SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Colorado State University men's basketball team plays its lone exhibition game in preparation for the 2024-25 season here Tuesday evening as the ThunderWolves take on the University of Utah in a 7 p.m. contest at the Huntsman Center on the Utah campus.
CSU Pueblo comes into Tuesday's exhibition game with the Big 12 Utes with high expectations for the 2024-25 season as the Pack was tabbed sixth in the Preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coaches poll after finishing with a 14-15 overall record and advancing to the RMAC Tournament for the first time since 2017 last season.
Meanwhile, Utah, who is coached by fourth-year head coach Craig Smith, returns two starters from last year's Utes team that went 22-12 and advanced to the semifinals of the Postseason NIT Tournament, where they fell 100-90 to eventual NIT champion Indiana State. The Utes, who moved to the Big 12 Conference this season after playing in the Pac 12 last season, were tabbed to finish 16th out of 16 teams in the Preseason Big 12 Coaches poll as the Utes earned 30 points in the poll voted by the league's 16 head coaches.
It marks the third straight season that the Pack is playing an exhibition game against an NCAA Division I foe. They played exhibition games the past two seasons at the University of New Mexico. Last season, the Pack fell 83-65 to the Lobos in the Pit and lost 85-53 in the 2022-23 preseason to the Lobos.
The Pack, coached by sixth-year head coach Matt Hammer, welcomes back three starters and 10 lettermen from last season's 14-15 squad that finished seventh in the RMAC with a 10-12 league record. The 14 wins were the most for the Pack since going 19-9 during the 2016-17 season, while the 10 league wins were the most since winning 17 league games and posting a 17-5 RMAC record in 2016-17.
Among the starters coming back this season for the Pack are two returning All-RMAC performers – fifth-year senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) and senior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley). The third returning starter is senior forward De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School).
During the 2023-24 season, Walter, who is a three-time All-RMAC selection after earning Honorable Mention All-RMAC honors last season in his first season with the Pack, averaged a team-leading 17.3 points per game and shot 41 percent from the field, 39 percent from the 3-point line and 89 percent at the free throw line, while Muldrew, who was also an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection, averaged 13.8 points per game and was second on the team in made treys with 50 and averaged 1.7 made treys per game and Copper was fourth in scoring at 11.2 points, but second in rebounding at 4.9 boards per game and shot 59.2 percent from the field in 2023-24.
Along with the 10 returning lettermen from last season, the Pack have also added seven newcomers including four transfers and three high school players. The transfers are junior guard Kesean Bazile (Victorville, Calif./West Hills Lemoore), junior guard Denim Johnson (Omaha, Neb./Trinity Valley CC), redshirt sophomore guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver) and junior forward Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky./Vincennes University), while the freshmen are guard/forward Jordan Blair (Keller, Texas/Keller Central), guard Max Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) and forward Jake Lafferty (Bruner, Mo./Sparta).
The Pack will open the 2024-25 regular season on Friday, Nov. 8 when they host Cameron for a 1 p.m. game in Massari Arena. The game is part of the season-opening South Central Regional Crossover event. The Pack will conclude the event with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday, Nov. 10 against Midwestern State.
