FORT COLLINS — Although his 7.9 scoring average ranks sixth on the team, his teammates and coaches consider Colorado State guard Joe De Ciman to be as important as anybody on a Rams team in strong contention for an NCAA Tournament bid.
De Ciman, a 6-foot-6, 201-pound junior, has the size, strength and quickness to play all over the court.
“Joe does so much for us,” said CSU senior Daniel Bejarano, De Ciman’s partner in the backcourt. “He picks up on things. He sees things. The kid is smart on and off the court.”
De Ciman, from Regina, Saskatchewan, plans to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a doctor, perhaps an orthopedist who specializes in sports injuries. His classes this semester include organic chemistry, physiology and anatomy. His studies require hours of attention, and De Ciman has learned to manage his time and balance his priorities. For the third consecutive year, he likely will earn Mountain West all-academic honors.
But basketball also is important to De Ciman (pronounced Des-ah-min). It shows in the passion he has for the game.
Another goal: to make the Canadian national team and represent his country in the Olympics. “There wouldn’t be a higher honor than that,” De Ciman said.
The odds of De Ciman becoming an Olympian might be considered a longshot, considering the seemingly endless parade of stars produced by Canada in recent years. The list includes the overall No. 1 picks in the NBA draft the past two years, Andrew Wiggins (2014) and Anthony Bennett (2013).
But CSU coach Larry Eustachy won’t bet against De Ciman, who already has beaten the odds by playing on age-group national teams and “being in Canada’s system” as a potential candidate for the Olympic trials.
Saskatchewan is not exactly a basketball hotbed. De Ciman was able to improve his game while playing in AAU tournaments in the U.S.
” I will never say the competition was terrible (in Canada),” De Ciman said. “I think coaches were getting better and more teams are traveling down south (to the U.S.) and competing against the best, which helped my game.”
Although De Ciman isn’t a big scorer, he contributes in so many ways. Entering Saturday’s 4 p.m. conference home game against Air Force, De Ciman ranks third among the Rams in 3-point shooting (.379) and is their best free- throw shooter (.857).
He averages 3.2 rebounds per game and has 48 assists against 28 turnovers. And, yes, he has become one of the Rams’ top defenders.
“From the time Joe got here to what he is now, he is as improved as anybody I’ve ever coached,” Eustachy said. “It’s incredible how good he has become. He makes big shots for us. He’s so mature. Joe likes to call himself an ‘old soul,’ and he is. It’s like coaching a 40-year-old.”
Despite averaging 30.2 points and 12.5 rebounds as a senior at Regina’s LeBoldus High School, De Ciman was not heavily recruited. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the summer before his senior year and did not receive a scholarship offer from a Division I school throughout the school year. He figured he would play junior college ball until, about a month after the April signing period, the University of Denver invited him to take an official visit.
At about the same time, a Colorado State assistant coach heard about De Ciman while chatting with a junior college coach. CSU convinced De Ciman to stay an extra day in Colorado after touring DU and to come up to Fort Collins for a visit. He signed with CSU in May of his senior year in high school.
“I’m so fortunate to be on this team,” De Ciman said. “Everything worked out. The NCAA Tournament is close to reality if we keep winning. But to this day, I’m so thankful for DU and the opportunity they offered me. When we’ve played them, I told them they have my utmost respect.”
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
Canadian exports
A look at some of the top basketball players from Canada in recent years:
Andrew Wiggins: Overall No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft out of Kansas
Anthony Bennett: Overall No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft out of UNLV
Tristan Thompson: Former Texas Longhorns star plays for Cleveland
Nik Stauskas: Helped Michigan reach Final Four; playing for Sacramento
Tyler Ennis: Former Syracuse star traded from Phoenix to Milwaukee
Kelly Olynyk: 2013 All-American at Gon- zaga plays for Boston
Kevin Pangos: Standout for third-ranked Gonzaga
Trey Lyles: One of several freshman standouts for undefeated Kentucky
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
