Colorado State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Preview - Utah
1/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Matchup...Colorado State will look to extend its home winning streak to 11 games when they host Utah in Moby Arena Monday night. The Rams were sparked by a pair of true freshmen - Jason Smith and Sean Morris - in their 74-67 win over BYU Saturday afternoon. Smith went for a career-best 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting while Morris added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists to the mix. Senior center Matt Nelson continues to lead the Rams scoring 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game after posting his sixth double-double of his career with 11 points and 10 rebounds against BYU.
About Utah: The Utes will bring a 14-3 overall mark into Moby Arena after a 74-49 victory over Wyoming in Laramie on Saturday. The Utes, who are now 2-0 in league play, have not allowed an opponent to score more than 60 points in their last six games. Andrew Bogut paces Utah with 19.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest while Marc Jackson nets 11.9 points per game. Jonas Langvad led Utah with 19 points coming off the bench against Wyoming. The Utes are 2-2 in road contests this season with wins over Cal Poly and Wyoming and losses to Utah State and Arizona.
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 January: Colorado State is 14-16 during coach Dale Layer?s tenure in games played in January.
On Mondays: Colorado State holds a 13-18 record under Dale Layer when playing on a Monday. The Rams are 1-1 in 2004-05.
Injury Update: Senior forward Matt Williams has been listed as probable for Monday?s game against Utah. Williams suffered a minor sprain of the left knee against Pepperdine on Jan. 3.
Home Cookin?: CSU has won its last 10 games in Moby Arena dating back to last season?s home finale against New Mexico and the first eight games of 2004-05. The streak ties for the fourth-longest in Moby Arena history. Colorado State?s most recent home loss came on Feb. 16, 2004, a 79-73 decision against BYU.
More at Home: The Rams are shooting 55.2 percent from the field at Moby Arena and, in contrast, are hitting at a 43.4 percent clip on the road. At the free throw line, CSU is hitting 71.4 percent of its shots at home and 66.9 percent away from home.
Moby Under Layer: Colorado State holds a 48-18 overall record in home games during Dale Layer?s five seasons.
Season Games Record
2004-05 9 9-0
2003-04 12 8-4
2002-03 18 14-4
2001-02 14 7-7
2000-01 13 10-3
Totals 66 48-18 (.727)
The CSU-Utah Rivalry: Monday?s game against Utah will extend the Rams? third-longest rivalry. The teams meet for the 132nd time.
Since 1902: Colorado State is in the school?s 104th season of intercollegiate competition in 2004-05. Colorado State has a cumulative record of 1,022-1,041 in 2,063 previous games dating back to 1902.
Road Streak: Colorado State holds a 14-game road losing streak after a Jan. 8 loss at Air Force. 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 Tampa, Fla.
Tall Timber: Colorado State?s roster in 2004-05 features 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.
Ahead and Behind: Following is a comparison of the times that CSU has led, trailed and been tied with its opponents:
Opponent Time Leading Time Trailing Time Tied
Regis (W) 34:33 2:45 2:42
Northern Colorado (W) 16:01 21:04 2:55
Nebraska-Omaha (W) 23:06 12:21 4:33
IUPUI (L) 0:00 39:06 0:54
Auburn (L) 25:20 14:47 4:53
Drake (W) 34:28 2:28 3:04
Montana State (W) 36:48 1:11 2:01
Purdue (L) 1:07 37:08 1:45
Colorado (L) 0:00 38:03 1:57
Texas State (W) 38:46 0:23 0:51
Stetson (W) 31:52 5:51 4:17
Denver (W) 31:02 8:15 0:43
Pepperdine (L) 0:12 37:22 2:26
Air Force (L) 13:36 22:46 3:48
BYU (W) 32:12 5:10 2:38
Total 319:03 248:40 39:27
UTAH - COLORADO STATE SERIES TIDBITS
The Streak: Utah has won seven of the last eight meetings in the series and has won the last three in Fort Collins.
Three-Point Difference: In last year?s Ute wins, Utah shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from three-point range while the Rams hit just 4-of-21 (.190) from long range.
