CSU Opens Mountain West Action at Boise State, Dec. 27

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #14 - Colorado State (7-6, 0-0) at Boise State (10-2, 0-0)
December 27, 2017 • 7:30 p.m. MT • Taco Bell Arena (12,644) - Boise, Idaho

Video: CBS Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: John Sadak / Color Analyst: Jordan Cornette (DirectTV: 221, Dish Network: 158, Comcast Digital: 412 (HD))
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 opens Mountain West conference play on the road, traveling to Boise State, Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. MT. This is the third straight season that CSU has played its first road Mountain West game at Boise State.
•   The contest between the Rams and Broncos will be televised on CBS Sports Network, with John Sadak on the play-by-play and Jordan Cornette with the 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 1,247-1,237 (.502) in 2,484 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 118-66 (.641) record at CSU and 520-324 (.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.
•   Boise State Head Coach Leon Rice (Washington State, '86) is in his eighth season as leader of the Broncos and as a head coach overall with a 152-89 mark.

Scouting Boise State
• The Broncos enter MW play at 10-2 after suffering an 86-63 loss at SMU, Dec. 18.
•   Picked to finish third in the Mountain West, Boise State returns three starters and eight letterwinners from last year's team that finished 20-12, placed third in the Mountain West with a 12-6 record and advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
•   The Broncos are led by MW Preseason Player of the Year senior guard Chandler Hutchison, who lead Boise State in points (15.5 ppg), rebounds (8.5 rpg) and assists (45.). Sophomore guard Justinian Jessup is a shooting threat, as he is tops in three-pointers (44), three-point field goal percentage (.518) and free throw percentage (.889).

A Win Over Boise State Would...
•   Give CSU its first win in seven tries in games away from Fort Collins, with this the fifth true road game
•   Move Larry Eustachy within two wins of Stew Morrill for second on the CSU career coaching chart.

History Versus the Broncos
•    This will be the 20th meeting ever between the programs, with CSU holding a slim 10-9 lead. However, Boise State has won seven of the eight meetings in Boise.
• Boise State has taken the last two games, winning both last year in dramatic fashion. CSU had won the previous two, including the controversial double-overtime win in Moby Arena in Feb. 2016. Five of the last six meetings have had a final margin four points or less.
•    CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is 13-11 all-time against Boise State and 5-5 in his time in Fort Collins.
VS. BOISE STATE - 10-9
Conference: 4-7
Home: 8-2 / Away: 1-7 / Neutral: 1-0
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   78-31   42-10   32-17   4-4
Boise State   10-9   8-2   1-7   1-0
Fresno State   17-15   13-2   2-11   2-2
Nevada   9-10   5-2   4-7   0-1
New Mexico   46-75   33-25   12-48   1-2
San Diego State   41-40   26-11   13-25   2-4
San Jose State   15-0   7-0   6-0   2-0
UNLV   16-37   11-14   5-22   0-1
Utah State   38-53   28-18   10-34   0-1
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   362-404   224-139   123-246   15-19

Eustachy vs. MW at CSU (w/Tourney)
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   10-0   5-0   4-0   1-0
Boise State   5-5   4-1   0-4   1-0
Fresno State   8-4   4-0   2-3   2-1
Nevada   5-4   3-0   2-3   0-1
New Mexico   3-6   2-3   1-3   0-0
San Diego State   5-7   3-2   1-4   1-1
San José State   9-0   4-0   4-0   1-0
UNLV   6-4   5-0   1-3   0-1
Utah State   3-5   1-2   2-2   0-1
Wyoming   5-5   3-2   2-3   0-0
Totals   57-41   33-12   18-24   6-5

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.
Eustachy vs. Mountain West All-Time
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   10-0   5-0   4-0   1-0
Boise State   13-11   9-3   2-8   2-0
Colorado State   1-4   0-1   1-2   0-1
Fresno State   9-4   4-0   2-3   3-1
Nevada   14-11   9-1   4-9   1-1
New Mexico   4-6   3-2   1-4   0-0
San Diego State   6-8   3-2   1-4   2-2
San José State   14-3   7-1   6-1   1-1
UNLV   9-7   7-1   2-5   0-1
Utah State   3-5   1-2   2-2   0-14
Wyoming   6-7   3-2   2-4   1-1
Totals   89-66   51-15   27-42   11-9
Win Pct.   .574   .772   .391   .550

Mountain West Openers
• Since the formation of the Mountain West conference in 1999-2000, the CSU men's basketball team is 5-13 in Mountain West openers regardless of whether the opener is at home or on the road (4-7 at home, 1-6 on the road).

