Isaiah Stevens shares his favorite Moby Arena memories
Isaiah Stevens shares his favorite Moby Arena memories ahead of his final home game as a Colorado State basketball player.
It’s sure to be an emotional senior day.
Not only does the Colorado State men’s basketball team have five players to honor, but every member of the group is also a key part of the rotation for a team chasing an NCAA Tournament bid.
Oh, and it also includes a player who owns most of the program record book.
Here is a look at the five seniors the Rams will honor Saturday, March 2, ahead of the 2 p.m. home finale vs. Wyoming, plus what coach Niko Medved had to say about each of them:
Joe Palmer
Headband Joe. The 6-foot-4 guard is in his second season after transferring all the way up from Division III, and he’s become a fan icon. One of the loudest noises in Moby Arena is when Palmer hits a 3-pointer. He has been an important player off the bench for the Rams.
Medved: “Unbelievable energy guy. Plays with a chip on his shoulder. Just a super awesome human being. I don’t think people even realize how many people and relationships he’s made in the community and with fans and donors. It’s been cool to watch a kid like that come and be a fan-favorite from Division III. It’s so cool to see how appreciative he is and for him to have the opportunity to play in these games is really cool. I think that’s a young person that’s going to be part of the fabric of the Fort Collins community for a long time.”
Patrick Cartier
The 6-foot-8 big man has spent two years as a starter for CSU after moving up from Division II. He has some of the cleanest post footwork in the league and is a good passer. He’s steady and has battled through injuries this season while helping lead the team on and off the court.
Medved: “Pat’s just an unbelievable human being and never has a bad day. It’s incredible. The kid always has a smile on his face, works incredibly hard. Of all the guys I’ve coached, I can’t think of somebody who’s gotten more out of his ability than Pat. The fact that he’s been here for two years, I’ve really just seen him grow into an incredible leader. He’s earned the respect of everybody on the team. He’s made a huge impact on the program.”
Josiah Strong
Maybe the most unique and challenging path to senior day. The sixth-year guard was supposed to play just last year with the Rams but was sidelined most of the season due to illness. He took a medical redshirt and returned. He again has battled injuries this season but is one of CSU’s most reliable outside defenders.
Medved: “Perseverance. I’m really proud of him. All these guys’ journeys have been unique, but his is really unique. Him to end up here going through what he did last year and then make the decision to medical redshirt and to come back this year. For him having the opportunity to go through what he did last year then now have the opportunity to come back and play in his sixth year, it’s just been awesome. Elite human being. He’s made a big difference in our team and has played really, really well. Dealt with another injury this year and just kept fighting.”
Joel Scott
Just one year as a Ram, but a huge impact. The 6-foot-7 Scott transferred in from Black Hills State, where he was the Division II Player of the Year. Scott started the season strong and is now surging for the Rams as they head toward the postseason.
Medved: “You look at one-year guys and you never know. But I can’t imagine somebody, a young person, coming in and fitting in better so quickly then Joel Scott did as a player, as a person. It took him about a week being here where you could see this guy was going to have a huge impact on the court and really have a huge impact on our team. Right away, the respect level that everybody had for him and what he brought. Just another person that never has a bad day, plays with incredible energy and toughness, and it’s cool to watch somebody come in for one year and have a major impact.”
Isaiah Stevens
What more to say about Stevens? He owns nearly every scoring and assisting record there is at CSU, including career points, career assists, single-season assists and more. The fifth-year guard will leave CSU as one of the greatest players in program history and is one of the best point guards in the nation. His name and number will forever be remembered.
Medved: “We could do a three-hour podcast, you know what I mean, just talking about Isaiah and talking about the whole journey and what he’s meant and different stories and it really doesn’t do it justice. One thing about him, no matter how many accolades that you give him and all the things I could say about him, it will actually have a bigger impact 10 to 20 years than it does today. Sometimes when you’re in the moment, even though you really appreciate it, I think it’s hard sometimes to really understand it in the moment. Then as years go by, you just realize this was a once-in-a-generation player and person. It’s hard to even measure what the impact has been here.”
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