Rams On the Road For Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge At Missouri State

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #7 - Colorado State (3-3) at Missouri State (5-2)
November 28, 2017 • 6 p.m. MT • John Q. Hammons Arena (11,000) - Springfield, Mo.

Video: ESPN3 / www.WatchESPN.com -- Play-by-Play: Scott Warman / Color Analyst: Rich Zvosec
Colorado State Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Brian Roth / Color Analyst: Adam Nigon
Flagship: KARS 102.9 FM (Fort Collins); Affiliates: KDCO 104.7 FM (Denver), KMTS 99.1 FM (Glenwood Springs), KJME 890 AM (Colorado Springs), KKVT 100.7 FM (Grand Junction), KRFD 100.1 FM (Sterling)

Opening Tip
•   Colorado State will head back on the road for the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, traveling to Springfield, Mo. to take on Missouri State on Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. MT.
•   The contest between the Rams and Bears will be televised on ESPN3 and streamed on WatchESPN.com, with Scott Warman on the play-by-play and Rich Zvosec handling analysis.
•   Live audio is available on the Colorado State Sports Network, including KARS 102.9 FM (flagship). Brian Roth is on the play-by-play for the Rams, with Adam Nigon handling the analysis.
• The game will also have live audio on CSURams.com in partnership with SIDEARM Sports and live stats on CSURams.com.

Rams Quick Hits
• The 2017-18 season marks the 116th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,243-1,234 (.502) in 2,477 games all-time.
•   Colorado State is under the direction of coaching veteran Larry Eustachy, who is starting his sixth season as the leader of the Rams' program and his 27th as a Division I head coach in 2017-18. Last season, Eustachy reached the 500-win plateau in his coaching career and the 100-victory mark at CSU along with being named the Mountain West Coach of the Year.
• Colorado State basketball is looking for its eighth invitation for postseason play in the last nine years, advancing to the second round of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament.
• CSU lost two of last year's five starters, including Mountain West Player of the Year Gian Clavell and First Team All-MW forward Emmanuel Omogbo, who set a new record for double-doubles in league play in 2016-17.
• Overall, the Rams return three players with significant starting experience in redshirt-junior J.D. Paige, junior Prentiss Nixon and redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho. Nixon, an honorable mention All-MW pick by the media last year, averaged 13.2 points per game, while Paige was at 8.8 points and a team-best 2.5 assists per game. Carvacho posted 5.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, ranking third on the team in boards.
• For broadcasting quick hits, current averages and career highs on individual players, go to the back page of the notes for a Radio/TV chart that includes that information.

The Coaches
• Colorado State Head Coach Larry Eustachy (Long Beach State, '79) is in his sixth season at the helm of the Rams and holds a 114-63 (.644) record at CSU and 516-321 (.616) overall coaching record in his 27th season. In 2016-17, CSU posted an 24-12 mark, including 13-4 in Mountain West play, advanced to the MW Championship game and played in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
• Missouri State Head Coach Paul Lusk (SIU-Carbondale, '95) is in his seventh season coaching the Bears with a 93-108 record and eighth as a head coach overall, holding a 95-131 mark.

Scouting Missouri State
• The Bears are 5-2 after getting an 80-48 home win over Evangel, Nov. 24.
•   Picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference, Missouri State returns four starters return from a club that advanced to the MVC Tournament semifinals a year ago., led by senior forward Alize Johnson, last year's Valley Newcomer of the Year who led the league in rebounding (10.6 rpg) and notched 17 double-doubles en route to a 14.8 scoring average. The Bears will also look to third-year man Obediah Church on the front lines (74 blocks).
•   This season, Johnson is continuing that effort, leading the Bears in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (10.7 rpg) and assists. Church is again the defensive standout, having recorded 18 blocks in the first seven games.

A Win Over Missouri State Will...
•   Give CSU its first road win of the 2017-18 season
•   Improve the Rams' record against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference to 13-11, including 4-8 on road courts.
•   Give Larry Eustachy his 115th win in five-plus seasons at CSU and the 517th of his 27-year career as a head coach.
•   Improve Eustachy to 12-12 all-time against Missouri Valley foes, including 4-6 in road games.

