# 2023–24 Colorado State Rams men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Colorado State Rams men's basketball team represented Colorado State University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams were led by 6th-year head coach Niko Medved and played their home games for the 58th season at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado. They participated as members of the Mountain West Conference for the 25th season.

## Previous season

The Rams finished the 2022–23 season 15–18, 6–12 in Mountain West play to finish in a tied for 8th place. They defeated Fresno State in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament before losing to San Diego State in the quarterfinals.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Trace Young | 0 | G | 6'3" | 180 | Junior | Austin, TX | Walk-on; transferred to LSU |
| John Tonje | 1 | G | 6'5" | 210 | Senior | Omaha, NE | Graduate transferred to Missouri |
| Baylor Hebb | 5 | G | 6'2" | 180 | Junior | Colleyville, TX | Transferred to UTEP |
| James Moors | 10 | F/C | 6'10" | 260 | RS Junior | Auckland, New Zealand | TBD |
| Nick Bassett | 22 | F | 6'5" | 205 | Senior | Colorado Springs, CO | Walk-on; left the team for personal reasons |
| Isaiah Rivera | 23 | G | 6'5" | 210 | Junior | Geneseo, IL | Transferred to UIC |
| Jacob Jennissen | 35 | C | 7'1" | 240 | Junior | Sauk Centre, MN | Transferred to Minnesota State–Moorhead |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Joel Scott | 1 | F | 6'7" | 225 | GS Senior | Monument, CO | Black Hills State |
| Nique Clifford | 10 | G | 6'6" | 191 | Senior | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado |
| Javonte Johnson | 13 | G | 6'6" | 190 | RS Senior | Colorado Springs, CO | New Mexico |

### 2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kyan Evans PG | Kansas City, MO | Staley High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Aug 16, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Rashaan Mbemba F | Austria | Sportklub Niederösterreich St. Pölten | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Sep 26, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: – Rivals: – ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Colorado State Commit List for 2023". Rivals.com. "Men's Basketball Recruiting". Scout.com. "ESPN – Colorado State Rams Basketball Recruiting 2023". ESPN.com. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

