Colorado State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Preview: CSU at Air Force
2/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2007
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GAME NO. 25
COLORADO STATE (15-9/5-7)
at #17/14 AIR FORCE (22-4/9-3)
Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007 | USAFA, Colo. | Clune Arena (5,834) | 3:30 p.m. MT | The Mtn.
THE MATCHUP
Colorado State will begin a stretch with three of its last four regular season games on the road Saturday when they take on the nationally-ranked Air Force Falcons (Colorado State Sports Network/The Mtn.). The Rams snapped a five-game losing streak Tuesday with an 82-66 win over TCU in Moby Arena moving their record to 15-9 overall. CSU is currently sitting in sole possession of fifth place in the MWC standings with a 5-7 league mark. Jason Smith leads a quartet of Rams averaging in double figures scoring with 16.4 points per game and a league best 9.3 rebounds per contest. Smith posted his 18th career double-double Tuesday with an 18-point, 14-rebound performance vs. the Horned Frogs. KEY STAT: CSU's post players have shot 38-of-53 (.717) from the floor over their last three games.
ABOUT AIR FORCE
The Falcons will enter Saturday's game ranked 14th in the nation by the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and ranked 17th by the AP. Air Force is 22-4 overall and is in second place in the MWC standings with a 9-3 record, only a game back of league-leading BYU. The Falcons boast the nation's longest home court winning streak having claimed victory in their last 29 games in Clune Arena. Dan Nwaelele leads Air Force averaging 14.8 points per game. Jacoby Burtschi scores 13.7 per game to go with a team-best 5.7 rebounds per night. KEY STAT: Air Force's Matt McCraw leads the Mountain West Conference shooting 90.9 percent from the free throw line.
SINCE 1902
Colorado State is in the school's 103rd season of intercollegiate competition in 2006-07. CSU has a cumulative record of 1,056-1,078 in 2,134 previous games dating back to 1902.
ALL-TIME MOBY RECORD
Colorado State holds an all-time record of 424-169 (.715) in Moby Arena.
MOBY UNDER LAYER
Colorado State holds a 68-32 overall record in home games during Dale Layer's six seasons.
Season Games Record
2006-07 13 9-4
2005-06 15 9-6
2004-05 15 11-4
2003-04 12 8-4
2002-03 18 14-4
2001-02 14 7-7
2000-01 13 10-3
Totals 100 68-32 (.680)
THE RAMS IN FEBRUARY
Colorado State holds a 12-36 record in the month of February under head coach Dale Layer. With a win over TCU and losses to New Mexico, Utah and San Diego State, CSU is 1-3 this season in the second month.
ON SATURDAYS
The Rams are 40-46 in games played on Saturday during coach Dale Layer's tenure at Colorado State. CSU is currently 6-3 in Saturday games this year including wins over Montana State Northern, Kansas State, Colorado, Chattanooga, New Mexico and BYU and losses to San Diego State (twice) and New Mexico.
FAMILIAR LINEUP
After shuffling the starting lineup around for the past seven games, CSU reverted back to its most common starting five combination of Cory Lewis, Tim Denson, Tyler Smith, Jason Smith and Stuart Creason in Tuesday's win over TCU. It was the first time Dale Layer has started this lineup since a Jan. 13 loss at San Diego State. The Rams are now 12-1 when beginning with this lineup.
SHARP SHOOTERS
Currently, CSU's Stuart Creason and Jason Smith are among the school's single-season field goal percentage leaders. Creason, shooting .657, is in first place while Smith, shooting .588 ranks tied for eighth.
WELCOME TO THE BLOCK PARTY
Colorado State has outblocked 18 of 24 opponents this season and has only been outblocked twice (Colorado and San Diego State). Opponents have outblocked the Rams only twice in the last 36 games versus Mountain West Conference opponents (San Diego State, 2/4/06 and San Diego State, 2/10/07).
BACK TO THE BOARDS
After being outrebounded in each of its last three contests., CSU claimed the upper hand on the glass vs. TCU outrebounding the Frogs 40-21, their largest rebounding advantage of the season and biggest margin since outrebounding Texas State 40-21 on Dec. 21, 2005. CSU ranks second in the Mountain West with a 5.4 rebounding advantage per game and boasts the league's top rebounder in Jason Smith (9.3 rpg).
NOTING THE TCU GAME
- CSU had five players score in double figures for the first time since Feb. 22, 2006 vs. TCU.
- CSU's 14-0 scoring run is the longest of the season and longest since scoring 14 straight vs. San Diego State on Feb. 4, 2006.
- CSU closed the half on a 24-5 run following technical fouls by Cory Lewis and the CSU bench.
