Colorado State Basketball

The Colorado State Rams dominated the No. 13 San Diego State Aztecs (18-3) Saturday afternoon and came away with a 77-60 win.

The Colorado State Rams (14-6) had something to prove after being dominated on the road by their last two conference opponents—Wyoming and New Mexico—by a combined 52 points.

The Rams were lead by senior Will Bell, who was good for 17 points and five boards.

Junior Wes Eikmeier pitched in with 19 points, and fellow junior Greg Smith had eight points and eight boards.

The Aztecs (18-3) failed to take advantage of the 3-point ball, as they were only 3-21 from long range. The Rams, on the other hand, were 6-13 from behind the arc and continue to be one of the top teams in the nation from distance. 

This win helps the Rams' chances for an at-large bid to the Big Dance this season—they're now 3-2, after losing their last two previous games.

The Rams, who picked up their first win against a ranked opponent since Air Force in 2003, had looked sluggish against two good conference opponents on the road this season, with poor shooting from guards Dorian Green and Wes Eikmeier—two of the Rams leading scorers.

The Rams dominated at the charity stripe, as well, knocking down an astounding 23-of-23 from the free-throw line.

The Aztecs, who were previously on a 38-game win streak against unranked opponents, can look past this loss and focus on their next opponents—Boise State and TCU, who should both be easy wins for one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference. 

This season the, MWC has continued to be one of the best conferences in basketball, similar to last season. The MWC is sixth in the nation in RPI, ahead of conferences such as the ACC, Pac-12, MVC and A-10. 

The Rams will look to build after this RPI-building win, and look towards their next opponent, No. 12 UNLV—in Las Vegas—which will be not easy contest for either team. 

The Mountain West will continue to be a conference drawing interest from voters across the country as MWC teams fight for spots in the NCAA tournament late in the season. 

No one but Tim Miles, coach of the Colorado State Rams 19-11 (9-7) 4th Mountain West, could have foreseen this kind of season.

At the end of the 2009-10 men's basketball season, the Rams finished a modest 16-16 (7-9) behind Mountain West Conference powerhouses New Mexico, UNLV, BYU and San Diego State. Putting up a fight against these teams the following year was expected, but competing for a bid in the NCAA tournament?  No chance.

With the help of their leading scorer Andy Ogide, the 245 lb senior forward, the Rams had brought their non-conference record to 11-4 by January 1st.  Ogide is averaging 17 PPG and 7.6 RPG for the season and in his last 10 games is totaling 20 PPG.

Out of Colorado State's four losses were top-ranked Kansas, an overtime loss against in-state rival Colorado, a November slip-up against Sam Houston and a two-point loss against Hampton.

But CSU's forté isn't star power. In fact, the Rams are well known for their deep bench. Their team, bench included, has been playing an average of almost 15 MPG.

The Rams began their Mountain West Conference schedule with a win against rival Wyoming and a close seven-point loss at "The Pit" to New Mexico. CSU went on to win seven of their next nine games including wins against New Mexico at home and UNLV on the road.  

They lost only to BYU and a last-second jumper at home to San Diego State.

Fort Collins, home of the CSU Rams, began to believe.  When BYU came to town on January 22nd, Moby Arena sold out for the first time since 2003.  The Rams made the NCAA tournament that year.

Unfortunately, the Rams, then at 18-7 (8-3), lost four of their next five games, floating in and out of the tournament "bubble". The Rams needed three wins to secure a bid and were expected to do so.

Their second sell-out-crowd of the season, their first time in 21 years, ended with a disappointing home loss to miss a season sweep of trailing UNLV.  Despite the loss, the Rams hoped to grab a signature win by pulling an upset against ranked teams SDSU and BYU.  

Neither happened. In fact, the Rams failed to grab any signature wins all season.  To make matters worse, the Rams had a humiliating loss against down-and-out Air Force on February 26th.

CSU later defeated Utah in its senior night at Moby Arena, ending its regular season at 19-11.

If any hope is to remain for the Colorado State Rams, they're going to need serious wins in the Mountain West tournament, and starting this Thursday.  The Rams face off as a No. 4 seed against No. 5 New Mexico, but that game alone won't be enough to raise their standing for a bid.

