In light of this Saturday’s basketball game between the Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins, the CU Independent’s Justin Guerriero chatted with the Rocky Mountain Collegian’s Colin Barnard to get some insider information regarding the Rams.
Justin Guerriero: Buffs fans will certainly remember last year’s spanking at the hands of the Rams at home in Boulder. Is this CSU squad capable of delivering another such victory?
Colin Barnard: Last year was a special year for CSU, and that started with their victory in Boulder. Coming into the game as 14-point underdogs, the victory set the tone for the rest of the season as CSU continued to defy odds on its way to the Mountain West championship game.
But this is an entirely different team. Last year’s leading scorers in Gian Clavell and Emmanuel Omogbo are gone and the Rams returned only five players who played on last year’s squad.
There are some instances where the Rams settle for difficult shots instead of attacking the paint, part of what leads to some of the cold stretches throughout the game.
CB: As I mentioned earlier, the Rams have plenty of players capable of taking over the game offensively. Nixon and Bob are the two most likely candidates, averaging 15.8 and 12.9 points per game through the first seven contests. Paige has also led the team in scoring this season and Deion James, last year’s Division II JUCO Player of the Year, looks more comfortable as the season has progressed.
It’s early, but the Rams have looked lost at times on offense without Gian Clavell. They need a dominant scorer, something Nixon can develop into, in order to break the scoreless stretches that have plagued them.
