What to know as CSU, Fresno State battle in Mountain West tournament

The Mountain West men's basketball tournament is here.

Colorado State starts with a first-round game against a pesky Fresno State squad that caused the Rams problems in the regular season.

Here's a look at everything to know about the CSU men's basketball game against Fresno State:

What time does Fresno State vs Colorado State men's basketball start?

• Date: March 11

• Start time: 6 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Mountain

The game between CSU and Fresno State will begin at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. Mountain from Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

How can you watch Fresno State vs Colorado State basketball on TV, online?

• On TV: None

• Online: The Mountain West Network

The Mountain West Network can be watched online at TheMW.com/watch or via the Mountain West app.

How to listen on the radio

The CSU vs. Fresno State game can be heard on FM 99.1 with play-by-play from Brian Roth and analysis by Adam Nigon.

Who are the coaches?

Fresno State is led by Vance Walberg, who is in his second season leading the Bulldogs. He's 19-44 at Fresno State and 33-79 in four total seasons as a Division I coach.

CSU is led by Ali Farokhmanesh, who is in his first season as a head coach. He had been a CSU assistant since 2018 under former head coach Niko Medved. Farokhmanesh is 20-11.

What are the records?

Fresno State went 13-18 overall and 7-13 in Mountain West play and the Bulldogs are the No. 10 seed in the conference tournament.

CSU is 20-11 overall and 11-9 in Mountain West play. The Rams are the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament.

The teams split two games in the regular season, with each winning at home. Fresno State's home win was 79-69 on Jan. 13 and the Rams won 74-70 on Feb. 24.

Mountain West bracket

The winner of CSU and Fresno State advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 2 San Diego State on March 12.

See the full bracket and matchups here.

Fresno State vs Colorado State betting odds

Colorado State opened as a 7-point favorite, according to BetMGM .

Stadium information, tickets

All Mountain West tournament games are at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Thomas & Mack has a capacity of just over 19,000.

Tickets can be purchased at  TheMW.com .

What do the metrics say?

Colorado State is No. 86 in KenPom's rankings and Fresno State is No. 131. KenPom's metrics project a 74-70 win for the Rams. CSU is No. 89 in Bart Torvik's T-Rank and Fresno State is No. 132. Torvik's metrics project a 72-69 win for the Rams.

In the NCAA's NET rankings, Fresno State is No. 151 and CSU is No. 87.

Who are key players to watch?

FRESNO STATE

• Jake Heidbreder: The 6-foot-5 former Air Force guard leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game and is shooting 31% from 3-point range. He has the most free throws made in the conference and is shooting 90% from the line.

• DeShawn Gory:The 6-foot-6 freshman forward is second on the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game and is making 49% of his field goals. He's also averaging six rebounds per game. He poured in 23 points on CSU last game and averaged 18.5 per game against the Rams this season.

• Zaon Collins:The 6-foot-1 guard leads the team at 4.6 assists per game, which is fourth in the Mountain West. He also averages 11.6 points per game. Collins was injured during the last matchup against CSU and hasn't played since and his health could be a key factor in this matchup. Collins is listed as "questionable" for the game. Pregame update:Collins is listed as OUT for the game.

COLORADO STATE

• Jevin Muniz: The 6-foot-6 guard leads the Mountain West in total assists (153), assists per game (4.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio. Muniz is also hitting 49% of his field goals and 35% of his 3-pointers.

• Brandon Rechsteiner: The 6-foot-1 guard has the sixth-most 3-pointers made in a single season by a CSU player with 81. He's third in the Mountain West in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. Rechsteiner leads CSU in scoring at 12.3 points per game.

• Kyle Jorgensen: The 6-foot-9 forward is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game and is shooting 55% from the floor and 44% from 3-point range.

Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on  X ,  Instagram  and  Threads @Kevin_Lytle  and  on Bluesky .

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How to watch Fresno State vs Colorado State in Mountain West tournament