CSU Opens 2018 Hosting San Diego State, Jan. 2.

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #16 - Colorado State (8-7, 1-1) vs. San Diego State (9-4, 1-1)
January 2, 2018 • 7 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,745) - Fort Collins, Colo.

Video: CBS Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Carter Blackburn / Color Analyst: Pete Gillen (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 returns home to start 2018, hosting San Diego State, Tue., Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.
• The contest between the Rams and Aztecs will be televised on the CBS Sports Network, with Carter Blackburn handling play-by-play and former Virginia head coach Pete Gillen 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 1,248-1,238 (.502) in 2,486 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 119-67 (.640) record at CSU and 521-325 (.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.
•   San Diego State Head Coach Brian Dutcher (Minnesota, '82) is in his first season as leader of the Spartans and as a head coach overall with a 9-4 mark.

Scouting San Diego State
• The Aztecs enter the game at 9-4 and 1-1 the Mountain West following a 79-59 win over Utah State, Dec. 30
•   Picked to finish second in the Mountain West, San Diego State returns three starters, including Preseason All-MW senior guard Trey Kell, and six letterwinners from last year's team that finished 19-14 and 9-9 in the Mountain West to finish sixth.
•   The Aztecs are led by junior transfer guard Devin Watson, who paces the squad in points (13.2) and minutes (30.9) per game, along with assists (46) and steals (19). Senior forward Malik Pope leads SDSU in rebounds (7.1), blocks (13) and three-point field goal percentage (.381).

A Win Over San Diego State Would...
•   Improve the Rams home winning streak to eight games and regular-season home win streak to 12.
•   Move Larry Eustachy within one win of Stew Morrill for second on the CSU career coaching chart.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 82nd meeting ever between the two schools, with CSU holding a slight 41-40 lead in the overall series. Last year, the two teams met three times, with the Rams taking all three meetings, including last second game winners in both regular season games and then an eight-point win in the MW Semifinals.
•    CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is just 6-8 all-time against San Diego State, including 5-7 at CSU.
•    Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 363-405 and 224-139 at home. Head coach Larry Eustachy is 90-67 overall in his career against the MW, including 51-15 in home contests.

VS. SAN DIEGO STATE - 41-40
(Conference: 38-36)
Home: 26-11 / Away: 13-25 / Neutral: 2-4
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

Eustachy vs. San Diego State
Overall: 6-8 (5-7 at CSU)
(Home 3-2 / Away 1-4 / Neutral 2-2)
Date   Loc   Coached   W/L   Score
12/6/97   N   Utah State   W   64-61
11/20/05   N   Southern Miss   L   51-79
1/12/13   A   Colorado State   L-ot   72-79
2/13/13   H   Colorado State   W   66-60
1/1/14   H   Colorado State   L   61-71
2/1/14   A   Colorado State   L   56-65
1/24/15   H   Colorado State   W   79-73
2/14/15   A   Colorado State   L   63-72
3/13/15   N   Colorado State   L   43-56
1/13/16   H   Colorado State   L   62-69
2/2/16   A   Colorado State   L   67-69
1/28/17   A   Colorado State   W   78-77
2/25/17   H   Colorado State   W   56-55
3/10/17   N   Colorado State   W   71-63

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 120-160 (.429) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
•   Head coach Larry Eustachy is 53-37 (.589) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 58-42 (.580) including tournament games.
CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   78-31   42-10   32-17   4-4
Boise State   10-10   8-2   1-8   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   16-0   7-0   7-0   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   363-405   224-139   124-247   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   5-6   4-1   0-5   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   10-0   4-0   5-0   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   58-42   33-12   19-24   6-5

Eustachy vs. Mountain West All-Time
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   10-0   5-0   4-0   1-0
Boise State   13-12   9-3   2-9   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   15-3   7-1   7-1   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   90-67   51-15   28-43   11-9
Win Pct.   .573   .772   .394   .550

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 521 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)   521
   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   521
57.   John Beilein (current Michigan)   520
58.   Rick Majerus (four schools)   517
59.   John Chaney (Temple)   516
60.   Mark Few (current Gonzaga)   515

• 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 521-325 (.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   186   119   67   .640
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   16-0   7-0   7-0   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   426-511   271-177   137-309   18-25

