Colorado State University's newest head coach remembered for iconic NCAA tournament shot against Kansas Jayhawks
Friday morning, Colorado State University formally welcomed Ali Farokhmanesh as the 21st head men's basketball coach of the CSU Rams. Farokhmanesh, who has served as an assistant on the team for several seasons now, takes over for Niko Medved, who was hired by the
University of Minnesota
.
In the last four seasons, Farokhmanesh and the Rams have made three NCAA March Madness tournaments. The current team attended his celebration on Friday to support the university's decision.
"I know the work ethic he has, I know the care he has for his players," said Nique Clifford, the NBA-bound forward for the Rams.
Athletic Director John Weber said the university conducted a nationwide search for Medved's replacement but found their man already in Fort Collins.
Clifford credited Farokhmanesh for being the key reason on the coaching staff that attracted him to transfer to CSU years ago.
"He was the sole recruiter I had," Clifford said. "He was a man of his word. He told me he was going to be in the gym with me every day. He was in the gym with me every single day."
Clifford said he was confident in Farokhmanesh's ability to not only continue recruiting to Fort Collins but also to develop more NBA-caliber players.
The Rams have seen three players make it to the NBA ranks in recent years, all of whom blossomed after staying more than one season in Fort Collins. Those players include David Roddy and Isaiah Stephenson.
"The way he is able to develop his players, I think he is the best in the country," Clifford said.
While Farokhmanesh credited his family, friends, players and fellow coaches for helping him land the position, many couldn't help but to also recall his success as a player himself.
"I think you go back to the shot he had against Kansas in the NCAA tournament," said Darrin Sersland, a Northern Iowa fan.
Sersland, wearing a purple Northern Iowa sweater, was referring to the iconic shot Farokhmanesh sank in the final seconds of a game against #1 seed Kansas more than a decade ago. The shot was the dagger, ending Kansas' dreams of a championship that season.
"He is a big part of Northern Iowa history, for sure," Sersland said.
Surprising Farokhmanesh on his big day was Ben Jacobson, his former head coach in Iowa. He flew to Colorado to attend the announcement and once again celebrate his old guard's success.
Jacobson told CBS News Colorado Farokhmanesh's iconic shot was only a shock to the outside world.
"It didn't surprise any of us," Jacobson said. "One of the coolest parts for me was none of his teammates or coaches thought twice about it."
Jacobson said he was proud of Farokhmanesh for all he has done on and off the court, and said his sincere heart for those he surrounds himself with is what will make him succeed as the Rams head coach.
"He really cares about his family. He really cares about the players he coaches. This will never be about him. That is what will make him a great head coach," Jacobson said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Peja Stojakovic says Rich Paul blackmailed the Kings so De'Aaron Fox could end up with the Spurs: "He limited Sacramento from a business standpoint"
Peja Stojakovic says Rich Paul blackmailed the Kings so De'Aaron Fox could end up with the Spurs: "He limited Sacramento from a business standpoint" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Former Sacramento Kings assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic believes that the Kings could have gotten a better package for point guard De'Aaron Fox if they were able to shop him around the league. Advertisement Stojakovic claims the Kings were unable to get the best deal for De'Aaron because Fox's manager, Klutch Sports founder Rich Paul, coerced the team to surrender Fox to the San Antonio Spurs while also making sure that his other client, Zach LaVine, would end up taking Fox's spot in Sacramento. "I still believe Sacramento has good players despite them trading Fox," Peja said confidently. "It seems there was a directive from his agent, Rich Paul, who played a key role and blackmailed the teams on which player was supposed to get traded where. He brought Fox to the Spurs and Zach LaVine, who is his player, brought him to Sacramento. By doing this, he limited Sacramento from a business standpoint, stating that they get a bit more from this trade with Fox if they had the same discussion with some other teams in the NBA," Stojakovic detailed behind-the-scenes events around this trade. Kings landed LaVine in a three-team trade Fox