Eric Friehauf played during the most successful three-year run in Colorado State history (1987-90) with two NCAA appearances following an NIT journey to the semifinals. He now is the Rams’ radio color commentator.
“Three guys and myself sat down in a room at the top of The Pit (in Albuquerque after losing in the WAC Tournament). David Turcotte, Pat Durham, Barry Bailey and I looked at each other and vowed it would not happen again. We took it upon ourselves to say, ‘Let’s build something for the future.’
“Boyd Grant became the head coach. That staff came in and they knew how to win, combined with some guys who sacrificed for the success of the program rather than their personal self-being. It was the perfect storm for success.
“Another part of the recipe was luck. We thought the (1987-88) season was over, but the NIT organization was aware of Boyd Grant. That’s where we built our strength and won the (next) WAC regular-season (title). We beat Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“Can it be done again? I believe it can. When, I don’t know. I believe the existing coaching staff will do its best to pull this thing together. We need to bring in some more players to be able to play together. The fans will come out, not only at CSU but probably CU as well.”
Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post