The Mountain West Conference, with the fourth highest conference RPI, is above the SEC (which expects five bids) yet the Mountain West is expected to receive only three.  If four bids are given, CSU with a current RPI of 43, would get the bid.

Yet the Rams have failed to secure their bid on several occasions.  A win against a top school like BYU is crucial but still may not be enough.  Their only solid chance is to win the MWC tournament--not a chance. Maybe they play better with the odds against them.

Notes

 -No. 4 Colorado State plays No. 5 New Mexico at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 10th, 2011 at 2:30pm PT.  The game can be viewed on the Mountain (MTN).

-No. 1 BYU plays No. 9 TCU  at 12:00pm at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This game can be viewed on the Mountain (MTN).

-BYU and CSU could meet on Friday, March 11th at 6:00pm if they both win their first games.  

Updated March 9

Boston College (19-11, 9-7 ACC); RPI:  39, SOS:  18

Colorado State (18-11, 9-7 MWC); RPI:  45, SOS:  37

Why Boston College Gets In

Boston College picked up a win in the same arena where Duke could not just three days earlier against Virginia Tech.  If Virginia Tech had won, it may have all but guaranteed an NCAA tournament bid for the Hokies.  Instead, BC came out and stole the show—the Eagles got out to a 27-10 lead—and went on to win by 15 in Blacksburg.. 

For Boston College, the win was the second over Virginia Tech this season.  BC moved over .500 in conference play to 8-7.  Although the Eagles still trail Tech by a game in the ACC standings, they now should move ahead of the Hokies in line for the ACC’s fourth NCAA bid.

The win that should carry the most weight for Boston College is their early season win over Texas A&M at the Old Spice Classic.  A win over a team ranked in the Top 25 most of this season—and on a neutral court—should help further prove Steve Donohue’s team can compete in and win a similar matchup in the NCAA tournament. 

Including the wins over Virginia Tech and Texas A&M, the Eagles have four wins away from home against the RPI (Rating Percentage Index) top 100.  That’s more than a lot of bubble teams can claim, and could be an important reason they ultimately get into the NCAA tournament.

Why Boston College is Left Out

While BC’s overall strength of schedule (15) is very high, their win over Texas A&M is their only win over a team inside the RPI top 50.  The next best win outside the ACC is over California, who is NIT-bound.  Without a depth of quality non-conference wins, the Eagles may have hurt themselves a bit with losses to Rhode Island and Yale—two sub-75 teams in the RPI. 

Two other losses that may ultimately cost BC a tournament bid are the ones to Miami.  The Hurricanes don’t have a terrible RPI (69) or ACC record (6-9), and have played most ACC teams very close this year.  However, losing both games to them will partially offset the good done with sweeps over Virginia Tech and Maryland.

Obviously, the ACC does not have the depth of legitimate NCAA tournament teams as usual.  As of now, the league has two for certain—Duke and North Carolina—and an almost-certain third in Florida State.  The lack of additional teams who have punched their dance tickets will hurt Boston College. 

The Eagles have lost all four of their games against the ACC's top three teams:  Duke, UNC and FSU.  Unless Virginia Tech does sneak into the field of 68, BC will not have any conference wins over teams heading to the NCAA tournament.  It’s not entirely their fault—the ACC hasn’t provided as many opportunities for true quality wins—but that fact could be tough to look past.

Why Colorado State Gets In

The Mountain West has remained No. 4 in conference RPI.  The MWC is ranked ahead of the ACC, as well as the SEC—a league likely to receive at least five NCAA bids.

Three teams from the MWC—BYU, San Diego State, and UNLV—are already guaranteed to play in the tournament, while Colorado State is currently fourth in the MWC at 9-6 with one game remaining. 

Normally, the fourth-placed team in the fourth-best conference in the nation is more than good enough to make the NCAA tournament.  That guideline should not change just because the conference is the Mountain West and not the Big Ten or SEC.

In non-conference play, Colorado State lost to Kansas and Colorado from the Big 12, but helped themselves by winning the Cancun Classic in December.  The Rams beat Mississippi and Southern Miss—a top 50 RPI team—to win the title.  Nothing overwhelming, but Colorado State proved they could succeed in a tournament on a neutral floor, which is important.

Colorado State’s key win this season came over one of the top three in the league against UNLV on the road.  Even more impressive was that the Rams won by 15. 

