Game notes: Rams, Bulldogs meet Monday night in Fresno

Dec. 28, 2009

Game 13:  Colorado State at Fresno State
Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 | 8:00 p.m. MT | Fresno, Calif. | Save Mart Center (15,596)

Up next
The Colorado State men's basketball team returns to California for the second time in a week, traveling to Fresno, Calif., to face the Fresno State Bulldogs on Monday evening at SaveMart Center.  It is Colorado State's second consecutive game in California, having played at UCLA on Tuesday. 

Colorado State (8-4) is coming off of a 75-63 loss against the Bruins which snapped a four-game winning streak for the Rams.  However, the Rams have won six of their last eight games since opening the season 2-2. 

Fresno State is riding a two-game losing skid into Monday's matchup, having dropped back-to-back games at Montana (59-56) and at Oregon State (73-65).  The Bulldogs, 6-7, are 4-2 at home this season. 

Tipoff between the Rams and the Bulldogs is set for 8 p.m. MT from FSU's SaveMart Center (15,596).

Fans can listen to the action live on the Colorado State Sports Network. Jerry Schemmel will call all the action courtside. The game will be carried on flagship KLZ (560 AM) in Denver and on KCOL (600 AM), locally. Rams fans worldwide can listen to the action live streaming on CSURams.com/allaccess.

Live statistics are available by clicking the "GameTracker" logo on the men's basketball "Schedule/Results" page on CSURams.com. 

About the Bulldogs
Fresno State enters Monday night's matchup 6-7 on the season, but have lost two straight games at Montana (59-56) and at Oregon State (73-65).  However, the Bulldogs are riding a two-game home win streak on their home court with victories over UC Davis (68-57) and North Dakota State (68-54). 

Head Coach Steve Cleveland, a former MWC head coach at BYU, is in his fifth year with the Bulldogs.  He leads a young group with five freshmen and just one senior, Sylvester Seay, on the roster.  Seay ranks second on the team with 15.6 points per game. 

Sophomore George Paul and freshman Greg Smith are also averaging double-figures scoring with 17.4 and 11. 5 points per game, respectively.  Both have started all 13 games for the Bulldogs this season.  Paul leads Fresno State in nearly every category, including points, minutes played (33.6), rebounds (8.2) and steals (2.8).  The guard also shoots 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 92 percent (46-of-50) from the free-throw line.  

Series vs. Fresno State
Monday's game marks the 18th matchup all-time between Colorado State and Fresno State.  The Bulldogs are 7-0 all-time in Fresno.  The last meeting between the two programs was also CSU's last WAC game before the formation of the Mountain West in 1999.  The Bulldogs defeated the NIT-bound Rams, 80-59, in the WAC tournament on March 2, 1999.  

Familiar foes
Fresno State in the only WAC opponent the Rams will face this season, but the teams have played several common opponents.  The Bulldogs have registered wins over Northern Arizona and UC Davis, while falling at Montana, all three teams that CSU has beaten this season.  Colorado State represents the third MWC opponent of the year for FSU.  The Bulldogs have hosted and lost to San Diego State, 62-58, on Nov. 23, and BYU, 72-67, on Dec. 12.  

Colorado State, Fresno State connection
Boyd Grant, a former player and assistant coach for the Rams, and one of the most successful head coaches in program history, is also the all-time winningest coach in Fresno State program history.  Grant, who played and coached under legendary Rams' mentor Jim Williams, ran CSU's program from 1987-91, taking CSU to three postseason appearances including back-to-back NCAA berths in 1988 and 1989. 

Handle with care
Colorado State is 5-1 this season when recording fewer turnovers than its opponents.  The lone blemish for the Rams came in their last outing against UCLA.  The team forced the Bruins into 19 turnovers, while committing just 11 of their own.  However, UCLA was able to post the come-from-behind 75-63 victory. 

Pierce lending a hand
Freshman forward Pierce Hornung led Colorado State with four assists at UCLA on Dec. 22.  It marked the first time in his brief career at CSU that Hornung had led the Rams in assists. 

Strong at home
With a win Dec. 20 against Northern Arizona, the Rams improved to 6-0 at Moby Arena to start the season.  The Rams won just six home games all last season, and just three the season before.

