The #11 Michigan Wolverines will take on the #6 Colorado State Rams in their East Region First Round matchup. Here's a look at the Rams resume and players to watch.

Colorado State is led by Mountain West Player of the Year, David Roddy. The 6'5" Junior is often a small-ball 5, who does everything for Colorado State. He leads the team in points (19.4) rebounds (7.6) and blocks (1.1). He has an impressive 57.4 FG% and shoots better than 45% from three. His one weakness is free throws, where he is under 70% from the line.

At 252lbs, Roddy looks more like a linebacker on the court, but don't let that fool you. Roddy is an excellent ball handler, and break down defenders from beyond the arc. With his quick step, he has the ability to the drive the lane and get easy buckets. He's one of the more interesting players in all of college basketball.

Colorado State has a 10 man rotation, with 7 of those players being guards. Their 5 leading minute getters are all guards. Their small-ball lineup is efficient, as they are top 20 in the country in points per possession.

Along with David Roddy, Colorado State gets a lot of its scoring from point guard, Isaiah Stevens. No one takes more threes for the Rams than Stevens who shoots 37.3% from deep. He is also an incredible 90.2% from the charity stripe. Stevens is also a solid ball control point guard who can distribute, with a 4/1 assist to turnover ration.

Dischon Thomas is a 6'9" forward who typically gets the most minutes at the 5. Thomas could be in line for minutes against the bigger Wolverines, and although his numbers per game are low, he has the ability to hit from deep and is a very solid 87.2% from the free throw line.

Colorado State started the season with a 10-0 non-conference record. During that stretch the Rams crushed top 20 NET Saint Mary's at home 74-58. They also notched wins against Creighton from the Big East and Mississippi State from the SEC.

In conference, Colorado State swept Mountain West Champs Boise State. They also split with fellow tournament selections San Diego State and Wyoming, winning their games at home. After the road loss to Wyoming, the Rams would win 8 of their last 9 games to finish the regular season 25-5. In the conference tournament they were bounced in the semis by San Diego State.

The Rams only bad loss on their resume is home loss to UNLV. Otherwise, head coach Niko Medved's strategy of schedule strength paid off, which is why many of the metrics love Colorado State.

- In matchups vs common opponents, Michigan is 2-0 and Colorado State is 1-4.

- This is Colorado State's highest ranking ever in the tournament. Their previous high was their last appearance in 2013, when they were ranked 8th and lost in the second round to Louisville.

- Last season Colorado State was in the NIT Tournament. After winning their first two games they would lose a semi-final matchup against eventual champion, Memphis.

- On Selection Sunday, Colorado State announced they had agreed to an 7 year extension with head coach Niko Medved after improving each of his four seasons for the Rams.

Michigan Wolverines (17-14) vs. Colorado State Rams (25-5)
March 17, 2022 12:15 pm EDT on CBS
The Line: Colorado State Rams +2.5 / Michigan Wolverines -2.5; Over/Under: 139.5

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