Despite coming up 0-for-3 thus far against top-10 rivals BYU and SDSU, Colorado State has only lost those games by an average of six points.  That should help put the Rams in perspective in comparison to two teams who expect to receive No. 2 or No. 3 seeds in the tournament.

Why Colorado State is Left Out

Colorado State has just five wins against the RPI top 100; three of them against teams from the MWC.  Not an overly impressive number, considering the conference has six of their nine teams in the top 100. 

Outside of the Cancun championship, there is very little else for Colorado State to display on their non-conference profile.  The Rams’ next best wins are against Northern Colorado and San Francisco.  The loss to state rival Colorado—a bubble team themselves—was a missed opportunity on a schedule that did not have an excessive number of them.

In MWC play, Colorado State has had more opportunities to prove they belong in the NCAAs but have come up short on most of them.  In addition to the losses to BYU and San Diego State, CSU missed out on a chance to sweep UNLV when they lost in Fort Collins a couple weeks ago.  A win there could have kept the Rams in third place, and would have really raised the Rams’ at-large likelihood.     

A 17-point loss at Air Force last week may not do much to help CSU’s chances either.  Neither will an 11-point loss to Sam Houston State back in December. 

 

Who Gets In?

If this was just about any year prior to 2011—times before three more teams and less overall quality teams—neither of these teams would have enough to make the NCAA tournament.  Luckily for both, times have changed just a bit, and each still has a shot.

Each team has just one win over a certain NCAA tourney-bound opponent, while coming up short on their opportunities against the top teams in their conference.

Boston College has a little better non-conference profile—thanks to the win over Texas A&M.  The Eagles also picked up two key road wins late in the season—including the win at Virginia Tech—to help validate their ability to win on the road.

Colorado State, meanwhile has missed several opportunities to earn their spot in the tournament, but have continued to struggle when it matters most.

Boston College:  IN

Colorado State:  OUT

Other matchups:

Clemson-Saint Mary’s:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/631612-clemson-vs-saint-marys-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

VCU-Alabama:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/630542-vcu-vs-alabama-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

UAB-Missouri State:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/629233-uab-vs-missouri-state-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

Michigan-Georgia:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/624160-michigan-vs-georgia-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

D.J. Gay hit a jumper with less than two seconds to put No. 7 SDSU up two against CSU. Senior guard Adam Nigon chucked a pass towards his basket that was intercepted to end the game. 

The Rams 15-7 (5-3) held a five point lead in the second half, but it only took a few quick baskets for the Aztecs and some turnovers by the Rams to help the Aztecs 22-1 (7-1) regain the lead. 

Rams senior F/C Andy Ogide lead all scorers with 18 points and grabbed 12 boards for his eighth double-double of the season. Travis Franklin chipped in with 12 points, but was in foul trouble early in the second half, allowing him only to get 27 minutes of action. 

San Diego State's 6'7" forward Kawhi Leonard quietly scored 12 points and grabbed 15 boards for his 15th double-double this season. James Rahon hit three three-pointers and scored 15 points off the bench for the Aztecs. 

The Rams missed eight free throws and also missed numerous lay-ups, something that can not be done against one of the best teams in the nation. The Rams really could have used this win, who are currently on the tournament "bubble."

The Rams have only lost three conference games to BYU, SDSU and UNM. None of these loses are "bad" losses for the Rams. 

The Rams have a few quality wins, but really could have used a win against the No. 7 team in the nation. The Rams have eight games remaining until the MWC tournament in March.

Even with the loss, the Rams showed to the nation that they can play with anyone; as long as they can have a solid rest of the season and play well in the conference tournament, they deserve a chance to really show how good they can be in the NCAA tournament.

SDSU's head coach Steve Fisher said of the Rams, “This is a big-time win. This is a good team. This team and Air Force are by far the two most improved teams in our league and two of the most improved teams in the country."

The Rams next game will be against Wyoming this Saturday, while the Aztecs will head home to take on TCU and Utah.

Follow Me on Twitter for CSU basketball updates.  

Fans packed the house for the first sellout in nearly a decade as CSU's comeback efforts fell short in the final moments against BYU and Jimmer Fredette. Wednesday, CSU is predicting another packed house, so the university has decided to begin giving out student tickets two days earlier to avoid long lines. The university has also announced that they will continue to give out student tickets days before, rather than at the game because the fan support the team is now gathering caused very long lines of students waiting out in the cold weather in hopes of getting a ticket. 

