DENVER – MSU Denver fans will witness the ebullient and effervescent personality of Tyrei Randall for the last time on Saturday during Senior Night at the Auraria Event Center.
 
Also playing at home for the final time will be Chandler Bevans, the forward whose on-court persona is probably the polar opposite of Randall's and yet who is not appreciated any less.
 
"Chandler is a coach's dream," MSU Denver coach Dan Ficke said. "He doesn't ask for anything, he just puts his head down and goes to work every day. He's the consummate team guy. Whatever the team needs, whatever we ask, he's going to do it. He leads by example every day, and he's like an older brother for all our young guys."
 
Randall, meanwhile, in a situation that could be melancholy, has instead continued to flash his radiant smile while leading in a more outward fashion.
 
"Tyrei has shown unbelievable growth as a leader," Ficke said. "He was in an adverse situation, because it's never easy to go into your senior year with a new coach and a brand-new roster. But he was undeterred and met everything head on. He welcomed me with open arms and bought into everything we were trying to do. Every time he was challenged by me or the staff, he responded the right way."
 
MSU Denver (10-14 overall and 7-11 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference), fighting for a chance to qualify for the eight-team league tournament, plays host to Chadron State on Friday at 7 p.m. during MSU Denver's Black History Month Celebration before Saturday's 6 p.m. Senior Night ceremony that precedes the game against Colorado Christian.
 
The work of Randall and Bevans will be instrumental in potentially getting them to the post-season as they lead a young program in transition.
 
Randall, who recently surpassed 1,000 points in a career that included two seasons at Division I Rider, is averaging 15.3 points per game this season. He's seventh in program history with 141 made 3-pointers, 16^th with a career average of 13.4 points per game, and 22^nd with 896 points as a Roadrunner.
 
Bevans, who played two junior college seasons and one at the NAIA level before joining MSU Denver last season, played sparingly in a tight rotation last year but has started 20 of 24 games this season, averaging 4.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He's a particularly effective offensive rebounder, gathering 1.7 per game.
 
The Roadrunners are hoping to send Randall and Bevans out in a positive way.
 
Chadron State is red-hot, with eight straight wins to improve to 16-8 overall and 13-5 in the RMAC. Colorado Christian is eliminated from the RMAC Tournament at 9-15 and 5-13, but has sprung several surprises this season.
 
"Sometimes players get nervous and get too wrapped up in it being their last home game, but the kids deserve to be recognized," Ficke said. "They've put their heart and soul into this program, for three years (Randall) and for two years (Bevans), and gave us everything they have.
 
"Hopefully that works as motivation for the rest of the guys, because we want to be ready on Friday against Chadron State, a team that we felt we let one get away against us the first time. And then, when you play a team higher in the standings on Friday, the Saturday game because a 'trap' game, and it's also on Senior Day against a local team. I know everyone will be motivated to not disappoint our seniors in their final home game."