Colorado State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Preview - Drake
12/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Matchup...Colorado State enters Saturday night?s game with Drake 3-2 on the year following a 79-76 overtime loss at Auburn Tuesday night. The game concluded a two-game road trip for the Rams. Colorado State, after opening the season 3-0, dropped a 77-67 decision at IUPUI before traveling to Auburn. The Rams had four players score in double figures led by redshirt freshman C Stuart Creason?s 17 points and 10 rebounds, both career bests. The Rams were without the services of C Matt Nelson missed the contest at Auburn while suffering from a stomach virus.
About Drake: Tom Davis, who formerly coached at Iowa, Stanford, and Boston College as well as Lafayette, is in his second year directing the Bulldogs. Drake opened the season with a two-point win over Akron, then lost at Iowa State before facing Iowa in Des Moines Tuesday night. The Bulldogs lost to their in-state rival, 91-75. Iowa used a first-half surge to break the game open and establish a 17-point, 52-35 halftime advantage. C Aliou Keita led the Bulldogs with 23 points, while F Klayton Korver added 18 and F Brent Heemskerk scored 14 points.
CSU Basketball Preview Show: The Colorado State basketball preview show will air on Fox Sports Net on Dec. 2 at 9:30 p.m.
CSU Basketball Ticket Information: Tickets to all home games are available by calling 1-800-491-RAMS or online at CSURAMS.com, or at any King Soopers or City Market grocery store location throughout the state of Colorado.
Rams In December: Colorado State is 17-12 during coach Dale Layer?s tenure in games played in December.
Home Cookin?: CSU has won its last four games in Moby Arena dating back to last season?s home finale against New Mexico and the first three games of 2004-05. Colorado State?s most recent home loss came on Feb. 16, 2004, a 79-73 decision against BYU.
Moby Under Layer: Colorado State enters Saturday night?s game with a 42-18 overall record in home games during Dale Layer?s five seasons.
Season Games Record
2004-05 3 3-0
2003-04 12 8-4
2002-03 18 14-4
2001-02 14 7-7
2000-01 13 10-3
Totals 60 42-18
Moby Nonconference Record: The Rams are 28-4 (87.5 percent) in home nonconference games under Dale Layer. Colorado State has won four nonconference home games in a row dating back to a Dec. 10, 2003 loss to Colorado in Moby Arena. The year-by-year nonconference breakdown includes:
Season Record Loss(es)
2004-05 3-0 --
2003-04 4-1 Colorado
2002-03 10-0 --
2001-02 4-2 Colorado,
Arkansas-Little Rock
2000-01 7-1 Creighton
Totals 28-4
Since 1902: Colorado State is in the school?s 104th season of intercollegiate competition in 2004-05. Colorado State has a cumulative record of 1,016-1,037 in 2,053 previous games dating back to 1902.
Next On Road: Colorado State?s next road game is Dec. 11, when the Rams face Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Game time is 12 p.m. Eastern Time/10 a.m. Mountain Time.
Road Streak: Colorado State looks to break a 10-game road losing streak in the team?s next outing away from Moby Arena Dec. 11 at Purdue. Colorado State?s last win on the road (excluding neutral site games), came Dec. 22, 2003 at South Florida. F Matt Williams? free throw with less than five seconds to play in the game helped Colorado State to a 66-65 victory in DeLand, Fla.
On T.V.: The Dec. 11 game at Purdue will be televised by ESPN+Plus. The game can be seen locally on Altitude Sports (Channel 35 in Fort Collins for all Comcast Cable subscribers).
Trip To Boulder: Following the game at Purdue, students at Colorado State undergo final examinations for the fall semester Dec. 13-17. The Rams then return to hardwood action Dec. 18 by playing against in-state rival Colorado in Boulder. Game time is 7 p.m. in the Coors Events Center.
Colorado T.V.: The Rams game with Colorado Dec. 18 will be televised live in the Denver-Fort Collins metro region by Fox Sports Network Rocky Mountain. Drew Goodman calls the play-by-play, Marty Fletcher is the analyst, and Sandy Williams is the sideline reporter.
