The Colorado State Rams men's basketball team represents Colorado State University, located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The team plays their home games at Moby Arena and are members of the Pac-12 Conference. The Rams have reached the NCAA tournament 13 times, most recently in 2025. Colorado State joined the Pac-12 beginning in the 2026–27 season.
Team history
Early years (1901-1954)
Colorado State University's men's basketball program began during the 1901–02 season, when the school was known as Colorado Agricultural College. In 1910–11, the team joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The institution was renamed Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, commonly known as Colorado A&M, in 1935. During the 1938–39 season, the school followed several larger conference members in moving from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to the Mountain States Conference, where it remained through the 1961–62 season. The program achieved its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1954, reaching the Sweet 16 under head coach Bill Strannigan. From 1901 through 1954, the men's basketball team compiled an overall record of 284–409.
The Jim Williams era (1954-1980)
Jim Williams arrived at Colorado State in 1954 after replacing Strannigan, who left for Iowa State University. In 1957, the institution officially became Colorado State University, although the “Aggies” nickname remained in use until 1966, when it was formally abolished and the Rams became the university's sole identity.
The 1960s marked the most successful decade of Williams’ tenure. Under his leadership, CSU earned four NCAA Tournament appearances and captured a conference championship in 1961. Williams guided the Rams to the NCAA Tournament in 1963, 1966, and 1969. The program's best postseason performance came in 1969, when CSU reached the Elite Eight after defeating in-state rival Colorado in the Sweet 16. This remains the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history.
In 1965, following the death of Athletic Director Bob Davis, Williams assumed the role of athletic director while continuing to coach the basketball team. During this period, he oversaw the construction of Moby Arena and Hughes Stadium. Williams returned to full-time head coaching duties at the start of the 1968 school year. The following season, 1969–70, Colorado State joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Williams was dismissed in 1980 but remained a visible presence at CSU basketball games, where he was honored with a special courtside seat. He was also among the first inductees into the CSU Sports Hall of Fame. Over 26 seasons as head coach, Williams recorded 352 wins, the most by any men's basketball coach in school history, solidifying his legacy as the greatest coach in the program's history.
The later WAC years (1980-1999)
In 1988, Boyd Grant—a former standout player under Jim Williams—returned to Colorado State as head coach. That season, the Rams made their first postseason appearance in more than two decades, finishing third in the 1988 NIT. The program's success continued over the next two seasons, as CSU won consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles in 1989 and 1990 and earned NCAA Tournament berths both years.
Over four seasons, Grant compiled an 81–46 record (.638 winning percentage). He retired from coaching following the 1991 season. In the years that followed, CSU returned to the NIT in 1996, 1998, and 1999. The Rams advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1999 NIT, which marked their final season competing in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Mountain West era (1999-present)
After 20 seasons in the WAC, Colorado State then moved to the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for the 1999–00 season. Colorado State was an inaugural member of the MWC. In 2003, the Rams reached their first NCAA tournament in over a decade after winning the Mountain West tournament after grabbing sixth place in the Mountain West regular season.
Tim Miles served as Colorado State's head men's basketball coach from 2007 to 2012, taking over a struggling program. His first three seasons produced modest results. However, a turning point came during the 2010–11 season, when the Rams posted a winning record and reestablished themselves as contenders in the conference. The peak of Miles’ tenure occurred in the 2011–12 season. CSU finished 20–12 overall and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first since 1990. Although the Rams were eliminated in the first round, the appearance marked CSU's return to national relevance. Following the 2011–12 season, Miles left Colorado State to become the head coach at Nebraska. He was succeeded by Larry Eustachy, who led the program from 2012 to 2018.
Eustachy led Colorado State to an outstanding 2012–13 season, finishing 26–9 and earning another at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team cracked the national top 25 for the first time since 1954 and set a program record for most wins. CSU defeated Missouri 84–72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, securing its first tournament win since 1989, before losing to top-seeded Louisville in the third round. The Rams again reached the top 25 during the 2014–15 season and set another program record for wins, finishing 27–7. Despite the historic regular season, CSU did not receive an NCAA Tournament bid that year. On February 3, 2018, Colorado State placed Eustachy on administrative leave pending the completion of an inquiry into his behavior. He resigned from his position on February 26, 2018, bringing his tenure as head coach to an end.
Niko Medved was named head coach of Colorado State on March 22, 2018. The Rams made it to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013 during the 2021-2022 season, finishing with an overall record of 25-6. That season, CSU also finished ranked in the AP Top 25 while the Rams also won the 2021 Paradise Jam in season tournament in November. The team was led by future NBA players in David Roddy, Isaiah Stevens, and John Tonje. The 2023–24 season marked another major step forward for the program. The Rams appeared in the Top 25 in nine different polls and reached No. 13 in early December, the highest ranking in school history. Medved guided CSU back to the NCAA Tournament, where the Rams defeated Virginia 67–42 in the First Four in Dayton before falling to Texas 56–44 in the Round of 64. During the 2024–25 season, Colorado State went 6–5 in non-conference play before finishing Mountain West conference play on a seven-game winning streak, concluding the regular season with a 22–9 record. The Rams would go on to win the 2025 Mountain West Tournament championship, led by tournament MVP and future NBA first-round pick Nique Clifford. The 69–56 Mountain West tournament championship over Boise State secured CSU's third NCAA Tournament berth under Medved. In the NCAA Tournament, Colorado State defeated Memphis 78–70 in the Round of 64, extending its winning streak to 11 games. The Rams’ season ended in the Round of 32 with a 72–71 loss to Maryland. Ali Farokhmanesh was named head coach of Colorado State after Medved left to take the head coaching job at Minnesota.