Series With the Bears
•   The two teams have met just once on the basketball floor, with CSU having won the only previous meeting at the GCI Great Alaska Shootout in 2014.
•   Head Coach Larry Eustachy coached that 76-61 CSU victory over the Bears in the 2014-15 season.
MISSOURI STATE - 1-0
Neutral: 1-0
   Date   Loc.   W/L   Score   Att.
#   11/26/2014   Neutral   W   76-61   3233
# GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Anchorage, Alaska)

History with the Missouri Valley
• Colorado State has played teams currently in the Missouri Valley Conference 23 times and holds a slim 12-11 advantage, though just 3-8 on the road.
• Head Coach Larry Eustachy is just 11-12 all-time against current Missouri Valley teams, including 3-6 on road courts.

CSU vs. Missouri Valley Conference
School   Overall   H   A   N
Drake   6-4   4-0   2-3   0-1
Evansville   1-0   1-0   -   -
Indiana State   1-2   1-0   0-2   -
Loyola Chicago   1-1   1-0   0-1   -
Missouri State   1-0   -   -   1-0
Northern Iowa   1-1   -   1-1   -
Southern Illinois   1-2   1-0   0-1   0-1
Valparaiso   0-1   -   -   0-1
Totals   12-11   8-0   3-8   1-3

Eustachy vs. Missouri Valley Conference
School   Overall   H   A   N
Bradley   0-2   0-1   0-1   0-0
Drake   3-2   3-0   0-2   0-0
Evansville   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Illinois State   0-1   0-1   0-0   0-0
Missouri State   1-1   0-0   0-1   1-0
Northern Iowa   5-1   2-0   3-1   0-0
Southern Illinois   0-3   0-1   0-1   0-1
Valparaiso   0-1   -   -   0-1
Totals   11-12   6-3   3-6   2-3

MW-MVC Challenge
•   Today's game is CSU's part of the revived Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, with the Mountain West holding a 3-1-2 lead in the series, including last year's 5-5 tie.
•   The Mountain West leads 33-22 in individual games.
•   Colorado State is 3-3 in the event with a 1-2 road mark.
•   Missouri State record in the event is now 1-4, having dropped the last four games it has played in it.

CSU's MW-MVC Challenge Results
2009 - 11/20 - at Indiana State 65, CSU 60
2010 - 12/1 - at CSU 78, Drake 67
2011 - 12/3 - at Northern Iowa 83, CSU 77
2012 - 12/1 - at CSU 79, Evansville, 72
2015 - 11/14 - CSU 84, at Northern Iowa 78
2016 - 12/3 - Wichita State 82, at CSU 67

This Year's Complete MW-MVC Challenge Schedule
Tues., Nov. 28 - Loyola (Chicago) at Boise State
Tues., Nov. 28 - Utah State at Valparaiso
Tues., Nov. 28 - Colorado State at Missouri State
Wed., Nov. 29 - UNLV at Northern Iowa
Wed., Nov. 29 - Air Force at Indiana State
Wed., Nov. 29 - Illinois State at Nevada
Wed., Nov. 29 - Evansville at New Mexico
Sat., Dec. 2 - San José State at Southern Illinois
Sat., Dec. 2 - Drake at Wyoming
Sun., Dec. 3 - Bradley at San Diego State

Eustachy Among the Elite
• CSU head coach Larry Eustachy has ranked among the best coaches in his sport for nearly two and a half decades. Now in his 27th season as a mentor at the NCAA Division I level, he got his 500th career win against Air Force in conference play last year, becoming the 62nd Division I head coach (solely counting wins at the Division I level) to ever reach that milestone.
• His 516 wins ranks 15th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and is tied for No. 56 all-time (list below)
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
54.   Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)   525
55.   Rick Majerus (four schools)   517
56.   John Chaney (Temple)   516
   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)   516
58.   John Beilein (current Michigan)   513
   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   513
60.   Don DeVoe (five schools)   512
61.   Nolan Richardson (Tulsa, Arkansas)   509
62.   Hec Edmundson (Idaho, Washington)   508
63.   Mark Few (current Gonzaga)   507
64.   Harold Anderson (Toledo, Bowling Green)   504
65.   Billy Donovan (Marshall, Florida)   502

• In his first season as the top man of the Rams' program, Eustachy became the only head coach in NCAA Division I history to lead five different programs - CSU, Southern Miss, Iowa State, Utah State and Idaho - to 24 or more wins in a season.
•   With a career record of 516-319 (.618), Eustachy ranks as one of just 75 head coaches (out of 351 Division I programs) to have a .600 or better win percentage with a minimum of five years experience. He is one of just 32 coaches in the ranking with at least 20 years of Division I experience.

