Men's Hoops Starts 2017-18 Campaign Against Sacramento State, Nov. 10

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #1 - Colorado State (0-0) vs. Sacramento State (0-0)
November 10, 2017 • 7:30 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,745) - Fort Collins, Colo.

Video: MW Network (Streaming: CSURams.com/videos)
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)

• Colorado State men's basketball concluded the 2016-17 season in the Mountain West Tournament championship game, second round of the National Invitation Tournament and finished the year with a 24-12 overall record, including 13-5 in MW play.
• The 2017-18 season marks the 116th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,240-1,231 (.502) in 2,471 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 earned its seventh invitation for postseason play in the last eight years, advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament after finishing as the runner-up in the Mountain West regular season and 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.
• Also returning to the floor are senior forward Che Bob and redshirt-sophomore guards Anthony Bonner and Juan Sabino II, as well as redshirt-junior guards Robbie Berwick and redshirt-sophomore Lorenzo Jenkins, who spent last year practicing with the team.
• The Rams also add junior forward Deion James, redshirt-sophomore guard Raquan Mitchell and freshman forward Logan Ryan to the mix this year.

• 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) starts his sixth season at the helm of the Rams and holds a 111-60 (.649) record at CSU and 513-318 (.617) 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.
• Sacramento State Head Coach Brian Katz (Sacramento State, '80) is in his 10th season at his alma mater coaching the Hornets and as a head coach overall, holding a 104-165 mark. Last year, the Hornets finished 13-18 and 9-9 in the Big Sky Conference, good for seventh. This year, Sac State is picked to finish ninth in the league by the league's coaches and eighth by the media. For comparison, CSU exhibition foe Northern Colorado was picked to finish fourth by the league's coaches and seventh by the media.

History with Sacramento State
• CSU and Sacramento State have played just four times in their history, with the Rams winning all four previous meetings. The last of the three home victories came in the 2000-01 season, with CSU earning a 73-46 victory.

SACRAMENTO STATE - 4-0
Home: 3-0 / Away: 1-0
    Date                 Loc.         W/L       Score           Att.
    12/5/1967         Home         W        82-66
# 12/6/1996         Home         W        89-45           5117
    12/27/1999        Away          W        69-53        3340
    11/28/2000       Home         W        73-46         2760
# Bank One-Foothills Dodge Ram Classic (Fort Collins, Colo.)

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 513 wins ranks 15th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and is No. 57 all-time (list below)
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
55. Rick Majerus (four schools)                           517
56. John Chaney (Temple)                                516
57.   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)                      513
58. Don DeVoe (five schools)                            512
59. Nolan Richardson (Tulsa, Arkansas)               509
60. Hec Edmundson (Idaho, Washington)            508
      Jay Wright (current Villanova)                    508
      John Beilein (current Michigan)                  508
63. Harold Anderson (Toledo, Bowling Green)      504
      Leonard Hamilton (current Florida State)      504
65. Mark Few (current Gonzaga)                      503
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 513-318 (.617), 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 enters the season tied for 57th on the list, and 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 (2012-16)   5     171     111    60   .649
4.   Dale Layer (2001-07)         7    209    103   106   .493
5.   Boyd Grant (1988-91)         4     127     81     46    .638
6.   Tony McAndrews (1981-87) 7    200    80    120   .400
7.   Tim Miles (2007-2012)       5    159     71     88    .447
8.   Harry Hughes (1912-25)     14    139    60    79    .432
9.   Bill Strannigan (1951-54)     4     116     60    56    .517

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.

Coaches Shows Back at Lucky Joe's
• The Coors Light Basketball Coaches' Show is back again, hosted at Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon in Old Town Fort Collins. The show starts at 6 pm with women's coach Ryun Williams, followed by men's coach Larry Eustachy for the second half-hour. Remaining dates of the shows are:
• December: Monday, Dec. 11 and Wednesday, Dec. 20
• January: Mondays, Jan. 8, 15, 22 & 29
• February: Thursday, Feb. 8 and Mondays, Feb. 12 & 19
• March: Thursday, March 1

Rams Win Pair of Exhibition Contests
• The Colorado State men's basketball team hung on to a 83-79 exhibition victory versus Northern Colorado, Nov. 5. The Rams going into the final minute of play led by two points, but stalwart defense and hitting key free-throws allowed the Rams to put the game away.
• After Northern Colorado's Andre Spight hit a three to cut the CSU lead to just four at the three-minute mark, the teams traded a pair of scoreless possessions. The visiting Bears shrunk it to two with 47 seconds remaining, but CSU made a much-needed stop with 12 seconds on Che Bob's strip of the ball and the Rams connected on all four free throws in that final span to seal the win.
• The Rams trailed by seven points at the 11:17 mark of the first half but turned the tide in the contest, and took the lead in the contest five minutes later. Colorado State never trailed for the rest of the game.
• The Rams offensively had three players finish in double figures led by senior forward Che Bob who tallied 25 points on 9-of-15 field goals and six shots from the charity stripe while adding nine rebounds in his 35 minutes of play. J.D. Paige chipped in 18, knocking down two threes and going a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. The team outrebounded the Bears 39-38 during the night and Rams' center Nico Carvacho stayed on the boards all night for CSU pulling down 16.

