Colorado State Rams Open Pac-12 Season Against Montana State

The Colorado State men’s basketball team opens its 2026-27 season Monday at Moby Arena against Montana State. This game marks the start of the Rams’ first season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference and the second year under head coach Ali Farokhmanesh. The program enters the season with a 21-13 record from the previous year, when it finished 11-9 in the Mountain West Conference and lost its first-round NIT game at home.

League media picked the Rams fourth in the Pac-12 standings. They trail Gonzaga, which received all first-place votes, as well as Utah State and San Diego State. The latter two teams also moved to the Pac-12 from the Mountain West Conference last year. CSU officials and players state their goal is to contend for a league title and secure an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

The roster combines experienced veterans with seven newcomers. Junior forward Kyle Jorgensen leads the returning group. Last season, he averaged 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while missing time early in the year due to injury. Senior forward Rashaan Mbemba is in his fourth season with the Rams. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last year. Both players are healthy and expected to provide leadership for the new team members.

Other key returners include senior forward Carey Booth, who averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds last season after transferring from Illinois. Junior guard Jase Butler, a transfer from Washington, averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 rebounds. Senior guard Josh Pascarelli, who transferred from Marist, was the team’s best three-point shooter last year, averaging 10.2 points per game. Sophomore guard Jojo McIver returns from the bench, along with senior Charlie Dortch and sophomore Docker Tedeschi.

The seven newcomers include junior guard Justin Menard from Marist and graduate guard Amondo Miller Jr. from Lubbock Christian. True freshmen on the roster are guard River Sawyer, guard Pops Dunson, center Jaxon Clark, Eric Fiedler, and forward Jaden Ghoreishi. Farokhmanesh praised the group for showing up daily with the right mentality. He noted that the veterans’ approach to practice and recovery has influenced the newcomers’ habits.

The Rams will play five home games to start the season. Their first road trip occurs during the Maui Invitational, where they face Arizona State on Nov. 23. They play either Providence or VCU on Nov. 24 and face an undetermined opponent on Nov. 25. Notable nonconference contests include a trip to Boulder to play the University of Colorado on Dec. 5 and a home game against Wyoming on Dec. 11.

Pac-12 play begins on Jan. 6 when CSU hosts Texas State. Farokhmanesh described the transition to the new conference as a significant step up in competition. He said the addition of Gonzaga raises the ceiling for the league, while also lifting the floor for all teams. The team aims to use its veteran presence to build a culture that lasts through the season.