Moving Up the CSU Coaching Ranks
•   CSU head coach Larry Eustachy continues to move up the record chart for the Rams in victories.
•   Already starting the season with the highest winning percentage among coaches with at least four years at the school, Eustachy reached the 100-win plateau at CSU faster than any other coach in school history and passed Dale Layer (103, 2001-07) for third during the 2016-17 campaign.
•   Three of his teams have the three-highest single-season win totals in program history with 27 (2014-15), 26 (2012-13) and adding 24 victories last season.
Rk   Name   Yrs   Gms   Won   Lost   Pct.
1.   Jim Williams (1955-80)   26   645   352   293   .546
2.   Stew Morrill (1992-98)   7   207   121   86   .585
3.   Larry Eustachy (2012-17)   6   177   114   63   .644
4.   Dale Layer (2001-07)   7   209   103   106   .493
5.   Boyd Grant (1988-91)   4   127   81   46   .638

???????Eustachy Versus Non-Conference Opponent Leagues
Conference   Record
American Athletic Conference   46-48
Atlantic Coast Conference   1-7
Big Sky Conference   49-15
Big South Conference   4-0
Big West Conference   30-15
Missouri Valley Conference    11-12
Pac-12 Conference    14-18
Southeastern Conference   17-16
Southland Conference    18-5
Sun Belt Conference    12-4
Western Athletic Conference    19-6
Division II/Other    63-2
Totals           284-148

Eustachy vs. This Year's Non-Conference Opponents
       Overall   Home   Road   Neutral
Arkansas   1-1   0-0   0-1   1-0
Arkansas-Fort Smith   3-0   3-0   0-0   0-0
Colorado   8-8   5-2   3-5   0-1
Florida State   0-2   0-0   0-1   0-1
Long Beach State   5-7   3-2   0-5   2-0
Missouri State   1-1   0-0   0-1   1-0
New Mexico St.   11-5   7-1   3-4   1-0
Northwestern State   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Oregon   0-1   0-0   0-1   0-0
Sacramento State   4-0   2-0   2-0   0-0
Texas State       First Meeting
Tulane   11-6   5-2   4-3   2-1
Winthrop   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Totals   46-30   27-7   12-20   7-3

CSU All-Time Vs. 2017-18 Opponents
       Overall   Home   Road   Neutral
Air Force   78-31   42-10   32-17   4-4
Arkansas       First Meeting
Arkansas-Fort Smith   3-0   3-0   -   -
Boise State   10-9   8-2   1-7   1-0
Colorado   37-89   27-36   9-53   1-0
Florida State   0-2   -   -   0-2
Fresno State   17-15   13-2   2-11   2-2
Long Beach State   2-2   1-1   1-1   -
Missouri State   1-0   -   -   1-0
Nevada   9-10   5-2   4-7   0-1
New Mexico   46-75   33-25   12-48   1-2
New Mexico State   5-2   4-0   1-2   -
Northwestern State   3-0   2-0   1-0   -
Oregon   1-8   0-1   0-4   1-3
Sacramento State   5-0   4-0   1-0   -
San Diego State   41-40   26-11   13-25   2-4
San Jose State   15-0   7-0   6-0   2-0
Texas State   1-0   1-0   -   -
Tulane   0-1   -   -   0-1
UNLV   16-37   11-14   5-22   0-1
Utah State   38-53   28-18   10-34   0-1
Winthrop   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   421-508   267-177   136-306   18-25