was looking like the Kings' next franchise player. But last year, he turned down a three-year $165 million contract extension from the Kings because he wanted to make sure the Kings had enough to contend for a title before committing to them. However, the motive was likely financial as Fox stood to get a five-year, $345 million super-max deal if he made an All-NBA team this season. Advertisement But rather than risk losing Fox without getting anything, the Kings ended up shopping Fox before the trade deadline. Several teams were linked to the former Kentucky Wildcat, but in the end, he went to the Spurs in a move that many, including Stojakovic, believe was orchestrated by Paul. In the three-team trade, the Kings got LaVine from the Chicago Bulls, plus three first-round picks and three second-round picks. Meanwhile, the Bulls received Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter while regaining their 2025 first-round pick via the Spurs. San Antonio ended up with the jackpot prize of the deal: Fox. Related: "To put it mildly, every night you had to go against a legend" - Dominique Wilkins makes a case he should be in the GOAT debate Fox admitted that it was he who wanted to play for the Spurs Stojakovic's accusation may have some truth in it. Last March, Fox admitted that he told the Kings that he only wanted to play for the Spurs. And so if this was the case, then it's possible that Paul worked his connections to make that happen, and they ended up strong-arming the Kings into sending Fox to San Antonio. Advertisement "There was no fuc*ing list," Fox emphatically said. "There was one team. I wanted to go to San Antonio. So, a lot of people are mad at me, saying I handcuffed the team by giving them a destination. Well, this is my career. If anybody else is in my position, you'd do the same thing. It's not my job to help build your team. I'm not about to just go where they want me to go. I wanted to have a destination," he concluded. But as Peja said, the Kings still have good players left, regardless of whether they were short-changed in the deal. They also received a haul of draft picks, which they can use in whichever direction they choose. Related: 'Has he transformed Sacramento into an NBA champion?' - Chris Russo doesn't believe De'Aaron Fox will elevate Spurs into contenders This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
T.J. McConnell sparks Pacers bench in a Game 3 Indiana needed to win
INDIANAPOLIS – Wednesday, an understudy out-sang Caruso. (David, stop it: no one under 75 gets that.) (No, see: there was this incredible tenor named Enrico Caruso, who has the same surname as Alex Caruso, and the joke is –) (That recording is from 1916! Just stop it!) OK, OK. T.J. McConnell, the Pacers' longtime provider of energy and crowd exhortion off the bench, outplayed Oklahoma City's reserve sparkplug, Alex Caruso, whose impact on games this postseason for the Thunder has been profound, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals Wednesday. In Oklahoma City, Caruso put his fingerprints all over both games, leading the Thunder with his suffocating defense and timely shotmaking. Advertisement But it was McConnell and the Pacers bench that turned the tide in Game 3, in a whirlwind second quarter, when Indiana scored 40 points, shot 61 percent from the floor, made all nine of its free throws and blocked four Thunder shots. Bennedict Mathurin made his case for a fat ol' contract extension this summer with 27 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Obi Toppin was a plus-18 in almost 28 minutes of play. And McConnell was the catalyst for Indy's surge, in both the second and fourth quarters, when the Pacers pulled away from the Thunder and grabbed a 2-1 lead in these finals with a 116-107 victory. McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals in 15 minutes. That was … historic. T.J. McConnell is the first player in @NBA history to record 5+ steals & 5+ assists off the bench in the Finals 💪 10 PTS | 5 AST | 5 STL — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 12, 2025 Indiana still struggled from deep Wednesday, making just 9 of 27 3-pointers. But, finally, the Pacers were able to consistently get into the paint, after being stymied and turned over during much of the 96 minutes of play in OKC. Tyrese Haliburton was finally able to turn the corner, getting separation and going 9 of 17 from the floor en route to 22 points. Indiana ran off of Thunder makes and got the ball up ahead to Pascal Siakam (21 points). And the Pacers had just 13 turnovers Wednesday, with only one coming in the second quarter. 