The 8,475 fans want a different result than the last time a top 10 team came into town. The Fredette show was eye-opening—he's a player who can completely take over a game. CSU tried collapsing on Fredette's drives, however he still found a way though the double team, or he was able to kick it to an open shooter. 

It's hard to say that CSU will be able to beat SDSU, yet it is not out of the question. CSU has climbed into the top 50 in RPI (currently 49th), and got two votes in this week's Top 25 Poll. CSU is 8-3 at home this year, and their only loss in conference play at home was to BYU. 

SDSU is outscoring its opponents by 15 points a game, which is just one point less than CSU's leading scorer, Andy Ogide, scores a game. SDSU has had some close games this season, beating IUPUI by two, Cal Poly by six, UNLV by six and San Francisco by five.

SDSU is led by sophomore Kawhi Leonard, who has scored 20 or more points seven times this season. Leonard seems to play better on the road, where he averages more than 18 points a game away from the Viejas Arena. 

CSU will have to look to their two senior big guys, Andy Ogide and Travis Franklin, who have carried the offensive load all season, averaging a combined 31 points a game. Wes Eikmeier has missed the last two games due to a foot injury and the Rams have missed his outside threat. Eikmeier has hit almost 50 percent of his three-point attempts in the last eight games. 

These teams will meet again Mar. 5 in both teams' final regular season game in San Diego. 

Follow me on Twitter for CSU basketball updates.

It is no question that the Mountain West Conference is one of the up-and-coming conferences in college basketball. The Mountain West Conference is currently fourth in conference RPI, with powerhouses SDSU and BYU leading the way.

However there is a team that is on the rise. Fort Collins, CO is the home of the Colorado State Rams, the very same Colorado State Rams that went 0-16 in conference games in 2007.

Tim Miles, coach of the Rams, is in his fourth season as head coach. Miles has previously coached for Mayville State, Southwest Minnesota State and most recently North Dakota State, where he won 99 games in six seasons as coach of the Bison. 

The Rams have vastly improved since Miles inherited the team in 2007. In 2008, the Rams won four conference games, and last year the team won nearly half of their conference games, coming in at 7-9.

Miles believes that with the amount of depth and mix of youth and veteran players on the team, they are ready to win now. 

The team is led by seniors Andy Ogide and Travis Franklin, who together, average nearly 30 points and 12 rebounds. The team is also complemented by a very good sophomore class with starters Dorian Green, and Iowa State transfer Wes Eikmeier. Other prominent sophomores include Jesse Carr, Pierce Hornung and Greg Smith. 

The team is currently 11-5 (1-1), and has three of its next four games at home. The Rams have had some heartbreaking losses this season with an OT loss to CU in Boulder, a loss to Sam Houston State in which they took a lead into halftime, a two-point loss to Hampton, and a loss in "The Pit" in which they came back from a double-digit deficit late in the second half, yet fell short in the final moments.

The Rams have quality wins in non-conference games so far this season, with wins over Mississippi, and Southern Mississippi. The Rams will also have many more opportunities in the future to get quality wins against teams like BYU, SDSU, New Mexico and Air Force.

This year the Rams have high hopes for the year, and a ticket to the "Big Dance" is not out of sight. 

"My goal is to make Colorado State, a nationally known team, one of those teams that's in the NCAA tournament on a regular basis," Miles said.

Hear ye. Hear ye.

The questionably honorable Matt L. Stephens calls to the stand Tim Miles, head coach of the Colorado State men’s basketball team.

Coach, since you always say what’s on your mind in conversation, I don’t feel the need to swear you in, but I will take this time to inform you and your team that 2010-11 is the season of judgment and expectations are rightfully high.

With constant improvement in your first three seasons--from a winless Mountain West Conference slate in 2007-08, to a 2008-09 season that included an upset over UNLV and finally last year’s berth in the College Basketball Invitational--you’re a rising name in the coaching ranks.

With the ability to dig up hidden gems like Jesse Carr, Dorian Green and Travis Franklin and successfully land high-caliber transfers from big programs in Andy Ogide (Ole Miss), Wes Eikmeier (Iowa State), Dan Vandervieren (Purdue) and Marcus Walker (Nebraska), it’s safe to say you know how to recruit.