Colorado State has produced three first round picks while playing in the Mountain West, including Jason Smith, David Roddy, and Nique Clifford. Colorado State will be joining the Pac-12 for the 2026–27 season.
Coaches The following is a list of Colorado State Rams men's basketball head coaches. There have been 21 head coaches of the Rams in their 122-season history.
Colorado State's current head coach is Ali Farokhmanesh. He was hired as the Rams' head coach in March 2025, replacing Niko Medved who had accepted a Head Coaching position for the University of Minnesota. Medved had led the Rams to three NCAA Tournament appearances in his seven seasons as head coach. Farokhmanesh spent those seven seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach under Medved before taking over as head coach of the Rams. Medved departed CSU as the second-winningest coach in school history.
+ Head Coaching HistoryNo Coach1901-19055-3Claude Rothgeb1905-1908^ 1909-191010–10George Cassidy1910-19115-4Harry W. Hughes1911-192560-79Rudy Lavik1925-192811-26Joe Ryan1928-193430-44Saaly Salwachter1934-19356-6Sam Campbell1935-193710-15John S. Davis1937-1943^ 1944-194542-80E. D. Taylor1945-194938-63Bebe Lee1949-19507-23Bill Strannigan1950-195460-561 (Skyline)1 (1954)Jim Williams1954-1980352-2931 (Skyline)4 (1963, 1965, 1966, 1969)Tony McAndrews1980-198780-120Boyd Grant1987-199181-462 (WAC)2 (1989, 1990)Stew Morrill1991-1998121-86Ritchie McKay1998-200037-23Dale Layer2000-2007103-1061 (Mountain West)1 (2003)Tim Miles2007-201271-881 (2012)Larry Eustachy*2012-2018121-741 (2013)Steve Barnes*20180-2Jase Herl20181-5Niko Medved2018-2025143-851 (Mountain West)3 (2022, 2024, 2025)Ali Farokhmanesh2025-present21-13
^ Colorado State did not field a basketball team for the 1908–09 season. ^ Colorado State did not field a basketball team for the 1943–44 season. * Eustachy was suspended pending an investigation into his conduct as head coach. Barnes was named interim coach for the remainder of the season. Eustachy later resigned. * Barnes was suspended as part of the investigation into the behavior of Colorado State's coaching staff. Herl was named interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Players
Retired numbers
+ Colorado State Rams Retired Numbers14 John Mosley 202424Bill Green 1960-19631988
* Mosley's number is retired across all CSU sports as of 2024.
Career leaders
+ Career Points Leaders1 Isaiah Stevens 2019-202415315.42,3502 Pat Durham 1985-198912515.81,9803Bill Green 1960-19637622.11,6824Matt Nelson2000-200510415.81,6415Rich Strong1982-198611713.31,5546 David Turcotte 1984-198812312.31,5097Dorian Green2009-201313011.31,4648 Nico Carvacho 2016-202013210.71,4149Barry Young 1977-19808117.41,41310 David Roddy 2019-20229115.51,406 + Career Assist Leaders1 Isaiah Stevens 2019-20241535.68632Ryan Yoder1990-19941015.25303 Milt Palacio 1996-1999884.84204Bobby Sellers1992-19961093.8410 5Eddie Hughes 1978-19821063.7397 6Dorian Green2009-20131302.9373 7 Micheal Morris2002-20061133.2367 8Matt Barnett1994-19981193.03539Andy Birley1999-20031212.7327 10Barry Bailey1984-19881222.5302 + Career Rebound Leaders1 Nico Carvacho 2016-20201329.81,2952 Pat Durham 1985-19891256.88513Rich Strong1982-19861176.9805 4Pierce Hornung2009-20131236.5799 5Matt Barnett1994-19981196.57726Mike Childress1969-19714815.4741 7Bill Green 1960-1963769.6726 8Daniel Bejarano2011-20151006.5694 9Jason Smith 2004-2007877.9683 10 David Roddy 2019-2022917.4677
+ Career Steals Leaders1 Isaiah Stevens 2019-20241531.0158 2Pierce Hornung2009-20131231.3156 3Kendle Moore2018-20221201.3153 4 Milt Palacio 1996-1999881.71475Brian Greene1999-20031201.11286Adam Nigon2007-20111221.0121 7David Evans1994-1996552.1118 8J.D. Paige2015-20191240.9110 9Eddie Hughes 1978-19821061.010910Cory Lewis2005-2007601.8108Damon Crawford1990-19941101.0108
+ Career Blocks Leaders1Ryan Chilton1993-19981191.51842Joe Vogel 1992-19961151.6180 3Matt Nelson2000-20051041.51554Stuart Creason2004-20081031.5153 5Jason Smith 2004-2007871.7149 6Micheal Morris2002-20061131.2131 7 Pat Durham 1985-19891250.9111 8Rich Strong1982-29861170.9109 9John Ford1996-20001070.99210Alan Cunningham1976-1978511.680
Individual awards
All-Americans
Bill Green 1963 Consensus Second Team – AP (3rd), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st)Lonnie Wright1965AP (Honorable Mention)Colton Iverson2013AP (Honorable Mention)Gian Clavell2017AP (Honorable Mention)David Roddy2022AP (Honorable Mention), USBWA (Honorable Mention)Nique Clifford2025AP (Honorable Mention)
Mountain West Player of the Year Gian Clavell – 2017 David Roddy – 2022
Mountain West Rookie of the Year Jason Smith – 2005 Isaiah Stevens – 2020
Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year Pierce Hornung - 2011 Daniel Bejarano - 2013 John Gillon - 2015
Mountain West Newcomer of the Year