FORT COLLINS — On the worst mornings, Will Bell would lay in bed, his surgically repaired left knee in considerable pain, and wonder how he would summon the fortitude to simply get up and walk.
“It feels like my body is just telling me ‘No, no,’ ” he said. “My body’s just hurting and screaming.”
So, naturally, he plays Division I college basketball on it.
And he plays well. Really well.
The Colorado State senior forward has the hurt and the battle scars to prove it, though his always placid face pretty much never shows it. Tonight, the curtain closes on Bell’s two-year Moby Arena career when the Rams (17-10, 6-6 Mountain West) play host to 17th-ranked UNLV (24-6, 8-4).
Bell has played all season with complications to the knee. He had meniscus surgery last July, but the knee never has completely healed from the procedure, and he has dealt with constant pain and discomfort.
“He’s just fighting through so much pain. … I could tell you some stories of things he’s done off the court to get prepared for every game,” teammate Wes Eikmeier said. “He has my utmost respect and I’m sure the rest of the team’s too, because of what he’s had to go through to not only get on the floor but be a big-time contributor.”
At 6-foot-6 and 242 pounds, the former Sand Creek High School star from Colorado Springs is just about the biggest body the Rams have on a team that is deprived of inside bulk.
And in a two-year stretch, Bell has gone from a player who a former CSU assistant had to convince coach Tim Miles to take a chance on out of Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, to earning a scholarship after his first season, to being identified by other Mountain West coaches as a clear candidate for most improved player in the conference this season.
“I just hold Will in the highest regard when it comes to saying ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to keep getting better,’ and proving it that way in games,” Miles said.
An exercise bike has a permanent resting spot in the southwest corner of Moby Arena when it’s not near the playing surface. More often than he would have liked this season, Bell has been on that bike, pedaling away to keep the knee warm while not participating in portions of practice. At the start of the season, he was on it during games too.
Bell spent part of Monday’s practice on that bike. Afterward, when it hadn’t been removed from the main floor, he was asked: If he never had to see the thing ever again, would he miss it?
Bell laughed.
“If I never had to see it again, that would be fine with me. It would be perfectly fine with me,” Bell said. “I’ve had days on that bike where I’ve been like, ‘Aw, man.’ I’m glad to get away from it. Hopefully I can stay away from it.”
Bell has played in 26 of CSU’s 27 games this season, but lately they have become more of a chore. He missed the Feb. 21 game against New Mexico and was severely limited in games Feb. 15 against Boise State and Saturday at San Diego State because of knee swelling.
But when he’s on the court, Bell almost always finds a way to contribute. He leads the Rams in blocked shots (14), averages 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds and is shooting 52 percent.
“I’ve just tried to push through it and do everything I can,” Bell said. “It’s hard. Everything in life that you want doesn’t come easy, so you’ve got to work for it. That’s the way I look at it. It’s what my parents taught me to do, so I just stay focused and everything will be fine.”
Christopher Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
