Rams Take First Official Step Toward the Season

Not that they hadn't done this before, Tuesday was just the first official day of practice. A start of the 20-hour work week and a signal the season is just around the corner – first tip which counts is Nov. 3 against Incarnate Word.

Colorado State's men's basketball team didn't need nametags for the first day. They've been together all summer, working out on the court and getting to know each other away from it with team-bonding activities. While there are a host of fresh faces, the most interesting aspect may be the two familiar ones who were in different spots the first day.

Naturally, there's Ali Farokhmanesh who is now the head coach, not an assistant. Then there was Rashaan Mbemba, who wasn't working his way into shape on the inaugural day, but showing he was in great shape.

Amazing what an offseason of working out can mean as opposed to a break where a player is trying to recover from injury.

It's a blessing. I've been here two years, I've had two rough summers with my groin stuff, so it's not saying I wasn't involved in the team, but like just as an individual, it's hard to see your whole team practice every day throughout the summer getting better, and you're just … People understand that you are hurt, but self-respect, you're just thinking you can't help the team. So, having a first summer to really get to know the guys off the court, but really on the court, play with them, get the chemistry, I'm just glad and thankful to be able to do that.

He's the big man the Rams need, and they need him to play an even bigger role average starting 29 games a season ago, averaging 7.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. That's what made this past summer so important for him, to have the chance to develop his game further instead of just getting back healthy and then in playing shape.

Having him on the court – all three returning posts, really, including Kyle Jorgensen and Nikola Djapa – has been beneficial for all involved, and Farokhmanesh has seen a difference.

That's what we talked about. He's a junior, but he hasn't had a spring, he hasn't had a summer really where he's had consistency, Farokhmanesh said. Even a fall. He's missed one day since the spring, and I think you can see it in his game. It's changed completely, his body's changed, he can play for longer stints. Usually, he'd go up and down twice and he'd have to come out of the game, and I think that's the biggest change that I think he's seeing it, too.

Eventually they have to buy into it, you can see it as a coach, but I think he's started feeling it now, and now he appreciates it. He talks about it. I think he also is very excited that he has changed his body and he's proud of himself for it.

The summer was important to get a read on the assembled squad, one equipped with six transfers and a pair of freshman additions. In those months, the realization for all of them was that there was some versatility on the team as well as some depth.

Those two components alone raise the level of competition as roles are being imagined and worked toward.

This is probably one of the deepest teams I've been around, even high school, transfer Jase Butler said. Just the amount of guys you have that can play and do a bunch of different things, I think it's really exciting. You know that if you're not bringing it, someone else is there to take care of stuff.

They took care of the camaraderie part, too, with a dose of competitiveness. They played paintball together and went bowling, with Butler's take being Jorgensen was the winner of both varied showdowns.

The time around town, or lounging on couches together, was just as important. The change of the roster has not led to a change of the culture – just as vital.

I think we've got a lot of good guys, so we just gelled together really quickly, and I think our coaches did a great job of recruiting the right people here, Butler said. We made a very easy transition.

Now, from here until the calendar flips to November, the focus will be on bringing it all together, seeing how things fit and how many distinct parts can be pieced together. It's developing a foundation for the next season of Colorado State basketball.

The fun part is the games. This is the time of year which will dictate how much fun the Rams can have and how long it can last.

You saw, they get after each other, and I think when you have depth you can compete. That's a good starting point, right? Farokhmanesh said. The rest of it's got to come together now because that's our strength, but now we have to be able to understand. We were just talking about smart pressure and taking a breath and not getting frustrated. They're so competitive, but it can go against you as well.

I love the competitiveness of the group, and also, to be honest, everyone can play different positions. We have a mix and match of what guys can do and what other guys can't, and they all complement each other really well. So, I'm excited to see how that evolves over time.

And the clock officially started Tuesday. The countdown has begun.

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