Colorado State University Athletics
Game notes: No. 24 CSU visits New Mexico Saturday
1/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| No. 24/24 Colorado State at New Mexico | Game 15 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Jan. 3, 2014 | 6 p.m. MT | Albuquerque, N.M. | WisePies Arena (15,411) | |||||||||||||||||||
| COLORADO STATE RAMS | NEW MEXICO LOBOS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Record | 14-0, 1-0 MW | Record | 9-4, 1-0 MW | ||||||||||||||||
| Last Game | Dec. 31 vs. Boise State (W, 71-65) | Last Game | Dec. 31 vs. Fresno State (W, 76-64) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank (AP | Coaches) | 24 | 24 | Rank (AP | Coaches) | -- | -- | ||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Larry Eustachy (Long Beach State, 1979) | Head Coach | Craig Neal (Georgia Tech, 1988) | ||||||||||||||||
| > Overall Record | 458-283 (24th Season) | > Overall Record | 36-11 (Second Season) | ||||||||||||||||
| > Record at CSU | 56-25 (Third Season) | > Record at UNM | 36-11 (Second Season) | ||||||||||||||||
| CSU STATISTICAL LEADERS | UNM STATISTICAL LEADERS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minutes/Game | J.J. Avila (31.8) | Minutes/Game | Hugh Greenwood (35.5) | ||||||||||||||||
| Points/Game | J.J. Avila (14.4) | Points/Game | Deshawn Delaney (14.4) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds/Game | J.J. Avila (7.4) | Rebounds/Game | Deshawn Delaney (6.5) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three-Pointers | Daniel Bejarano (25) | Three-Pointers | Hugh Greenwood (24) | ||||||||||||||||
| Assists | Daniel Bejarano (49) | Assists | Hugh Greenwood (46) | ||||||||||||||||
| Blocks | Daniel Bejarano (11) | Blocks | Obij Aget (15) | ||||||||||||||||
| Steals | J.J. Avila (28) | Steals | Hugh Greenwood (18) | ||||||||||||||||
| Field-Goal % | Tiel Daniels (.676) | Field-Goal % | J.J. N'Ganga (.654) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three-Point % | John Gillon (.500) | Three-Point % | Deshawn Delaney (.381) | ||||||||||||||||
| Free-Throw % | Joe De Ciman (.792) | Free-Throw % | Hugh Greenwood (.763) | ||||||||||||||||
| TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON | BROADCAST INFORMATION | ||||||||||||||||||
| Category | CSU | UNM | Video: CBS Sports Network | ||||||||||||||||
| Scoring Offense | 73.1 | 65.4 | Play-by-Play: Rich Waltz | ||||||||||||||||
| Scoring Defense | 63.3 | 58.8 | Color Analyst: Pete Gillen | ||||||||||||||||
| Field-Goal % | .464 | .443 | > DirecTV: 221 (HD) | ||||||||||||||||
| Opponent Field-Goal % | .425 | .383 | > Dish Network: 152 (HD) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three-Point % | .383 | .297 | > Comcast: 412 | 846 (HD) | ||||||||||||||||
| Opponent Three-Point % | .365 | .273 | > Streaming: -- | ||||||||||||||||
| Free-Throw % | .658 | .656 | Audio: Colorado State Sports Network | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds/Game | 35.9 | 36.1 | Play-by-Play: Gary Miller | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounding Margin | +5.1 | +4.4 | Color Analyst: Brian Roth | ||||||||||||||||
| Assist/Game | 15.6 | 13.1 | > Flagship: 105.5 FM ESPN | ||||||||||||||||
| Turnovers/Game | 11.1 | 13.3 | > Affiliates: 1580 AM KREL/1100 AM KNZZ | ||||||||||||||||
| Opponent Turnovers/Game | 12.9 | 13.1 | > Streaming: ESPNDenver.com | ||||||||||||||||
| Steals/Game | 5.1 | 6.3 | Live Stats: StatBroadcast | ||||||||||||||||
| Blocks/Game | 3.2 | 5.3 | > GoLobos.com | ||||||||||||||||
Game Notes 15 (PDF) 
Opening tip
• Colorado State, travels to Albuquerque, N.M., for a Mountain West road test against perennial conference power New Mexico.
• Tipoff between the No. 24 Rams (14-0) and Lobos (9-4) is set for 6 p.m. MT at UNM's newly named WisePies Arena.
• The game will air across the Colorado State Radio Network, including flagship 105.5 FM ESPN, with Gary Miller (play-by-play) and Brian Roth (analyst) on the call.
• The matchup will also be broadcast live nationally on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Pete Gillen (analyst) calling the action courtside.
• Live statistics are available at GoLobos.com.
Rams quick hits
• The 2014-15 season marks the 112th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,185-1,195 (.498) in 2,380 games.
• CSU enters the 2014-15 men's basketball season under the direction of coaching veteran Larry Eustachy who begins his third season at the helm of the Rams' program and his 24th as a Division I head coach.
