Mountain (West) to climb

We're going MWC heavy today, diving into Colorado State's injury and San Diego State's March hopes. Plus, more from media days, fan events for the weekend and more.

Author

Tristan Freeman
October 14, 2022

Is it me or have there been more preseason injuries than normal? The preseason conference rankings are starting to get thrown out the window with key players and projected starters not only getting hurt but some out for a potentially long time.

With fewer than 25 days left before Nov. 7, let’s just hope that there aren’t more serious injuries in college basketball. But if there are, expect them to be examined in the Daily.

Let’s get to the news.

STARTING FIVE

1. Does losing Isaiah Stevens sink Colorado State?

Isaiah Stevens enters this season as one of the country's best point guards. The Colorado State senior is a three-time All-Mountain West selection, and, along with former Mountain West Player of the Year David Roddy, led the Rams to 25 wins and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013 last year.

He would've been their focal point this season. But Stevens will require surgery after suffering a foot injury this week. It's "not season-ending," but adjusting to the loss of his leadership and production (14.7 ppg and 4.7 rpg last season) is no small thing.

"First and foremost, myself and the team feel terrible for Isaiah," coach Niko Medved said in a statement. "He is a special player and a tremendous leader. We are confident that Isaiah will get through this and make a full recovery. While we know that his presence and leadership will be missed, I know this team will respond. We will continue to work diligently and we are really excited to get this season started."

How to replace Stevens' minutes? Former Loyola guard Baylor Hebb will have more of a role this season, but he didn't play much last season. Returning guards Jalen Lake and Isaiah Rivera are unproven. Freshman Taviontae Jackson is another name to watch.

"Tavi’s athletic, he’s strong, wants to be coached. Has a lot of talent and ability," Medved told The Coloradoan during the summer. "He’s got the makings of being a terrific player … He sees the floor well, he can get into the paint, he’s a terrific rebounder, he plays really, really physical for a young player."

Assuming Stevens misses CSU's nonconference slate, the Rams will not have its best player for matchups against USC, Saint Mary's and South Carolina (the first game of the Charleston Classic). Even home games against Northern Colorado and LMU could be interesting. They could end enter league play with 4-6 losses, meaning an at-large NCAA Tournament bid would rest on a strong MWC record, or they'd have to win the automatic bid.

We'll get an early glimpse of what's next during CSU's open scrimmage on Saturday and in their exhibition on Oct. 28 against MSU Denver.

2. More media day quotes, notes and videos

The ACC, Atlantic 10 and American Athletic all wrapped-up media day events on Thursday, resulting in the usual season-preview quotes and optimism. Some highlights:

  • What's a media day without a coach impersonation from a player?

  • Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot doesn't have a timeline for the return of transfer guard Tevin Brewer, who's recovering from an appendectomy.

  • New Fordham HC Keith Argo is super-high on the incoming freshmen class, projecting it to "be one of the best, if not the best in the history of Fordham."

  • When asked which player hasn't been getting enough national attention, UMass coach Frank Martin highlighted big man Wildens Leveque, who followed his coach over from South Carolina.

  • This has nothing to do with the season, but shows Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes probably needs a podcast of his own.

Need more? Take a few hours and watch the Field of 68's Atlantic 10 podcast, which interviewed every coach from the league.

3. San Diego State's chances of Marching on

We’re highlighting some non-power conference programs this week, with a focus on those primed for a March run or who could be a disruptor in their league. For more, you’ll want The Almanac.

San Diego State is not only a Mountain West contender but a contender to make a run deep into March. They bring back star guard and leading scorer Matt Bradley, three other returning starters, and the team's sixth man, guard Adam Seiko. That experience, coupled with outstanding defense — they were second in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, per kenpom.com — is why the Aztecs will likely enter the season as a Top 25 team.

But their depth could be what pushes them beyond the first week of the NCAA Tournament.

Part of why there is so much hype is the addition of Darrion Trammell, a 5-11 transfer guard from Seattle U who in two years averaged 18.7 ppg and 5.1 apg. He was projected to slide into the starting lineup, but recent practice reports suggest that he and returning starting guard Lamont Butler could be battling it out, as they have been literally facing off against one another.

Trammell was always going to be the X-Factor for this team, as we wrote about in The Almanac (fall's best bargain at $20).

thealmanac.gumroad.com/l/almanac

Then again, the competition hasn't been a bad thing.

“If I were Darrion or Lamont, I’d get together and say, ‘Hey, take it easy on me today,’” coach Brian Dutcher told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Those two guys go at it every day. It’s like a prize fight. I can’t believe any defense they see in the regular season is going to frustrate them based on how they guard each other on an everyday basis.

“We’re eventually going to put them on the floor together. Right now, for competition and development, we’ve got them going at each other.”

We project those two, Bradley, athletic forward Jaedon LeDee and Nathan Mensah as the likely SDSU starters. Dutcher hasn't committed to a lineup yet (that'll come after upcoming scrimmages), but it's safe to say both Trammell and Butler will be ready. Playing opponents may even feel like a break.

4. News to know entering the weekend

Emoni Bates clears legal troubles

After getting arrested and charged with multiple felonies nearly a month ago, it looked as if former 5-star prospect Emoni Bates might not play for Eastern Michigan this year. But a plea deal has been made and the school has reinstated him, setting him up to play on opening night.

Elmarko Jackson joins future Kansas backcourt

The top-30 true point guard prospect had a final list of teams that included Texas, Notre Dame, and Miami. In the end, Jackson chooses to play for the Kansas Jayhawks for the 2023-24 season. He's the third guard commit in the '23 recruiting class, joining 4-star combos Jamari McDowell and Chris Johnson. What happens with guards such as Dajuan Harris and Bobbi Pettiford Jr. will be interesting to see now that there's a loaded group coming soon.

U.S. Senate pushes forward on NIL legislation

Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) aren't standing pat in regard to NIL. This story from On3.com's Andy Wittry is a comprehensive rundown of feedback from NIL Collectives, and how they should be viewed and handled in the future. It's worth your time this weekend.

5. Fan events for the weekend

NC State started the weekend early with its fan event last night, while several other programs will hold Midnight Madness-style events over the next three days. Here's a rundown.

Friday events

Saturday events

Sunday

THE FAST BREAK

Links to click while you imagine how long you'd survive in shark-infested waters:

THE GOODMAN AND HUMMEL PODCAST

Buying the Creighton talk? Let's ask Greg McDermott

Few teams this season are expected to make a bigger jump than Creighton. The Bluejays return four starters, add one of the best transfers from the portal and closed last season with an impressive run.

But ... they struggled at times last year. They're still young (three sophomores will start) and weren't sharp offensively last season. So how do they become the Big East's best team and potentially a Final Four contender? Jeff Goodman and Robbie Hummel ask coach Greg McDermott for his POV.

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