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.
• His 520 wins ties for 16th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and is tied for No. 55 all-time (list below)
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
54.   Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)   525
55.   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)   520
   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   520
57.   John Beilein (current Michigan)   519
58.   Rick Majerus (four schools)   517
59.   John Chaney (Temple)   516
60.   Mark Few (current Gonzaga)   513

• In his first season as the top man of the Rams' program, Eustachy became the first 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 520-324 (.616), 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   184   118   66   .641
4.   Dale Layer (2001-07)   7   209   103   106   .493
5.   Boyd Grant (1988-91)   4   127   81   46   .638

Non-Conference Highlights
•   CSU completed its non-conference slate with a winning record for the sixth time in six years under head coach Larry Eustachy.
•   CSU was undefeated in non-conference home games this season at 7-0.

CSU All-Time Vs. 2017-18 Opponents
       Overall   Home   Road   Neutral
Air Force   78-31   42-10   32-17   4-4
Arkansas   0-1   -   0-1   -
Arkansas-Fort Smith   4-0   4-0   -   -
Boise State   10-9   8-2   1-7   1-0
Colorado   38-89   28-36   9-53   1-0
Florida State   0-2   -   -   0-2
Fresno State   17-15   13-2   2-11   2-2
Long Beach State   3-2   2-1   1-1   -
Missouri State   1-1   -   0-1   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   1-9   0-1   0-5   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   2-0   2-0   -   -
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   425-511   271-177   136-309   18-25

Last Time Out...
•   Junior guard Prentiss Nixon connected on a well-guarded 28-foot three-pointer as time expired to lift Colorado State to a thrilling 68-66 victory over visiting Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
• The game came down to several dramatic possessions in the final minute of action. With CSU leading 64-61, Gabe Levin canned a triple for the 49ers to knot the game with 53 seconds to play. Nixon, who came into the game hitting almost 90 percent at the free throw line, was fouled on back-to-back possessions but only converted 1-of-4 attempts at the charity stripe, giving the Rams a one point lead and Long Beach the ball with 24 seconds to play. Deishaun Booker hit a reverse layup with 4.5 seonds remaining, setting up the final game winner. Nixon took the inbounds pass, dribbled hard down the court and pulled up well outside the line with a hand in his face, knocking down his second CSU career game-winner that sent the Moby Arena crowd into a holiday frenzy.
•   The Rams opened the game strong, leading 20-7 just under nine minutes into the game. But the visitors clamped down and closed the gap to three at the halftime break, 34-31. Long Beach State eventually took back the lead at 38-36 with 17:19 to play in the game, built the lead to as many as six on three occasions and held the lead until a 51-all tie with 8:24 remaining. For that final segment, no team led by more than three the rest of the way before CSU earned the win.
•   Colorado State finished the game shooting 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the field and just 65.2 percent (15-of-23) from the free throw line. Long Beach State ended at 40.3 percent (25-of-62) on field goal attempts and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) at the charity stripe. The Rams held a small advantage on the glass at 41-39 and forced 16 turnovers by the 49ers while giving up 13 of their own.
•   Nixon finished the game with 14 points, tying for team-high honors with junior forward Deion James, with the latter adding seven rebounds and a season-best three blocked shots. Senior forward Che Bob added his fifth double-double of the year with 13 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. Redshirt-junior guard J.D. Paige was the other CSU player in double figures with 11 points. Long Beach State was led by Temidayo Yussuf with 18 points, while Levin added 15, as the 49ers also had four players with 10 points or more.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

