball security. A typical Larry Eustachy team would eat this Missouri team alive. But this isn’t a typical Eustachy team. This is a Tim Miles team that happens to be coached by Larry Eustachy.

Tony Criswell and Negus Webster-Chan

Missouri pretty much goes 7 deep and these guys get the most minutes off the bench outside of Ross. I didn’t feel like finding GIFs for them.

Ryan Rosburg, C, 6-10, 1 PPG, 1 RPG

Rosburg doesn’t really play, but I’m hoping he gets a lot of minutes because that could mean foul trouble for Missouri’s bigs and more plays like the one above.

So who is Missouri?

• They feature a point guard who is brilliant at times, but can’t be trusted.
• They make a lot of mistakes and most of those mistakes are unforced and come from stupidity or lack of focus; not lack of athleticism.
• They are a great rebounding team.
• They have a coach that no one is really sold on.
• They have a tall, athletic wing with a hyphenated last name.
• They came into the season a little overhyped and didn’t live up to those expectations.
• They have elite talent and can beat anyone when everyone’s head is on straight.
• They are terrible on the road.

Good god, do you see what I see? We’re playing UNLV! And if we’re playing UNLV, that only means one thing: this is going to be close.

Let the madness begin!

Senior Night at Moby Arena!

Arrive early to be the first to grab your Bingo card!

The night will feature many giveaways including gift certificates to Sizzler!

The Jumbotron will be tuned to CBS for a special airing of All My Children!

The halftime entertainment will be some guy talking about the war!

Don’t miss the layup shooting contest, winner receiving a Hoveround Power Chair!

If you’re looking for a real breakdown of the seniors and their accomplishments, go here:

http://crackerscollegehoops.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/remembering-the-seniors-my-5-favorite-moments/

But if you’re looking for pictures of what the starting five would look like as senior citizens, you’re in the right place!

THE RAMS HAVE LOST THREE OF THEIR LAST FOUR! THEIR ONE WIN AGAINST FRESNO WASN’T THAT GREAT! THE WHEELS ARE FALLING OFF!

SOMEONE CONTACT TIM MILES VIA TWITTER!!!!

Okay, feels good to get that out of the way.

The last week and  a half been rough, but in reality; CSU is just two missed three pointers by Dorian Green (tied against UNLV and up 6 against UNM) from singing a different tune. And if CSU has a chance to win a game with the ball in Dorian Green’s hand, that’s all you can ask for.

Tonight the Rams take on old rivals, Wyoming. I’m currently driving across the country and the snow storm got me stuck in Pittsburgh. I feel that being in the land of Joey Porter is a good sign for the Rams. Because I influence the outcome of these games.

Last week the basketball world was abuzz when video of Serge Ibaka karate chopping Blake Griffin’s groin:

Little does must of America know, former USC and current Wyoming forward Leonard Washington was punching Blake Griffin in the nuts before punching Blake Griffin in the nuts was cool:

It is fair to say that Blake Griffin is a Punching Blake Griffin in the nuts hipster. Except instead of wearing skinny jeans and non-prescription glasses; Washington hits people in the balls.

And that’s basically all you need to know about Wyoming basketball. As I said in my last preview, their team is an odd mix of has-beens, never-was’s, and guys out of Colorado that no one really wanted.

Wyoming will lose this game unless Derrious Gilmore goes for 45, which is actually in the realm of possibility, but unlikely.

If that happens, well then…. EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Black Out? Really? Come on, Boise…

After squandering games at San Diego State, New Mexico, and UNLV; this is CSU’s last chance to get a decent road win. (Not on par with beating any of those three, but definitely better than the win at Air Force.)

Right now the Rams are playing for seeding. They’ve got to keep winning to stay out of the 7 to 10 range. Any seed between 7 to 10 is a nightmare because it means playing a good opponent in Round 1 and then either the 1 or 2 seed in Round 2.

Boise is playing for their tournament lives, residing on either side of the bubble depending on what website you’re reading.

Boise is actually decent this year. This season is the first time I’ve seen them play since that flukey year they won the WAC tournament (I think George Karl’s kid was on that team) and I was surprised by how good they were. I was also surprised that someone named Leon Rice is caucasian.

What happened last time: The Rams put a thorough beat down on the Broncos, led by Pierce Hornung’s 23 points and 13 rebounds.

What has changed since then: Boise got Jeff Elorriaga back, who missed the game with a concussion. Elorriaga is the exact type of guy who tends to murder the Rams from long range. Derrick Marks is also at full strength, he only saw limited minutes in Moby because of the flu. Boise has gone 5-2 since the game, their only losses at SDSU and New Mexico.