### 2024 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2024) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jaden Steppe #40 PF | Tualatin, OR | Tualatin High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sep 25, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Jonathan Mekonnen SF | Saint Paul, MN | Eastview Senior High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jul 27, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Darnez Slater PG | Corona, CA | Eleanor Roosevelt High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Jul 11, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Kyle Jorgensen C | Minneapolis, MN | Washburn High School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | N/A | Jun 26, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: – Rivals: – |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Colorado State Commit List for 2024". Rivals.com. "Men's Basketball Recruiting". Scout.com. "ESPN – Colorado State Rams Basketball Recruiting 2024". ESPN.com. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 8:00 p.m., MW Network | | Louisiana Tech | W 81–73 | 1–0 | 18 – Scott | 5 – Palmer | 10 – Stevens | Moby Arena (4,331) Fort Collins, CO |
| November 10, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | | Wright State | W 105–77 | 2–0 | 18 – Stevens | 9 – Tied | 14 – Stevens | Moby Arena (4,802) Fort Collins, CO |
| November 14, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Northern Colorado | W 83–64 | 3–0 | 24 – Stevens | 14 – Clifford | 4 – Stevens | Bank of Colorado Arena (2,181) Greeley, CO |
| November 17, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | | Kansas City | W 84–61 | 4–0 | 14 – Cartier | 6 – Scott | 4 – Tied | Moby Arena (3,830) Fort Collins, CO |
| November 22, 2023* 11:30 a.m., CBSSN | | vs. Boston College Hall of Fame Classic Semifinals | W 86–74 | 5–0 | 18 – Stevens | 7 – Scott | 8 – Stevens | T-Mobile Center (–) Kansas City, MO |
| November 23, 2023* 2:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. No. 8 Creighton Hall of Fame Classic Championship | W 69–48 | 6–0 | 20 – Stevens | 9 – Scott | 8 – Stevens | T-Mobile Center (–) Kansas City, MO |
| November 29, 2023* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 20 | Colorado | W 88–83 | 7–0 | 20 – Stevens | 6 – Clifford | 11 – Stevens | Moby Arena (8,083) Fort Collins, CO |
| December 2, 2023* 5:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 20 | vs. Washington Legends of Basketball Invitational | W 86–81 | 8–0 | 17 – Scott | 8 – Scott | 5 – Tied | MGM Grand Garden Arena (N/A) Paradise, NV |
| December 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | No. 13 | Denver | W 90–80 | 9–0 | 19 – Cartier | 7 – Scott | 9 – Stevens | Moby Arena (7,135) Fort Collins, CO |
| December 9, 2023* 4:30 p.m., CBSSN | No. 13 | Saint Mary's | L 61–64 | 9–1 | 20 – Stevens | 11 – Clifford | 3 – Tied | Moby Arena (8,083) Fort Collins, CO |
| December 17, 2023* 4:00 p.m., MW Network | No. 17 | CSU Pueblo | W 86–54 | 10–1 | 18 – Stevens | 9 – Clifford | 6 – Stevens | Moby Arena (5,739) Fort Collins, CO |
| December 22, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 16 | at Loyola Marymount | W 76–67 | 11–1 | 23 – Clifford | 4 – Tied | 7 – Stevens | Gersten Pavilion (1,365) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 29, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | No. 15 | Adams State | W 106–61 | 12–1 | 13 – Tied | 6 – Mbemba | 7 – Stevens | Moby Arena (6,852) Fort Collins, CO |
| Mountain West regular season |||||||||
| January 2, 2024 8:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 13 | New Mexico | W 76–68 | 13–1 (1–0) | 21 – Cartier | 10 – Clifford | 8 – Stevens | Moby Arena (5,165) Fort Collins, CO |
| January 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., MW Network | No. 13 | at Utah State | L 72–77 | 13–2 (1–1) | 21 – Stevens | 5 – Palmer | 8 – Stevens | Smith Spectrum (10,270) Logan, UT |
| January 9, 2024 7:00 p.m., MW Network | No. 17 | at Boise State | L 58–65 | 13–3 (1–2) | 15 – Stevens | 8 – Clifford | 3 – Stevens | ExtraMile Arena (12,058) Boise, ID |
| January 16, 2024 8:30 p.m., MW Network | | Air Force | W 78–69 $^{OT}$ | 14–3 (2–2) | 17 – Clifford | 7 – Scott | 9 – Stevens | Moby Arena (6,345) Fort Collins, CO |
| January 19, 2024 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | UNLV | W 78–75 | 15–3 (3–2) | 21 – Clifford | 7 – Clifford | 7 – Stevens | Moby Arena (8,083) Fort Collins, CO |
| January 24, 2024 8:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | at Nevada | L 64–77 | 15–4 (3–3) | 13 – Lake | 9 – Clifford | 10 – Stevens | Lawlor Events Center (9,029) Reno, NV |
| January 27, 2024 2:00 p.m., MW Network | No. 24 | Wyoming Border War | L 76–79 $^{OT}$ | 15–5 (3–4) | 19 – Cartier | 12 – Clifford | 9 – Stevens | Arena-Auditorium (7,113) Laramie, WY |
| January 30, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | San Diego State | W 79–71 | 16–5 (4–4) | 20 – Tied | 10 – Clifford | 6 – Stevens | Moby Arena (8,093) Fort Collins, CO |
| February 3, 2024 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Fresno State | W 73–61 | 17–5 (5–4) | 14 – Tied | 8 – Clifford | 6 – Scott | Save Mart Center (4,331) Fresno, CA |
| February 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., MW Network | | Boise State | W 75–62 | 18–5 (6–4) | 16 – Stevens | 6 – Tied | 11 – Stevens | Moby Arena (7,221) Fort Collins, CO |
| February 9, 2024 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | San Jose State | W 66–47 | 19–5 (7–4) | 13 – Mbemba | 11 – Clifford | 11 – Stevens | Moby Arena (7,783) Fort Collins, CO |
| February 13, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at San Diego State | L 55–71 | 19–6 (7–5) | 14 – Strong | 6 – Scott | 5 – Stevens | Viejas Arena (12,414) San Diego, CA |
| February 17, 2024 5:30 p.m., CBSSN | | Utah State | W 75–55 | 20–6 (8–5) | 18 – Stevens | 10 – Clifford | 8 – Stevens | Moby Arena (8,083) Fort Collins, CO |
| February 21, 2024 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 22 | at New Mexico | L 66–68 | 20–7 (8–6) | 20 – Stevens | 13 – Scott | 9 – Stevens | The Pit (14,618) Albuquerque, NM |
| February 24, 2024 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 22 | at UNLV | L 60–66 | 20–8 (8–7) | 18 – Stevens | 7 – Tied | 6 – Stevens | Thomas & Mack Center (8,591) Paradise, NV |
| February 27, 2024 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | Nevada | L 74–77 | 20–9 (8–8) | 23 – Stevens | 8 – Cartier | 6 – Stevens | Moby Arena (7,070) Fort Collins, CO |
| March 2, 2024 2:00 p.m., MW Network | | Wyoming Border War | W 70–62 | 21–9 (9–8) | 15 – Manyawu | 10 – Manyawu | 3 – Tied | Moby Arena (8,083) Fort Collins, CO |
| March 9, 2024 2:00 p.m., MW Network | | at Air Force | W 82–73 | 22–9 (10–8) | 29 – Stevens | 9 – Clifford | 4 – Clifford | Clune Arena (4,647) Colorado Springs, CO |
| Mountain West tournament |||||||||
| March 13, 2024 2:30 p.m., MW Network | (7) | vs. (10) San Jose State First Round | W 72−62 | 23–9 | 17 – Scott | 9 – Clifford | 10 – Stevens | Thomas & Mack Center Paradise, NV |
| March 14, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | (7) | vs. (2) No. 23 Nevada Quarterfinals | W 85–78 | 24–9 | 16 – Lake | 10 – Clifford | 7 – Stevens | Thomas & Mack Center Paradise, NV |
| March 15, 2024 10:00 p.m., CBSSN | (7) | vs. (6) New Mexico Semifinals | L 61–74 | 24–10 | 20 – Scott | 9 – Clifford | 7 – Clifford | Thomas & Mack Center (13,213) Paradise, NV |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 19, 2024 7:10 p.m., TruTV | (10 MW) | vs. (10 MW) Virginia First Four | W 67–42 | 25–10 | 23 – Scott | 11 – Scott | 6 – Clifford | UD Arena (12,247) Dayton, OH |
| March 21, 2024 4:50 p.m., TNT | (10 MW) | vs. (7 MW) Texas First Round | L 44–56 | 25–11 | 10 – Tied | 10 – Clifford | 4 – Stevens | Spectrum Center Charlotte, NC |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest region. All times are in Mountain Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Final |
| AP | — | — | RV | 20 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 17 | RV | 24 | RV | RV | RV | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | — | — | — | 21 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 18 | RV | 23 | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | — | — | — | — | RV |