- CSU's 22 point lead with 5:56 left in the second half was their largest since a 22 point advantage vs. Utah on Jan. 9, 2007.
- With 18 points, Jason Smith surpassed Cliff Shegogg for 11th place in career scoring at CSU. He now has 1,171 career points.
- Jason Smith surpassed BYU's Mekeli Wesley for 8th place in career free throw in the MWC record books. He now has 327 career FTs.
- Jason Smith surpassed BYU's Rafael Araujo for 9th place in career rebounds in the MWC record books. He now has 601 career rebs.
- Jason Smith led the team in scoring for the 30th time in his career.
- Tyler Smith's six steals matches the most by a Ram this year (Tyler Smith vs. Boise State).
- Tim Denson's eight rebouinds is a career best after setting a career mark with seven last game vs. SDSU. He has 24 rebounds in his last four games.
- Stephan Gilling had a career high four assists.
- CSU walk-on guard Mark Collins scored his first career points.
BLOCKING SHOTS...SINCE 2002
Colorado State has recorded at least one blocked shot in every game dating back to Jan. 28, 2002, a span that encompasses 123-straight games.
LOOKING AHEAD
CSU travels to Provo, Utah to face off with BYU on Wednesday. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT.
PLAYER TIDBITS & TRENDS
#3 Xavier Kilby
• Kilby is 11-for-13 shooting (.846) in his last three games.
• Has grabbed a rebound in 13 consecutive games and has multiple rebounds in 10 of his last 11 games.
#4 Cory Lewis
• Lewis has had an assist in 53 of 54 games in his career including 48 multi-assist games.
• Lewis has recorded an assist in 52 straight games.
• Has recorded multiple assists in 28 consecutive games.
• Has led CSU in assists 43 times in his career.
• Has played 30 or more minutes in 36 of 54 career games.
• Has three or more rebounds in 18 of his last 20 games.
• Has not had more turnovers than assists in his last 14 games.
#5 Tyler Smith
• Has played 20 or more minutes in every game this season.
#12 Tim Denson
• Denson has recorded an assist in 23 of 24 games this year.
• Has had a rebound in 21 straight games after getting no rebounds in his first three contests.
• Has scored in double figures in his last four and in seven of his last eight games.
• Has 24 rebounds in his last four games.
#14 Jason Smith
• Scored in double figures in 62 of 81 career games.
• Has had four or more rebounds in 41 of his last 42 games.
• Has had six or more rebounds in 30 of his last 37 games.
• Has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 18 of 24 games this year.
#30 Stuart Creason
• Has multiple blocks in 18 of his last 21 games.
• Has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 21 of 24 games.
#33 Stephan Gilling
• Has hit a three-pointer in 46 of 54 games and has had multiple three-pointers in 34 games.
• Has had multiple three-pointers in his last 13 games.
TELEVISION STARS
Colorado State will play on television more times this season than they ever have in the history of the program. Fans will be able to catch the Rams at least 19 times on television this season. CSU will play on the mtn. 15 times and on CSTV and Fox Sports Net twice.
SEEING DOUBLE
Jason Smith's 18-point, 14-rebound performance versus TCU marked the 18th time in his career he has double-doubles in scoring and rebounding. The junior now ranks third in all-time double-doubles in school history. Following is a list of the top double-dippers at CSU:
1. Mike Childress (1969-71) - 33
2. Bob Rule (1965-67) - 19
3. Pat Durham (1986-89) - 18
Jason Smith (2004-07) - 18
5. Sonny Bustion (1963-65) - 17
6. Gary Rhoades (1970-73) - 16
7. Rick Fisher (1970-71) - 12
8. Rich Strong (1982-86) - 11
SINGLE SEASON BLOCKS
CSU's Stuart Creason's 58 blocks this year already ranks as the seventh-highest total in school history. Following are the top single-season blocks at CSU:
1. Ryan Chilton, 1998 72
2. Michael Harrison, 2006 66
Jason Smith, 2006 66
4. Ryan Chilton, 1997 63
5. Joe Vogel,1996 62
Pat Durham, 1987 62
7. Stuart Creason, 2007 60
8. Joe Vogel, 1994 57
9. Pat Durham, 1988 45
10. Three Players 44
BIG MEN ARE RED HOT
CSU's post players, including Jason Smith, Stuart Creason and Xavier Kilby, were a combined 15-of-16 (.938) from the floor in Tuesday's win over TCU. This season, the trio is 265-of-427 (.621) from the field while the rest of the Rams are 359-of-843 (.426).
