Comfort and confidence define second season
Mike Brohard
What Kyle Jorgensen sees is what Jase Butler feels and what coach Ali Farokhmanesh senses.
The Colorado State big man says his roommate is making the game look easy. It’s a tough optic to pull off on a basketball court, almost a magic trick where one can pause time, which Butler says the game has done for him – slowed down. The coach atop the program knows they are both saying the same thing, but what bridges the two statements is the underlying confidence exuded by Butler.
Potayto, potahto, tomayto, tomahto. Semantics, really. What’s really important to all of them is what it actually means for the Rams on the court this season.
“Leadership-wise, I think when your best players know who they are and also have the confidence in who they are but also know where their shortcomings are and lean on the people around them that are better at things that they're not as good at, it shows the level of humility that Jase has,” Farokhmanesh said. “I think that if your best players show that humility with confidence, I think it permeates down the rest of the roster.”
As the Rams take their first foray into the Pac-12, they do so with a strong core returning. More than 100 starts in 2025-26. Six players who averaged better than 12 minutes a game, four exceeding 24 minutes a night. A trio of double-digit scorers, a crew of marksmen behind the arc and a mix of distributors, disruptors and rim defenders.
That’s where the Rams are now with the start of the season six days away, hosting Montana State on Nov. 2 (8 p.m.), part of a basketball doubleheader with the women. It’s a good place too. A far better place, Butler will tell you, than where he was a year ago.
When a player says another makes the game look easy, it’s a compliment. When Jorgensen says it in reference to Butler, he’s talking more about a time warp.
“At the start it wasn't easy. I mean, it was not that simple,” Jorgensen said. “You know, even he jokes about it. He was like the eighth guy at the start of the season, and he just stayed ready and worked.”
Butler came to Colorado State seeking a fresh start. And minutes. He was also trying to find his spot, and to a real degree, his game. He can be on the quiet side, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t assertive or lacks aggression, traits which can be seen at practice with the number of times you find him on the floor, be it driving with determination or diving for a loose ball.
For those aspects to show, he had to find a comfort level in the program and the systems Farokhmanesh was running. That took time, and it came in stages the coach could see.
Butler was getting regular minutes at the outset, but there was some trepidation in his play. A thought process instead of natural reaction. That started to come piece by piece. His shot looked better and the offense he was producing looked natural.
Just after the start of conference play, Butler moved into the starting lineup and another adjustment period took place. A new, expanded role meant there was more to assess and decipher for Butler. Which he did, and the final third of the season he was stellar, averaging nearly 15 points per game down the stretch, a third more than his season average.
“Last year he was a little unsure of himself. Unsure of who he was, what he was trying to be,” Farokhmanesh said. “Unsure of his entire game there for a little while, and then I thought it transformed probably halfway through the season, really January.
“Now I know we have someone who knows who he is as a person, knows who he is as a player, and also knows what he wants. I think that's the biggest difference, and I think he just has a true understanding of who he is, and I think he's at peace with who he is too. I'm excited about it also.”
“I don't think you put in the time that he does into his craft and not expect more.Ali Farokhmanesh
His route from then to now was a series of steps to find advantages. Getting stronger, courtesy of Jason Phillips in the weight room. Eating better after conversations with nutritionist Megan Skinner. Understanding the benefits of rest and recovery.
He also needed information, so the quiet kid listened to every conversation he could. Definitely to his coaches. Particularly to his teammates. Not just when they were talking to him but simply talking. That skill helped him then, and it will definitely help him now that he finds himself in a leadership role.
“I feel like my parents did a really good job of raising me. I think in order for me to better process things I’ve got to do a good job of listening, and once I listen, I feel like I can kind of spit back out the knowledge I've gained,” Butler said. “I feel keeping a good balance of you want other people to feel like they've been heard and then also, when you speak, you want to be able to listen and usually if you listen to other people they value your opinion a lot more.
“Ali did a good job of explaining the leaders in the past of these teams that helped them reach the heights that we need to go to and how much of it needs to be player led, and so I'm trying to figure out any advantage I can. If I hear a side conversation talking about the wrong stuff or maybe even if it's the right stuff, validate it by bringing it to the team so everyone can hear what they're saying.”
Jorgensen said most people focus on the kid who doesn’t say a whole lot, but in doing so they miss the transformation he viewed, especially as Butler’s roommate. And he is a good roommate. He said among the three of them – Rashaan Mbemba included – Butler is the best of the trio. The neatest, most considerate and consistent.
He also possesses a mean streak when they go to work. Butler likes to play physically, and that means taking it hard to the hoop against the team’s posts, Jorgensen and Mbemba. What he lacks in size he makes up for in desire.
“He has that dog in him a little bit. When you step on the court, it's a different Jase,” Jorgensen said. “Off the court, he's a quiet kid. But when you step across those lines, it's like you flip a gear. He likes to get a little chippy, and he likes to guard people full court, and I love that, man.
“I'm that same way. So when I see it, I feed off that. Sometimes I don't always have the energy, and when I see that, it gets me going, and it's something I think that everyone should find. That's what I love about this game is I have two different personalities, too. Off the court, I'm way different than on the court, and that's what makes him special.”
Butler, the settled in version, most definitely was down the stretch. In nine of the final 10 games, Butler reached double figures in scoring, going for 25 against San Diego State and 20 against Fresno State to open the conference tournament.
All of his numbers were improved during that run, fueling his confidence, which in turn directed his offseason. Butler expects to be better because of the work he put in since the last game. Farokhmanesh knows his guard left nothing to chance.
“He better be better than that, but I think he expects that from himself too,” the coach said. “I don't think you put in the time that he does into his craft and not expect more. There's a fine line of balance in the two forms that I think he's going to have to go through this year now, too. You expect more of yourself, but you don't want to put pressure, or you don't want to get upset when things don't go quite your way because you've got these high expectations.
“It's more just can you meet the standard of who you are every single day and trust that your work will take over. I think every one of our guys on our team is going to go through that this year. They're all in different roles from last year. Even if it's very similar to last year, they're all in different roles. And how you deal with those expectations and whatnot, I think that's going to be a key to everybody, but especially Jase because we're going to rely on him for more than just what he does on the court.”
By the end of his first year at Colorado State, Butler had reached a point where he could anticipate what was coming next. During games, for sure, but in the process of the team changing. Players coming, others going and what that meant for his role.
He knew it would expand. He’s thinking Swiss Army Knife, a tool for every occasion. Score. Distribute. Dictate pace. Supply energy and calm. And he’s in a good place to do all of those things.
The right place. The place he sought when he switched teams.
“I started to slow it down, just the reads and stuff. Honestly, I gave a lot of credit to the coaches because I've gotten more reps and more opportunity to play which is obviously helps a lot,” Butler said. “Then the offseason, I'm working on tightening my handles and that alone helps things slow back down.
“I wouldn't say I have had that much of the opportunity to look back yet, just because the season hasn't started, the games haven’t started, but I definitely noticed it, and it's something I've been thinking about for sure.”
Now they can all see, feel and sense the same difference. At the core, they know the pathway to what now looks easy or slow was anything but those things. What they were, however, was worth every stage to get there.
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