Oral Roberts vs Colorado State: Preview, Livestream, and More
The Rams open the 2021-22 season with a tough test
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Can the Rams start the season strong?
WHO: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (0-0) vs Colorado State Rams (0-0)
WHEN: Tuesday, November 9th 7:30 PM MT/6:30 PM PT
WHERE: Moby Arena, Fort Collins, CO
TV/Stream: WatchStadium.com
LISTEN: Oral Roberts | Colorado State
SERIES RECORD: This will be the fifth all time meeting between these two schools. CSU leads the series 3-1, with the last matchup happening back in 1989.
ODDS via VegasInsider: Colorado State -13
Opening night of college basketball is finally upon us and boy do we have an enticing matchup. Colorado State hosts Oral Roberts in Moby Arena. CSU came up short in the NIT, finishing fourth. Oral Roberts, on the other hand, had a nice run through the NCAA tournament before losing to Arkansas in the Sweet 16.
KenPom’s early season rankings are just projections and don’t have games played factored into them yet, but they do give us an indication of what to expect from these two teams. CSU can be a team to outscore you when necessary, but also has the ability to play defense really well. Oral Roberts on the other hand has more trouble on the defensive end and will need to run up the score to win.
Our Journey Begins… 𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪‼️
Don't Miss Out. 👊
🎟️ https://t.co/HFFCOgMAqN#TeamTogether x #MobyMadness pic.twitter.com/e5FEIR2mx2
— Colorado State Men’s Basketball (@CSUMBasketball) November 9, 2021
The Rams return all five starters, nine letterwinners, and more than 90% of their scoring, rebounds, assists, and minutes from last season. They also added an impact transfer to their rotation. The Rams were surprisingly picked to win the conference this season; just edging out San Diego State by six points. CSU is looking to prove that prediction correct early against Oral Roberts.
David Roddy is the man to watch. He’s on the Karl Malone Award Watch List and is ready to lead this Rams squad this season after averaging 15.9 ppg and 9.4 rpg last season. Isaiah Stevens, Kendle Moore, Adam Thistlewood, James Moors, and Dischon Thomas all are ready to drive this team towards the NCAA tournament.
We cannot forget about Chandler Jacobs. Jacobs is a transfer from Division II school Dallas Baptist. He was a D2 All-American last season averaging 20.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He’s expected to be one of the Rams defensive leaders this season in addition to providing his scoring ability.
5 days left! You ready? 😏#orumbb pic.twitter.com/ve0QiKz69P
— ORU Basketball (@ORUMBB) November 4, 2021
Oral Roberts is coming off a great season. They finished 18-11 and got to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Max Abams led the nation last year in scoring at 24.5 points per game. He returns this season with the accolades to accompany his scoring prowess. Abmas was added to the watchlist for the NABC Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year awards.
The Golden Eagles do lose two of their top scorers and their top rebounder from last season however. Kevin Obanor transferred to Texas Tech after averaging 18.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and would’ve been a good opposite to David Roddy. RJ Glasper transferred to Incarnate World after averaging 11 points per game.
Oral Roberts added a couple transfers who could help shoulder the scoring load in Trey Phipps and Issac McBride. The big question for Oral Roberts will be who crashes the boards? One answer to that could be Elijah Lufile. The 6’7″, 280lbs forward missed last season due to injury, but averaged 5.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20 and 8.1 rebounds per game during his time at Midland College.
Matchup to Watch: Max Abmas vs whoever CSU guards him with.
The nation’s leading scorer will be a challenge for any team. Colorado State tended to go with a defender by committee approach most of last season. But John Tonje took on a lockdown defender role at times as well. Chandler Jacobs could be another option as well. He was the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year and ranked 10th in Division II in steals.
Prediction: Colorado State 75, Oral Roberts 70
