Colorado State Rams 2025-2026 Roster Preview
In the Colorado State Rams' last season in the Mountain West, with a new head coach in Ali Farokhmanesh, the Rams are looking to build momentum headed into the PAC-12.
The Colorado State Rams have established themselves as one of the premier basketball programs outside of the traditional power conference ranks. Underneath Niko Medved, the Rams reached the NCAA Tournament three out of the last four seasons, and they reached as high as 13th in the AP Poll. Last season was the best yet as they defied the odds of a slow start to catch fire, finishing 26-10 and knocking out Memphis in the first round of the tournament.
Following the season, Niko Medved was nabbed by Minnesota, but the Rams athletic department wasted no time promoting long-time assistant and most recently associate head coach Ali Farokhmanesh. Farokhmanesh has worked with Medved since 2017 when he joined him at Drake, so he’s been with the Colorado State program since 2018.
The hire of Farokhmanesh was a strong move to ensure continuity, limit roster turnover, and position themselves to have one last strong season in the Mountain West before they head to the Pac-12 in 2026. Let’s take a look at who we’ll see on the Rams’ roster this coming season.
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Roster Turnover:
Nique Clifford (Ineligible)
18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals
Bowen Born (Ineligible)
5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Jalen Lake (Ineligible)
11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2 assists
Ethan Morton (Ineligible)
3.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Keshawn Williams (Senior) - Iona
5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (Junior) - Minnesota
9 points, 4.4 rebounds
Luke Murphy (Junior) - TBD
0.1 rebounds (8 games/1.9 minutes)
Kyan Evans (Junior) - North Carolina
DNP
Jaden Steppe (Sophomore) - Montana State
1 points (7 games/1.7 minutes)
The Colorado State Rams were 64th in the country in division one experience last season and it shows. They lost four players, including two of their top players due to ineligibility. Nique Clifford of course was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 24th pick in the NBA Draft after completing what was nothing short of a prolific career for Colorado State.
Overall, the Rams weren’t decimated by the portal following their coaching change. Fortunately, promoting Ali Farokhmanesh from associate head coach to head coach prevented a mass exodus. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Keshawn Williams were the two prominent departures as they headed to Iona and Minnesota respectively.
Returning Players:
Rashaan Mbemba (Junior)
7 points, 3.6 rebounds
Nikola Djapa (Junior)
2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds
Kyle Jorgensen (Sophomore)
4 points, 1.9 rebounds
Darnez Slater (Redshirt Freshman)
DNP
Jonathan Mekonnen (Redshirt Freshman)
DNP
Charlie Dortch (Redshirt Sophomore)
DNP
Rashaan Mbemba (6’7)
Coming off a nice developmental freshman season, Mbemba stepped into an expanded role where he started in 29 games last season. He shot 59.6% overall and 30% from beyond the arc (just ten attempts). Among his 3.6 rebounds on average, 1.4 of those were offensive. He had some monster games including a twelve point and ten rebound double-double against Nevada in a 79-71 win. Against UNLV, he finished with 22 points.
Mbemba finished with a 111.6 offensive rating, which jumped to 115.5 in the Mountain West which was good enough for 15th in the conference. His 9.7% offensive rebounding percentage was 275th in the country. While he isn’t a monster blocker, his 2.7% blocking percentage in conference play was the 19th best. Overall from inside the arc he shot a ridiculous 61.9% overall which was 150th in the country, and it soared to 63.7% within the Mountain West.
Mbemba is a strong forward option that will continue to be a starter this season for Colorado State. Retaining him after losing Mike Medved to Minnesota was a huge win for Ali Farokhmanesh.
Nikola Djapa (6’11)
Djapa transferred into Colorado State last season after spending his freshman season at Long Island University. At LIU, he started in 27 games while averaging 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 56.8% from the floor. Last season, he moved back to a bench role as he appeared in 22 games overall and 21 of those off the bench for the Rams. He shot 70% overall with a strong 21-30 from the floor, which soared to 87% for shots inside the arc. In his limited playing time, he had some solid metrics including a 17.8% defensive rebounding percentage and a 110.7 offensive rating. While there is a huge difference between playing in the NEC and the Mountain West, Djapa is a perfect big man to provide relief coming off the bench.