Last Year's MW-MVC Challenge
•   The Colorado State Rams' four game overall win streak and seven game home win streak was snapped in a 82-67 loss to the Wichita State Shockers.
•   Despite trailing for the majority of the game, the Rams hung tight, never trailing by more than 10 until the game's final minutes. Colorado State tied the game at 57 with 8:51 remaining, but ultimately couldn't overcome the hot-shooting Shockers who hit 48.1 percent (13-27) from behind the arc, including 7-of-14 in the second stanza.
•   Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon led the Rams with a career-high 20 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the three-point line. Redshirt sophomore J.D. Paige dropped 17 points with three rebounds and four assists before fouling out in the game's final minutes, and junior Devocio Butler tagged on 12 points as well. Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo, who also fouled out in the final minute, nearly had his fifth double-double of the season, with nine points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
•   Despite 12 points from Butler, the Wichita State bench outscored the Rams' bench 44-14. Koelliker and Bob were held scoreless in 13 and 11 minutes, respectively, and Bonner scored two points, both of which came at the free throw line.

Long Road Trip Completed
•   The Rams just came off a three-game, eight day road trip that not only took days but numerous miles of travel:
•   First Leg (Fort Collins to Montego Bay) - 70 miles on the road, 2,313 miles in the air
•   Second Leg (Montego Bay to Las Cruces) - 2,028 miles in the air, 52 miles on the road
•   Final Leg (Las Cruces to Fort Collins) - 574 miles in the air
•   Total Travel Miles: 5,037

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 119-159 (.428) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
•   Head coach Larry Eustachy is 52-36 (.591) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 58-41 including tournament games.

Last Time Out...
•   Colorado State snapped a three-game losing skid with its third win in three home games, defeating Northwestern State, 72-60, Nov. 24.
•   Leading by four at halftime, CSU slowly pulled away in the second half of the contest, taking a double-digit lead with less than five minutes gone and never letting the margin below that threshold. During that final stanza, CSU shot 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from the floor and limited NSU to just 31.0 percent (9-of-29) while converting six Demon turnovers into 11 points.
•   Colorado State got off to a solid offensive start, scoring the first seven points of the game in less than two minutes. NSU came back quickly and eventually took a 15-11 lead at the under-12 timeout. CSU then scored the next 10 points to go up six at 21-15. NSU again rallied to tie the game at 23, but the Rams finished the half outscoring the visitors 13-9 to take a 36-32 lead into the halftime break.
•   The Rams finished the game at 44.8 percent (26-of-58) from the floor, but just 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from the three-point line. Northwestern State was limited to 37.5 percent (21-of-56) on field goal attempts and 28.0 percent (7-of-25) on three-pointers. CSU won the battle of the boards 41-30, including 14 offensive rebounds.
•   Redshirt-junior guard J.D. Paige led all scorers with 19 points, while redshirt-sophomore Raquan Mitchell added 16 points off the bench. Senior Che Bob posted a double-double of 13 points and a career-best of 12 rebounds and added career highs of five assists and four steals. Junior Deion James was the other Ram in double figures with 10 points and six boards.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

Returning/Lost...By the Numbers
•   The Rams added several key newcomers for 2017-18 as Colorado State looked to fill some gaps from last year's production on the floor.
•   Here is a quick look at what the Rams returned in major statistical categories:
   Category   Total (R/L)   % Returning
   > Scoring   2611 (1255 / 1356)   48.1%
   > Rebounding   1293 (518 / 775)   40.1%
   > Assists   397 (235 / 162)   59.2%
   > Blocks   123 (62 / 61)   50.4%
   > Steals   218 (98 / 120)   45.0%
   > Minutes   7200 (3941 / 3259)   54.7%

Roster Size... But Inexperienced
•   CSU has 11 players available for action during the 2017-18 season. Of those, eight were part of the program last season, with six having played, with two newcomers to the lineup.
•   Senior Che Bob and juniors J.D. Paige and Prentiss Nixon will be looked at to lead the squad. Redshirt-sophomores Nico Carvacho and Anthony Bonner also saw extensive action last year. Redshirt-sophomore Juan Sabino II came in at midseason and played limited minutes in 2016-17.
•   Redshirt-junior Robbie Berwick and redshirt-sophomore Lorenzo Jenkins will see their first playing time at Colorado State. Transfers junior Deion James and redshirt-sophomore Raquan Mitchell as well as freshman Logan Ryan join the program and are expected to contribute.
•   However, the Rams combine for just 7.5 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, four of those coming from juniors J.D. Paige and Prentiss Nixon.

