FORT COLLINS — As Isaiah Stevens went through the pre-draft process and with the deadline to officially enter the NBA Draft or return to school rapidly approaching, the decision became clear for one of the greatest players in Colorado State history. It was time to come back for one final season in Fort Collins.

So he called up his coach, Niko Medved, and told him he’d like to return to school, but under one condition — “If you’ll have me,” Stevens told Medved. Well, Medved couldn’t have said ‘Yes’ much faster.

“I didn’t have to think about it very long,” Medved told The Denver Gazette. “It’s incredible to have somebody like him back in your program. He’s obviously an exceptional player, a great leader and he sure makes my job a heck of a lot easier.”

Medved had been in constant communication with Stevens throughout the process and it certainly wasn’t a given that Stevens would return for a fifth year with the Rams. 

Just a year earlier, Medved watched another one of his star players, David Roddy, make the decision to leave CSU and head for the NBA, where he was picked No. 23 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. That decision worked out well for Roddy and Stevens is confident his choice to do the opposite is the right one as well.

“It was kinda what I expected it was going to be,” Stevens said. “Just a lot of training, hoping to get a lot of feedback, which I was able to and which I was excited about. Really it was about just trying to put my best foot forward and see what options were available out there for me in that space. Hopefully I was able to gain enough (information) to be able to make the right decision, which I think I did.”

That dream of playing in the NBA hasn’t gone anywhere for Stevens. It’s what he’s always dreamed of doing and no one would’ve blamed him for chasing it after an already legendary career. But now he knows exactly what he needs to work on over the next year to put himself in a better position to turn that dream into a reality in the 2024 NBA Draft.

“That’s ultimately where guys wanna end up playing their professional careers so anytime you can kinda get out there and see what they’re looking for and try to come back to school and work on those things, I feel like you’ve gotta take the opportunity,” Stevens said.

Stevens has been back in Fort Collins for a few weeks now and he’s had to learn a few new names and faces.

In fact, he’s the last one left standing from the rosters from both his freshman and sophomore seasons. But there is certainly a lot of talent in the gym. 

After a disappointing season that was riddled with injuries in 2022-23, Stevens likes what Medved and the coaching staff did in adding players to the program and maybe there’s starting to be some vibes with this team that compare to the 2021-22 team that made the NCAA Tournament and put together one of the best seasons in program history.

“A little bit,” Stevens said. “Definitely a different team, though. You try not to compare teams in that regard. We’re our own identity. We’ve gotta go out there and earn it in the offseason and everything like that. I do like the pieces that we’ve been able to put together, but it’s not just going to be handed to us either, we’ve gotta go earn it.”

One of the key newcomers is another player that will have the luxury of being mentored by Stevens — freshman guard Kyan Evans, a three-star prospect out of the Kansas City area that the Rams have high hopes for. 

“He’s super talented,” Stevens said. “His pace and feel (for the game) already translates right away to the college floor. He’s got a quick pop to him like all the other high-level point guards that I’ve seen and he can really shoot the deep ball, too. He’s got a really bright future, just gotta keep working but I think he’ll really be able to help us this year.”

Throw in sophomore guard Taviontate Jackson, another young player with a big future at CSU, and Stevens might as well be an honorary member of the coaching staff with the amount of players he’s taking under his wing.

“It’s awesome for those guys and they don’t even realize it,” Medved said. “They will later in their careers. Having the opportunity to practice and play with like a guy like that everyday and it’s not just those guards, it’s really all the guys on the team, somebody who’s done at the level (Stevens) has done it, his perspective and knowledge and the way he gives it back so freely is really big for everybody.”

Whether it was that historic season two years ago or the countless records he already has and will continue to break over the next few months, there isn’t much that Stevens hasn’t accomplished at CSU. But that’s part of the reason why he loves it so much and why he’s looking forward to another year in a place that’s become part of the identity for a kid from Allen, Texas. 

“I love Fort Collins,” Stevens said. “It’s turned into like a second home for me. I’ve gotten a chance to really grow up out here and also build a lot of meaningful relationships. I feel like it’s going to be a special year, not only for me, but some of these other guys that are on their way out as well. It’ll be a good ride.”