Through the years, however, Moby Arena has been a tough environment for opposing teams. CSU has won 70 percent (435-188) of its games at Moby Arena. Since the 2002-03 season, the Rams have had several winning streaks to start their home season: 2002-03, 13 consecutive; 2004-05, 9; 2005-06, 8; and 2006-07, 6.

Hot start
Coach Miles has led the Rams to an 8-4 start to open the 2009-10 season, the best start for CSU through 12 games since the 2006-07 season (10-2).  The Rams are now just one win shy of their entire win total from the 2008-09 season. 

Rams win streaks
With a 64-56 victory Dec. 20 against Northern Arizona, the Rams established a new high for consecutive wins in the Tim Miles era (four straight) and improved to 6-0 at home to start the season.  The Rams' four consecutive victories are the most by a CSU squad since the 2006-07 team rattled off nine straight victories.  During that stretch, the Rams picked up home victories against Denver (64-59), Colorado (77-62), Montana (62-61) and NAU.  CSU's home win streak also includes victories over Mayville State (79-42) and San Francisco (91-75, 2ot).  The loss at UCLA on Dec. 22 snapped the Rams' streak at four games.   

Rams on the road
Colorado State visits Fresno State's Save Mart Center in search of the Rams' first non-conference road victory since a 74-58 victory over host Hawaii on Dec. 27, 2008, in the Rainbow Classic.  The Rams have lost their last four non-conference road games, falling at Oregon (68-55) in the BTI Tip-off tournament championship on Nov. 15, at Indiana State (65-60) in the MWC/MVC challenge on Nov. 20, at Northern Colorado (70-63) on Dec. 1, and at UCLA (75-63) on Dec. 22.  CSU's last road victory against an MWC foe came last season at Air Force, a 71-66 triumph, on Feb. 21, 2009. 

Standing out during the streak
During Colorado State's four-game winning streak no players stood out more for the Rams than freshman G Dorian Green, junior F Travis Franklin, and junior G Adam Nigon.  Green had led the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game, while averaging 3.8 rebounds per contest.  Franklin ranks right behind Green, pouring in 15.5 points per game.  He leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 per contest.  The duo has combined to hit 48 of 66 attempts from the free-throw line during that stretch.  Nigon, who entered this season with a career scoring average of 2.9 ppg., is also in double-figures scoring at a clip of 10.3 points per game during the Rams' winning streak.  He is leading the Rams in three-point shooting, hitting 8-of-17 attempts for a .471 percentage.  Green is the only other player to hit a trey for the Rams during that stretch, hitting 40 percent (8-for-20) from beyond the arc.  Nigon also leads the Rams in assists during CSU's streak, dishing out 12 helpers, more than double any other player on the team. 

Carr back on track
Sophomore G Jesse Carr, sidelined since last February with a hip injury, saw his first action of the 2009-10 season on Sunday against Northern Arizona.  Carr, who missed the final six games of 2008-09 and the first 10 games this season, started quickly, assisting a Travis Busch basket just seconds after being inserted into the Rams' lineup at the 5:32 mark of the first half.  Carr played 8 minutes in the contest, recording one assist, one rebound and tallying two points on 2-for-4 shooting from the free-throw line.  He also saw nine minutes of action at UCLA, and could see action in his third consecutive game at Fresno State on Monday.   

Nigon heating up
Junior Adam Nigon entered the season averaging 2.87 points per contest through two seasons. This year, the guard is averaging 8.3 points, and has already eclipsed his point total from all of last season. Nigon is shooting at a 41 percent clip from both the floor and three-point range. During a five-game stretch from Nov. 29 to Dec. 12, Nigon averaged 11.6 points, including a career-high 17 against Montana, helping the Rams to a 4-1 record during that stretch. 

Seeing double
Junior F Travis Franklin recorded his second career double-double performance in the Rams' victory over rival Colorado (Dec. 10).  Franklin tallied 22 points, his second 20-point effort of the season, and capped off the double-double performance with 10 rebounds to help CSU to the 77-62 victory.  Franklin shot 7-for-9 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line, while adding a block and two steals against the Buffs.  Franklin also recorded a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) nine days earlier in the Rams' 70-63 loss at Northern Colorado (Dec.1).  

