Odds are, the Colorado State University men's basketball season will end early this afternoon at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Unless, of course, the Rams (11-16, 3-11 Mountain West Conference) can pull off the biggest upset in the history of the MWC Tournament and beat 15th-ranked Utah (25-4, 13-1) in a first-round game that starts at noon.
"They're awfully good and certainly the best team that's played in the Mountain West Conference," CSU coach Dale Layer said.
And the Utes are led by the best player the 6-year-old MWC ever has produced, 7-foot sophomore center Andrew Bogut, a candidate for numerous national player of the year honors and a possible No. 1 pick in the this year's NBA Draft.
"It's not an impossible task," CSU junior Micheal Morris said. "We played them pretty well, and both times we played them this year we were missing pieces of our team."
Senior forward Matt Williams was trying to come back too soon from a left knee sprain and was relatively ineffective in a 75-52 loss to the Utes on Jan. 17 at Moby Arena. Then a strained right hamstring kept 7-0 freshman forward Jason Smith out of the Feb. 12 rematch in Salt Lake City, which the Utes won 64-50.
"This will be the first time we've played Utah with both Jason and I healthy, and it will be on a neutral floor, so I think we have a chance," Williams said.
Still, the Rams are facing a tall order, and they know it. But they figure if any team can pull off an upset of this magnitude in the conference tournament, it would be them.
Two years ago, CSU ran the table in the MWC Tournament as a No. 6 seed to earn its first berth in the NCAA Tournament in 13 years. And last year, the Rams became the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 in the conference tournament, upending regular-season Air Force 60-48 in the first round before falling 80-73 to No. 4 seed UNLV in the semifinals.
"I think maybe, because of our seedings, people overlook us," said CSU center Matt Nelson, a 7-1 senior who was the most valuable player of the 2003 MWC Tournament. "We start to get better toward the end of the season. The last couple years, it's been better for us when we get to the tournament."
Utah doesn't have the same motivation as the Rams. The Utes are a lock for the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this weekend at the Pepsi Center.
But first-year Utah coach Ray Giacoletti puts more stock into the conference tournament than predecessor Rick Majerus ever did.
"We're going down there to become a better basketball team and win this tournament," Giacoletti said. "You only get three chances to play in this type of situation in a year (a preseason or holiday tournament, conference tournament and NCAA Tournament), and we need to make the most of it and be hungry."
Giacoletti also realizes the Rams present some unusual matchup problems for his team in general and Bogut in particular. CSU has three 7-footers of its own in Smith, Nelson and backup forward/center Stuart Creason. And the 3-2 matchup zone defense the Rams have used much of the season presents a different look than the Utes are used to.
"Our focus is how to attack that matchup and how to get Andrew one-on-one in the post," Giacoletti said. "They have the biggest team in the conference, and there's a lot of fouls to expend with that size, so we need to be very efficient."
Not nearly as efficient as the Rams will have to be if they hope to become only the second team in 22 games to beat Utah. The Utes' only loss since falling Dec. 11 at current No. 8 Arizona came Feb. 21 at New Mexico.
Early in the season, the Rams had a habit of starting slowly and rallying late. In MWC play, they've gone the opposite direction, losing five times in games they led at halftime - a trend that began when they were outscored 45-18 by Utah in the second half at Moby that started an eight-game CSU slide that didn't end until Feb. 19 with an overtime win against San Diego State.
"It would be very disappointing" to have the season end today, Morris said, "because we know we had lots of opportunities to make a better season of it, and this is what we have to play for now. We have nothing else to lose."
Unless, of course, the Rams (11-16, 3-11 Mountain West Conference) can pull off the biggest upset in the history of the MWC Tournament and beat 15th-ranked Utah (25-4, 13-1) in a first-round game that starts at noon.
"They're awfully good and certainly the best team that's played in the Mountain West Conference," CSU coach Dale Layer said.
And the Utes are led by the best player the 6-year-old MWC ever has produced, 7-foot sophomore center Andrew Bogut, a candidate for numerous national player of the year honors and a possible No. 1 pick in the this year's NBA Draft.
"It's not an impossible task," CSU junior Micheal Morris said. "We played them pretty well, and both times we played them this year we were missing pieces of our team."
Senior forward Matt Williams was trying to come back too soon from a left knee sprain and was relatively ineffective in a 75-52 loss to the Utes on Jan. 17 at Moby Arena. Then a strained right hamstring kept 7-0 freshman forward Jason Smith out of the Feb. 12 rematch in Salt Lake City, which the Utes won 64-50.
"This will be the first time we've played Utah with both Jason and I healthy, and it will be on a neutral floor, so I think we have a chance," Williams said.
Still, the Rams are facing a tall order, and they know it. But they figure if any team can pull off an upset of this magnitude in the conference tournament, it would be them.
Two years ago, CSU ran the table in the MWC Tournament as a No. 6 seed to earn its first berth in the NCAA Tournament in 13 years. And last year, the Rams became the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 in the conference tournament, upending regular-season Air Force 60-48 in the first round before falling 80-73 to No. 4 seed UNLV in the semifinals.
"I think maybe, because of our seedings, people overlook us," said CSU center Matt Nelson, a 7-1 senior who was the most valuable player of the 2003 MWC Tournament. "We start to get better toward the end of the season. The last couple years, it's been better for us when we get to the tournament."
Utah doesn't have the same motivation as the Rams. The Utes are a lock for the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this weekend at the Pepsi Center.
But first-year Utah coach Ray Giacoletti puts more stock into the conference tournament than predecessor Rick Majerus ever did.
"We're going down there to become a better basketball team and win this tournament," Giacoletti said. "You only get three chances to play in this type of situation in a year (a preseason or holiday tournament, conference tournament and NCAA Tournament), and we need to make the most of it and be hungry."
Giacoletti also realizes the Rams present some unusual matchup problems for his team in general and Bogut in particular. CSU has three 7-footers of its own in Smith, Nelson and backup forward/center Stuart Creason. And the 3-2 matchup zone defense the Rams have used much of the season presents a different look than the Utes are used to.
"Our focus is how to attack that matchup and how to get Andrew one-on-one in the post," Giacoletti said. "They have the biggest team in the conference, and there's a lot of fouls to expend with that size, so we need to be very efficient."
Not nearly as efficient as the Rams will have to be if they hope to become only the second team in 22 games to beat Utah. The Utes' only loss since falling Dec. 11 at current No. 8 Arizona came Feb. 21 at New Mexico.
Early in the season, the Rams had a habit of starting slowly and rallying late. In MWC play, they've gone the opposite direction, losing five times in games they led at halftime - a trend that began when they were outscored 45-18 by Utah in the second half at Moby that started an eight-game CSU slide that didn't end until Feb. 19 with an overtime win against San Diego State.
"It would be very disappointing" to have the season end today, Morris said, "because we know we had lots of opportunities to make a better season of it, and this is what we have to play for now. We have nothing else to lose."