Newcomers
•   Robbie Berwick and Lorenzo Jenkins saw their first action for the Rams against Sacramento State after sitting out last year due to NCAA D-I transfer rules. Transfers Raquan Mitchell and Deion James also saw their first playing time at Colorado State against the Hornets, while true freshman Logan Ryan got his first collegiate playing time in the home win over Winthrop.

Road Improvements
•   Last season, CSU picked up its fifth straight MW road win and sixth in conference play at New Mexico, Feb. 21, a streak snapped at Nevada March 4, but the Rams finished 9-6 in games away from home in 2016-17.
•   The Rams won five straight MW road games for the first time ever under head coach Larry Eustachy and for the second time in school history.
•   The only other time CSU won five consecutive conference road games occurred over the last four games of the 1988-89 and first game of the 1989-90 season in the WAC.
•   Under Eustachy, CSU is 26-35 (.426) in true road games, above the national average of 32.4 percent.
•   For comparison in 2015-16, the Rams were 6-11 in games away from Moby Arena.

It's TV Time For the Rams
•   All but one of Colorado State's home conference games will be available via network broadcasts, with 15 of 18 MW handled by major partners. Of the 21 games during the entire season being available on television channels this year, 10 are on CBS Sports Network, four on AT&T SportsNet (formerly ROOT Sports), six on the ESPN family of networks and one on the Pac-12 Network.
•   Both games of the Jamaica Classic played in Montego Bay will be on CBS Sports Network, as CSU takes on Tulane (Nov. 17) and Florida State (Nov. 19).
• The Rams will first make a home national TV appearance on Saturday, Dec. 2, as the in-state rivalry game with Colorado will be televised on AT&T SportsNet at 11 a.m., the first part of a two-game doubleheader with the CSU women's team hosting BYU at 2 p.m.
• CSU starts conference action on the road at Boise State Dec. 27, with the game televised on CBS Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. MT.
•   The selection of games by the Mountain West's television partners shifted two of the Rams' league games to Tuesday nights, including San Diego State (CBS Sports Network on Jan. 2) and at Air Force (AT&T Sportsnet on Feb. 6). Additionally, the game at New Mexico on Jan. 27 is an ESPN Netflex game, where the game will be televised on ESPNU or ESPN3.

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
•   CSU has a record of 541-217 (.714) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams are 75-19 (.798) under Larry Eustachy in games played at Moby Arena.
• CSU completed the 2016-17 regular-season home slate at 14-5 (7-2 in Mountain West), giving the program a winning home record for the eighth straight season, including all five under head coach Larry Eustachy.
•   Colorado State finished the 2015-16 regular season 12-5 at Moby Arena.
•    At 15-5 in 2016-17 at Moby Arena, it marked the fifth time in program history that CSU won at least 15 home games. Last season's 15 victories was the sixth season of 15-plus wins at the Rams' arena.
• The Rams finished the 2014-15 regular-season one win shy (15-2) of the best home mark in program history (16-1 in 2012-13). CSU went 15-2 at Moby in 1987-88.

Rebounding Emphasis Noted
•    Head coach Larry Eustachy makes rebounding one of his top priorities in all practices and games and it shows in his record, as CSU is 97-30 under the leader when winning the glass.
•   The Rams won the battle of the boards in 22 of their 36 games last season, going 19-3 in those contests.
•   Colorado State was +2.6 on the glass in its 36 games with at least one player with a double-figure rebounding total in 26 of 36 games.
•   Last season, CSU finished third in the Mountain West and at 38.2 rebounds per game as well as second in the MW a +2.7 rebounding margin.
•   This season, it is again a key for the Rams, as they have on the boards four times, including all three victories.

Adjusting Over the Halftime Break
•   CSU made good adjustments on both ends of the floor during the halftime intermission last season.
•   In 27 of 36 games in 2016-17, the Rams improved their shooting from the floor, percentage wise, from the first half to the second half. Combined, CSU has shot 40.3 percent (431-of-1070) in the first half as compared to 44.8 percent (448-of-1000) in the second half. When improving, the Rams were 19-8.
•   Defensive adjustments were also evident, as opponents shot a lower percentage from first to second half from the field in 21 of the 36 games (CSU 14-7 in those contests).
•   The totals definitely translated to the scoreboard, as CSU, as the Rams average scoring +0.5 compared to opponents in the opening half but improve to +4.1 in the second half.