• Colorado State basketball is looking for its fifth postseason appearance in six years, and its third NCAA Tournament berth in four seasons, in 2014-15.
• Colorado State returns a majority of its production from a season ago including 66 percent of its scoring and 70 percent of its rebounding.
• Overall, the Rams' roster breaks down to six returning players, including starters Daniel Bejarano, J.J. Avila and Joe De Ciman, plus nine newcomers. However, three of the nine newcomers - senior Stanton Kidd, junior Tiel Daniels and sophomore John Gillon - practiced with the squad last season while redshirting as transfers from NCAA Division I programs.
• CSU's 2014-15 schedule is rated among the toughest in the Mountain West. Based on last season's final RPI rankings for known Division I opponents.
• Through games played Dec. 31, the Rams are 13th in the NCAA RPI, first among Mountain West members.
• The Rams are off to a 14-0 start to 2014-15, extending the program record for best start previously set three times at 6-0 in 1970-71, 2005-06 and 2012-13.
• CSU's 14-0 start also represents the longest win streak in program history, surpassing an 11-game stretch during the 1988-89 season.
• Through games played Dec. 31, CSU ranks as one of just six remaining unbeaten teams nationally, out of 351 programs competing at the Division I level.
• Colorado State's 14-0 mark represents both the best record, and the longest win streak in the country.
• CSU features a balanced scoring attack, with the Rams posting eight games in the season's first 14 contests with at least four players in double-figures scoring, including five games with five players notching 10+ points.
• Entering Saturday's game, there are 12 players in the Mountain West ranked in the top-20 in the league in both scoring and rebounding. CSU is the only program to boast three players - senior forward J.J. Avila, senior guard Daniel Bejarano and senior forward Stanton Kidd - that rank in the top-20 in both categories.
About New Mexico
• New Mexico, picked to finish third in the MW preseason poll, enters Saturday's matchup against the Rams with a 9-4 overall record (1-0 MW), having posted a 6-1 mark at home, a 2-1 record on the road, and going 1-2 in neutral-court contests in non-conference play.
• The Lobos are coming off of a 76-64 home win over Fresno State on Wednesday night in their Mountain West opener at WisePies Arena. UNM has won six of their last seven games dating back to the start of December.
• The Lobos and Rams have shared one common non-conference opponent in New Mexico State. The Rams defeated the Aggies, 58-57 in overtime on the road, while the Lobos swept a home-and-home series with a 62-47 home win and a 69-67 road victory.
• The Lobos entered the season returning return six lettermen, including two starters, from the team that posted a 27-7 record last year, finished second in the Mountain West with a 15-3 record, and won the MW tournament before losing to Stanford (58-53) in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
• New Mexico is led by a pair of senior guards in Deshawn Delaney (14.4 ppg), and Hugh Greenwood (11.2 ppg). Sophomore guard Cullen Neal, who averaged 17 points through the first three games, however, has missed the last 10 contests with an ankle injury.
• Delaney also ranks as the team's top rebounder, pulling down 6.5 boards per game.
• As a team, the Lobos rank seven in the Mountain West with a scoring average of 65.4 points per game (234th nationally) while ranking third in the league in scoring defense at 58.8 points per game (36th nationally).
Series vs. New Mexico
• Saturday's matchup between Colorado State and New Mexico marks the 117th between the Rams and the Lobos.
• Colorado State is 43-73 in the all-time series (31-23 home, 12-47 away, 0-3 neutral), having lost four straight overall, and seven consecutive in Albuquerque.
• The first matchup in the series - a 53-39 CSU win - was played Dec. 20, 1940 in Fort Collins.
• CSU's last road win in the series came Jan. 6, 2007 when Jason Smith, who was taken in the first round of the that April's NBA Draft, led CSU to an 88-79 victory.
• Since the formation of the Mountain West in 1999-2000, the Rams are 5-27 vs. UNM, with a 1-14 mark in games played in Albuquerque, a 4-11 mark in Fort Collins, and an 0-2 mark on a neutral floor.
Eustachy vs. New Mexico
• Rams coach Larry Eustachy is 0-5 against New Mexico in his 24-year career as a Division I head coach.
• Each of Eustachy's five losses to New Mexico have come by single-digit margins, including a pair of two-point losses.
• Eustachy first faced the Lobos on Dec. 6, 2008 during his tenure at Southern Miss, falling 60-58 on the road.
• As the head coach at Colorado State, Eustachy is 0-4 vs. UNM, falling twice at home and twice on the road over the last two seasons.
• Eustachy is 0-3 on the road, and 0-2 at home vs. UNM.
Rams in league play
• Entering Saturday's game at New Mexico, Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is 86-139 (.382) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
• The Rams posted three straight seasons with winning records in league play in 2010-11 (9-7), 2011-12 (8-6) and 2012-13 (11-5), before stumbling to a 7-11 mark in 2013-14.
• The Rams only other season with a winning league record as a member of the MW came in the inaugural campaign, an 8-6 mark in 2000.
• The Rams have only had two other stretches in their history with three straight winning records in conference play from 1960-62 under Jim Williams (Mountain States Conference) and 1996-98 under Stew Morrill (WAC).
