Colorado State University Athletics
Game notes: Rams, Aztecs clash in Moby Arena White Out
1/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Colorado State vs. San Diego State | Game 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 24, 2015 | 8 p.m. MT | Fort Collins, Colo. | Moby Arena (8,745) | |||||||||||||||||||
| COLORADO STATE RAMS | SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Record | 17-2, 4-2 MW | Record | 15-4, 5-1 MW | ||||||||||||||||
| Last Game | Jan. 17 at San Jose State (W, 70-41) | Last Game | Jan. 20 at Air Force (W, 77-45) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank (AP | Coaches) | RV | RV | Rank (AP | Coaches) | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Larry Eustachy (Long Beach State, 1979) | Head Coach | Steve Fisher (Illinois State, 1967) | ||||||||||||||||
| > Overall Record | 461-285 (24th Season) | > Overall Record | 511-262 (24th Full Season) | ||||||||||||||||
| > Record at CSU | 59-27 (Third Season) | > Record at SDSU | 326-180 (16th Season) | ||||||||||||||||
| CSU STATISTICAL LEADERS | SDSU STATISTICAL LEADERS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minutes/Game | J.J. Avila (32.4) | Minutes/Game | J.J. O'Brien (31.3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Points/Game | J.J. Avila (15.0) | Points/Game | Winston Shepard (11.0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds/Game | J.J. Avila (7.7) | Rebounds/Game | J.J. O'Brien (5.5) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three-Pointers | Daniel Bejarano (30) | Three-Pointers | Aqeel Quinn (30) | ||||||||||||||||
| Assists | John Gillon (59) | Assists | Winston Shepard (41) | ||||||||||||||||
| Blocks | Stanton Kidd (13) | Blocks | Skylar Spencer (48) | ||||||||||||||||
| Steals | J.J. Avila (35) | Steals | J.J. O'Brien (31) | ||||||||||||||||
| Field-Goal % | Tiel Daniels (.643) | Field-Goal % | Angelo Chol (.614) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three-Point % | Stanton Kidd/John Gillon (.434) | Three-Point % | Aqeel Quinn (.341) | ||||||||||||||||
| Free-Throw % | Joe De Ciman (.839) | Free-Throw % | Trey Kell (.729) | ||||||||||||||||
| TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON | BROADCAST INFORMATION | ||||||||||||||||||
| Category | CSU | SDSU | Video: ESPNU | ||||||||||||||||
| Scoring Offense | 73.2 | 62.2 | Play-by-Play: Steve Quis | ||||||||||||||||
| Scoring Defense | 62.2 | 52.6 | Color Analyst: Craig Robinson | ||||||||||||||||
| Field-Goal % | .458 | .410 | > DirecTV: 208 (HD) | ||||||||||||||||
| Opponent Field-Goal % | .418 | .372 | > Dish Network: 141 (HD) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three-Point % | .364 | .297 | > Comcast: 404 | ||||||||||||||||
| Opponent Three-Point % | .347 | .272 | > Streaming: WatchESPN.com | ||||||||||||||||
| Free-Throw % | .673 | .620 | Audio: Colorado State Sports Network | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds/Game | 36.7 | 36.2 | Play-by-Play: Gary Miller | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounding Margin | +5.9 | +4.0 | Color Analyst: Brian Roth | ||||||||||||||||
| Assist/Game | 15.4 | 10.5 | > Flagship: 105.5 FM ESPN | ||||||||||||||||
| Turnovers/Game | 11.2 | 12.7 | > Affiliates: 1580 AM KREL/1100 AM KNZZ | ||||||||||||||||
| Opponent Turnovers/Game | 12.9 | 14.8 | > Streaming: ESPNDenver.com | ||||||||||||||||
| Steals/Game | 5.4 | 8.0 | Live Stats: GameTracker | ||||||||||||||||
| Blocks/Game | 2.9 | 5.4 | > CSURams.com | ||||||||||||||||
Game Notes 20 (PDF) 
Opening tip
• Colorado State (17-2, 4-2 MW), returns home to host San Diego State (15-4, 5-1 MW) on Saturday at Moby Arena.
• Tipoff between the Rams and Aztecs is set for 8 p.m. MT
• 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 game will also be televised nationally on ESPNU with Steve Quis (play-by-play) and Craig Robinson (analyst) calling the action courtside.
• GameTracker live stats are available at CSURams.com.
• The contest is the Rams' annual "White Out" game.
• CSU's coaches will don sneakers for the game as part of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness weekend, a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and the American Cancer Society.
Rams quick hits
• The 2014-15 season marks the 112th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,188-1,197 (.498) in 2,385 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 Division I opponents.
• Through games played Jan. 21, the Rams are 36th in the NCAA RPI, second among MW members (21st, SDSU).
• The Rams' 17-2 record is the team's best through 19 games in program history. CSU's best 20-game mark stands at 17-3 entering Saturday's game vs. SDSU.
