By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
March 20, 2025
Every March there is a double-digit seed that makes a lot of noise and a player that takes over the tournament in the clutch.
This March, Colorado State has a chance to be that team and Nique Clifford could be that guy.
We have seen a 12 seed knock off a 5 seed in 33 of the last 39 men’s tournaments. Will lightning strike again in Seattle?
No. 12 Colorado State vs No. 5 Memphis
No. 12 Colorado State vs No. 5 Memphis
Friday, March 21
11:00 am PT, TBS
West Region, Seattle
We saw one such upset Thursday with McNeese State defeating Clemson, and we could see more on Friday.
The Rams are a popular choice to pull the 12 over 5 upset this season, and for good reason.
CSU comes in red hot, having won 10 in a row, and is matched up with a Memphis team that had their struggles in the AAC tournament, despite their current eight-game winning streak.
The Rams will need to avoid turnovers.
Memphis is good at turning teams over as the Tigers force a miscue on 18.6% of possessions.
CSU ranks 199th in the nation with a turnover on 17.0% of their offensive possessions.
The Rams need to take care of the basketball to have a chance.
Another issue for the Tigers is the loss of Tyrese Hunter for this game. The Tigers could have used his 1.5 steals per game to set the tone.
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