Kyle Jorgensen (6’9)
Coming off a solid debut in college basketball, Jorgensen is going to be looking to take a leap this season. He appeared in 34 games while starting four last season. Jorgensen shot 42.5% overall and 31.1% from three-point. His best game of the season came against Fresno State where he finished with ten points, five rebounds, and three assists. He finished the season with a 105.4 offensive rating, a 12.2% defensive rebounding percentage, and a nice 2.6% blocking percentage. He’ll have a chance to take on an expanded role this season and continue to develop.
Darnez Slater (6’3)
Coming in as a three-star recruit, Slater redshirt his freshman season. The 6’3 guard is a prolific offensive weapon as he dropped a ridiculous 52 points during a game in high school (posting a link to a local report on the game below). He’s quick, he can knock down a mid-range jumper, and he can facilitate offense for both himself and others.
Coming out of high school, Slater had offers from New Mexico, UC Irvine, Montana State, and others.
Jonathan Mekonnen (6’8)
Mekonnen redshirt during his freshman season, so we’ll be getting our first glimpse of the former three-star recruit. He’s uber athletic and loves to drive to the rim, which coupled with his size makes him a dangerous player. We probably won’t see too much of him this season, but keep an eye on him to nab a role similar to Djapa had last season.
Coming out of high school, Mekonnen had offers from Ohio, Loyola Chicago, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Drake, St. Thomas, and others.
Charlie Dortch (6’7)
Dortch is a returning walk-on, so you can imagine his role will be limited on the team this season.
Roster Additions:
Jevin Muniz (Senior) - Florida Gulf Coast
10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Josh Pascarelli (Junior) - Marist
15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Brandon Rechsteiner (Junior) - Virginia Tech
7 points, 1 rebound, 2.8 assists
Carey Booth (Junior) - Illinois
1.2 points, 1 rebound
Augustinas Kiudulas (Junior) - VMI
15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Jase Butler (Sophomore) - Washington
1.9 points, 1.4 rebounds
Jojo McIver (Freshman)
Docker Tedeschi (Freshman)
Guards
Josh Pascarelli (6’3)
Pascarelli was one of the most prolific sophomores in college basketball this past season. The 6’3 guard shot 44.8% overall and 39.3% from beyond the arc at Marist. His 55.1% effective field goal percentage was 328th in the country, while his 56.7% true shooting percentage was 477th. He’s not just a scorer either, he fits will into a combo guard position as he finished with a 15.1% assist rate compared to a 13.5% turnover rate. He had some monster stat lines including a 31 point performance against Canisius, a 20 point and eight rebounding game against Quinnipiac, and a 22 point and six rebounding showing against Richmond. While replacing NIque Clifford isn’t possible, Pascarelli’s offensive capabilities are certainly going to soften the blow.
Jevin Muniz (6’6)
Muniz spent his first two seasons with Delaware State before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast last season. He appeared and starting in 34 games while shooting 40.1% overall and 32.8% from beyond the arc. What I love about his game is, he’s a do-it-all type player. Despite being 6’6 and not what I’d call a “traditional” point guard, he’s improved each season with his play making, while also crashing the boards as a wing. His 21.3% assist rate was 368th in the country, compared to an 18.8% turnover rate. His best game of the season cam against Stetson where he finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Muniz is going to be a huge addition to the Rams this season.
Brandon Rechsteiner (6’1)
After spending two seasons at Virginia Tech, Brandon Rechsteiner is headed to Colorado State. Rechsteiner got some experience his freshman season, appearing in 26 games and averaging 9.1 minutes per game. Last season, he took off. The 6’1 guard appeared in 32 games and started in 15. Overall, he shot 36.5% from the floor and 29.9% for beyond the arc. While the shooting figures aren’t where you’d love them to be, there’s plenty of time to get more effective. Keep in mind, Virginia Tech was a 13-19 team in the ACC last year, so Rechsteiner will have more offensive weapons surrounding him this season. From inside the arc, he was a much more effective 46.6% shooter on the season.