MOVING UP IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Several Rams are moving towards the top of the all-time rankings in the Mountain West Conference. Following is a breakdown of some of CSU's top performers:
Jason Smith 13th in all-time scoring (1171)
11th in all-time FGs made (418)
10th in all-time FG pct. (.548)
8th in all-time FTs made (327)
9th in all-time FTs attempted (440)
9th in all-time rebounding (601)
4th in all-time blocked shots (142)
Stuart Creason 4th in all-time FG pct. (.601)
8th in all-time blocked shots (118)
Stephan Gilling 10th in all-time 3FG pct. (.430)
Cory Lewis 16th in all-time assists (245)
FOES UNDER 40
Colorado State is 8-2 when holding an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor including:
Date Game FG-A Pct.
Nov. 15 Rice 17-49 .347
Nov. 18 Montana State Northern 21-54 .389
Nov. 20 Boise State 19-52 .365
Dec. 6 Northern Colorado 20-53 .377
Dec. 9 Colorado 21-60 .350
Dec. 29 Alabama State 20-54 .370
Dec. 30 Chattanooga 22-64 .344
Jan. 17 TCU 20-58 .345
Feb. 3 New Mexico 24-64 .375
Feb. 13 TCU 19-52 .365
RAMS PLUS 50
Colorado State is 10-2 when shooting better than 50 percent from the floor this year including:
Date Game FG-A Pct.
Nov. 18 Montana State Northern 32-58 .552
Nov. 29 Denver 29-55 .527
Dec. 2 Kansas State 27-51 .529
Dec. 18 North Dakota State 26-52 .500
Dec. 29 Alabama State 25-47 .532
Dec. 30 Chattanooga 25-50 .500
Jan. 3 Air Force 30-55 .545
Jan. 6 New Mexico 31-49 .633
Jan. 9 Utah 22-42 .524
Jan. 20 BYU 34-60 .567
Feb. 7 Utah 27-43 .628
Feb. 13 TCU 28-48 .583
CONSECUTIVE FREE THROWS
Following is a list of consecutive free throws made by current Colorado State players along with their all-time longest streak at CSU:
Player Current All-Time
Cory Lewis 0 20
Jason Smith 1 19
Freddy Robinson 12 12
Stuart Creason 1 11
Tim Denson 2 9
Stephan Gilling 0 6
Xavier Kilby 3 5
Tyler Smith 1 5
Jordan Surratt 0 1
CSU BASKETBALL ADDS THREE
Colorado State head coach Dale Layer today announced that three players have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at Colorado State.
Jesse Woodard (6-1, 190, Guard, Compton, Calif./Centennial HS)
Jesse Woodard was ranked as a top 30 player in the nation and was a top five West Coast point guard at Centennial High School in Compton, Calif. He averaged 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists for Centennial HS and helped his team reach the sectional finals as a junior. He competed for the Compton Magic AAU team and was a three-time all-star at the renowned Adidas All-Star camps. Woodard chose CSU over Iowa State, Virginia Tech, Utah and UNLV.
Shane Edwards (6-7, 190, Forward, Gilbert, Ariz./Northeastern JC)
Shane Edwards averaged eight points and five rebounds in his freshman season at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. Currently, Edwards is averaging better than 20 points, 10 rebounds per game for the Plainsmen after helping the team to a 30-4 overall record and a top 20 ranking in 2005-06. The athletic 6-7 forward was widely regarded as one of the best high school athletes to come out of the State of Arizona, sporting a wing span of 7-feet, one-inch. Edwards played at Mountain Pointe High School before coming to NJC.
Omar Leary (5-10, 170, Guard, Portland, Ore./Northeastern JC)
Leary, a 5-10, 170 point guard, averaged 10 points, four assists and two steals per game for Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., as a freshman in 2005-06. The Portland, Ore., native was regarded as one of the top 10 players to come out of Oregon as an all-city and all-state selection for Lincoln High School in Portland. He is regarded as one of the best point guards in the western U.S. coming out of NJC after helping the Plainsmen to a 30-4 record as the team's starting point guard in 2005-06.
THE GREEN MACHINE
Following a vote by the student body at Colorado State, the CSU student section will be referred to as "The Green Machine" in all 2006-07 home basketball contests.
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.
MWC TOURNAMENT TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Fans planning to follow Colorado State University's men's and women's basketball teams to the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas can purchase tickets to the event through the Rams' athletic ticket office. The tournament runs March 7-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. Reserved all-session tickets are available on line at CSURAMS.com. Tickets are $165 for all men's and women's games. Single-session men's tournament tickets are only available for purchase beginning Monday, Mar. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center box office and are $37 for lower bowl seats, $27 for upper bowl seats. CSU students can purchase discounted tickets for the tournament only at the Thomas & Mack Center box office. Students must have a valid CSU ID. Tickets are $17 per session in the lower bowl, $12 for the upper bowl.
