Colorado State men’s basketball has been picked to finish seventh in its final season in the Mountain West Conference.
In the poll voted on by select media and announced Thursday ahead of the league’s annual media day in Las Vegas, the Rams received 164 points, the same amount as Nevada.
San Diego State was picked to win the conference, garnering all 26 first-place votes and 312 points.
Utah State was picked second with 275 points, while Boise State was selected third with 260 points. Grand Canyon was picked fourth with 224 points and New Mexico was chosen to finish fifth with 182 points, just ahead of UNLV.
Rounding out the poll are the Rams and Wolf Pack in a tie for seventh; Wyoming ninth with 96 points; San José State 10th with 82 points; Fresno State 11th with 65 points; and Air Force 12th with 30 points.
CSU is coming off an historic season in which it finished 26-10 and 16-4 in the Mountain West. The Rams won the Mountain West tournament to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the second round before losing in the final seconds to Maryland.
Just days after the season ended, head coach Niko Medved left for Minnesota and assistant Ali Farokhmanesh took over the team. The Rams also lost several players to the transfer portal, including starters Kyan Evans (North Carolina) and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (Minnesota).
San Diego State junior Miles Byrd was selected as the Mountain West preseason player of the year, while Grand Canyon graduate student Brian Moore Jr. was named the newcomer of the year and San Diego State rookie Elzie Harrington was voted the freshman of the year.
No Rams were selected to the 10-player preseason all-conference team. That team includes Byrd; Moore; Boise State’s Andrew Meadow; Grand Canyon’s Jaden Henley; Nevada’s Elijah Price; New Mexico’s Deyton Albury; San Diego State’s Magoon Gwath and Reese Dixon-Waters; UNLV’s Kimani Hamilton; and Utah State’s Mason Falslev.
CSU will play an exhibition game at Creighton on Saturday before officially opening its season Nov. 3 at home against Incarnate Word.
This year’s Rams roster features two freshmen, six transfers and six returners, including Kyle Jorgensen, Rashaan Mbemba and Nikola Djapa, who all saw significant playing time last season.