Seeing double, part two
Freshman F Greg Smith recorded his first-career double-double on Sunday in the Rams' victory over Northern Arizona.  Smith, playing in just the seventh game of his career at CSU, tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds to help the Rams to the 64-56 victory. 

Since 1902
The 2009-10 season marks the 106th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program.  The Rams are 1,082-1,133 (.488) in 2,217 games all-time, entering Monday's game at Fresno State.

Switching it up
Tim Miles has used four different starting lineups in five games, between Dec. 1 and Dec. 20.  The Rams posted a 4-1 record in those contests.  Overall on the season, Miles has used five different lineups, with guards Dorian Green and Adam Nigon the only players to have started all 11 games entering Tuesday's game at UCLA.  More info on CSU's starting lineups is available at the bottom of Page 8 of this release.    

End of another ironman streak
Sidelined by back stiffness, junior Andre McFarland has missed Colorado State's last three games, victories over CU (77-62), Montana (62-61) and Northern Arizona (64-56).  Since the beginning of his true freshman season, 2007-08, McFarland had played in all 71 CSU games prior to the game against CU on Dec. 10. 

Coors Light Coaches' Show
The Coors Light Basketball Coaches' Show airs Mondays at 7 p.m. MT, live from the Stonehouse Grille in Old Town Fort Collins, and will continue throughout the season until March 1.  Shows air live on the Colorado State Sports Network's Flagship, KLZ (560 AM).  A complete schedule can be found on the bottom of Page 4 of this release. 

Perfect with Nigon
Prior to Tuesday's loss at UCLA in which Adam Nigon tallied 10 points, the Rams were 5-0 this season, and 7-0 all-time in games in which the junior guard reached double-figures scoring.

Against the state of Colorado
With the Rams' win over CU (Dec. 10), Colorado State improved to 6-2 against NCAA Division I teams from Colorado at Moby Arena under Tim Miles. CSU is 2-0 against DU, 1-1 against Air Force, 1-1 against the Buffs, and 1-0 against Northern Colorado.

Defending the three
Colorado State ranks among the top schools in the Mountain West in terms of three-point defense.  The Rams are holding opponents to 30 percent from long range, which ranks second in the league behind TCU (.293). 

Balanced rebounding attack
Despite only having four 10-plus rebounding efforts this season, the Rams have three players ranked in the top 12 in the MWC in rebounding average: Franklin (5.8), 10th; Ogide (5.7), 11th; and Hornung (5.5), 12th. As a team, Colorado State ranks third in the MWC pulling down 36.8 boards per game.  The Rams' are outrebounding opponents by 5.7 per game, the second-highest rebounding margin in the league (SDSU, +8.7). 

Rams vs. non-conference foes
Entering Monday's contest at Fresno State, CSU has posted a record of 95-55 (.633) against non-MWC opponents since the formation of the Mountain West Conference in 1999.

Scoring for the Rams
Freshman G Dorian Green, junior F Travis Franklin, and junior F Andy Ogide rank 1-2-3 for the Rams in terms of scoring through 12 games this season. Green has scored in double figures in nine of his first 12 collegiate contests as a true freshman, while Franklin has reached double-figure scoring in six of his last seven games, averaging 15.5 points per game and helping the Rams to a 5-2 mark during that stretch.  Ogide has led CSU in scoring in three games this season, including at UCLA on Dec. 22.  Entering Monday's game at Fresno State, only CSU and TCU have three players ranked in the top 15 in the MWC in terms of scoring.  

Green means go
Entering Monday's contest at Fresno State, freshman G Dorian Green has led Colorado State in scoring in four of the last nine contests, tallying 18 points at Indiana State, pouring in 17 more vs. Mayville State, adding 13 at Northern Colorado, and scoring 18 vs. Montana. He also added 17 points, second on the team, against San Francisco, nine points in the Rams' victory over DU, a season-best 21 to help the Rams dispatch arch rival Colorado, and an 18-point effort against NAU.  Through 12 games this season, Green is the only player to pace the Rams in scoring in back-to-back contests.  He currently leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game.  That ranks eighth overall in the MWC and first among freshmen.   

