Honestly, if you weren't glued to the TV on that Sunday in late March, you missed the kind of finish that makes college basketball both the best and worst thing for your heart rate. We’re talking about the Colorado State vs Maryland showdown in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It wasn't just a game; it was a 40-minute argument about whether experience or raw, freshman talent matters more when the lights are brightest.
Most people saw Maryland as the heavy favorite. They were the 4-seed, after all. Colorado State? A 12-seed that had to scrap through the Mountain West. But the scoreboard doesn't care about seeds. By the time the final buzzer echoed through Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, we were looking at a 72-71 Maryland win that felt more like a robbery than a victory.
The Moment Everyone Is Still Talking About
Let’s get straight to the point. Derik Queen.
If you don't know the name, you haven't been paying attention to Baltimore hoops. The 6-foot-10 freshman basically carried the weight of the Maryland program on his back in those final three seconds. Imagine the scene: CSU just hit a massive three-pointer. The Rams are up 71-70. There are 3.6 seconds left on the clock. Most coaches would draw up a complex screen-and-roll. Kevin Willard just asked his guys who wanted it.
Queen didn't just want it; he demanded it.
He took the ball, drove left, and hit a fading, one-legged bank shot that somehow found the bottom of the net as the red light flared. It was his only field goal of the final minutes, but it was the one that sent Maryland to its first Sweet 16 since 2016. It's the kind of shot kids practice in their driveways, but doing it in the Round of 32? That's different.
Why Colorado State Almost Pulled the Upset
Don't let the final score fool you. Colorado State absolutely controlled the rhythm for about 75% of this game.
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Niko Medved is a wizard at spacing, and for most of the first half, Maryland looked like they were running through mud. The Rams actually led by 12 points at one stage. Nique Clifford was the main reason. He finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was everywhere. He even broke Colorado State's single-season scoring record during the game, passing Pat Durham’s mark from way back in 1978.
What went wrong for the Rams? - They couldn't handle Maryland's length inside during the second half.
- Foul trouble started to mount for their bigs.
- They left just enough time (3.6 seconds is an eternity in March) for one last play.
It’s kinda tragic, really. CSU was 24-1 when leading with five minutes left in a game throughout the season. This was the one.
Breaking Down the "Crab Five"
Maryland fans call their starting lineup the "Crab Five," a nod to the local Baltimore/Maryland culture. In this Colorado State vs Maryland matchup, every single one of those starters scored in double figures. That’s rare. Usually, you have a star and some role players. Not this Maryland team.
Julian Reese was a monster on the glass, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rodney Rice added 16. Then you had the steady hand of Ja'Kobi Gillespie. When Maryland was down 12, they didn't panic. They just chipped away. They used a 10-0 run in the first half to stabilize things and then methodically punished CSU in the paint after halftime.
Maryland’s bench only contributed two points the entire game. Two. That basically means the starters played nearly the whole game at a high-intensity level. It’s a risky strategy, but it paid off when they needed that last burst of energy.
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The Strategy Shift: How Willard Won the Chess Match
Early on, Maryland tried to out-shoot CSU. That was a mistake. Colorado State thrives in a perimeter-oriented game. When the Terps realized they weren't going to win a shootout, they started feeding the post.
They also ramped up the defensive pressure. Maryland entered the game ranked 6th in defensive efficiency, and you saw why in the final ten minutes. They forced turnovers that led to easy transition buckets, flipping a seven-point halftime deficit into a lead.
Historical Context You Should Know
This wasn't just another game. The history between these two schools is actually pretty thin, which made the stakes feel even higher. Before this March Madness clash, they hadn't met on the hardwood since a random game in 2016 that CSU won.
In the grander scheme of Maryland basketball, this win was a massive relief. Coach Willard had been under some fire, openly talking about his frustrations with the program's direction and his contract situation. Getting to the Sweet 16 buys a lot of goodwill.
For Colorado State, it was a "what if" moment. They were the lowest seed left in the tournament at that point. Had they held on, they would have been the first 12-seed or lower to make the Sweet 16 since 2007.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
There’s a common narrative that Maryland "got lucky."
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Sure, a buzzer-beater involves some luck. But look at the stats. Maryland out-rebounded the Rams. They shot better from the free-throw line in the clutch. Julian Reese hitting two pressure-cooker free throws with 22 seconds left is what even gave them a chance to stay in it.
People also underestimate how much the travel played a role. Playing in Seattle is a long haul for a team from College Park, Maryland. The Terps were playing in a different time zone against a CSU team that is much more used to the Western climate and travel.
Actionable Insights for Next Season
If you’re a bettor or just a hardcore fan looking ahead, there are a few things to take away from the Colorado State vs Maryland saga:
- Watch the Freshmen: Derik Queen proved that elite freshmen can still dominate March, even in the era of the transfer portal. Keep an eye on Maryland’s recruiting classes; Willard is clearly building around high-ceiling talent.
- The Mountain West is Legit: Colorado State's performance wasn't a fluke. The Mountain West consistently produces teams that are fundamentally sound and difficult to scout. Never auto-fill a 4-seed over a 12-seed from this conference.
- Closing Games Matters: CSU's failure to close out a game they led for 35 minutes shows that veteran leadership (which they had) isn't always enough to stop a physical, high-major team determined to win in the paint.
To wrap this up, the next time these two programs meet—whenever that might be—don't expect a blowout. They play two completely different styles of basketball that, for whatever reason, create absolute chaos when they collide.
Check the recruiting trail for Maryland this summer. If they keep the "Crab Five" core or reload with similar length, they’ll be a top-15 mainstay. For CSU, look at how Medved replaces Nique Clifford. Replacing 21 points and that kind of floor leadership is going to be a massive mountain to climb.
Next, you might want to look at the Sweet 16 brackets to see how Maryland’s physical style matched up against their next opponent, or dive into the final Mountain West standings to see how CSU's run changed the conference's reputation.