Colorado State University Athletics
Men?s Basketball Preview ? Game 16: Utah
1/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Last Year: Colorado State and Utah split the season series, each team winning on the road. Utah won the first meeting in Moby Arena, while G Micheal Morris hit a 3-pointer in the game?s final seconds for a Rams? win in Salt Lake City.
Last 2 Wins: Colorado State enters Monday night?s game on the heels of a dramatic 66-65 win over the Utes in Salt Lake City a year ago on G Micheal Morris? 3-point goal in the waning seconds. Colorado State has not won 2 in a row in the Huntsman Center since 1988-89, when the Rams won the final regular-season meeting of the teams, 75-64, then beat the Utes in the 1st round of the conference tournament less than a week later, 52-50, en route to the league?s regular-season title and later a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Current Rams? radio color analyst Eric Friehauf was a starter on the 1988-89 Rams? team.
Attendance Comparison: Through 6 home dates in 2003-04 the Rams are averaging 4,479 fans (26,872 total), compared to 1,870 fans (11,225) following 6 dates a season ago. That represents a 240% increase.
Injury Report: Colorado State continues to be smitten with the injury bug. Rams? C Matt Nelson suffered a minor right knee sprain during the team?s game at Montana State Jan. 5, and did not play against Air Force. He played only four minutes and did not score at BYU. G Micheal Morris missed the game with AFA and the game with BYU while nursing a hamstring that he strained at Montana State.
At Home: Colorado State is 4-2 at home in 2003-04 after finishing the 2002-03 season with a 14-4 record in Moby Arena. Rams? coach Dale Layer is 36-16 all-time in home games.
Nelson In, Out: Colorado State has a 39-38 record during C Matt Nelson?s 3-year career. Over that span, Nelson has missed a total of 11 games due to injury. The Rams are 34-32 with Nelson in the lineup, 5-6 when he is absent. Colorado State was 2-0 a season ago in the 2 games Nelson missed due to injury, and 3-5 in 2001-02 in 8 games he was absent from the lineup.
Starting Lineups: Colorado State has used 9 different starting lineups to date. G Derrick Stevens stepped into the lineup in the absence of G Micheal Morris. Stevens responded by scoring a career-most 10 points, making 4-of-7 field goals including a pair of 3-point goals. Stevens had scored only 7 points total in 2003-04 prior to the game with Air Force. Freddy Robinson replaced Shelton Johnson in the latest version of the Colorado State starting lineup. Robinson poured in 16 points and had five rebounds at BYU.
Rakiecki For 3: G Jon Rakiecki has now taken 72 shots from behind the arc this season. He has only taken 74 shots on the season. He is 29 of 72 from 3-point range and 1 of 2 from the rest of the field.
Morris Most: G Micheal Morris has 61 career blocked shots in 45 games, 8th on CSU?s carer list. He already has more blocked shots than any backcourt player in school history.
Nelson Nuggets: C Matt Nelson is the school?s all-time field goal percentage leader, 62.2. In 67 career games, Nelson has shot 50 percent or higher from the field 53 times, including 11 of 13 games in 2003-04.
Nelson Negates: Nelson has blocked 104 career shots, currently 5th on CSU?s career list. The school?s career leader is Ryan Chilton with 185. Nelson is 5 blocked shots shy of tying Rich Strong for 4th on the school?s all-time list.
Halftime Trail: Colorado State has a perfect 4-0 mark in home games when the Rams lead at intermission. Colorado State has lost both home games (to Colorado, Air Force) when trailing at the half.
Starting Productivity: In Colorado State?s last two games with Air Force and BYU, the Rams? starters were responsible for making 32 of the team?s 40 field goals and collecting 52 of 61 rebounds.
Williams Among Leaders: F Matt Williams, a junior from Temple, Tex., enters play this week 6th in career field goal percentage. Williams has made 188-of-352 field goals, 53.4 percent of his shots from the floor. He joins current teammates C Matt Nelson (1st, 62.2, and swingman Ronnie Clark, 8th, 53.2) on the career list.
Robinson Returns: Swingman Freddy Robinson has started 11 of the 13 games in which he has played. Robinson missed the team?s 2 victories in Florida earlier this season with a hamstring injury. He scored 16 points and had 5 rebounds in the game at BYU.
On The Road: Colorado State, 14 games into the 2003-04 season, has already matched the team?s road win total of a season ago. The road breakdown during Dale Layer?s 4 seasons:
Season Overall Road
2004 8-7 3-4
2003 19-14 3-9
2002 12-18 3-9
2001 15-13 1-8
Most On Road: Colorado State?s early-season road success has the Rams on pace to match some of the top marks away from Moby Arena in the recent past. Colorado State?s last winning record on the road came in 1997-98.
Season Road Coach
1998 8-5 Stew Morrill
1997 6-5 Stew Morrill
1996 6-6 Stew Morrill
2000 5-7 Ritchie McKay
1999 5-8 Ritchie McKay
2004 3-3 Dale Layer
Plus 80: Colorado State is 26-2 all-time under Dale Layer in games the Rams score 80 or more points in a game.
Opponent?s 80: The Rams are 7-1 in 2004 when holding a foe to fewer than 80 points.
Rams On Boards: Colorado State has outrebounded 9 of 15 opponents to date. Colorado State is 7-2 in games the Rams have outrebounded the opposition.
Close Calls: In games decided by 10 points or less this season, the Rams are 4-3 . Colorado State is 2-0 in games decided by five points or less.
Shut Out: G Jon Rakiecki did not make a 3-point goal for the 2nd game in a row. He is 0 of 13 over the last two games.
Robinson Careers: Swingman Freddy Robinson matched his career high with 16 points. It was Robinson?s 8th double figure scoring game of the year. In three previous games since returning from an injury Robinson had scored only 13 points prior to Saturday night?s game at BYU.
Hurt By Injuries: Colorado State has a 3-2 record with all 14 roster players healthy and available for duty, and 5-5 when one or more players has been injured.
Hurt By Injuries - Part Two: Colorado State players have missed a total of 16 games due to injury thus far.
Williams Double Up: F Matt Williams scored 12 points at BYU, his 7th double figure game of the season and 2nd in a row.
Who?s In: Colorado State used its 9th different starting lineup and 6th in the past 7 games Saturday night at BYU.