Last Time Out...
•   Colorado State rallied from a 15-point deficit and escaped with a 59-52 victory at San Jose State, Dec. 30, for its first road win of the season.
•   Trailing by 11 at the break and by 14 after the opening possession of the second half, CSU kept the gap from growing during the first 11 minutes of the second half. Down 10 with just under nine to play, the Rams finally caught fire from the three-point arc, with three pointers on three straight possessions, with sophomore guard Lorenzo Jenkins kicking it off on a feed from junior guard Prentiss Nixon, followed by a Nixon triple from redshirt-sophomore guard Robbie Berwick and then Jenkins again to make it a one-point game. After a SJSU layup, CSU finally tied it on a Nixon triple and then took the lead for good on a pair of Berwick free throws with 5:31 to play, capping a 14-2 run over a 3:23 span. While the margin shrunk to one, CSU finished off the win with four made free throws in the final minute of play.
•   San Jose State took the lead from the outset on a three by Noah Baumann and built the lead to as many as 15 in the opening half. CSU struggled offensively in the opening 20 minutes, going just 6-of-27 from the field and 1-of-11 from the three-point line, including not hitting a field goal for the final 9:34 of the opening stanza. The Rams hung in the game by forcing nine Spartan turnovers, though the hosts still built their 11-point halftime lead by shooting 52.0 percent (13-of-25) from the field in the first half.
•   Colorado State finished the game at 35.2 percent (19-of-54) from the field and 34.8 percent (8-of-23) from the three-point line. CSU was also 76.5 percent (13-of-17) at the free throw line. San Jose State finished at 45.7 percent (21-of-46) from the field and 35.0 percent (7-of-20) behind the arc. The Spartans won the battle of the boards 37-29, but CSU held a slight advantage in second chance points, 9-3. The Rams also forced 23 Spartan turnovers and turned them into a 26-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
•   Nixon led all scorers with 19 points while adding two assists and two steals. Redshirt-sophomore center Nico Carvacho was the other Ram in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals. SJSU was led by Ryan Welage with 16 points, while Baumann chipped in 14.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

Last Year Versus San Diego State
•   For the third time in three meetings in 2016-17, No. 2 Colorado State rallied from 13 points down and defeated No. 6 San Diego State, this time 71-63, in 2017 Mountain West Championship semifinals at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, March 10. The Rams advanced to the MW Championship game for the first time under head coach Larry Eustachy.
•   Down eight early in the second half, Colorado State continued to claw back from the deficit and eventually tied it at 52 on a 3-pointer from redshirt-sophomore guard J.D. Paige with 7:11 and took their first lead of the game on a jumper by sophomore Prentiss Nixon with just over six minutes to play. The Aztecs had an immediate answer, but senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo canned a three from the left corner to again give CSU the lead, this time for good. San Diego State trimmed it to one on two SDSU free throws, but back-to-back threes by senior guard Gian Clavell and Paige pushed the Ram lead to seven with just under three minutes to play and it never got closer than five the rest of the way.
•   San Diego State scored the first five points of the game and opened the contest on a 12-2 run in the first five minutes. The Aztecs built as much as a 13-point lead in the first six minutes before CSU clawed its way back into the game, eventually tying it at 30 with just over two minutes to play in the half. SDSU closed the period on a 6-0 run and led 36-30 at the halftime break.
•   Colorado State finished the game at 46.8 percent (22-of-47) from the field, including 50.0 percent (13-of-26) in the final period. San Diego State was held to 40.7 percent (24-of-59) on its field goal attempts, but were limited to just 33.3 percent (9-of-27) in the second half. The Rams connected on 20-of-25 free throw attempts (80.0 percent), making 11-of-12 in the last 20 minutes. The teams tied on the boards at 32.
•   Clavell finished with a game-high 21 points, while Omogbo recorded his 19th double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Nixon added 16 as well, along with a season-high tying seven rebounds, and Paige chipped in 11 points. SDSU was led by Malik Pope with 18 points, while Trey Kell had 15.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

• Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo knocked down the game-winning three-pointer with less than five seconds to play, propelling Colorado State men's basketball to a 56-55 Mountain West victory over visiting San Diego State, Feb. 25. The Rams won their sixth straight win and ninth in their last 10 games.
• With just under four minutes remaining in the contest, the Rams tied the game at 50 on senior guard Gian Clavell's three-pointer. The two teams exchanged baskets, and with 2:20 left, sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon made one of two free throws to give CSU its first lead of the game at 53-52. San Diego State regained the lead with a Dakari Allen layup and made free-throw to give the visitors a two-point advantage with 23 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, CSU had one chance blocked out of bounds with just over nine seconds remaining to set up the final dramatic bucket, as SDSU was unable to connect on a desperation shot at the final buzzer.
•   Both teams had a slow start with neither team scoring until two minutes into the contest. SDSU broke the early drought and went on a 10-2 run, holding the lead the entire first half. The Aztecs later went on a 12-1 run over a 4:25 span to take its biggest lead of the game at 28-15 with 5:38 to play. Struggling from the field, the Rams were stalwart in their defense, liming the visitors to just one basket in the last five minutes of the half and trailed 33-21 at the intermission. The Aztecs were solid from the floor in the opening period, shooting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) while the Rams were just 28.6 percent (8-of-28), including 1-of-12 from the three-point arc.
•   The Rams opened the second half on a 9-1 run to start to close the gap from halftime to just four at 34-30, using their stifling defense to force the Aztecs to miss their first nine shots. SDSU pushed advantage back to as many as nine with its 8-3 run, but the hosts kept chipping away to set up the late-game drama.
•   For the game, CSU shot 31.7 percent (19-of-60) from the field, including 23.3 percent (7-of-30) from behind the three-point line. SDSU was 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from the floor and 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from the arc. The Rams won the boards, 45-37, and converted 20 offensive rebounds into an 18-9 advantage in second-chance points. CSU also went to the line 15 times, hitting 11 of them, as compared to SDSU's six makes on just seven attempts.
•   Clavell led all scorers with 18 points and made it a double-double with 10 rebounds and added a career-best three blocks and four steals. Omogbo had 11 points, including his first collegiate game-winner, and 11 rebounds, while Nixon chipped in 10 points. Redshirt-freshman forward Nico Carvacho had six points and 10 rebounds. Allen led three Aztecs in double figures with 12 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

