Rams Depth Wins Over Portland State - Colorado State Athletics

A name announced in the starting lineup doesn't necessarily determine who makes the biggest impact on the court. For Colorado State men's basketball, some of its biggest contributions came from the players waiting on the bench.

The Rams continued their undefeated start to the season Wednesday, defeating Portland State 87-71 giving them a 3-0 record.

While CSU's starting five helped establish the team's identity, its depth became just as important, with nine of the team's 12 players recording points.

With the season still being early, CSU has had opportunities to introduce its new additions while continuing to rely on experienced returners. Against Portland State, contributions from both sides showed that the Rams success is not just in a few players but the depth of the whole roster.

"I think every game is an opportunity regardless of who we play. There's a lot of talented teams out there and to get a chance to play very different teams, we gotta change our offense sometimes, change our defense and it gets us prepared for bigger things in the future," said senior Rashaan Mbemba. "I think it's great, it's a great opportunity and I feel like the players are just excited to play right now. I mean we had a pretty long preseason so we're just excited to play games now."

The Rams began putting players in off the bench early in the first half, their contributions establishing an early lead. Rather than relying on its starting lineup to make plays, CSU found momentum through its rotation.

Halfway through the first, the Rams went on a 10-0 scoring run, establishing an 11-point lead. The Rams would continue this advantage and go into the second half 42-26.

One of those players was Mbemba, who became a crucial scorer in Wednesday's game despite not being in the starting lineup. As one of only 17 players in the country to remain at the same college for all four years, Mbemba brought experience and familiarity to the court where new faces began to emerge.

While leading scoring in the first with 10 points, he shot nearly perfect making all but one of eight total attempts. However, his impact extended beyond the stat sheet as his willingness to take on a different role showed the importance of putting the team above oneself.

"I think the ultimate team guy. You always talk about sacrifice, everyone in the country talks about sacrificing and what that means. Nobody really knows what that means until you actually go through it and you're like, oh, sacrifice means I'm sitting on the bench possibly at times. I'm losing my shots. I'm doing something else for the betterment of the team," coach Ali Farokhmanesh said.

"There's one person on this team that can say he's done that every single year that he's been here. I mean, for him to come back last year and come off the bench then after being a starter on an NCAA tournament team that was one shot away from a Sweet 16, I think that speaks volumes to his character. It permeates to the team because if he's doing that, nobody else can really say anything."

While the returners provide needed experience, the Rams newcomers have also begun to establish their roles. Having players with experience both on the court and on the bench gave CSU another level of depth.

In the first half, Jaden Ghoresishi recorded seven points, making all his field goals and 3-point attempts, and including a plus-15 score.

In addition to strong first-half play, transfer Justin Menard made three of four field goal attempts and two of three 3-point shots.

The production from CSU's bench gave the Rams additional scoring options, allowing different players to step up while the team continued to build its lead.

"When you've got a guy like Amondo [Miller Jr] who's been a D2 All-American and played in a lot of games coming off the bench for you, and then Rashaan, who's one of 17 four-year guys left in the country coming off the bench, that's a pretty good start. Then JoJo [McIver] too, those three right away," Farokhmanesh said. "And then Pops [Dunson], he's fearless, he's never seen a shot he doesn't like either. But that's why he brings a different pop off the bench. He does bring that scoring punch off the bench for us, and I want to keep seeing him finding ways to score."

The freshman class in particular was one that made an impression with their minutes against Portland State.

With several new players adjusting to the college level, the early games have given CSU an opportunity to see how its younger players respond to meaningful minutes.

Ghoreishi saw a total of 11 points, with four rebounds and two blocks. Dunson had seven points, taking shots when necessary but also accounting for three assists.

"Obviously winning is the best part, but going 3-0 against high-quality opponents that are all three going to challenge for the league championship in the Big Sky and having them playing impactful minutes is going to pay dividends in the end," Farokhmanesh said. "We trust those guys, Jaden, they show up every day with the right mentality. I thought Pops had a great last two days of practice. And I think they're starting to realize, like, whatever I do in practice and however I lead up to it is exactly how I'm going to play in the game."

That willingness to prepare and contribute helped the Rams create a team where players understand their roles, and whether in the starting lineup or not wait for their opportunity off the bench.

Effort made off the court and in practice was shown in today's game, among all the newcomers who saw the court.

"I gotta say big props to our freshmen who came in ready. We saw it in Jaden, we saw it in Pops and even in Eric [Fiedler], Jax [Clark] and River [Sawyer], they engage in practice, they're ready to play," Mbemba said. "Even sometimes it might be their night, it might not, but just to know that everybody is kind of putting on the same string, I mean that's the most important thing."

As the Rams move further into their season, they can continue to rely on the balance of experience and new talent.

Against Portland State, meaningful minutes and scoring opportunities showed that a starting position doesn't determine worth on the team.

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