Quick Bits Under Eustachy
•   The Rams had a seven-game Mountain West winning streak during last season, the longest MW win streak in program history from Feb. 4-28 (7-0 in February).
•   CSU is 100-7 (40-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 105-7 (45-4 MW) when leading with two minutes to go.
•   The 21-point loss at Fresno State, Jan. 18, 2017 was a rarity, as it was just the second time that a Eustachy-led CSU team lost to a MW foe by more than 15 points (16-2 in his five years in MW games decided by 16 points or more.
•   The Rams are 97-28 (40-14 MW) when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 100-25 (44-12 MW) when opponent commits more fouls overall.
•   When Colorado State forces more turnovers than it gives up, the good guys have posted a 68-18 overall record.
•   When the Rams shoot at least 45 percent from the floor, they are 65-6 (27-4 MW) in five years under Eustachy.

Nixon Does It All
•    Junior Prentiss Nixon became an integral part of the CSU lineup this past season.
•    The guard averaged 13.2 points per game in 2016-17 (13th in MW), scoring in double figures in 27 games, including a current streak of 10 straight.
•    In all MW contests, he averaged 13.3 points per game - 17th in regular-season league only.
•    He scored a career-high 30 points against Kansas State and surpassed his season high from last year six times.
•    In the Mountain West Tournament, Nixon averaged 14.7 points per game, earning All-Tournament honors.
•    Against Nevada in the MW championship, Nixon scored 23 points, including tying the school record for a MW Tournament game with six three-pointers.
•    This year, Nixon continued his double-figure scoring streak, moving it to 12 with a pair of 16-point performances before it was snapped against Tulane, Nov. 17. However, he started a new streak with 22 points, including five three-pointers, against Florida State, Nov. 19, followed by 15 at New Mexico State, Nov. 22. He missed the Northwestern State game with a concussion.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 12 offensive fouls in the first five games. Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.

Paige Wheels & Deals
•    Redshirt-junior J.D. (or as Coach Eustachy calls him Jeremiah) Paige adjusted well to his new role within CSU's offense last year.
•   Paige led CSU assists (2.5 apg), was third in steals (0.9 spg) and blocked shots (0.7) and fourth in scoring (8.8 ppg).
•   The Denver, Colo., native had a solid outing against Alcorn State (11/23), recording career bests of 23 points and six assists in the home victory.
•   Paige tied his career high with 23 points, including a career-best five three-pointers in the win over Fresno State, Feb. 11.
•   This season, Paige picked up a season-high 19 points versus Northwestern State (11/24) is averaging an improved 11.2 points per game.

Young Guards Stepping Up Scoring
•   Redshirt-junior J.D. Paige and junior Prentiss Nixon both showed what another year of college basketball can do for confidence and skills.
•   In 2015-16, Paige averaged 4.9 points a game and shot just 33.8 percent from the field, while Nixon was 4.8 points and 38.9 percent from the floor.
•   Last season, the duo has increased their scoring averages by more than double combined, as Nixon finished at 13.2 points per game while Paige posted 8.8 points per contest.
•   So far in 2017-18, Nixon is leading the team at 15.0 points per game and Paige ranks third at 11.2 per contest.

Carvacho Growing On the Floor
•   Redshirt-sophomore center Nico Carvacho is showing his increased comfort level on the floor for the Rams.
•   Carvacho had a breakout game at Colorado, Nov. 30, 2016, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbing 9 rebounds.
•   Against Northern Colorado Dec. 10, 2016, he posted his first collegiate double-double of 13 points (5-of-6 FG) and 11 boards.
•   In the win over Wyoming, Feb. 28, 2017, Carvacho posted his second double-double of his collegiate career with 10 points (3-3 FG) and 10 rebounds.
•   This season, Carvacho is leading CSU on the glass with 57 boards (22 offensive) in the first six games.
•   He had his third career double-double with 11 points and a career-best 20 boards in the home win over Winthrop, Nov. 14.