• Senior guard Gian Clavell's driving layup with 3.8 seconds remaining lifted Colorado State's men's basketball team to a thrilling 78-77 victory at defending Mountain West regular-season champion San Diego State, Jan. 28. This was the Rams' first win in San Diego since 2003.
•   CSU trailed by as many as 13 with 16:16 to play, but chipped away and got the deficit down to just 1 at 50-49 just five minutes later. From there, SDSU bounced the lead back to as many as six before the visitors were able to tie it up at 64 on a 3-pointer from senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo. The teams were again tied at 66 before Clavell refused to be denied in the final minutes, scoring CSU's final 12 points of the game, missing just a single field goal attempt down the stretch. The Rams led by as many as four at 76-72 with 1:31 to play, but the Aztecs took their final lead of the game with 10.1 seconds left on a pair of Trey Kell free throws, setting up the late game drama for the victory.
•   The two teams went back and forth in the first half, as there were five ties and six lead changes when the Rams took a 23-22 lead. However, the host Aztecs closed the last four minutes of the half on an 11-0 run and took a 33-23 advantage into the halftime break.
•   CSU hit 45.9 percent (28-of-61) of its shots, including a blistering 61.3 percent (19-of-31) in the second half. San Diego State finished at 44.8 percent (26-of-58) on its field goal attempts. The Rams connected on 7-of-8 from the three-point arc in the second half to finish 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) for the game while the Aztecs were just 6-of-22 (27.3 percent). Free throws were again a key for CSU, as the Rams were 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) from the charity stripe.
•   The Rams were led by their seniors Clavell and Omogbo, who combined for 61 points on the day. Clavell scored a career-high 37 points, including going 11-of-14 from the floor in the second half, and added eight rebounds and two blocks. Omogbo also had a career high with 24 points, including a career-best four 3-pointers, while chipping in a game-high nine rebounds and three assists. SDSU had five players in double figures, led by Mailk Pope's 19 points.
(See page 21 for complete box score)

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.

Road Struggles
•   CSU picked up its first win away from Moby Arena this year in eight tries, six of them true road contests, with the victory at San Jose State, Dec. 30.
•   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 27-39 (.409) 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.

Thrilling Finishes A Regular
• In the last 18 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 CSU 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 eight wins.

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 105-7 (41-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 110-7 (46-4 MW) when leading with two minutes to go.
•   The 22-point loss at Boise State, Dec. 27, 2017 was a rarity, as it was just the third time that a Eustachy-led CSU team lost to a MW foe by more than 15 points (16-3 in his six years in MW games decided by 16 points or more).
•   The Rams are 102-30 (41-14 MW) when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 105-27 (45-12 MW) when opponent commits more fouls overall.
•   When Colorado State forces more turnovers than it gives up, the good guys have posted a 72-19 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 13 of 14 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.7 points per game and has hit a team-best 40 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 10 games this season.
•   With 872 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 32 offensive fouls (a season-high four at Oregon) in his first 14 games along with grabbing 18 steals. Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.
Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Points Per Game   17.7   5th   124th
3-Pt FG Per Game   2.86   3rd   73rd
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts   112   1st   30th
Free-Throw Percentage   85.3   3rd   99th
Free Throws Made   58   6th   111th
3-Pt FG Percentage   35.7   5th   146th
Minutes Per Game   33:42   3rd   144th

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 11 of 15 games played this year, Bob is averaging 9.7 points per game (third for CSU) and 8.1 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 9.1 points per game, fourth on the team and has a team-high 2.5 assists per game.

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 10.8 points and third in rebounding at 4.6 boards, while shooting 50.0 percent on his field goal attempts and 77.5 percent at the line.
•   He has scored in double figures eight times and grabbed five or more boards on eight 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 he played in, 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 72.5 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 69.4 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line 62 more times total than its foes, making 237 as compared to just 265 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.

Looking Ahead
•   Colorado State completes the two-game homestand when it hosts Fresno State, Sat., Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Bulldogs will be televised on the CBS Sports 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.

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