Rechsteiner’s bread and butter is his ability to handle the ball. He finished the season with a 26.1% assist rate, which was 163rd in the country. In the ACC, he finished with a 25.1% assist rate. While his turnover rate was 26.4%, however, it’s worth noting that similar to his shooting percentages I believe this will improve when he’s on a better team. I’d buy stock in this kid asap.
Jase Butler (6’4)
Butler appeared in 18 games, averaging 10.7 minutes per game during his freshman season at Washington. He shot just 25% overall on 40 attempts and 28.6% from beyond the arc on 28 attempts. The former four-star recruit and top 110 player in his class has a lot of upside. Despite the poor shooting performance in limited action, he finished the season with an 11.6% assist rate and a 5.4% turnover rate. Butler will still be coming off the bench this season, but I’m excited to see him get a more expanded opportunity with the Rams.
Coming out of high school, Butler had offers from Illinois, Drake, Grand Canyon, San Francisco, and many more strong programs.
Jojo McIver (6’3)
McIver hails from Kileen, Texas where he was a three-star recruit and 291st in this season’s incoming class. He’s a hyper-athletic guard that has a lot of long-term potential. Some videos coined him as a “mini-Shai” referring to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (let’s just hope he limits the foul baiting…sorry I’m a bitter Pacers fan). I think this is an underrated freshman, but he’ll probably redshirt this season considering how much talent the Rams have on their squad this year. However, with a year of development, I believe that we’ll be seeing plenty of McIver next season.
McIver had offers from New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Stephen F. Austin, and Sam Houston State.
Forwards
Augustinas Kiudulas (6’8)
Kiudulas was nothing short of incredible at VMI last season. After barely touching the floor on the Indiana State team that was robbed of the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately made a run to the NIT finals, he transferred to VMI where he took off. He shot 43.9% overall and 30.3% from beyond the arc last season while averaging 15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He finished the season with a 104.8 offensive rating, a 54.4% true shooting percentage, and a solid 47.5% shooting percentage from inside the arc. He’s also a strong rebounder as he finished with an 8.9% offensive rebounding percentage, which was 249th in the country, and a 15% defensive rebounding percentage.
One thing that I have to call out is his ability to get to the line. At 6’8, especially as just a sophomore in college, you wouldn’t think this would be the case. He drew 5.6 fouls per game last season, which was 104th in the country. This 50.6% free throw rate was 153rd in the nation. His ability to convert? An outstanding 80.7% free throw shooting percentage, which was 331st. The Rams are getting an incredible forward to help fill the open gaps.
Carey Booth (6’10)
Booth started his career at Notre Dame where he appeared in 33 games, starting 19 as a freshman just two seasons ago. He averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 39.1% overall and 29.7% from 3pt. He then transferred to Illinois where his playing time diminished as he appeared in 21 games and averaged just 5.1 minutes per game. Looking back at his metrics at Notre Dame, he finished with a strong 20.9% defensive rebounding percentage which was 170th in college basketball. He also finished with a 3.5% blocking percentage, which was 308th in the country. In his limited playing time at Illinois last year, he still finished with a 17.7% defensive rebounding percentage and a 3.3% blocking percentage.
Docker Tedeschi (6’9)
Sometimes, you’ll find a prospect that is flying completely under the radar by a legitimate program. I believe that Tedeschi is one of those prospects. He wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school, but from what clips I could find…he has some nice potential. At 6’9, he can stretch the floor, he’s quick, and he can be a menace on the glass. I think it is a no-brainer to redshirt him this season, but keep an eye on how he develops as he heads into his sophomore (redshirt-freshman) year.
Tedeschi had offers from SIUE, Eastern Illinois, and Colorado State.
