The mood in the Colorado State locker room Sunday night following the Rams’ last-second loss to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament was much different than the previous 11 postgame gatherings.
In a matter of seconds, the Rams’ mood on the court at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle had turned from jubilation to disappointment. With six seconds left, Jalen Lake’s 3-pointer gave CSU a 71-70 lead over the Terrapins. But after a timeout, Derik Queen’s floating jumper off the backboard at the buzzer ended the Rams’ season.
In a post on social media by CSU men’s basketball, now-former CSU head coach Niko Medved addressed his team, reminding them of where they came from just to get to where they were Sunday. While a season of highs ended with the lowest of lows, Medved told his team they had nothing to be disappointed about.
“It’s going to hurt for a while,” Medved told his players. “I love you guys, man. I don’t know what else to say right now, but you guys did everything right. You made me a better person and coach this year. I’m just forever thankful to you guys for doing that. I hope every one of you guys that was part of this this year will look back and say it was one of the best experiences of your life.”
Colorado State guard Kyan Evans, left, greets forward Rashaan Mbemba after drawing a foul from Memphis during the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)The season will be remembered for so many things. CSU began the season 5-5 before heating up around Christmas. They won a program-record 16 conference games to earn the No. 2 seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament.
In Las Vegas, they won three games in three days, including wins over Utah State and Boise State, to claim their first conference tournament title since 2003.
In their third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, they won their first-round game, 78-70, over Memphis. The win, and the performance by sophomore Kyan Evans, who scored a career-high 23 points with six made 3-pointers, grabbed the attention of the entire country.
At the postgame press conference following the loss to Maryland, Lake expressed what the season and his time at CSU has meant to him. Lake was the first player in CSU history to appear in three NCAA tournaments.
“This has been the best four years of my life, honestly,” Lake said. “I wouldn’t be standing here, first, without God, and I wouldn’t be standing here without coach Medved, just the belief he’s had in me since I was a freshman.
“I just wish I could wear Colorado State for the rest of my life. It means that much to me.”
Sunday’s loss was also the last game in a CSU uniform for Nique Clifford. Arguably one of the best to come through the program, the likely NBA draft pick flourished in two seasons at CSU after transferring from Colorado.
He led the Rams with 21 points in the loss, and in the process he became CSU’s all-time single-season scoring leader with 681 points.
“My time here at CSU has gone by so fast,” Clifford said after Sunday’s game. “I’ve been here for two years; I wish I was here even longer. It was the best time in my life. I can’t thank coach Medved and Ali Farokhmanesh enough for what they’ve done for me, they really changed my life, and I’m just thankful for my teammates.
“It was a fun run we were able to go on this year, and the adversity we went through to see where we are now is special.”
Monday also marked the beginning of an offseason of uncertainty, with the news of Medved’s departure for Minnesota beginning to circulate early Monday morning.
In addition to Clifford, Sunday’s game was also the last for CSU seniors Lake, Bowen Born and Ethan Morton. However, three of the Rams’ starting five were sophomores — Evans, Rashaan Mbemba and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson.
The transfer portal for college basketball opened Monday as well, and the Rams will likely add some reinforcements. But they could also lose some players.
Whatever happens, future teams will now aspire to do what the 2024-25 squad did, which was defy the odds, silence the doubters and prove that it isn’t how you start that defines a season, but the journey and how you finish does.
More on Medved
Medved arrived in Minneapolis by private jet Monday night, just over 24 hours after the loss to Maryland. On Tuesday, he was officially named the Gophers’ new coach at a news conference.
The former Minnesota graduate and assistant coach signed a six-year contract and will make $3 million in his first season at the school. Minnesota will also cover more than $3 million of buyout money owed to Colorado State.
Medved had signed a a contract extension with CSU last April that carried options to extend through the 2030-31 season. That contract paid $1.7 million for 2024-25 and was due to rise $50,000 each season, culminating at $2 million for 2030-31.
His new six-year contract at Minnesota begins with an annual salary of $3 million, with an annual escalator of $100,000. He will receive an automatic one-year extension by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, winning the Big Ten (regular season or postseason tournament) or finishing in the top four of the Big Ten in the regular season.
He also has a $2 million salary pool for assistant coaches.
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