Colorado State Rams NCAA Tournament History: A Legacy of Competition

Colorado State University (CSU) boasts a rich athletic history, with its men's basketball program playing a significant role. As members of the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the Rams have a storied past marked by NCAA Tournament appearances, memorable moments, and legendary figures. The official school colors are green and gold. Colorado State has three major rivalries. Outside of the conference, the Rams play in-state rival Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, which was hosted at Empower Field at Mile High through 2019 before the series returned to on-campus stadiums. Within the Mountain West, Colorado State has a big rivalry with Air Force.

Early Years and the Jim Williams Era

Colorado State's men's basketball program was established in the 1901-02 season, when the school was known as Colorado Agricultural College. In 1910-11, the team joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. During the 1938-39 season, the school followed several larger conference members in moving from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to the Mountain States Conference, where it remained through the 1961-62 season.

Jim Williams arrived at Colorado State in 1954, ushering in the most successful era in the program's history. Under his leadership, CSU earned four NCAA Tournament appearances and captured a conference championship in 1961. Williams guided the Rams to the NCAA Tournament in 1963, 1966, and 1969. The program's best postseason performance came in 1969, when CSU reached the Elite Eight after defeating in-state rival Colorado in the Sweet 16. In 1965, following the death of Athletic Director Bob Davis, Williams assumed the role of athletic director while continuing to coach the basketball team. During this period, he oversaw the construction of Moby Arena and Hughes Stadium. Williams was dismissed in 1980 but remained a visible presence at CSU basketball games, where he was honored with a special courtside seat. He was also among the first inductees into the CSU Sports Hall of Fame. Entering the 2005-6 season, 30% of all CSU men's basketball game had been coached by Williams.

The Boyd Grant Years and a Return to the Tournament

In 1988, Boyd Grant-a former standout player under Jim Williams-returned to Colorado State as head coach. That season, the Rams made their first postseason appearance in more than two decades, finishing third in the 1988 NIT. Over four seasons, Grant compiled an 81-46 record (.638 winning percentage). He retired from coaching following the 1991 season. In the years that followed, CSU returned to the NIT in 1996, 1998, and 1999.

Mountain West Conference Era and Tournament Droughts

After 20 seasons in the WAC, Colorado State then moved to the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for the 1999-00 season. Colorado State was an inaugural member of the MWC. In 2003, the Rams reached their first NCAA tournament in over a decade after winning the Mountain West tournament after grabbing sixth place in the Mountain West regular season.

Read also: Morton and CSU in March Madness

Tim Miles and a Resurgence

Tim Miles served as Colorado State's head men's basketball coach from 2007 to 2012, taking over a struggling program. His first three seasons produced modest results. However, a turning point came during the 2010-11 season, when the Rams posted a winning record and reestablished themselves as contenders in the conference. The peak of Miles’ tenure occurred in the 2011-12 season. CSU finished 20-12 overall and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first since 1990. Although the Rams were eliminated in the first round, the appearance marked CSU's return to national relevance.

Larry Eustachy and Continued Success

Eustachy led Colorado State to an outstanding 2012-13 season, finishing 26-9 and earning another at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team cracked the national top 25 for the first time since 1954 and set a program record for most wins. CSU defeated Missouri 84-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, securing its first tournament win since 1989, before losing to top-seeded Louisville in the third round. The Rams again reached the top 25 during the 2014-15 season and set another program record for wins, finishing 27-7. Despite the historic regular season, CSU did not receive an NCAA Tournament bid that year.

Niko Medved Era and Recent Tournament Appearances

Niko Medved was named head coach of Colorado State on March 22, 2018. He led the Rams to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013 during the 2021-2022 season. That season, CSU also finished ranked in the AP Top 25. The 2023-24 season marked another major step forward for the program. The Rams appeared in the Top 25 in nine different polls and reached No. 13 in early December, the highest ranking in school history. Medved guided CSU back to the NCAA Tournament, where the Rams defeated Virginia 67-42 in the First Four in Dayton before falling to Texas 56-44 in the Round of 64.