'It was a concerted effort by all of us to do what we can to get downhill, and don't settle for jump shots,' McConnell said afterward. 'And credit the coaching staff for putting that in our minds, and credit to us for going out there and executing it.' McConnell has made playing hard his calling card throughout a decade in the NBA. 'I was on one team and we had the whole shootaround, all dedicated to T.J. McConnell,' Pacers reserve center Thomas Bryant said. ''Make sure he doesn't get into the paint. Make sure he doesn't spray (the ball, as a passer). Make sure he doesn't get up into us, and we throw away an easy pass, and he gets a layup.' T.J.'s on the top of the scouting reports, man.' Advertisement But McConnell's play was especially edgy Wednesday. Three times – three times!! – he stole Thunder inbounds passes after Pacers field goals. Even though Indiana scored just once on those three extra possessions, the impact on OKC was clear. The Thunder are the ones whose swarming defense demoralized opponents all season. 'Their defense is elite,' McConnell said. 'Just trying to get into the paint as best we can before they swarm and get all their steals is what we need to do. There's still stuff we need to clean up, though.' While Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault shortened his rotation in the second half, Indiana's Rick Carlisle could continue going nine and 10 deep in the second half with his bench giving him efficient production. That difference in playing time explained in part Indiana's ginormous 49-18 edge in bench points, but not all of it. The Pacers have prided themselves on grinding down opponents over 48 minutes in these playoffs, betting on their pace to wilt opponent wills down the stretch. Maybe it was coincidence, but the Thunder went just 2 of 9 from the floor in the last six minutes. And McConnell was everywhere. 'I think his energy is unbelievable,' Haliburton said. 'You guys know he's definitely a crowd favorite. I joke with him, I call him the Great White Hope. He does a great job of bringing energy in this building. And I think people feed off that. And he had a couple unbelievable steals.' McConnell's third inbounds steal followed an Andrew Nembhard jumper that brought Indiana within two early in the fourth. McConnell then jumped in front of Caruso, who was inbounding the ball, and came up with the steal; his layup tied the game at 95 with 8:33 left. Soon after, Indiana took the lead for good, something that's been a problem for the Pacers throughout the first three games of the finals. Meanwhile, the 33-year-old guard kept insisting on more noise from the sellout crowd at Gainbridge, which responded in kind. Advertisement Even though we're just three games into the championship series, this felt like a game Indiana had to have at home if it was to have any chance of winning the franchise's first NBA title. 'I think in a series like this, what's so important is the margins,' Haliburton said. 'You have to win in the margins. It's not necessarily who can make the most shots or anything. It's taking care of the ball, rebounding, little things like that. I thought he does a great job of giving us energy plays consistently and getting downhill and operating. I mean, nobody operates on the baseline like that guy. I thought did he a great job of consistently getting there and making hustle play after hustle play, and sticking with it, and I thought we did a great job of just feeding off of what he was doing.' Oklahoma City has been in this spot before. The Thunder were down 2-1 to Denver in the Western Conference semifinals before rallying to win in seven games. They got hit in the mouth in Game 3 of the conference finals by Minnesota before winning the key Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead over the Timberwolves. They will be the desperate team Friday for Game 4, knowing what falling down 3-1 to the Pacers would mean to their championship hopes. But Carlisle isn't falling for the okey-doke. He has his team Stepford Wifing just about every postgame availability. Always, the Pacers don't want to talk about the good things they just did. They talk, over and over, about what they have to fix. So when you tell T.J. McConnell what is obvious to anyone who's watched the NBA the last few years – that he is a max-effort player – he thanks you for the compliment. But he's already on to Game 4. 'It's the NBA Finals,' he said. 'We've got to bring that energy, all of us. Because if we don't, it's doing a disservice to these fans, and this organization. We've got to continue to bring energy to the highest level.'
