FORT COLLINS — The race for the Mountain West Player of the Year is headed down the backstretch, and Colorado State has two horses in the lead pack.
At this point, choosing between guard and forward is like splitting hairs. CSU coach Larry Eustachy considers them co-MVPs, “attached at the hip as far as importance.”
Their time at CSU has been relatively short, about two full seasons each, but their performance this year alone has earned them consideration as the one of the top tandems the program has ever produced, given its history.
Having not one but two conference player of the year candidates is about as rare as it gets for CSU basketball considering it’s been nearly three decades since a Ram has won the award, going all the way back to 1990 when Mike Mitchell led the Rams to the second of back-to-back WAC titles.
And yet, Omogbo and Clavell are a 1-2 punch that in a lot of ways happened by accident, a dynamic duo that nearly split apart over the summer and one that only recently truly came together.
The two seniors are playing so well right now (averaging a combined 32.9 points and 17.2 rebounds) you would think they’ve been playing together for years. However, Tuesday’s home finale against Wyoming will be just their 30th game together, equivalent to one full season, making their rapidly developed chemistry one of the biggest reasons for their team’s surprising run to the top of the Mountain West.
“I think that’s a great story in itself,” Eustachy said. “It’s not required that all players get along to win championships, because I’ve done it before.
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