Key takeaways from CSU’s Mountain West exit vs San Diego State
Reporter Kevin Lytle breaks down some of the key takeaways learned in Colorado State’s quarterfinal loss to San Diego State.
The season is not over yet.
The Colorado State men’s basketball team landed a spot in the 2026 NIT as brackets were revealed March 15.
The Rams knew they didn’t have the resume to land a spot in the NCAA Tournament but were hopeful of continuing to play with a spot in the NIT (National Invitation Tournament).
It came with a matchup against Saint Joseph’s and the Rams will host the game at Moby Arena. CSU and Saint Joseph’s will play at 9 p.m. Mountain on March 18. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
The 32-team bracket has four regions with teams seeded 1-4. The Rams are a No. 3 seed in a region led by No. 1 New Mexico. The winner of CSU and Saint Joseph’s advances to the second round to face the winner of No. 2 Cal and UIC.
Saint Joseph’s is 22-11 and finished third in the A-10 and lost to VCU in the A-10 tournament semifinals.
CSU is 21-12 under first-year coach Ali Farokhmanesh. It’s the sixth 20-plus win season out of the last seven for the program.
The Rams had made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons and three of the last four.
CSU last played in the NIT in 2021 as a team led by Isaiah Stevens and David Roddy made the NIT Final Four.
NIT schedule, dates to know
Here’s a breakdown of the NIT schedule:
- First round: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18
- Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
- Quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25
- Semifinals: Thursday, April 2
- Championship: Sunday, April 5
The Final Four NIT games are played in Indianapolis, with the semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse and the championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.
