Larry Eustachy likes Colorado State's chances in Mountain West

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Larry Eustachy isn't going to hide his feelings about next season's Mountain West basketball schedule.

He could salivate at the thought of what Colorado State has coming back and what everyone else lost. Never mind the fact that the 2014-15 college basketball season is six months away, Eustachy is ready to shave his vacation beard and get to work, because this time around, he said, the Rams have a chance to be contenders.

His words of encouragement seem to be more than coach speak. This time last year, Eustachy wasn't so positive when thinking about the next season, knowing it would be a time for the Rams to rebuild, and that fans should adjust their expectations accordingly.

They've since rebuilt — on paper, at least — and are still looking for more pieces to capitalize on what Eustachy feels could be a changing of the guard atop the Mountain West standings.

Colorado State returns four of five starters next season, it's sixth man and adds four transfers: John Gillon (Arkansas-Little Rock), Stanton Kidd (North Carolina Central), Dantiel Daniels (Southern Illinois) and Chane Behanan (Louisville). Eustachy couldn't comment on Behanan's pending legal issues for marijuana possession, but he remains part of the team for the time being.

The Rams will have plenty of veteran leadership — an area that senior Jon Octeus said dragged them down last year after they took it for granted in 2012-13. While CSU returns the bulk of last year's team, many MW teams suffered significant losses.

• Three-time defending Mountain West tournament champion New Mexico lost its top three scorers: Cameron Bairstow and Kendall Williams to graduation and Alex Kirk to the NBA.

• Conference Player of the Year Xavier Thames and Newcomer of the Year Josh Davis are out at San Diego State.

• Bryce Dejean-Jones transferred from UNLV to Iowa State.

• Nevada's Deonte Burton is out of eligibility, and Cole Huff left the program.

• Utah State graduates three with five others electing to finish their playing careers elsewhere.

"You'd be lying if you said you weren't excited about seeing these transfers," Eustachy said "When someone gets hurt, like (Colorado's) Spencer Dinwiddie, you don't like that at all. I hope he's doing OK. But when a guy leaves or heads to the NBA? Yeah, you like to hear that."

Eustachy's point guard doesn't share the same enthusiasm.

Confidence in CSU? Yes, but Octeus is cautious to crown the Rams before stepping on the court. After all, CSU isn't the only program bringing in transfers next season.

San Diego State adds Angelo Chol from Arizona and signed Malik Pope, the No. 14 small forward in the nation for 2014, according to ESPN. UNLV signed 5-star center Goodluck Okonoboh and has a commitment from fellow blue chip Rashad Vaughn. Wyoming is counting on big things from Jonathan Barnes out of Ponderosa High School in Parker.

There are too many unknowns around the league to start thinking championship or bust just yet.

"Those guys who are leaving, I'm pretty sure those teams will still be OK," Octeus said. "This league still has a lot of new players coming in or that had to sit out last year. I know UNLV did, and the same goes for us. We're going to be fine, regardless of who's leaving, who's staying."

"Hopefully next year people will ask other teams, 'all those guys who are leaving Colorado State, does that excite you?' That's just how college basketball goes."

But the brand of basketball CSU will play next season during its quest to win a MW title for the first time since 2003 won't look the same as it did during the first two years under Eustachy's tenure. Defense and rebounding win games, Eustachy has always preached, but offense tallies points. The Rams were the third-highest scoring team in the league last season at 73.3 per game, but ranked 10th out of 11 in field goal percentage.

Correcting the poor efficiency will be CSU's focal point this offseason.

Octeus will remain the starting point guard, but Eustachy said junior-college transfer Gian Luis Clavell will be the team's best shooter and that Gillon does things on the court "you just can't teach." Plus all-conference selections Daniel Bejarano and J.J. Avila, who both played most of last season injured despite averaging better than 16 points per game apiece, should see their offense improve.

And there's still at least one more piece to add.

With redshirt senior guard Dwight Smith announcing this week that he'd be graduating and playing out his final season of eligibility elsewhere, CSU plans to add a sharpshooter who's immediately eligible.

Eustachy said he had no idea who that will be, but with literally hundreds of Division I transfers on the market, it will likely be a graduated senior guard who can come in and make a quick impact.

"I was talking to (Oklahoma coach) Lon Kruger and he said 'it's embarrassing to watch my team guard or try to rebound, but we can shoot it so well, we were in games,' " Eustachy said. "I've always been it the other way — defend and rebound — but we just couldn't shoot it.

"It's about guard play. Look at the Final Four, it's all about those guards. They're the ones who take the shots at the end."

And, with any luck, carry CSU back to the NCAA tournament.

Matt L. Stephens writes for The Coloradoan.