Tall Timber: Colorado State?s roster in 2004-05 will feature three players (C Matt Nelson, C Stuart Creason, F Jason Smith) who are at least seven feet tall, and another (F Stephen Verwers), who is six-feet, 10-inches tall. The lineup ranks among the tallest in the nation.
Last Time: Drake and Colorado State faced one another last season, Nov. 29 in Des Moines at the Bulldogs? Knapp Center. Colorado State took a commanding 40-20 halftime lead, and won the game, 76-69. C Matt Nelson scored a game-most 22 points and had six rebounds in the game. The Rams made 25-of-43 field goals and converted 23-of-31 free throws in the game. Colorado State also dominated on the backboards, outrebounding Drake, 45-26.
Final Four Opponents: Colorado State and Drake met in the 1969 NCAA Regional Final in Manhattan, Kan. Drake, led by Willie Wise, a future professional star, downed the Rams 84-77 to advance to the Final Four. That is the furthest any CSU basketball team - men or women - has ever advanced. The Rams were coached by Jim Williams, who spent 26 seasons as head coach. CSU earned a berth in the regional final by defeating in-state rival Colorado in the semifinals.
Nelson Misses Auburn Game: C Matt Nelson missed the Rams? game at Auburn Tuesday night while suffering with a stomach virus. Nelson participated in the team?s midday shoot-around and was stricken later that day and could not play.
Nelson Numbers: C Matt Nelson scored in double figures the final nine games in a row last year, and had six or more rebounds in the final eight games to end the 2003-04 season. The 7-1 center has scored in double figures in three of the Rams? first four games of 2004-05. He also had his fifth career double-double game in scoring and rebounding and first in 2004-05 when he recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds in the games at IUPUI.
Nelson On Career List: Colorado State C Matt Nelson is 9th in career scoring at Colorado State with 1,256 points. Nelson is the 15th player in school history to score 1,000 or more points in his career, and the 4th (Andy Birley, Brian Greene, John Sivesind) to have played under Rams? coach Dale Layer.
Nelson 20: Colorado State has a 17-10 all-time record in 27 games that C Matt Nelson has scored 20 or more points.
Three Doubles: Colorado State has had one player in double figures in rebounding each of the past three games. F Matt Williams grabbed 10 caroms in the win over Nebraska-Omaha, C Matt Nelson matched that figure at IUPUI, and C Stuart Creason did the same at Auburn.
Nelson Scoring Leader: C Matt Nelson has led CSU in scoring for the past two seasons. Nelson is the 12th player since 1948 to lead the Rams in scoring in back-to-back seasons. By leading the team in scoring in 2004-05, Nelson could become only the seventh player in school history to lead the team in that category in three straight seasons.
20-Point Games: C Matt Nelson (27), F Matt Williams (4), swingman Freddy Robinson (1) and G Micheal Morris (1) have combined for 33 career 20-point scoring games. In 2004-05, F Matt Williams is the only player to score 20 or more points in a game. He has achieved the feat twice: 20 points in the opening game with Regis, and 25 against Nebraska-Omaha.
Big Crease: Redshirt C Stuart Creason has made his presence felt in his first year of competition for the Rams. Creason, a seven-footer from Coppell, Tex., has started the team?s past four games. At IUPUI he scored a career-most 10 points, then came back at Auburn to surpass that total in the first half with 12 points. He finished the game at Auburn with 17 points, making all seven of his field goals and three free throws, plus adding a career-most 10 rebounds.
The Boat: Sophomore G Dwight Boatner leads the team in assists with 16, and has been the team?s top layer in that category in each of the past three games. Boatner, who is averaging 4.8 points per game, closed the 2003-04 season with a flurry. Boatner scored in double figures eight of the team?s final 11 games and sparked the Rams? 60-48 win over nationally-ranked Air Force - the MWC regular-season champion - by scoring 11 points.