Taking Charity
•   For the 2016-17 season, CSU was 73.1 percent from the charity line, ranking 34th nationally in free throws made and 33rd in free throws attempted.
•   The Rams also made 596 free throws while their opponents combined for just 663 total attempts.
•   In the win at Colorado Nov. 30, the Rams made their first 18 free throws in a row, a key reason that CSU won the road game.
•   For six games, the Rams have shot 71.7 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 68.1 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line the same number of time as its foes, something uncommon in the five-plus years under head coach Larry Eustachy.

Clavell Signed by Dallas Mavericks
•    The Dallas Mavericks announced that they have exercised the two-way player conversion option in the contract of guard Gian Clavell. This option makes Clavell the Mavericks second two-way player, along with Johnathan Motley.
•    Clavell was originally signed on August 1 and played in all six preseason games for the Mavericks. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 17.5 minutes per contest.
•    A native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Clavell competed for the Miami Heat's summer league teams in both Orlando and Las Vegas. In five games in Las Vegas, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 24.6 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from the field, 40.6 percent (13-of-32) from 3-point range and 91.7 percent (11-of-12) from the foul line.
•    The former Colorado State standout went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft after earning Mountain West Player of the Year honors as a redshirt senior last season. In 27 games for the Rams in 2016-17, he averaged a MW-best 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals in 36.6 minutes.
•    The 2017-18 season will mark the first year NBA two-way contracts will be implemented. NBA teams are allowed to have up to two players under two-way contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four-or-fewer years of NBA experience are able to sign two-way contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.

Rams Take 2017 MW Awards
•   Colorado State again was among the top honorees, this time by the coaches of the Mountain West Conference, as senior guard Gian Clavell was selected as the league's 2017 Player of the Year, while Larry Eustachy was recognized as the Coach of the Year.
•   Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo was named First Team All-MW along with Clavell, while the pair also was named to the league's All-Defensive team.
•   This is the first time in school history that CSU has had two players named to the first team all-conference in any season, as well as two in a single season named to the all-defensive squad.
•   The duo was also named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District team for District VIII.
•   The 2017 Mountain West Player of the Year according to the league media, Clavell led the MW in league scoring at 21.2 points per game, including two games of 30 points or more, as well as ranking seventh in rebounding at 6.9 per MW game. Often guarding the opponent's top backcourt player, Clavell also was second in steals (1.8 spg) and 3-pointers made (3.1 3pg) while ranking seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (.409).
•   Eustachy led the Rams to a 21-10 overall regular season record, 13-5 in the Mountain West and the No. 2 seed in the MW tournament. The 13 wins tied the program record for conference wins, while CSU set a new school mark with five consecutive league road wins in a single season. This is the first time in his five years in the MW and the sixth time overall that Eustachy has been selected as his conference's coach of the year.
•   Selected by the league media to First Team All-Mountain West, Omogbo became the new standard for double-doubles in the Mountain West this past season, recording a new league record with 13 during conference action. He led the conference in rebounding at 10.9 boards per conference game and ranked 11th in scoring at 15.7 points a contest. He was also third in league field goal percentage, hitting .495 of his shot attempts, and tied for eighth at 1.3 steals per game.

Rams on the Radio
•   Rams basketball can be heard live worldwide on the Rams Sports Properties Colorado State Sports Network. The 2017-18 season features live game coverage of all of Colorado State's regular-season and postseason contests.
•   Brian Roth, the Voice of the Rams, is in his fifth season as the basketball team's full-time play-by-play announcer. He is joined for the second season by former Ram Adam Nigon who will provide color commentary for the Rams.
• In addition to the Colorado State Sports Network, Rams fans worldwide can listen to the action live streaming on CSURams.com in partnership with SIDEARM Sports.

Looking Ahead
•   Colorado State will return home this weekend for an in-state rivalry, hosting Colorado, Saturday, Dec. 2 at 11 a.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Buffaloes will be televised on AT&T SportsNet.
•   The game will air across the Colorado State Sports Network (along with online at CSURams.com), with Brian Roth and Adam Nigon on the call.

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