CSU Plays At Wyoming Jan. 13 In Season's First Installment Of the Border War

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #19 - Colorado State (9-9, 2-3) at Wyoming (11-6, 2-2)
January 13, 2018 • 2 p.m. MT • Arena-Auditorium (11,445) - Laramie, Wyo.

Video: CBS Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Rick Waltz / Color Analyst: Pete Gillen
Colorado State Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Brian Roth / Color Analyst: Adam Nigon (TuneIn App available for download)
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 finishes up the current road trip with the first installment of this year's Border War, traveling to Laramie to take on Wyoming, Sat., Jan. 13 at 2 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Cowboys will be televised on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz on the play-by-play and Pete Gillen on 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. The audio broadcast of the game is also available through the TuneIn app, available on all platforms.

Rams Quick Hits
• The 2017-18 season marks the 116th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,249-1,240 (.502) in 2,489 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 120-69 (.635) record at CSU and 522-327 (.615) 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.
•   Wyoming Head Coach Allen Edwards (Kentucky, '98) is in his second season as leader of the Cowboys and as a head coach overall with a 34-21 mark.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 227th meeting ever between the two schools (the longest rivalry in CSU history), with Wyoming leading 134-92, including 75-38 in Laramie. However, CSU swept the two meetings last year by a combined seven points, including the thrilling 78-76 win in Fort Collins on Prentiss Nixon's buzzer beating three-pointer.
•    CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is 6-7 all-time against Wyoming, including 5-5 while at Colorado State. Eustachy has coached CSU to two wins in five games at the Arena-Auditorium.
•    Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 364-407, including 125-247 in road arenas. Head coach Larry Eustachy is 91-69 overall in his career against the MW, including 29-43 on road floors.
WYOMING - 92-134
(Conference: 65-115)
Home: 51-55 / Away: 38-75 / Neutral: 3-4
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 15)

Eustachy vs. Wyoming
Overall: 6-7 (5-5 at CSU)
(Home 3-2 / Away 2-4 / Neutral 1-1)
Date   Loc   Coached   W/L   Score
12/29/93   N   Utah State   L-ot   69-73
12/21/96   N   Utah State   W   73-72
12/3/97   A   Utah State   L   61-67
2/2/13   H   Colorado State   W   65-46
3/6/13   A   Colorado State   W   78-56
2/22/14   H   Colorado State   W   82-67
3/8/14   A   Colorado State   L   75-83
1/7/15   H   Colorado State   L   54-60
2/4/15   A   Colorado State   L   48-59
1/30/16   A   Colorado State   L   76-83
2/20/16   H   Colorado State   L   66-84
2/14/17   A   Colorado State   W   78-73
2/28/17   H   Colorado State   W   78-76

A Win Over Wyoming Will...
•   Move CSU to 93-134 all time in the series, including 39-75 in Laramie.
•   Give Larry Eustachy his 121st win in six seasons at CSU, tying Stew Morrill for second on CSU's all-time wins chart, and the 523rd of his 27-year career overall.

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 121-162 (.428) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
•   Head coach Larry Eustachy is 54-39 (.581) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 59-44 (.572) 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   17-16   13-3   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   41-41   26-12   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   39-53   28-18   11-34   0-1
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   364-407   224-141   125-247   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   8-5   4-1   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   5-8   3-3   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   4-5   1-2   3-2   0-1
Wyoming   5-5   3-2   2-3   0-0
Totals   59-44   33-13   20-24   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   9-5   4-1   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   6-9   3-3   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   4-5   1-2   3-2   0-14
Wyoming   6-7   3-2   2-4   1-1
Totals   91-69   51-17   29-43   11-9

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 522 wins ranks 17th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and tied for 56th all-time (list below).
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
54.   Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)   525
55.   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   523
56.   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)   522
   John Beilein (current Michigan)   522
58.   Rick Majerus (four schools)   517
   Mark Few (current Gonzaga)   517
60.   John Chaney (Temple)   516

• 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 522-327 (.615), 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   189   120   69   .635
4.   Dale Layer (2001-07)   7   209   103   106   .493
5.   Boyd Grant (1988-91)   4   127   81   46   .638

Game Time Change
•   CSU's road contest at New Mexico in The Pit on Jan. 27 has been changed to a 7 p.m. tipoff to accommodate ESPN3 in their broadcast of the game.

