Great anticipation. Fabulous energy. Lively atmosphere.

There was no reason to add any anxiety to the mix Monday night, and Colorado State's men's basketball team obliged with a smooth entry into the season with a 82-56 victory over North Dakota at Moby Arena.

An old hand led a new cast of characters on the stage as Nique Clifford almost had a double-double by halftime, a first 20 minutes where every Ram who saw action found the hoop – nine in all, five of whom were not in Fort Collins a season ago.

Needless to say, it was relieving to see all the new combinations play well together when the curtains dropped.

"I always (have anxiety). You want to see us just keep getting better and playing well, but yeah," CSU coach Niko Medved said. "Again, the guys did a really good job of setting the tone. We didn't play good enough defense the other night (an exhibition), we didn't rebound the ball well enough, and I thought our guys really took that to heart."

As much as they all wanted to see how it came together, Keshawn Willams was just happy to see the basketball court. He played all of one game last year at Northern Illinois, getting hurt in the in this lone game at the beginning of December, missing the rest of the season after just 14 minutes. And that was after only playing in 15 games the year prior – another injury.

Now a Ram, he came off the bench and scored 14 points – one of his last baskets an alley-oop dunk off a pretty Kyan Evans feed -- snaring a pair of steals as the team finished forcing 21 Fighting Hawks turnovers, exceeding any total the team claimed in a run to the NCAA Tournament last season.

It had been 333 days since Williams actually played, but the reality to him was longer. Really, 14 minutes is a blip.

"I was excited. I mean, I haven't played a game in like 600-plus days," he said. "It was a little bit of nerves, excitement, I felt pretty much everything tonight. Coach expressed his belief in me, so I was able to go out there and just have fun. That was a big thing for me is just have fun."

Medved and Williams go way back – he visited as a high school junior – so the coach knows the story, understands the journey. It's that way with a lot of the newcomers, and he was pleased with the way those with experience helped lead and the youngsters came with fire.

Ethan Mortan didn't score much but played with tenacity on defense, an aspect of the game where Evans has grown more tactful, leading the way with five steals. Bowen Born created plays and true freshman Kyle Jorgensen played as if he moment was nothing new.

Clifford, now in a lead role, played the part well. He paced the team with a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds, but he understands it is more than numbers he has to provide for a rebuilt squad looking to come together and develop an identity during non-conference play.

He has to guide, provide calm when called for and act like the elder statesman. But opening night was opening night, and this one was just enjoyable on multiple levels.

"It was so fun to get back out there, just with a whole new group of guys, just for our fans to see all the new players," Clifford said. "It was a lot of fun. You don't really know how good you are until you step on the floor against another opponent, so it was just really fun to get out there."

The game was a blowout in every respect, but within all the good, there will be areas the team will want to clean up.

Shooting 58.3 percent from the field is more than adequate and a level none of them will expect every game. Distributing 25 assists on 35 made field goals was impressive, led by Born with seven off the bench. That's a particularly positive sign for a team populated with more transplants than returners.

Jorgensen and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson both finished with nine points, with Jorgensen grabbing seven rebounds. Jalen Lake and Born each adding seven as 36 points came off the bench, another encouraging number when it comes to the depth Medved feels is developing.

"I think again we have a lot of work to do, we're a work in progress, still figuring out lineups and rotations," Medved said. "One thing I can see from our team, it feels like we could be as deep as we've been since we've been here. That does add a different dimension. It's different guys on different nights, and I think you can play with a lot of energy that way. It's a luxury to have those guys coming off the bench."

The Rams would definitely like to shoot better from behind the arc (4-of-17) and definitely from the free throw line (8-of-19).

Medved definitely would, but still found a positive in that, noting they didn't let that leak into other aspects of the game, keeping those levels high.

It just wasn't a night where anything could really ruin the overall effect.