Forgive me, I’m a tad late on this one.
There’s been a lot going on in crossover season, with Colorado State fall sports reaching their peak and basketball beginning.
So, one game has been played in hoops, but I still think it’s fair time for me to share my bold predictions for the 2024-25 CSU men’s basketball season.
Late, but without further ado, here are my predictions:
Nique Clifford: Colorado State’s first triple-double
Trivia question: How many triple-doubles have been recorded in CSU men’s basketball history? Answer: Zero.
Could Nique Clifford be the first? He’ll be a double-double machine (he had 20 points and 14 rebounds in CSU’s opener), but can he get the third number?
David Roddy never did it. Isaiah Stevens couldn’t. Both came close at times. Not them, but Clifford will? His career-high in assists is seven. It’s a big leap to go from seven to 10.
I’m going to say it will happen. There will be a game where the offense is flying in transition and Clifford gets some early assists that way. Late in the game the Rams will push for it.
He has the unique skillset and a balanced team for it all to come together.
Bowen Born will lead CSU in 3-pointers
To me, there are three candidates to have the most 3-point makes for CSU: Clifford, Jalen Lake and Bowen Born.
The Rams didn’t shoot it well from deep in the opener, but it will improve. Clifford will have his ball in the hands the most of the group, but Born will get good looks.
The Northern Iowa transfer has hit more than 200 career 3-pointers. He’s going to hit his share.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson’s scoring
Clifford will lead CSU in scoring. Second? I’m going with Little Rock transfer Jaylen Crocker-Johnson.
The big man can score inside and out and will be a matchup problem for many teams. As long as he can consistently stay on the floor (he was in foul trouble Monday), he will average into double figures.
Keshawn Williams makes SportsCenter Top 10
A fun debate might be who has better bounce on the team, Clifford or Keshawn Williams? The former Northern Illinois guard has basically missed two seasons in a row with knee injuries, but he looked fully healthy Monday in an electric debut with the Rams.
Clifford will have the most dunks on the team and some will be electric. He will be in the highlights. But Williams is a little shorter, which always makes a big dunk look just a bit cooler.
He had an awesome alley-oop Monday. Here’s betting he will get one trampoline launch dunk that lands him on SportsCenter.
Colorado State’s record will be …
I like the potential of this team. If it all comes together, I think these Rams can be quite good. There are more question marks than last year, which was a team I felt pretty sure would make the NCAA Tournament.
I think this CSU team will go undefeated in home nonconference games. I think they’ll finish above their projected seventh in the Mountain West.
I went through the schedule and tried to make a reasonable pick at each game, not swinging too optimistic or pessimistic.
I landed on a 21-10 regular-season record.
What that would mean for the resume depends on what the wins and losses are, but it would likely send the Rams into the MW tournament involved in NCAA Tournament bubble talk, but on the outside to begin postseason play.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Bold predictions for the Colorado State men’s basketball season