• The Colorado State men's basketball team got their first preseason test of the 2017-18 season and came out with an 86-75 win over a determined Colorado Mesa squad, Nov. 3.
• After a one-point game at 18-17 midway through the first half, CSU gained some breathing space by finishing the period on a 30-16 run to lead 48-33 at the halftime break. The Rams got the advantage to as high as 23, but the Mavericks cut the margin to nine on three occasions in the final 10 minutes but could get no closer.
• CSU shot 41.3 percent (26-of-63) from the field in the game but was just 6-of-24 (25.0 percent) from the three-point arc. Colorado Mesa was 27-of-61 from the floor (44.3 percent) and hit 13-of-36 (36.1 percent) from the three. The Rams were solid at the charity stripe, converting 28 of 39 attempts (71.8 percent) as compared to CMU's 8-of-13 (61.5 percent). Colorado State outrebounded CMU, 46-32.
• Senior forward Che Bob led the CSU effort with 28 points and 13 rebounds, including making 14-of-18 at the free throw line. Redshirt-sophomore center Nico Carvacho also had a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds. Junior guard Prentiss Nixon had 16 points, 12 coming in the second half, while junior guard J.D. Paige and redshirt-sophomore guard Raquan Mitchell chipped in 12 and 10, respectively.

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. The Puerto Rico native tallied a career-high 37 points, with 30 in the second half and the game-winning layup with 3.8 seconds to play, at San Diego State. 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). He scored in double figures in all 16 MW games and 21 of 22 games played overall, averaging better than 19 points a game this season. He was the second Ram ever to be recognized as the conference player of the year, joining Mike Mitchell's recognition in 1990 when CSU was part of the Western Athletic Conference.
• 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. Under his leadership, Colorado State won seven straight conference games, also a new program record for consecutive MW victories. 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. The senior scored a career-high 24 points, with 17 coming in the final half, in the win at San Diego State, Jan. 28. He hit a 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left for the game-winner over San Diego State, Feb. 25. For his CSU career, Omogbo now has 26 double-doubles, which is eighth all-time on the MW career list.
• The pair's recognition on the Mountain West All-Defensive Team marked the fifth and sixth times that a CSU player has been named to the squad and fourth under Eustachy, as current Director of Player Development Pierce Hornung was selected in both 2012 and 2013.

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
• CSU has a record of 538-217 (.713) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams are 72-19 (.791) 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.

Road Improvements
• 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 26-34 (.433) on the road, above the national average of 32.4 percent.
• For comparison in 2015-16, the Rams were 6-11 in games away from Moby Arena.

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
• CSU will have 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.

Newcomers
• Robbie Berwick and Lorenzo Jenkins will see their first action for the Rams after sitting out last year due to NCAA D-I transfer rules. Transfers Raquan Mitchell and Deion James also will see their first playing time at Colorado State, along with true freshman Logan Ryan.

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.

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 94-30 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.

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 97-7 (40-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 102-7 (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 94-27 (40-14 MW) when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 97-24 (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 66-17 overall record.
• When the Rams shoot at least 45 percent from the floor, they are 64-6 (27-4 MW) in five years under Eustachy.
• Last year, CSU was 19-2 when leading at halftime, 22-2 when leading with five minutes remaining and 24-1 when ahead with two minutes to go.

Keeping the Possession
• CSU gave itself more opportunities to score in the last segment of the 2016-17 season through not giving the ball away.
• In the first 23 games of the year, the Rams turned the ball over 12.3 times per game and forcing 12.0, a net -0.3 and a 0.88 turnover-to-assist ratio.
• For the last 13 games played (10-3 record), CSU has turned it over 7.8 times per game (down 4.5), forced 10.9 turnovers a game, a net +3.1 on turnovers and a 1.55 turnover-to-assist ratio.

Nixon Does It All
• Sophomore Prentiss Nixon became an integral part of the CSU lineup this season.
• The guard averaged 13.2 points per game this year (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.
• Against Utah State Feb. 7, Nixon recorded career bests of seven rebounds and seven assists along with 11 points in the home victory over the Aggies.
• Nixon connected on a three-pointer with 3.6 seconds to play to give CSU a 78-76 win over Wyoming, Feb. 28, part of his team-best 23-point effort.
• Nixon has also been stellar on the defensive end of the floor, drawing a team-high 35 charges/offensive fouls this season and creating 27 steals, fourth on the team.
• 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.

Paige Wheels & Deals
• Redshirt-sophomore 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.

Young Guards Stepping Up Scoring
• Redshirt-sophomore J.D. Paige and sophomore 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.
• This past year, 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.

Carvacho Growing On the Floor
• Redshirt-freshman center Nico Carvacho showed his increased comfort level on the floor for the Rams.
• Carvacho had a breakout game at Colorado, Nov. 30, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbing 9 rebounds.
• Against Northern Colorado Dec. 10, he posted his first collegiate double-double of 13 points (5-of-6 FG) and 11 boards.
• He had 12 points on 5-of-7 FG and six rebounds at Fresno State, Jan. 18.
• The center tallied his third double-figure scoring game of the year with 10 points and eight rebounds in the win versus San Jose State, Jan. 25.
• In the win over Wyoming, Feb. 28, Carvacho posted his second double-double of his collegiate career with 10 points (3-3 FG) and 10 rebounds.
• Versus Air Force in the Mountain West Quarterfinals, Carvacho had 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
• He led the Rams at 53.7 percent (72-of-134) from the field and was third in rebounding (12th in the MW) at 5.7 per game.

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.

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.

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