What will happen tonight: Same ‘ol, same ‘ol. Boise will hit a bunch of threes and CSU will dominate on the boards. Boise will want to be more physical on the boards and unfortunately Boise is one of those teams who equates getting physical with undercuts and shoves in the back. It will be a good test for Colton Iverson to keep his head, and hopefully Hornung doesn’t take a shot to the head.

Boise will get out to a large lead at some point tonight, but the Rams will eventually win because Boise won’t be able to keep CSU off the foul line.

Personal note: This is my last post from New York City; where I have limited TV and internet access. Tomorrow I hit the road for my relocation to Colorado, at which point I’ll quit half-assing these posts.

After a deflating week with two heartbreaking losses, the Rams are back in action with a game against Fresno State. This is one of the last chances to see the senior class play in Moby; and that’s about the only exciting thing about this game.

Attendance will probably be down compared to previous games, which is welcome news to local bars and restaurants. In an exclusive interview with AlwaysSonny.com, SOSH leader/Business Expert Bob Vangermeersch voiced his concerns that the influx of foot traffic to campus is potentially harmful for campus-adjacent businesses. I pressed for more information, but our interview was cut short when Vangermeersch spotted a puppy frolicking in his front yard and left to kick it in the face. The puppy could not be reached for comment.

I wanted to learn more about Fresno and somehow ended up on the Fresno Craigslist page. The following item is for sale: a 1995 Honda Prelube. Why on earth would someone sell a Prelube?

This is the only thing I learned about Fresno.

Quick facts about tonight’s game:

• Colorado State is tied for last in the nation with a zero game home winning streak.
• Fresno is not a state.
• Fresno’s leading scorer is Tyler Johnson. His photo makes me laugh:

• Tyler Johnson will score 35 points tonight.

Thus concludes my preview for the Fresno State game.

First I need to apologize to my reader(s) for my haphazard posting as of late, being in the middle of a move hasn’t been good to my blogging.

Moving on, how is it playing a late February game with the conference championship on the line?

I’ve heard stories from some of my sources in Fort Collins of ticket brokers making thousands of dollars on this game. Go back a couple years to when Marcus Walker was shooting 25 shots a game. At that point, did you ever think that anyone would ever make money off CSU tickets? Thousands of dollars, in fact? It’s insane.

What happened last time: The Rams went into The Pit and everyone took turns not guarding Tony Snell and/or picking up fouls. The Rams hung tough even though they had to go deep into their bench (it’s never a good sign when Gerson Santo or Joe De Ciman play in the first half), and found themselves down ten at half. The beginning of the second half was a disaster with the Lobos opening a 22-point lead with 12 minutes left. Rams rallied, but fell short.

What has changed since then: Nothing much, really. The Lobos are as steady as ever and keep winning. I guess Alex Kirk is healthier than last time; but he’s goofy as hell, so who cares.

What will happen this time: CSU needs to keep the Lobos off the free throw line.  A friendlier home whistle will probably help with that. Coach Eustachy will figure something out to slow down Snell. Games like these make me wish that Dwight Smith wasn’t redshirting. I know it is better to spread out the classes a little bit, but part of me wants the Rams to go all-in on this season and play the best guys available. We’ve seen Dwight shut down a bunch of guys before, and he’s be a better option off the bench than De Ciman or Jordan Mason if foul trouble rears its ugly head. But I digress.

The Rams will win one of those games that will be close, but stays around 5 or 6 points down the stretch.

I’ll be in Manhattan at The Watering Hole with one/a couple/five/dozens of other CSU fans at NYC’s official watch party. The turn out for these things is always up in the air, so it’ll be interesting to see.

While I’m sitting on a bar stool at some dive bar in New York, a buddy of mine will be sitting here:

Sometimes life isn’t fair.

What happened last time: A 79-40 laugher. We almost b

eat them two-fold! The Rams out-rebounded the Falcons 38-19 (two fold!!) and held Michael Lyons to 8 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

What has changed since then: After the beatdown, Air Force reeled off 5 straight wins and have won 7 of their last 9. They’re undefeated in Clune during that stretch with impressive wins over San Diego State, UNLV, and University of New Orleans. (Okay, maybe not the last one.)

The Falcons went from hopeless to right in the thick of the Bubble.

What will happen this time: The Falcon play well in Clune and there is no way Lyons has another crappy game. Air Force desperately needs to keep winning to have any chance at an NCAA birth and a win over a Top 25 team would be a nice resume builder.

All that being said, the Falcons can’t handle Iverson in the post or Hornung on the boards. There will be possessions where the Rams get three or four offensive rebounds and it looks like a hockey power play where the shorthanded team can’t clear the zone.

Look for Wes Eikmeier to have a bounce back game, he usually seems to kill Air Force.