• CSU's 14 consecutive wins to open the 2014-15 season, ranked as the longest win streak in program history, surpassing an 11-game stretch during the 1988-89 season.
• Prior to CSU's first loss of the year, Jan. 3 at New Mexico, the Rams were one of four remaining unbeatens nationally with Kentucky, Duke and Virginia.
• CSU features a balanced scoring attack, with the Rams posting 10 games in the season's first 19 contests with at least four players in double-figures scoring, including six games with five players notching 10+ points.
• Entering Saturday's games, there are 11 players in the Mountain West ranked in the top-20 in the league in both scoring and rebounding. CSU boasts two such players in senior forwards J.J. Avila and Stanton Kidd.
About San Diego State
• San Diego State, picked first in the MW preseason poll, enters Saturday's matchup against CSU tied for first in the league standings with a 5-1 conference record.
• The Aztecs are 15-4 overall, having posted an 11-0 mark at home, 2-3 on the road, and 2-1 on a neutral court.
• Overall, San Diego State has won eight of nine games since its 71-62 overtime road loss at Cincinnati on Dec. 17. SDSU's lone loss during that stretch came at Fresno State (59-57) on Jan. 3. Since, the Aztecs have posted four consecutive conference victories.
• On the road in conference play, the Aztecs are 2-1, having won their last two away from home in league play, with wins at Wyoming (60-52) and at Air Force (77-45), since dropping their conference road opener at Fresno State.
• The Aztecs entered the season returning eight lettermen, including three starters, from the team that posted a 31-5 record last year, won the Mountain West regular-season title with a 16-2 mark, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
• SDSU is led offensively by a pair of double-digit scorers in junior forward Winston Shepard (11.0 ppg), a pre-season all-MW selection, and senior guard Aqeel Quinn (10.7 ppg).
• Senior forward J.J. O'Brien ranks as the team's top rebounder at 5.5 rebounds per contest.
• The Aztecs are playing without preseason all-MW selection Dwayne Polee II, who has missed seven consecutive games since collapsing vs. UC Riverside on Dec. 22.
• As a team, the Aztecs ranks ninth in the MW in scoring offense, averaging 62.2 points per game (294th nationally), while leading the league in scoring defense at 52.6 points allowed per game (third nationally).
Series vs. San Diego State
• Saturday's matchup between CSU and San Diego State marks the 74th between the Rams and the Aztecs.
• Colorado State is 37-36 in the all-time series (24-10 home, 12-23 away, 1-3 neutral).
• The first matchup in the series - a 71-57 CSU road win - was played on Dec. 30, 1961.
• Prior to the inception of the Mountain West, Colorado State built a 27-12 advantage in the all-time series vs. San Diego State.
• Since the formation of the MW in 1999-2000, the Rams are just 10-24 vs. SDSU.
Eustachy vs. San Diego State
• Rams' coach Larry Eustachy is 2-4 against San Diego State in his 24-year career as a Division I head coach.
• At Utah State, Eustachy captured a 64-61 neutral-court victory over SDSU during the 1997-98 season.
• At Southern Miss, Eustachy's Golden Eagles fell 79-51 in a neutral-site contest during the 2005-06 campaign.
• At Colorado State, Eustachy is 1-3 vs. San Diego State. The Rams and Aztecs split the season series in 2012-13, each winning at home. Last season, the Aztecs swept two matchups.
A win over San Diego State will...
• Give head coach Larry Eustachy his 60th win in his third season at CSU and the 462nd of his 24-year career.
• Move the Rams to 18-2, the best record in program history through 20 games, besting the old record of 17-3 set in 1997-98.
• Mark four consecutive wins overall for Colorado State since having it's 14-game win streak to open the season snapped.
• Improve CSU's mark against SDSU to 38-36 overall, give the Rams an 11-24 mark against SDSU since the formation of the MW in 1999-2000.
• Move Larry Eustachy's record vs. San Diego State to 3-4 overall with a 2-3 mark at Colorado State.
• Push the Rams to 13-9 under Larry Eustachy in games played in January.
• Give the Rams a 40-8 (.833) record under Larry Eustachy in games played at Moby Arena.
Avila stands alone
• Entering Saturday's game vs. San Diego State, Colorado State senior forward J.J. Avila ranks as the only player in the Mountain West to rank in the top 10 in the league in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals per game.
• Avila ranks seventh in the league in scoring (15.0 ppg), third in rebounding (7.7 rpg), seventh in assists (3.1 apg), and second in steals (1.9 spg).
Looking ahead
• Colorado State (17-2, 4-2 MW), turns around quickly for a road game at Boise State (13-6, 3-3) on Tuesday night.
• Tipoff between the Rams and Broncos is set for 9 p.m. MT at Taco Bell 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 contest will also be televised nationally on ESPNU with Steve Quis (play-by-play) and Craig Robinson (analyst) calling the action courtside.
• GameTracker live stats are available at BroncoSports.com.