Coach, it would appear that you and the Rams are on a path similar to that of Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears, but in order for me to confirm this, I am asking your team to accomplish the following tasks this season.

Reach the NIT

Returning four out of five starters from 2009-10, I see no reason CSU should not have a berth in the NIT this season, especially since the Rams bring back a true point guard in Carr, who missed last year with a groin injury.

With a front court that’s centered around Ogide, Franklin and redshirt freshman Trevor Williams, who hopes to bring back the 7-footer dominance Stuart Creason once represented, and a back court with Carr, Green, Adam Nigon and Greg Smith-–Moby Arena hasn’t been home to this much talent since the 1990s.

Anything short of the NIT will be a disappointment.

Beat Brigham Young

Since Miles took over the CSU program, the Rams have defeated all MWC opponents at least once with the exception of San Diego State, New Mexico and BYU. Against the Aztecs and Lobos, CSU at least remained competitive, but with the Cougars, the Rams are 0-6 with a losing point margin of 25.67.

That trend must end this season by sending BYU off to the West Coast Conference with its first loss to CSU since Jan. 20, 2007.

Coach, you said that if a school doesn’t want to be part of the MWC you don’t want them there. It’s time to show the Cougars they won’t be missed.

Free Throw Efficiency

Down the stretch of a conference season, games are won or lost at the free throw line. Unfortunately, last season, the Rams shot a combined .676 at the charity stripe, smack dab in the middle of the MWC--which is also where CSU finished in the overall league standings.

There is no need to call out any single player for poor performance at the line, as eight members of last year’s team finished the season connecting on less than 70 percent of their attempts. But had the Rams been more efficient, you could easily argue there would be at least three more wins in the record book.

Senior Leadership

Coach Miles, I’d like you to please step to the side now as I call to the stand your two senior big men, Mr. Ogide and Mr. Franklin.

Mr. Franklin, since your 22-point, 10-rebound performance in a dominating win over in-state rival CU-Boulder--where the CSU student section rushed the court and had you crowd surf--you’ve been a fan favorite. I had no hesitation calling you the Rams’ MVP from last season. But if you can be more consistent in your play, the sky is the limit to what you can accomplish.

Mr. Ogide, I feel you are the key for this team’s success. Your blocked shots and monster dunks bring more energy to Moby Arena than anyone else, but your presence is often limited. Though you only fouled out four times, including a bogus ejection in the MWC Championships against SDSU, foul trouble often has you riding the pine. Your team needs you on the floor, so play smart.

You can also do us a favor by averaging a double-double. You’re more than capable.

If your team, Coach Miles, can accomplish these feats within the next five months, I have no problem calling CSU one of college basketball’s rising programs.

Your trial begins Saturday, with the season tip off against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Never has a battle for fifth place in the Mountain West Conference seemed more important than it will during Saturday's game in Fort Collins between Colorado State and Utah.

On one side, you have a school whose pure hope of landing a postseason tournament bid riding on one game. On the other, a school who's seen a rough fall from grace since winning the Mountain West Conference Championships just two seasons ago.

For the Rams of Colorado State, Senior Day essentially becomes a one-game season. Win, and you're eligible for the College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Tournament—posting the same conference record that rival Wyoming did a season ago before going on to host a CBI game. Lose, and you follow in the footsteps of the CSU football team this past fall who came out to a hot start with an impressive win, only to fall from grace and not qualify for the postseason.

For Utah, the game appears to be more about pride and sending a young team out with a .500 regular season record. The Utes have proven they can play with better teams by sweeping UNLV, along with rather impressive victories over Utah State and Illinois. Still, they haven't shown it can be a consistent chain of events.

Beyond pride or the postseason, this game also is a battle to prove who's the best of the rest. New Mexico, BYU, UNLV, and San Diego State have all stumbled at some point this season, but still have managed to remain the league's dominant teams.

All six conference wins for the Rams have been against the lower-tier teams—the only "impressive" one being a road victory in Salt Lake City.

Overall, the Utes have played better in MWC action, but a stumble at Wyoming will loom large as it's ultimately been the most surprising loss of the year, and now puts them in position to try finishing in the middle of the pack.