Utah Stars: Utah?s Tim Drisdom hit for 24 points in Utah?s win over the Rams in Fort Collins last season while Andrew Bogut posted 11 rebounds.
Getting to the Line: In their two wins, the Utes got to the free throw line 51 times compared to the Rams? 38 times.
PLAYER TIDBITS
NELSON NUMBERS -
? Senior center Matt Nelson has scored in double figures in 13-straight games and in 23 of his last 24 games dating back to last season.
? Leads the nation in field goal percentage (.681).
? Recorded his sixth career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against BYU. The rebounding mark was his seventh time in double figure rebounds.
? Shot over 50 percent from the floor in his last 11 games.
? Is 5th in career scoring at Colorado State with 1,427 points.
? In the past seven games as a starter, has made 51-of-68 field goals (75.0 percent).
? Has grabbed 59 rebounds over the past eight games (7.4 rpg).
? Set a career high with five assists agasint BYU.
WILL POWER-
? Senior forward Matt Williams enters Monday?s game seventh on the school?s career field goal percentage list. He has made 291-of-548 career field goals, 53.1 percent.
? Has scored in double figures seven times in 13 games and in six of eight home games.
? Has shot better than 50 percent in nine of 13 games in the 2004-05 season.
? Has been above 50 percent from the field 60 times in 103 career games.
? Has recorded five or more rebounds in eight of 13 games this year and has surpassed that total 44 times in his career.
? Had a string of 17-straight games with a rebound snapped at Pepperdine after leaving the game early due to injury.
? Had a string of 103-straight games played snapped at Air Force due to injury.
SMITH, NO MYTH -
? Freshman forward Jason Smith , from nearby Kersey, Colo., has scored in double figures seven times in 15 games.
? Posted a career-best 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting against BYU.
? Ranks third on the team with a 10.1 per game scoring average and leads all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference in the category.
? Has made over 62 percent of his field goals, and is also second on the team averaging 5.1 rebounds per game including a career-best 14 at Air Force.
? Has gathered 50 rebounds (6.3 rpg) in his last eight games.
? Has recorded at least one point and one rebound in every game that he has played.
MORRIS MAGIC -
? Junior guard Micheal Morris is sixth on the school?s career list with 96 blocked shots.
? Needs just 20 assists to move into the CSU all-time assists top ten.
? Tied his career-high with seven rebounds against Colorado.
BALL GAME -
? Started for the first time at CSU against BYU.
? Senior guard Nick Ball hit for a career-high 11 points against Stetson.
FOR BETTER OR VER-WERS -
? Sophomore center Stephen Verwers scored a career-high eight points against Denver.
? Has made 15 field goals on the season, six of which were on dunks.
TO THE RACK -
? Senior guard Jon Rakiecki scored a season-most 18 points against Pepperdine including four three-pointers.
? Needs six three-pointers to move into the CSU top 10 in three-point field goals made.
? Had a string of 15-straight games with a field goal snapped in Saturday?s loss to Air Force and has not hit a field goal in his last two games.
MORE MORRIS -
? Freshman guard Sean Morris had career highs in scoring (12), rebounding (8) and assists (4) against BYU.
? His eight rebounds against BYU marked the first time a true guard had eight boards since Jon Rakiecki posted the figure against Colorado on Dec. 5, 2001. It also marked the first time a player under six-feet tall had that figure since Joe Macklin had eight vs. Wyoming on Feb. 9, 2002.
Rams On Boards: Colorado State has outrebounded 12 of 15 opponents in 2004-05. The Rams are 7-5 when collecting more boards than their opposition.
Winning Big: Five of Colorado State?s nine victories have been by 20 points or more while winning by double figures seven of nine times.
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 1,427
Double-Figure Leads: Colorado State is 9-0 when holding a double-figure lead in a game.
Starting Adjustments: Colorado State has used nine different starting combonations in 15 games this season.
