Colorado State men’s basketball coach Dale Layer always said his starting lineup was never written in granite. In recent seasons, those dry-eraser boards could not be wiped fast enough to make changes.
While it’s still early in the season, the state of lineup flux appears to be coming to an end. Layer has settled on the same starters for six straight games (all wins), and it’s unlikely to change tonight when the Rams (7-2) host North Dakota State (5-3). It’s the final home game until Air Force comes in Jan. 3 for the Mountain West opener.
Two seasons ago, injuries dictated 17 starting combinations. Last year, the Rams went through seven lineups, mostly rotating guards alongside Cory Lewis. Every team changes lineups, whether for injury, illness, slumping starters or improving reserves. Sometimes opponents dictate a lineup.
But consistency in a starting nucleus can’t help but improve the overall performance of a team.
“If you don’t have injuries, you’re winning games and playing well, you don’t tinker with the lineup,” Layer said. “It’s up to each player to earn his starting role. There are no free passes with the starting lineup.”
Jason Smith, who has made 42 consecutive starts, is a given at forward, along with 7-foot center Stuart Creason. The key is settling into a three-guard backcourt, giving CSU two 7-footers up front and three true guards in 6-1 Tim Denson, 6-0 Lewis and 6-3 Tyler Smith.
“Guys who have started recently have gained some chemistry,” Layer said. “We’ve gotten a little bit of consistency and you don’t change that when you’re doing well.”
Returning veterans Jason Smith, Creason and Lewis have all improved their individual games – Smith in rebounding (7.1 to 10.2), Creason in scoring (7.2 to 9.4) and Lewis in all categories, especially steals (1.57 to 2.1).
With an added 10 pounds and a year of experience, Lewis, a point guard from Louisiana via Dodge City Community College, has picked up the pace.
“The weight helped a lot with my stamina. Last year I couldn’t finish games,” Lewis said. His minutes have gone from 29.9 to 32.2.
A year ago he had four primary backcourt mates rotating through starts and minutes – the departed Andrew Patterson, Sean and Micheal Morris and pure shooting guard Stephan Gilling. Now Gilling comes off the bench for some designated perimeter scoring and Lewis is getting more comfortable by the day with Denson and Tyler Smith.
He knows now the others can pick up the pace for him. “We’re a different team. We’re a more athletic, explosive team,” Lewis said.
The three pure-guard lineup (Layer can use Tyler Smith on defense against some small forwards) is the result of the influx of talent with Denson and Tyler Smith and coping with the loss of forward/center Michael Harrison.
“You can’t replace a player like Michael Harrison,” Lewis said of the ex-Ram who did not return because of family reasons.
Footnotes
CSU hasn’t won seven straight since an eight-game spree early in the 1999-2000 season. North Dakota State has wins over Princeton and Marquette and narrow losses to Kansas State and Texas Tech. … CSU will finish out the nonleague schedule Friday at Boise State and then travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., after Christmas for a tournament with the host school, Alabama State and Kennesaw State.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