Despite what I expect to be a relatively small turnout at Moby Arena on Saturday, I still expect CSU to come out on top. While the Rams tout only one senior starter, Harvey Perry, who comes off the bench to be a lockdown defender, and Mame Bocar Ba, who despite not being the most talent post player, always looks like he's playing harder than anyone else when he's in the game replacing Andy Ogide.

This game is about a shot at the postseason for CSU. Even though it's guaranteed the Rams won't play in the Championship's play-in game (known to Ram fans as the Colorado State Invitational) for the first time since Tim Miles took over the program three seasons ago, this team set out goals that they've been very vocal about all year—one of those being to play in the postseason.

No one expects Colorado State to make a Cinderella run through the MWC Championships like they did in 2003 to land a NCAA Tournament bid. Matt Newton is long gone. With the NIT completely off the table, the CBI or CIT are the two tournaments that remain.

Given the fact Oregon State won the CBI a year ago, it's not exactly the most prestigious postseason tournament to land in, but it's a heck of a long way from an 0-16 conference season only two years ago.

The common thought among college sports fans who cheer for a rising underdog is that any conference powerhouse that comes into “our house” will fall flat on its face and leave in an upset.

While we do see the underdog sometimes come out on top in these situations, just like Niagara defeating Siena last week or anytime Gonzaga hits the road in West Coast Conference play, it’s important to understand that these aren’t everyday occasions.

CSU will be in one of these situations on Wednesday when it hosts No. 16 BYU, a team the Rams haven’t defeated since Dale Layer’s final season at Moby in 2007. The Cougars bring to the table one of the most underrated players in the country in junior guard Jimmer Fredette, who’s averaging nearly 21 points and five assists per game. His offensive production is good for tops in the MWC.

Under the direction of head coach Tim Miles, the Rams have never been able to figure out Dave Rose’s BYU Cougars. In fact, in regular season games since 2007-08, BYU has won all five contests by an average of 27.1 points.

Ouch.

But what CSU will have on its side when the Cougars come to Fort Collins this week will be what seems to be the return of Moby Magic, a conscious Dorian Green, an improved Greg Smith-brand spark plug, a jump-shooting Andy Ogide, and a version of Travis Franklin, who has decided he wants to make free throws.

The Rams have never had that in their previous six games against BYU under Miles.

Fan turnout for the CSU basketball games against CU-Boulder, Wyoming, and UNLV has been incredible and has greatly influenced the outcome (two of which were victories). While Moby Arena is a relatively small venue, seeing fewer and fewer green seats is creating a more hostile atmosphere for opponents.

And isn’t it fun to get into someone’s head?

Green, a true freshman point guard, was not expected to play a big role for the Rams coming into this season, but, as it turns out, he’s the team’s leading scorer at 12.8 points per game.

During the CSU-Air Force game last Tuesday, Green hit a three-pointer to cut the Falcon lead to one point with 6:30 remaining.

It was without a doubt the biggest play of the game, and, immediately following, Marius Payton from The Mtn. looked over at me and said, “That kid is unconscious.” And he’s right. Green just goes out and plays basketball.

Smith, another freshman, scored what was then a career-high of 13 points against BYU in Provo on Jan. 16. Since then, the Nebraska native has been averaging 9.9 points per game. Smith wants to be a star and knows he can and will be. Before long, he’ll finally complete a posterization of an opponent and know it’s all downhill from there.

Ogide cannot be stopped when he’s sinking eight- to 12-foot jump shots. He’s done that lately.

Defenses decided to triple-team him in the post, so he just steps back for a jump shot. That’s all he has to do to keep the Rams competitive every game. There’s not much more that needs to be said.

Finally, T-Frank.

Franklin’s free-throw woes from the UNLV loss through the win at Utah were some of the ugliest displays of basketball fundamentals I had seen all season. Well, just short of Kansas guard Brady Morningstar’s missed-free-throw-turned-YouTube-hit at Texas last Monday.

But Franklin has seemed to have gotten his grove back, the mental block is over, and, ironically, his shots from the charity stripe were the biggest positive difference maker in the Rams’ win at Air Force.

Still, while it’s good for players to have the expectation to win against BYU on Wednesday, fans should not set themselves up too high.

Go cheer for the Rams to get this elusive win, but if it doesn’t come, don’t chant “F*** the Mormons” like ignorant morons.