March Madness is basically designed to break your heart. If you're a Memphis fan, you know exactly what I’m talking about. On March 21, 2025, the Tigers walked into Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle as a 5-seed with championship dreams and walked out wondering what went wrong.
It wasn't just a loss. It was a 12-over-5 "upset" that didn't even feel like an upset to the Vegas bookies. Honestly, the most surreal part of the Colorado State vs Memphis matchup was that CSU was actually favored by 2.5 points despite the seeding. If you weren't paying attention to the Mountain West toward the end of that season, you missed a freight train coming down the tracks.
The Night Kyan Evans Became a Legend
Nobody—and I mean nobody—expected Kyan Evans to go nuclear. Entering that game, the sophomore was a solid contributor, sure, but he wasn't the guy you'd bet your mortgage on to carry a tournament game.
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Then he hit a three. Then another. By the time the dust settled, Evans had dropped a career-high 23 points and drained six triples. It was a school record for CSU in the Big Dance. Coach Niko Medved said it best after the game: "Whatever Kyan was feeling tonight, I just want to feel that one time."
Memphis was playing without Tyrese Hunter, who was stuck on the bench with a left foot injury. That hurts. You lose your third-leading scorer and a veteran floor leader, and suddenly the perimeter defense starts looking a little thin. Evans smelled blood.
A Tale of Two Halves
The Tigers actually had this game in their hands for a minute. They went into the locker room at halftime up 36-31. PJ Haggerty, who had just broken the AAC single-season scoring record earlier in the game, was finding his spots. Dain Dainja was a literal monster in the paint, finishing the night with 22 points and 12 boards.
But the second half was a disaster for Memphis.
They shot 34.5% after the break. You can't win in March shooting like that. Meanwhile, Colorado State went on a 23-10 run to start the half. It wasn't just shooting; it was the "bruiser" play. Rashaan Mbemba came out for CSU and just started wrecking things. He provided the physicality that the Rams were missing in the first 20 minutes.
While Memphis dominated the paint 32-22, they couldn't buy a bucket from deep. They shot a miserable 26.1% from three-point land. In modern basketball, if you can't hit the long ball and the other team's sophomore guard is playing like Steph Curry, you're going home.
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The Coaching Contrast
Penny Hardaway has built a powerhouse in Memphis. Let's be real—29 wins in a season is incredible. They won the AAC regular season. They won the conference tournament. But this loss highlighted a recurring critique: consistency.
Medved, on the other hand, had the Rams on an 11-game winning streak. They were the "hot team." They had the Mountain West Tournament MVP in Nique Clifford, who honestly had a pretty quiet scoring night (14 points), but he contributed in every other way—8 rebounds, 6 assists, and total lockdown defense when it mattered.
Why This Matchup Matters for the Future
If you're looking at the history of Colorado State vs Memphis, it's pretty sparse. Before this tournament clash, they'd only met a handful of times, including an NIT matchup in 2021 where Memphis actually blew them out 90-67.
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But the 2025 game changed the narrative. It proved that:
- Mountain West depth is terrifying. The "mid-major" label is basically dead when 12-seeds are favored over 5-seeds.
- Depth beats stars. Memphis had the AAC Player of the Year (Haggerty) and a dominant big man (Dainja), but CSU’s bench and role players like Jalen Lake and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (combined 26 points) kept the pressure on.
- Injuries are the ultimate equalizer. Without Tyrese Hunter, Memphis lacked the defensive rotation to stop the Rams' ball movement.
Moving Forward: What to Watch
If these two programs meet again in 2026 or beyond, the focus will be on the backcourt. Memphis is always going to recruit high-level talent—that’s the Penny Hardaway era in a nutshell. But CSU has established a culture of "positionless" grit under Medved that travels well in tournament play.
For the Tigers to get over the hump, they've gotta find a way to stay healthy and maintain that defensive intensity for a full 40 minutes. For the Rams, the challenge is replacing the veteran leadership of guys like Nique Clifford while hoping Kyan Evans turns that tournament performance into a standard Tuesday night.
Your Next Steps for Following the Rivalry
- Check the 2025-2026 Non-Conference Schedules: Often, high-profile tournament matchups like this lead to home-and-home series or neutral site invites (like the Battle 4 Atlantis or Maui Invitational).
- Monitor Transfer Portal Moves: Keep an eye on where Memphis targets guards to bolster their perimeter defense—an area CSU exposed.
- Watch the RPI/NET Rankings: See if the Mountain West continues to get the respect it earned in 2025, as it directly impacts seeding for future Colorado State vs Memphis potential rematches.
The 78-70 scoreline is etched in the books now. Memphis fans will call it a missed opportunity; CSU fans will call it the arrival of a new era. Either way, it’s a game that won’t be forgotten in Fort Collins or the 901 anytime soon.