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Expectations
This is going to be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Rams. After star Nique Clifford headed to the NBA, there is a huge void on both offense and defense. Fortunately for Rams fans, by hiring long-time assistant and associate head coach Ali Farokhmaneshi, this has shortened the traditional coaching change rebuild timeline. Farokhmaneshi has assembled a roster that should be able to immediately compete within the Mountain West. What does a potential starting lineup look like for the Rams?
Josh Pascarelli / Brandon Rechsteiner
Jevin Muniz / Josh Pascarelli
Rashaan Mbemba
Augustinas Kiudulas
Kyle Jorgenson
Among the guards, the Rams have multiple combinations that could be viable options. Pascarelli is too good of a player to keep out of the starting lineup, but he fits more into a traditional combo-guard type role rather than someone that will play point guard full time. With Pascarelli, you can use either Brandon Rechsteiner or Jevin Muniz. At 6’6, Muniz makes it interesting because he’s a strong ball handler. You could imagine putting out a lineup that includes him running the offense with a strong height advantage, then you have Pascarelli that can play off-ball and be an offensive weapon. However, the same could be said for putting Rechsteiner in the lineup as well. At 6’1, he fits more into the traditional point guard role and he took a massive leap forward at Virginia Tech. He should have an opportunity to win that role heading into the season.
In the backcourt, it’s a no brainer to run with Augustinas Kiudulas and Kyle Jorgenson. I highlighted how prolific Kiudulas was at VMI, and while there will certainly be a regression in some of his metrics by making the jump to the Mountain West, it won’t be drastic. Jorgensen showed a lot of promise as a freshman, and at 6’10 he fits in well as the starting center. Don’t be surprised if Carey Booth sneaks into that starting lineup. While his role changed at Illinois, he showed a ton of promise at Notre Dame his freshman season.
Rounding out the lineup, I love the idea of putting Rashaan Mbemba at the traditional three spot. Mbemba isn’t a three point threat at all, but he’s a strong scorer from inside the arc. With shooters on the outside in players like Pascarelli, Rechsteiner, and Muniz, you can let Mbemba play in the interior and team up with Kiudulas and Jorgensen. Don’t forget, Jorgensen have flex his position and knock down some outside shots. With this lineup, you’ll have the opportunity to implement a lot of ball movement within the offensive schemes.
Looking at the bench depth, you should expect to see Darnez Slater in the rotation coming off his redshirt season. The Rams don’t have a ton of depth at a true point guard position, so Slater should be able to take advantage of the opportunity to earn a role. Jase Butler will also earn plenty of time in the rotation. We didn’t see enough of him at Washington to judge his full potential, but he finished with five assists against Eastern Washington. In the backcourt, you’ll have Nikola Djapa who will be looking to take advantage of earning more minutes this season, and Carey Booth who is going to be hungry and ready to pump back into an extended role.
My largest concern is going to be their three-point shooting. Pascarelli shot 39.3% last season, while Kiudulas shot 30.3%, and Muniz 32.8%. Among returning players, Jorgensen shot the best with 31.1%. Underneath Medved, the Rams finished below 100 in three-point percentage per KenPom just two times. In those three seasons they finished, 12-20 (2019) and 25-11 (2024). Whether or not the three-point shot will be a key piece for Farokhmaneshi is yet to be seen, but under Medved he proved that you didn’t have to be a great three-point shooting team. Therefore, perhaps my concern isn’t worthwhile.
This is going to be a defensive driven team, similar to ones we’ve seen under Medved in recent years (52nd last season and 27th the year prior). The offense will rely on implementing ball movement among number players. You’ll see Pascarelli, Muniz, Rechsteiner, and Slater all involved in facilitating offense. Over the last five seasons, the Rams have finished 26th or better in two point percentage, and that will once again be the main driver of the 2026 Colorado State Rams.
Overall, I don’t believe this team will win 26 games like they did in the past season. However, I think they could be sneaky, and I would expect to see them finish within the top five teams once again. Look for the Rams to finish with 20 wins or so and keep the momentum going as they get ready to head to the PAC-12.