Colorado State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Preview - at BYU
2/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Matchup...The Colorado State men?s basketball team faces BYU in an 8 p.m. MT tipoff in Provo, Utah Monday night. The Rams were dealt their seventh-straight loss in a 64-50 setback to Utah Saturday and will be looking to snap an 18-game road losing streak that dates back to Dec. 22, 2003. Senior forward Matt Williams, back from a knee injury that kept him out for five games, scored a team-high 17 points in the loss to the Utes while senior center Matt Nelson hit for 12 in the game after being saddled with foul trouble early on.
About BYU: The Cougars enter Monday?s tilt with an 8-16 overall record and a 2-7 mark in conference play after losing a competitive 59-58 decision to Wyoming on Saturday. Senior Mike Hall leads BYU by averaging 13.7 points per night. Sophomore Austin Ainge chips in 9.5 points per game and is pacing the team with 97 assists on the year while fellow soph. Keena Young boasts a team-high 5.7 rebounding average.
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 February: Colorado State is 6-27 (.182) during coach Dale Layer?s tenure in games played in February.
On Mondays: Colorado State holds a 13-21 (.382) record under Dale Layer when playing on a Monday. The Rams are 1-4 in 2004-05 with a Monday win over Northern Colorado.
Road Woes: Colorado State holds an 18-game road losing streak after Saturday?s loss at Utah. 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.
Moby Under Layer: Colorado State holds a 48-21 overall record in home games during Dale Layer?s five seasons.
Season Games Record
2004-05 12 9-3
2003-04 12 8-4
2002-03 18 14-4
2001-02 14 7-7
2000-01 13 10-3
Totals 69 48-21 (.696)
Since 1902: Colorado State is in the school?s 104th season of intercollegiate competition in 2004-05. Colorado State has a cumulative record of 1,022-1,048 in 2,070 previous games dating back to 1902.
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.
Injury Report: Colorado State forward Jason Smith has been listed as questionable for Monday?s game with a strained right hamstring.
PLAYER TIDBITS
WHOA NELLY!! -
? Senior center Matt Nelson has scored in double figures in 20-straight games and in 30 of his last 31 games dating back to last season.
? Ranks 5th in the nation in field goal percentage (.632).
? Recorded his 30th career 20-point game against San Diego State. Nelson?s four 20-point games against the Aztecs mark his most against any opponent.
? Moved into 4th in career scoring at CSU in Monday?s game against Air Force. He now has 1,531 career points at CSU.
? Ranks on CSU?s top-five list in career scoring, field goal percentage, free throws made, free throws attempted and blocked shots.
? Went without a rebound Saturday marking the second time in 98 career games that he has been shut out on the glass.
WILL POWER-
? Senior forward Matt Williams enters Monday?s game eighth on the school?s career field goal percentage list. He has made 305-of-577 career field goals, 52.9 percent.
? Made his first start since Jan. 3 at Pepperdine in Saturday?s loss to Utah.
? Ranks fourth in the MWC in free throw percentage for the year hitting 83.1 percent from the charity stripe.
? Has shot better than 50 percent in 12 of 17 games in the 2004-05 season.
? Has been above 50 percent from the field 63 times in 107 career games (58.9 percent).
? Has recorded five or more rebounds in eight of 17 games this year and has surpassed that total 44 times in his career.
? 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 nine times in 20 games.
? Posted a career-best 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting against BYU.
? Ranks third on the team with a 9.9 per-game scoring average and leads all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference in the category.
? Has gathered four or more rebounds in his last nine games. During that stretch, he is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.
? Has had five or more rebounds 12 times in 20 games this year.
MORRIS MAGIC -
? Junior guard Micheal Morris is sixth on the school?s career list with 101 blocked shots.
? Ranks 10th in career assists at CSU with 271 in his three-year career.
? Has led CSU in assists in four of the last five games.
? Tied a career high playing 39 minutes Monday versus Air Force.
FOR BETTER OR VER-WERS -
? Sophomore forward Stephen Verwers scored a career-high eight points against Denver.
? Has made 17 field goals on the season, seven of which were on dunks.
? Is one of four Rams to see action in all 22 games this year.
TO THE RACK -
? Ranks 10th in career three-point field goals made with 118.
? Ranks 7th in career three-point field goals attempted (340).
MORE MORRIS -
? Tied a school record for three-pointers in a game (9) against UNLV.
? Pulled down a career-best nine rebounds against New Mexico.
? Ranks second in the conference in three-pointers made per game (2.44) in league contests. He also ranks sixth in the Mountain West in three-point field goal percentage (.458) in league play.
Injury Bug: Injuries continue to haunt Colorado State. After Saturday?s game against Utah, CSU players have missed a total of 40 games played (Freddy Robinson-22, Sean Morris-8, Matt Williams-5, Jason Smith-2, Nick Ball-1, Stuart Creason-1, Matt Nelson-1) due to injury or illness. In Dale Layer?s five seasons as head coach, CSU players have missed a total of 164 games due to injury or illness. That figure averages out to be 1.2 players missed per game and 32.8 players per season.
Rams On The Boards: Colorado State has outrebounded 15 of 22 opponents in 2004-05. The Rams are 7-8 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 1,531
Personal Fouls: Colorado State is 0-8 when committing more fouls than its opponent in 2004-05. Dating back to last year, the Rams have lost their last 17 games when the foul total is heavy in their column.
Double-Figure Leads: Against Wyoming, Colorado State lost for the first time this season when holding a double-digit lead in a game. The Rams, who gave up a 12-point lead against Wyoming, are 9-1 in games that they have held a double-digit lead.
NOTING THE UTAH GAME
Starting Adjustment: Colorado State used its 13th-different starting lineup in 22 games in Saturday?s loss to Utah.
Season Highs/Lows: Colorado State tied a season high with nine steals in Saturday?s game with Utah. In the contest, the Utes connected on 16 field goals on 39 attempts, both season lows by a Ram opponent.
Nationally Ranked Foes: Saturday?s loss to No. 15 Utah marked CSU?s first loss to a nationally-ranked team in its last three tries. The Rams defeated Purdue and Air Force last year in their only battles with Top 25 teams.
Opponent Bench Points: The Rams held Utah?s bench to just one point in the game. In their last two games, Ram opponents have gathered just one point off the bench.
Rebounding Margin: With Utah holding a 36-25 advantage on the boards, it marked the third time this season that a CSU opponent has held a double-digit rebounding advantage. The other games were at Wyoming and versus Utah on Jan. 17.
Scoring Leaders: After leading the Rams in scoring only twice in their first eight contests, Matt Nelson has led CSU in scoring in 10 of the last 14 games.
Foes Under 40: Colorado State is 6-7 this season when holding an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor.
Rams Plus 50: Colorado State has shot above 50 percent from the floor in eight games this season. The Rams hold a record of 7-2 when eclipsing the 50 percent mark.
In the Last Four Games: Colorado State has hit 35 percent of its field goals in its last four games compared to a 49.7 percent mark in the team?s first 18 games. The Rams are hitting 29.5 percent from three-point range in their last four down from their 35.9 percent clip over the first 18 games. Consequently, CSU is averaging 50 points per game in its last four contests after putting up 74.4 in the first 18 games. Over the last four contests, CSU?s opponents have scored 94 points in the first half compared to their second-half total of 153.
Turnovers by Half: Colorado State has committed 219 of its 356 turnovers (61.5 percent) in the first half. Only seven times during the season have the Rams committed more turnovers in the second half than they did in the first.
Up Next: The Rams host San Diego State Saturday night in Moby Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