Runnin' Rams?
Colorado State ran out of the gates, and ran opponent UC Davis out of the gym, in the team's 91-73 season-opening victory over the Aggies.  CSU's 91 points marked the team's highest scoring output in a regulation game under Head Coach Tim Miles, and the first time the team has eclipsed 90 points since a 90-78 home victory over BYU on Jan. 20, 2007. The Rams followed up their 91-point performance against UC Davis with 91 points in a double-overtime win against San Francisco.
 
McFarland climbing the three-point charts
For his career at Colorado State, McFarland has hit 113 three-pointers, just seven shy of cracking the program's top-10 list.  David Turcotte (1984-88) currently holds the 10th spot with 120 career three-pointers.  McFarland's career three-point percentage of .426 currently ranks ninth, behind Turcotte, in the Rams' record book.  

If I can be frank
Junior F Travis Franklin started 11 of CSU's first 12 contests; he came off the bench against DU (Dec. 5).  Franklin has left his mark at both ends of the court for the Rams. The Baton Rouge, La., native ranks first on the team in rebounding (5.8 rebounds per game) and second on the team in scoring (12.2 points per game), while leading the team in offensive rebounds (32), and free-throw attempts (97).  He entered the week in the top 10 in the MWC in a number of categories, including 14th in scoring, 10th in rebounding and seventh in offensive rebounding (2.7 per game).

Turn up the "D"
Colorado State ranks third in the Mountain West Conference in scoring defense entering Monday's game at Fresno State.  The Rams are holding opponents to just 62.2 points per game through the first 12 games of the season.  Colorado State also ranks second in the league in holding opponents to just 30.0 percent shooting from three-point range.  Overall, CSU's opponents are shooting just 40.3 percent from the field this season, which ranks fifth in the MWC.

Finding his stroke
Junior G Adam Nigon, who entered the 2009-10 season with 11 career three-pointers in two seasons as a Ram, nearly doubled his career numbers in the opening weekend of the season at the BTI Tip-off tournament.  Nigon was impressive for the Rams, connecting on 6-of-13 (.462) attempts from beyond the arc. Nigon's six three-pointers matched the output from his entire sophomore campaign, and bested his freshman mark by one.  Entering Monday's game at Fresno State, Nigon is shooting 41.7 percent (20-for-48) from long range.

Cleared for takeoff
After announcing Nov. 13 his plans to red shirt freshman Greg Smith for the 2009-10 season, Head Coach Tim Miles removed that distinction from Smith prior to the Rams' home opener vs. Mayville State.  Smith, a 6-6 forward from Ralston (Neb.) High School, went on to make his debut against the Comets, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks in 16 minutes of action for the Rams. 

In the red
Head Coach Tim Miles announced Nov. 13 his plans to red shirt freshman C Trevor Williams.  Williams, a 7-0 center from Denver (Colo.) Lutheran High School, will benefit from a year of additional work with Miles and his staff, before hitting the court for the Rams in 2010-11.

On pace for 1,000
Entering the 2009-10 season, junior forward Andre McFarland ranks as the only Colorado State player on pace to reach the 1,000-point milestone for his career.  McFarland - one of just two players (Adam Nigon) to have played in each of Head Coach Tim Miles' first two seasons at CSU - poured in 525 points as a full-time starter in each of his first two seasons in Fort Collins.  McFarland tallied 266 points (8.3 per game) in 31 starts as a true freshman in 2007-08.  Last season, he averaged 8.4 points per contest, pouring in 259 points as the only Rams player to start all 31 contests. 

In eight games this season, McFarland ranks fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per contest, while shooting 44 percent (26-of-51) from three-point range. 

Marcus Walker, who completed his playing career at CSU in 2009, is the last Rams player to reach the 1,000-point milestone, tallying an impressive 1,009 points in just two seasons in Fort Collins.

Next on the schedule
Colorado State returns to Moby Arena and puts its 6-0 home mark on the line in a New Year's Eve matchup against Yale.  Tipoff between the Rams and the Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. MT on Thursday.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results