From the Bench: CSU leads opponents scoring 475-174 from the bench this year while accounting for 41.9 percent of the team?s offense on the year. CSU?s bench has outscored its opponents? in 14 of 15 games this year.
Three-Point Woes: In their last three games, the Rams have hit 9-of-46 (.196) three-pointers.
Offensive Rebounds: In their last four games, the Rams have given up 67 offensive rebounds (16.8 per game).
Foes Under 40: Colorado State is 6-4 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
Dec. 4 Drake (W) 21-59 .356
Dec. 7 Montana State (W) 21-60 .350
Dec. 11 Purdue (L) 22-56 .393
Dec. 30 Denver (W) 24-62 .387
Jan. 3 Pepperdine (L) 22-57 .386
Jan. 8 Air Force (L) 20-57 .351
Jan. 15 BYU (W) 24-69 .348
Rams Plus 50: Colorado State has shot above 50 percent from the floor in eight games this season. The Rams hold a record of 7-1 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
Dec. 4 Drake (W) 24-41 .585
Dec. 7 Montana State (W) 25-46 .543
Dec. 18 Colorado (L) 29-57 .509
Dec. 21 Texas State (W) 30-50 .600
Dec. 28 Stetson (W) 35-57 .614
Dec. 30 Denver (W) 26-46 .565
More on Television: The Colorado State Rams will appear on national or regional television 14 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. 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
Turnovers by Half: Colorado State has committed 165 of its 251 turnovers (65.7 percent) in the first half. Only three times during the season did the Rams commit more turnovers in the second half than they did in the first. In their last three games, the Rams have committed 54 turnovers in the first half and only 16 in the second.
11 Straight In Moby: A win on Monday would mark CSU?s 11th-straight in Moby Arena. That mark would tie for the third-longest streak in the arena?s history.
Up Next: Colorado State travels to take on UNLV on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. PT.
Plus 80: The Rams lost for just the third time under Dale Layer when scoring more than 80 points in CSU?s 89-83 setback to Colorado. CSU is 32-3 under Layer when hitting the 80-point mark. The Rams? last loss when scoring 80 or more came in a 96-91 overtime loss to UNLV in 2001-02. The last time it happened in regulation play was in a 109-86 loss at Colorado in 2000-01.
Utah SERIES NOTES
Current Series Utah, 91-40
Last Meeting 2003-04; Utah, 80-70
In Fort Collins Utah, 36-23
In Salt Lake City Utah, 50-16
Neutral Series Utah, 5-1
Current Streak Utah, 2
Current Home Streak Utah, 3
Current Road Streak Utah, 1
Current Neutral Site Streak Utah, 2
Last Home Win 2000-01, 60-55
Last Home Loss 2003-04; Utah, 80-70
Last Road Win 2002-03, 66-65
Last Road Loss 2003-04, 67-49
Most Points Scored 101, 1970-71
Fewest Points Scored 25, Twice
Most Points Allowed 105, 1957-57
Fewest Points Allowed 42, 1987-88
Freshman Spark Rams; Defeat BYU
A pair of true freshmen - Jason Smith and Sean Morris - combined for 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead Colorado State to a 74-67 Mountain West Conference men?s basketball win over visiting BYU Saturday afternoon.
Smith, starting for the second game in a row, scored a career-most 19 points and had four rebounds including four dunks to spark the Rams. Smith is a seven-footer from nearby Kersey, Colo.
Morris, a five-foot, 10-inch guard from Katy, Tex., whose older brother Micheal is a guard for the Rams, came off the bench to score a career-most 12 points and had eight rebounds - the most by a Ram guard in two seasons.
The Rams erased an early 5-0 BYU advantage and led by 10 at intermission, 32-22. BYU outscored the Rams, 21-10, the first nine minutes of the second half and took the lead, 43-42, with 11 minutes to play on a basket by Austin Ainge.
Smith?s basket 15 seconds later put the Rams on top to stay.
Smith and Morris were two of three Rams to score in double figures. Center Matt Nelson scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds, his sixth career double-double game in scoring and rebounding.
BYU was led by Ainge?s game-best 25 points.