Rak Rack: G Jon Rakiecki was among the MWC?s top three-point shooters in 2003-04. Colorado State had an 8-2 record when Rakiecki made two or more three-point goals in a game in 2003-04. He started seven games and scored a career-most 19 points in CSU?s overtime win over UNLV. So far in 2004-05, he has hit 10-of-25 treys, 40 percent, and the Rams are 1-1 when he hits two or more threes in a game. Rakiecki scored a season-most 13 points at Auburn.
P.T.: Sophomore F Phillip Thomasson along with teammate F Matt Williams are the only two players on the team who have started all five games. Thomasson is averaging 5.4 points per game, and second behind Williams with a 5.4 per-game rebounding average. He currently leads the team in field goal accuracy, having made 10-of-14 shots from the floor, 71 percent.
Morris Magic: Michael Morris, whose younger brother Sean is a freshman member of the team, is seventh on the school?s career list with 88 blocked shots. He has led the team in blocked shots in each of the past two seasons. Eleven times in 2003-04, he had five or more assists in a game. Twenty-two times in 62 career games, Morris has dished out five or more assists in a game. Morris scored 10 points, had three assists, and a blocked shot in the game at IUPUI.
Verwers Word: C Stephen Verwers shot 58 percent from the field by making 26-of-45 field goals and did not miss a field goal in the team?s first three games of last season. He missed only one through four games and shot 50 percent or better 14 times. Verwers averaged 2.5 points per game last year as a freshman and started eight times. To date in 2004-05, Verwers has played in all five games, once as a starter
At Home: Colorado State finished the 2003-04 season with a 9-4 home record and began its 2004-05 season with a 3-0 record.
On the Road: Colorado State was 3-10 on the road a year ago, winning games at Drake, Stetson and South Florida.
In Moby: Colorado State won nine of 13 home games in 2004 and averaged 4,877 fans per game, a 25-percent increase from 2003 when the team averaged 3,917 fans per game. It is the highest per-game average since 1998.
Will Power: F Matt Williams, a senior, enters Saturday?s game eighth on the school?s career field goal percentage list. He has made 257-of-492 career field goals, 52.2 percent. Williams has scored in double figures three times in five games, including 10 at IUPUI.
Will at 20: Senior F Matt Williams posted his fourth career 20-point effort against Nebraska-Omaha. In his career, Williams has posted 20-point games against Colorado (26), Nebraska-Omaha (25), San Diego State (21) and Regis (20).
More Will Power: Matt Williams has shot better than 50 percent in three of five games in the 2004-05 season. He has been above 50 percent from the field 54 times in 95 career games. Williams has also recorded five or more rebounds in every game this year and has surpassed that total 40 times in his career. He had seven rebounds to go along with 12 points in the game at Auburn.
Smith?s Scoring: Freshman F Jason Smith scored a career-most 14 points, making 6-of-10 field goals and a pair of free throws, and had a career-most seven rebounds in the game at Auburn. Smith, from nearby Kersey, Colo., has scored in double figures three times in five games and is fourth on the team with a 9.6 per game scoring average. He has made 59 percent of his field goals, and also averages 4.0 rebounds per game.
Rams On Boards: Colorado State has outrebounded four of five opponents in 2004-05. The Rams are 2-2 when collecting more boards than their opposition.
Plus 80: Colorado State is 29-2 all-time under Dale Layer in games the Rams scored 80 or more points in a game.
Center Scoring: C Matt Nelson ranks third in school history in career scoring by a center:
Career Scoring By A Center
1. Bill Green, 1961-63 1,682
2. Rich Strong, 1983-86 1,555
3. Matt Nelson, 2002-04 1,256
Rebound Margins: Colorado State is 1-0 when holding a double-digit rebound margin over an opponent this year, including:
Date Game Reb-Foe Margin
Nov. 24 vs. Neb.-Omaha 38-26 +12
Foes Under 40: Colorado State is 2-1 this season when holding an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor including the following games:
Date Game FG-A Pct.
Nov. 20 Regis (W) 17-49 .347
Nov. 24 Neb.-Omaha (W) 17-48 .354
Nov. 30 at Auburn (L) 29-78 .382
Rams Plus 50: Colorado State has shot above 50 percent from the floor in two games this season. The Rams hold a record of 2-0 when eclipsing the 50 percent mark including:
Date Game FG-A Pct.