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Thunder's Game 3 turnover failings have put playoff run in danger again
INDIANAPOLIS — The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder had any level of control in Game 3 of an NBA Finals suddenly trending against them, they were up 95-91 with 8:45 left and had just forced a missed layup that probably should've ended in a defensive rebound. But Chet Holmgren couldn't grab it in a crowd, Lu Dort accidentally helped tap it over to Andrew Nembhard and Nembhard immediately hit a 16-footer. Advertisement But that wasn't the most deflating part of the sequence. Alex Caruso grabbed the ball as it went through the net. He took one wandering step out of bounds and flung a rushed inbound in Jalen Williams' direction. It made it about four feet before TJ McConnell, standing directly in front of Caruso, leaped up to steal it and then dropped in a layup. A defensive rebound would have meant a four-point lead and possession. But within five seconds, Wednesday's game was instead tied, beginning a fourth quarter snowball that would end in a 116-107 Pacers win and a 2-1 series hole for the Thunder. Had that McConnell leaping steal been an outlier, it wouldn't have been such a postgame talking point. That egregious of an inbound error happens occasionally — maybe a handful of times per season to any given team. But the Thunder were victimized three separate times in Game 3 by the same player on the same type of sneaky steal most often seen in youth basketball. 'Sucked,' Williams said. 'Bad, unforced turnovers.' This game flipped to open the second quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took his first rest of the night with the Thunder leading 32-24 after 12 minutes. He'd return three minutes later with the Thunder down 37-36. McConnell was the spark plug of that minus-nine stretch. It included two of his three inbound steals. The first came to open the quarter. McConnell set up Pascal Siakam for a layup, baited Cason Wallace into an interception and then pinged an offensive rebound over to Bennedict Mathurin for a layup — again creating four points in a flash. 'I call them pick-sixes,' Caruso said. 'It's a live-ball turnover in your third of the court and they score. It can add up to eight, 10, 12 points, which might be the difference in the game.' The second of McConnell's inbound steals came a couple of minutes later while Gilgeous-Alexander was still on his brief but detrimental rest. He found Aaron Nesmith for a layup and again jumped the passing lane and ripped an unaware Williams before he could gain control of Wallace's pass, throwing it off Wallace out of bounds to generate an extra possession that charged up the arena. Advertisement 'Those plays hurt,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Because they're very controllable. You can take your time. You make mistakes in basketball, no matter the stage. We definitely had opportunities to cover those things up. But you also don't let plays like that happen. It just goes back to being tighter, being more focused, being more forceful all night. Things like that really hurt.' The Thunder only averaged 11.7 turnovers this season, the fewest of all 30 NBA teams. They're only averaging 12.0 in the playoffs, third-fewest among the 16 qualifying teams. They terrorize your offense, but also succeed because of their ball security, beginning with Gilgeous-Alexander, who only averaged 2.4 turnovers this season, fewest among the NBA's top-14 scorers. But that was a major problem in Game 3. Their offense was careless and scattered. Those three McConnell inbound steals counted for three of the Thunder's 19 turnovers. In their previous 18 playoff games, they never committed more than 16. Gilgeous-Alexander had six of those 19 turnovers, more than he'd committed in a game since December. That included the detrimental 'pick-six' type, as Caruso mentioned, a live-ball giveaway that gifts the other team two points and revs up the crowd. Here is the worst of the night from Gilgeous-Alexander. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was asked postgame whether those live-ball turnovers, particularly the McConnell inbound steals, were inexcusable. 'In terms of inexcusable, everybody is out there competing and trying,' Daigneault said. 'I'm not going to place blame on those plays. I just thought their overall tone was better than ours for the majority of the game. I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes and had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. Obviously, those (turnovers) are costly plays.' Advertisement The Thunder gave up 40 second-quarter points and didn't force a turnover in the 12 minutes. Their bench was outscored 49-18. After a strong third quarter, they were outscored 32-18 in a fateful fourth when their offense came to a halt and their defense had too many lapses, including from Gilgeous-Alexander late, sagging too far off Nesmith and closing out too slow, leading to a dagger 3. This all combined to deliver the Thunder their second danger point in these playoffs. Like the Nuggets series — which began with a home collapse in Game 1 and a tight Game 3 loss in Denver — they are down 2-1, staring down the barrel of a crucial Game 4 road test Friday night against a confident team and a frothing crowd. 'You're probably just slightly more frustrated with (this 2-1 deficit),' Caruso said. 'You just put in so much effort and so much into the game to not come away with a win when you have a chance, especially on the road, it definitely stings a little. That's part of the playoffs. That's part of the finals.' (Photo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