Last Year's Meetings With Boise State
• The Colorado State men's basketball team got off to a slow start against Boise State and was unable to overcome it in a 79-76 loss to the visiting Broncos, Jan. 31, 2017.
•   CSU struggled on both ends of the floor in the early going, trailing by as many as 14 just eight minutes into the first half at 21-7. The Broncos pushed the advantage to as many as 19 at 36-17 with 5:25 remaining in the opening period. From that point, CSU outscored BSU 23-7 to close the half and trail by three at the halftime break, 43-40. The Rams hit eight of their last nine shots to end the half and finished the first 20 minutes 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) from the 3-point arc.
•   The Rams had a hard time scoring in the second half, hitting just 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) from the floor in the final period. However, the hosts kept the deficit in single digits most of the final 20 minutes through good defense and rebounding. CSU cut it to four with 1:50 left in the game on a triple by redshirt-sophomore J.D. Paige and eventually got it to one at 73-72 on Paige's driving layup with 31 seconds to go. BSU hit two free throws with 26.7 seconds to take a three-point lead and a turnover on the ensuing possession all but sealed the game for the visitors, as they hit all their free throw attempts in the final segment.
•   CSU finished the game at 41.3 percent (26-of-63) on field goal attempts while Boise State was 47.2 percent (25-of-53). CSU was an impressive 12-of-24 (50.0 percent) from the 3-point line, while the Broncos were a solid 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from outside. Boise State got to the free throw line 26 times, hitting 20 of them, while the Rams were 12-of-15 (80.0 percent). The boards were close as CSU eeked out a 36-34 advantage.
•   Paige finished with a team-high 20 points and added five assists. Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo finished with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Gian Clavell added 15 points and nine rebounds with sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon chipping in 13 points and four assists. Paris Austin led Boise State with 25 points on the night, while James Reid had 18 on six 3-pointers.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

•   In its first road game of the Mountain West schedule, Colorado State could hold off the hosts in the final minute and fell at Boise State, 74-73, Dec. 31, 2016.
•   The two teams battled back and forth in the final 20 minutes as the game was tied at 69 with 2:17 to go in the game. On CSU's next possession, senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo put back a CSU miss for a two-point lead. A turnover and layup by the Broncos tied the game at 71 with 1:05 to play. The Rams could not score on their next chance but got the offensive rebound. Sophomore forward Braden Koelliker hit a fade away jumper as the shot clock expired to put the Rams up with 4.1 seconds to play. However, Chandler Hutchison drove the length of the floor and banked in a highly-guarded three-pointer as time expired for the victory.
•   Both teams got off to a good start shooting the ball as it was 10-9 CSU early on before the Broncos took a 3-point lead at 13-10 with 13:29 to go in the opening period. CSU then put a 7-0 run together to take the lead and Boise State tied it at 17. However, the Rams held the Broncos scoreless for almost five minutes and eventually took a 32-25 lead into the halftime break.
•   For the game, CSU shot just 22-of-56 (39.3 percent) while Boise State was 26-of-59 (44.1 percent). The free throw line was solid again for the Rams, as they were 21-of-25 (84.0 percent) as compared to 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) for the Broncos. Boise State won the boards, 39-37.
•   Senior guard Gian Clavell had 22 points, while Omogbo scored a career-high 22 points and added eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon added 10 for the Rams. Boise State was led by Hutchison with 20 points, while Paris Austin had 18. (See page 20 for complete box score)

Road Struggles
•   CSU has yet to find a win away from Moby Arena this year in six tries, four of them true road contests.
•   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.
•   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.
•   However under Eustachy, CSU is 26-38 (.406) 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.

Fall Semester Wrapped Up
•   The Rams concluded the fall semester of classes in a solid way with a team GPA of better than 2.5.
•   All student-athletes also have met NCAA and CSU standards for eligibility, including progress towards degree requirements.

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
•   CSU has a record of 545-217 (.715) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams are 79-19 (.806) under Larry Eustachy in games played at Moby Arena, including this year's 7-0 mark.
• 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.

