2019-20 Colorado State men's basketball preview

Overview: Colorado State struggled in Niko Medved’s first year at the helm. The Rams could not pick up a big win against Power 5 foes Colorado and Arkansas during non-conference play, and a stretch of nine losses in 10 games from Thanksgiving through New Year’s derailed any hope of a bounce-back campaign. The Rams came close to a signature win down the stretch, taking NCAA tournament-bound Utah State to overtime at home March 5, but the Aggies prevailed 100-96.

Colorado State will take another stab at a turnaround this year, and it will bring back a significant portion of its offense in the process. The Rams return their leading scorer in Nico Carvacho alongside starters Kendle Moore and Adam Thistlewood. Kris Martin showed a lot of improvement during his redshirt-junior season, and will likely step into a starting role this season following the departures of J.D. Paige and Anthony Masinton-Bonner. 

One thing that needs to go right: Carvacho made the right decision to withdraw from the NBA draft and he continues his paint dominance. The redshirt-senior becomes the Mountain West’s all-time leading rebounder—he currently ranks second—and is surrounded by enough shooting to get the Rams back above .500. 

One thing that could go wrong: The Rams enter the season with eight new faces, and they struggle to find their place. The rotation remains a constantly changing puzzle, and opponents can pack the paint with a lack of alternative scoring threats.