Nov. 20 Regis (W) 26-46 .565
Nov. 24 Neb.-Omaha (W) 27-48 .563
The Miracle In Moby: Moby Arena opened in 1966. One of the most memorable games in arena history took place a day before a new year arrived in 2004 against Purdue University. Colorado State led by as many as 13 points before falling behind in the second half, setting the stage for the ?Miracle In Moby.? Trailing by four points with seven seconds to play, G Micheal Morris hit a three-pointer to draw the Rams within a point. F Matt Williams deflected the ensuing inbounds pass, Morris caught it in midair atop the arc and threw in a shot at the buzzer for an improbable 71-69 win over the 21st-ranked Boilermakers.
More on Television:The Colorado State Rams will appear on national or regional television 15 times in the 2004-05 season. These dates include:
Date Opponent Network
Dec. 11 at Purdue ESPN+Plus
Dec. 18 at Colorado Fox Sports Net
Dec. 30 vs. Denver Fox Sports Net
Jan. 8 at Air Force ESPN+Plus
Jan. 15 vs. BYU ESPN+Plus
Jan. 17 vs. Utah Fox Sports Net
Jan. 24 at San Diego State ESPN
Jan. 29 at Wyoming ESPN+Plus
Feb. 5 vs. New Mexico Fox Sports Net
Feb. 7 vs. Air Force ESPN
Feb. 12 at Utah KJZZ
Feb. 14 at BYU SportsWest
Feb. 21 vs. UNLV Fox Sports Net
Feb. 21 vs. UNLV ESPN+Plus
Feb. 26 vs. Wyoming Fox Sports Net
Auburn Beats Rams In Overtime: Colorado State had four players score in double figures, led by seven-foot redshirt center Stuart Creason, in an overtime loss at Auburn. Creason, starting for the fourth game in a row, made all seven of his field goal tries and three throws plus added a career-most 10 rebounds to lead the Rams. he scored 12 points in the first half. Freshman F Jason Smith scored 14 points, while G Jon Rakiecki added 13 and F Matt Williams 12. The two teams traded seven leads during the hard-fought game that went into overtime tied at 66. Auburn?s Toney Douglas and Ian Young each made two free throws in the final minute of the extra period to push the Tigers to the win. The Rams shot 46 percent from the floor, but held Auburn to just 38 percent from the floor. Auburn also made only 5-of-24 shots behind the three-point line, 20 percent.
Rams Sign Four: Colorado State signed three players to national letters of intent, including:
C.J. Clark, a 6-7, 200-pound forward from Houston, Tex. (Cypress Springs HS), was a first team all-district selection averaging 13 points, six rebounds and six assists per game for Cypress Springs High School in 2003-04. Clark was a high honorable mention pick by Street & Smith?s and was selected as the 211th recruit in the nation by Hoopscoop.
Stephan Gilling, a 6-3, 185-pound guard from Chino Hills, Calif. (Ayala HS), was a first team all-league selection and team MVP for Ayala High School. As a junior, he averaged 13.5 points, five rebounds and three assists per game and his seven consecutive three-point field goals in a half during the year. He was rated as an honorable mention selection by Street & Smith?s and was the 288th recruit in the nation by Hoopscoop. He was ranked as on of the top ten shooters on the West Coast by Insiders.com.
Michael Harrison, a 6-10, 200-pound forward from Aurora, Colo. (Northeastern JC), averaged 12 points and nine rebounds as a freshman at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. Harrison shot over 56 percent from the field and had the ninth-best single season rebound total in NJC?s history and is considered a preseason Junior College All-American by Street & Smith?s and is the seventh-ranked Junior College player in the nation by Hoopscoop. At Aurora Central High School, he averaged 22 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots per game and was a second team all-state pick as a senior.
Corey Lewis, a 6-0, 180-pound point guard from Lafayette, La. (Dodge City CC), is averaging 13 points, five assists and four rebounds per game at Dodge City Community College. Lindy?s basketball magazine ranks Lewis as the sixth-best point guard in the country.