• The Rams did not play in a conference from 1901-1923, or during some of Jim Williams' most successful seasons from 1962-68.
A win over New Mexico will...
• Give head coach Larry Eustachy his 57th win in his third season at Colorado State and the 459th of his 24-year career.
• Move the Rams to 15-0, extending the program record for consecutive wins to open a season.
• Push the Rams' overall win streak to 15 games, extending the team mark for consecutive victories in a season.
• Keep the Rams, at 15-0, one game ahead of No. 1/1 Kentucky, No. 6/5 Villanova and TCU for the best record and the longest win streak in the nation, should each team also win their next game.
• Give CSU an 44-73 mark against New Mexico, move the Rams' road record against the Lobos to 13-47.
• Snap the Rams' four-game losing streak to UNM, and a seven-game skid in contests played in Albuquerque.
• Push the Rams' Mountain West win streak to two games, their overall road win streak to four, and snap a three-game road losing streak vs. MW opponents.
• Push the Rams to 10-7 under Larry Eustachy in games played in January.
Winning the close ones
• Though the Rams opened the season with five consecutive double-digit victories, and have also notched two additional 20-point wins in December, CSU has been very effective in games decided by one possession.
• The stretch began Nov. 29 when the Rams captured a 65-63 neutral-court win over UC Santa Barbara in the GCI Great Alaska Shootout Championship, and includes three-straight December road wins.
• The following is a look at CSU's victories this season in single-possession games:
> Nov. 29 vs. UC Santa Barbara - W, 65-63
> Dec. 3 vs. UTEP - W, 65-62
> Dec. 10 at Colorado - W, 62-60
> Dec. 19 at Denver - W, 85-84
> Dec. 27 at New Mexico State - W, 58-57 (OT)
Rams in the rankings
• Colorado State men's basketball cracked the top 25 rankings in both the Associated Press media poll and the USA Today Coaches poll when the Week 7 rankings were released on Dec. 22, and remained in both Top-25 polls when the Week 8 rankings were released on Monday.
• It marks the second time in three years under head coach Larry Eustachy that CSU has earned a top-25 ranking.
• The Rams were last ranked for two weeks during their 26-9 season in 2012-13, coming in at No. 24/24 (AP/USA Today) on Feb. 11, and moving up to No. 22/21 when the polls were updated the following week.
• Overall it is the eighth week that the Rams have been ranked in the Associated Press poll. CSU was also ranked for four weeks during the 1953-54 season.
• With the Rams' football program earning national rankings this season, it marks the first year in school history that both programs achieved top-25 accolades.
• Colorado State is one of 11 programs nationally - along with Arizona, Duke, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, UCLA, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin - to rank in the top-25 in 2014-15 in football, men's basketball and women's volleyball.
Rams' best start
• Colorado State's 14-0 start to the 2014-15 season has extended the program-record for the best start to a season.
• The Rams had previously started 6-0 on three occasions, first setting the mark in 1970-71 and matching it in 2005-06 and 2012-13, Larry Eustachy's first at the helm of the Rams' program.
Longest win streaks
• Colorado State's 14-0 start to the 2014-15 represents the longest single-season win streak in program history.
• The Rams have posted win streaks of eight or more 11 times in the program's history, nine or more on four occasions, and 10 or more three times, including the current 14-game run.
Injury update
• Colorado State point guard Antwan Scott (foot) has missed 10 consecutive games since playing in each of the Rams' first four contests to open the season.
• Starting forward Tiel Daniels has missed the Rams' last two contests - a road win at New Mexico State and a conference-opening victory over Boise State - with a calf injury.
• Junior guard Gian Clavell also missed the Rams' overtime road win at NMSU on Dec. 27, but returned to the CSU lineup, making his first-career start on Dec. 31 vs. Boise State.
Rams 1 of 6 unbeatens
• Colorado State enters Saturday's game at New Mexico as one of six remaining unbeaten teams out of 351 programs in NCAA Division I through games played Dec. 29.
• The other five remaining unbeaten programs are:
> Team (Record) - Next Game
> Duke (12-0) - Jan. 3 vs. Boston College
> Kentucky (13-0) - Jan. 6 vs. Ole Miss
> TCU (13-0) - Jan. 3 vs. West Virginia
> Villanova (13-0) - Jan. 3 at Seton Hall
> Virginia (12-0) - Jan. 3 at Miami
Looking ahead
• Colorado State, returns home to continue Mountain West play against rival Wyoming in the season's first installment of the "Border War."
• Tipoff between the Rams and the Cowboys is set for 7 p.m. MT at Moby Arena.
• The game will air across the Colorado State Radio Network, including flagship 105.5 FM ESPN, with Gary Miller (play-by-play) and Brian Roth (analyst) on the call.
• The matchup will also be streamed live by Campus Insiders on the Mountain West Network, which can be access free-of-charge at CSURams.com/videos, TheMW.com and CampusInsiders.com.
• GameTracker live stats are available at CSURams.com.