During the 2024-25 season, Colorado State went 6-5 in non-conference play before finishing Mountain West conference play on a seven-game winning streak, concluding the regular season with a 22-9 record. The Rams would go on to win the 2025 Mountain West Tournament championship, led by tournament MVP and future NBA first-round pick Nique Clifford. The 69-56 Mountain West tournament championship over Boise State secured CSU's third NCAA Tournament berth under Medved. Colorado State has produced three first round picks while playing in the Mountain West, including Jason Smith, David Roddy, and Nique Clifford.

The 2024-25 Season in Detail

The 2024-25 season was one of the best in Colorado State men's basketball history. The Rams went 26-10, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament and falling inches shy of a Sweet 16 appearance. CSU caught fire late in the season, winning 11 games in a row from mid-February until the season ended. That included ripping through the Mountain West tournament to win the title and beating No. 5-seed Memphis to open the NCAA Tournament.

Key Players and Their Contributions

Kyan Evans: Evans was a sophomore for the Rams and took over point guard duties in 2024-25 for the graduated Isaiah Stevens. Evans finished third on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game and second in assists at three per game. He became a viral March Madness star in CSU's first NCAA Tournament game when he poured in six 3-pointers and 23 points as the Rams beat No. 5 Memphis. After a slow start to the season, Evans caught fire at the New Year and ended up shooting 45% from 3-point range on the season. After the season, Evans entered the transfer portal and landed with North Carolina in what has been reported by many sites to be a multi-million dollar NIL deal.
Darnez Slater: Slater was a true freshman, redshirting for the Rams. He remains at CSU and is a role player for the Rams this season, seeing sporadic minutes.
Jon Mekonnen: Mekonnen was a true freshman, redshirting for the Rams. He remains at CSU and is a role player for the Rams this season, seeing sporadic minutes.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson: The 6-foot-8 forward joined CSU from Arkansas Little Rock ahead of the 2024-25 season. He became CSU's starting power forward (he started 29 of 36 games). Crocker-Johnson was fourth on the team in scoring at nine points per game and second in rebounding at 4.4 per game. He could score inside and out, hitting 34 3-pointers at a 35% clip. After the season, Crocker-Johnson followed former CSU coach Niko Medved to Minnesota, where he's now a key player for the Gophers.
Nique Clifford: The 6-foot-6 Clifford was in his second and final season as a Ram after transferring from Colorado. He averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Clifford was the Mountain West tournament MVP as the Rams won the title. He scored 20 points or more (including a 36-point outburst at Boise State) in five of CSU's final six games. Clifford had 15 double-doubles on the season. Clifford parlayed his big 2024-25 season into a spot in the first round of the NBA draft. The Kings landed him with the No. 24 overall pick.
Keshawn Williams: The 2024-25 season was the first for Williams at CSU after transferring in from Northern Illinois. The 6-foot-4 guard was a contributor off the bench, averaging 5.1 points per game and hitting 37% of his 3-pointers. After the season, Williams left CSU and is now playing his final college season at Iona.
Bowen Born: Born transferred to CSU for the 2024-25 season after four at Northern Iowa. He developed into CSU's backup point guard and a dogged, if undersized (5-foot-11), defender. Born averaged five points and 1.4 assists per game and made 31 3-pointers (32%). The 2024-25 season was Born's last of college eligibility.
Luke Murphy: The guard was in his third season as a walk-on for the Rams where he served as a member of the scout team in practices. After the season, Murphy transferred and is now at Saint Martin's University (Division II).
Jalen Lake: The steady 6-foot-4 guard was a senior and nowadays rare four-year, one-program player. Lake started every game and only trailed Clifford in minutes played. He was second on the team at 11.3 points per game and hit 69 3-pointers (at a 35% rate). He also added 2.9 rebounds and two assists per game. Lake scored double figures in both CSU's NCAA Tournament games. Lake's college eligibility ended after last season and now he's playing pro for the Svendborg Rabbits in Denmark.
Rashaan Mbemba: The 6-foot-7 center grew into a huge role for the Rams in his sophomore season. Mbemba started 29 of the 32 games he played, becoming CSU's center. Mbemba averaged seven points, 3.6 rebounds and just shy of an assist per game. His physicality was one of the cornerstones of CSU's defense. Mbemba is still at CSU and is expected to be one of the key players for the Rams.
Nikola Djapa: The 6-foot-11 center joined CSU as a transfer from Long Island ahead of the 2024-25 season. He was used in a reserve big man role, appearing in 22 games (with one start) and playing 7.4 minutes per game, with his usage usually dictated by matchups. Djapa averaged 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. Djapa remains at CSU and is in a similar role to a year ago, playing as a reserve big.
Ethan Morton: The 6-foot-7 guard transferred in from Purdue ahead of the 2024-25 season. Morton came to CSU looking for a fresh start and it was quite a ride. Morton started many of the early-season games, but moved to a sixth-man role at the turn of the New Year. It helped CSU land the lineups that led to success and Morton led a defensive resurgence for the Rams. The 2024-25 season was Morton's last of college eligibility. He's now the director of basketball operations at Illinois State.
Charlie Dortch: The 6-foot-7 forward from Fort Collins (Rocky Mountain High School) was in his first season as a walk-on with the Rams after transferring from Fort Lewis. Dortch remains at CSU, where the redshirt sophomore plays a role as a key member of the scout team and the Fort Collins native is hugely celebrated by fans when he does see the floor.
Kyle Jorgensen: The 6-foot-9 forward was a true freshman for the Rams in 2024-25 and through a number of circumstances he started four games in nonconference play. He settled in to a bench role, playing 13 minutes a game over 34 games played. He averaged 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Despite transfer interest from other programs, Jorgensen stayed and made a huge leap as a sophomore.
Jaden Steppe: The 6-foot-8 forward was a true freshman. He made seven appearances on the season, mostly late at the end of games (he played 12 total minutes). Steppe transferred out after last season and is now at Montana State.