Thrilling Finishes A Regular
• In the last 16 regular season games, the Rams have won on shots in the final five seconds three times.
•    Last year, CSU defeated San Diego State and Wyoming in back-to-back games on its final possession, as Emmanuel Omogbo and Prentiss Nixon hit game-winning threes in the final two regular season home games of 2016-17.
•    Recently, Nixon hit a 28-foot triple as time expired to lift the Rams to a 68-66 win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23, 2017.

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 100-33 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 nine times, including six of the seven victories.

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 104-7 (40-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 109-7 (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 101-30 (40-14 MW) when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 104-27 (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 71-19 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 the last two seasons.
•    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 then-career-high 30 points against Kansas State and surpassed his high from 2015-16 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 but returned to the lineup with 20 points at Missouri State, Nov. 28.
•   Recently, he scored a career-high 31 points on 8-of-13 field goal attempts (5-of-8 three pointers) and 10-of-11 free throws along with four rebounds at Arkansas, Dec. 5. He then followed it up with 25 at Oregon, Dec. 8.
•    In double-figure scoring 11 of 12 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.8 points per game and has hit a team-best 34 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in eight games this season.
•   With 837 career points, if he averages 15.0 points per game from this point on, he will surpass the 1,000 point mark against Wyoming at home on Jan. 31.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 26 offensive fouls (a season-high four at Oregon) in his first 12 games along with grabbing 16 steals. Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.
Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Points Per Game   17.8   5th   126th
3-Pt FG Per Game   2.83   5th   80th
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts   96   1st   44th
Free-Throw Percentage   85.0   5th   113th
Free Throws Made   51   7th   123rd
3-Pt FG Percentage   35.4   5th   147th
Minutes Per Game   33:45   3rd   146th

Bob Learning the Ropes
• Junior Che (said CHAY not SHAY) Bob is figuring out ways to contribute to the Rams' effort in all phases.
•   Getting the start in nine of 13 games played this year, Bob is averaging 10.4 points per game (third for CSU) and 8.4 rebounds per contest (fifth in the Mountain West).
•   Bob had a streak of four straight games with a double-double (five total in his CSU career), with the performance of 13 points and 12 boards at Missouri State, Nov. 28. He added the sixth of his career with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
•   He tied a career high with 21 points at New Mexico State, Nov. 24, including connecting on seven free throws and a pair of three pointers.
•   In the win over Colorado Dec. 2, Bob scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.

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 the last two years.
•   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, 2017.
•   This season, Paige picked up a season-high 19 points versus Northwestern State (11/24).
•   He tied for team-high honors with 16 points and earned a career-best seven boards in the win over Colorado, Dec. 2.
•   With his recent performances, Paige is now averaging an improved 10.2 points per game, fourth on the team and has a team-high 2.5 assists per game.

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 17.8 points per game and Paige is fourth at 10.2 per contest.

James Starting To Make Impact
•   Junior forward Deion James is getting more comfortable on the court in his first year at CSU, and the stats show it.
•   James is second on the team in scoring at 10.7 points and third in rebounding at 4.8 boards, while shooting 51.5 percent on his field goal attempts and 76.9 percent at the line.
•   He has scored in double figures seven times and grabbed five or more boards on seven occasions.
•   He tallied a season-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win over Arkansas-Fort Smith, Dec. 19.
•   He recently scored 14 points and had seven boards in the win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
•   In CSU's seven wins, his numbers go up as he is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds 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.
•   For 13 games, the Rams have shot 71.1 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 70.3 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line 55 more times total than its foes, making 209 as compared to just 239 attempts combined for the opponents.

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 have seen their first playing time at Colorado State after sitting out last year due to NCAA Division I transfer rules. Transfers junior Deion James and redshirt-sophomore Raquan Mitchell as well as freshman Logan Ryan join the program and have contributed in the early going.
•   However, the Rams combine for just 7.5 seasons of NCAA Division I experience to start the season, four of those coming from juniors J.D. Paige and Prentiss Nixon.

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 continues on the road in Mountain West play, traveling to San Jose State, Sat., Dec. 30 at 3 pm MT.
•   The contest between the Rams and Broncos will be televised on the Mountain West Network.
•   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.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results