DENVER – Summarizing the MSU Denver men's basketball senior class is as easy as one (Ra'Shawn Langston), two (Keyshaad Dixon), three (Maris Colton).
 
Langston is completing his first season at MSU Denver, while Dixon is in year two and Colton is playing for a third campaign.
 
They'll be honored on Saturday in the 6 p.m. Senior Night game against UCCS at the Auraria Event Center. And their time in the program is significant.
 
"Their experience, along with being really good players, helps a lot," Bahl said. "They've been at different places and had different experiences, and that's brought some perspective to our team. And with Key and Maris already here, it's made Ra'Shawn's transition much easier.
 
"As a group they've stabilized us and put us in a position to make a run at this thing the next five games and the conference tournament."
 
Senior Night is only the midway point a three-games-in-four-night experience that includes a 7 p.m. home game Friday against New Mexico Highlands and a 6 p.m. Monday home game against Fort Lewis that was rescheduled from Jan. 7.
 
Bahl said the varied experiences of his senior class has allowed those players transition to MSU Denver as well as helped others in the program more easily adapt to college basketball.
 
Langston came to MSU Denver after a prolific junior college career and then stops at two different Division I schools. Dixon played in a highly successful junior college program before spending a season in Division I. And Colton spent two seasons at another Division II school, Southwest Baptist (Mo.).
 
Colton came to MSU Denver and immediately became a starter, fought through an injury-plagued 2020-21 season, and then came off the bench for much of this season before recently moving into a starting role. He's developed into a highly-underrated defender while still adding offensive firepower and has 457 points in 62 games for MSU Denver and 785 points for his career.
 
"Maris is a guy who came in with a different role and over the years he's adjusted," Bahl said. "He's accepted and excelled in it. He's done what is best for the team and he is a guy who is all about the team and all about winning. With all the new guys we have, it's helped set an example when an older guy accepts his role and responsibility and is a great defender – and he's finally healthy and really starting to score again. He's been a leader by example in the way he approaches every single day."
 
Dixon was the starting point guard for a Ranger College (Texas) team that reached the junior college national championship game before playing another season at Idaho. He's started all 40 of his games as a Roadrunner, averaging 6.9 points and 4.0 assists to rank sixth in program history in assists per game. In league games this season, he's first in assists per game (4.2) and first in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1).
 
"Key is hard to read sometimes because he's very even-keeled – he doesn't get too high or too low – and that's probably his best quality," Bahl said. "That's really helped us when we've had ups and downs during the season. He's been consistent with his mood. And his work ethic – he's worked so much on his game and it's really starting to pay off. He's more comfortable scoring. He's No. 1 in the conference in assists. And he's right up there with our best defenders (including RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Laolu Oke). His leadership has made a world of difference."
 
Langston came to MSU Denver having already scored a combined 1,459 points at Connors State (Okla.) and Division I's Louisiana Tech and McNeese State. He missed several games due to injury this season, but averages a team-best 15.1 points on 50.0-percent shooting. He now has 1,731 career points.
 
"He gets along with everybody, and that's a big thing that you want from a one-year guy," Bahl said. "You want that team camaraderie off the floor. He's just one of those guys who connects and gets along with everybody on the team. He takes care of some of the younger guys on the team … he's making dinner for guys on certain days. That aspect of him really helps and makes him part of something special. From a basketball standpoint, he's very talented and very skilled, and he's starting to really understand what we want from him defensively. Offense comes naturally to him. He's been a great addition."
 
This weekend, 16-7 MSU Denver (10-7 RMAC) will look to continue a late-season push for a higher seed for the conference tournament and potentially moving into the conversation for one of eight spots in the South Central Regional. The season's initial 10-team regional rankings were released Wednesday and didn't include MSU Denver. Though tied for fourth in the region in Division II winning percentage (.667) and ninth in in-region winning percentage (.650), the Roadrunners' Division II strength of schedule ranks last in the region.
 
That will change over the next four days, though.
 
New Mexico Highlands is 13-11 overall and 8-10 in the RMAC, but has won six straight games. UCCS is 17-7 overall and 12-6 in the RMAC and has won eight of its last nine. Fort Lewis is 15-7 and 11-5 and has won six of its last seven.
 
When not playing one another since Jan. 28, those three teams are a combined 15-0.
 
"Three of the hottest teams in the RMAC," Bahl said with a smile and a shrug. "But we've told our guys that we've played some of our best basketball against the better teams. One of our downfalls this season is that at times we've played down to the level of our opponent – and most teams do that – but we've made a turn recently.
 
"We want to be playing meaningful games. That's what February and March is about, and you want to be playing your best basketball, and I think we're heading in that direction. I'm looking forward to the competition."