Coaching Changes and Program Leadership

Colorado State's current head coach is Ali Farokhmanesh. He was hired as the Rams' head coach in March 2025, replacing Niko Medved who had accepted a Head Coaching position for the University of Minnesota. Medved had led the Rams to three NCAA Tournament appearances in his seven seasons as head coach. Farokhmanesh spent those seven seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach under Medved before taking over as head coach of the Rams.

Memorable Games and Upsets

Throughout its history, Colorado State has been involved in several memorable games and significant upsets:

December 29, 1989: Colorado State beat AP #24 North Carolina 78-67 in the Mile High Classic.
December 22, 1999: Colorado State upset AP #18 UCLA 55-54 in a Pearl Harbor Classic tournament game.
December 30, 2003: Colorado State hosted AP #22 Purdue and won 71-69 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
November 22, 2021: The Rams overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat Northeastern 71-61 in the Paradise Jam tournament championship game.
November 23, 2023: Colorado State upset AP #8 Creighton 69-48 in the Hall of Fame Classic championship game.
March 15, 2025: Colorado State won its first Mountain West Conference title since 2003, defeating Boise State 69-56.

Rivalries

Colorado State has several notable rivalries:

Air Force: An in-state rivalry with the Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy.
Colorado: This in-state rivalry, known as the Rocky Mountain Showdown, pits Colorado State against Colorado.
Denver: Also in-state, this rivalry is against the Pioneers of the University of Denver.
Northern Colorado: This rivalry pits Colorado State against the Bears of the University of Northern Colorado.
Utah State: Colorado State and the Aggies of Utah State University were rivals in the Mountain States Conference and now compete in the Mountain West. The two schools will begin competing against one another in the Pac-12 Conference for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Home Court Advantage: Moby Arena

The Colorado State men's basketball team plays at Moby Arena, an 8,083-seat arena on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. The arena was built to replace South College Gymnasium, which was built in 1926 and seated 1,500 people.

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