Last Time Out...
•   The Colorado State men's basketball team picked up their second road win of Mountain West action and ended Utah State's five-game home winning streak with an 84-75 victory in Logan, Jan. 10.
•   The two teams went at it in the early going with both teams taking small leads, with the tie at 18 apiece with 8:59 to play in the game. Utah State took a 22-20 lead on a pair of Dwayne Brown free throws, but a three by senior forward Che Bob put CSU up 23-22, an advantage that the Rams wouldn't give up the rest of the half as the visitors eventually led 41-31 at the halftime break. Rams built the lead on 50.0 percent (15-of-30) shooting in the opening half, including 4-of-8 from the three-point arc. CSU also was solid defensively, limiting Utah State to just 37.0 percent (10-of-27) from the floor and 23.5 percent (4-of-17) behind the line.
•   CSU came out strong to start the final 20 minutes, scoring the first seven points of the period to push the margin to 17. The Rams used strong defense and solid offense to get the lead to as many as 22 at 60-38 with 14:31 remaining. Known for second-half comebacks this year, Utah State battled and chipped it down to 10 at 66-56 with 6:01 to play. However, junior guard Prentiss Nixon took over with back-to-back three-pointers, a steal and a pair of free throws to push it back to a 15-point advantage just after the final media timeout. The Aggies kept coming but CSU had the answers down the stretch before settling for the nine-point win.
•   For the game, Colorado State shot 46.3 percent (25-of-54), including 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from the three-point arc. Utah State finished at 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the floor and 34.4 percent (11-of-32) from outside the line. The Rams were stellar at the free throw line, hitting 26-of-33 attempts (78.8 percent) while the Aggies were just 61.5 percent (16-of-26). The teams tied at 35 in the battle of the boards.
•   Nixon finished with 26 points, 22 coming in the second half, on 8-of-14 field goals, 4-of-6 three-pointers and six free throw attempts. Bob finished with 19 points, his second highest of the year, while redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho had his second straight double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds along with four assists. Sam Merrill led Utah State with 18, with Daron Henson and Koby McEwen adding 12 and 11, respectively.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

Last Year Versus Wyoming
•   Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon hit the game-winning three-pointer with 3.6 seconds left on the clock to give the Colorado State Rams and 7,883 fans a 78-76 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys, Feb. 28. It was the Rams' seventh straight win and 10th in the last 11 games.
•   Neither team could seem to miss in the first stanza, as the Rams and Cowboys shot 63 percent (20-of-32) and 59 percent (16-of-27), respectively. A three pointer by sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon to end the half gave him 18 points in the period and sent the Rams to the locker room with a 48-41 lead.
•   The Rams maintained a comfortable lead throughout the majority of the second half, before a ferocious Wyoming comeback, capped off by a three-point basket from Justin James with 17 seconds remaining, resulting in the Rams trailing by two. With senior guard Gian Clavell on the bench after fouling out with just over a minute to play, Nixon took the game into his hands on the Rams' final possession and hit the dagger three-pointer with 3.6 seconds left on the clock.
•   Colorado State had an efficient night offensively, shooting an impressive 51.7 percent (30-of-58) for the game including 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from deep. The Rams committed just six turnovers on the night, and pulled down seven offensive rebounds, led by redshirt-freshman Nico Carvacho's four. Wyoming shot well too, hitting 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the floor, including 40.0 percent (12-of-30) from the three-point line.
•   Senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo recorded his 13th double-double in conference play to become the Mountain West's all-time leader in the category. His 13-point, 12-rebound performance moved him ahead of current San Antonio Spurs superstar Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State) and Ryan Watkins (Boise State) for sole possession.
•   Nixon led the Rams with 23 points, while Clavell and Carvacho rounded out the Rams' double-digit scorers with 17 and 10 points, respectively. Carvacho's scoring, paired with 10 rebounds, gave him his second career double-double. Sophomore guard Justin James from Wyoming was the game's leading scorer with 24 points.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

• In the first of two meetings over the next two weeks, Colorado State went into hostile territory and escaped with a 78-73 victory over host Wyoming, Feb. 14.
• The Rams scored the first five points of the game on a jumper by senior guard Gian Clavell and a triple from sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon. Wyoming came back and tied it at 14 and 19. Sophomore forward Braden Koelliker knocked down back-to-back three pointers to push the lead back out to six at 25-19, but the Cowboys battled back with a 9-2 run to take their only lead of the game at 28-27 with just under seven minutes to play in the opening period. With both teams shooting well in the opening 20 minutes, CSU reclaimed the lead on the next possession on a jumper by redshirt-sophomore J.D. Paige and eventually built an eight-point halftime advantage at 41-33.
•   Wyoming came out in the second half strong, cutting the margin to four in the opening minute of play on a pair of baskets by Jeremy Lieberman. The Rams lead dwindled to two at 47-45, but CSU used a 9-1 run over a four-minute span to build their biggest lead of the game at 56-46 with 12:05 to go. The hosts cut into the lead and eventually got it down to one at 69-68 on Jason McManamen's 3-pointer with 2:40 to go. After single free throws by each team made it 70-69, Clavell drove the lane with 40 seconds to go, dished it to Nixon in the corner and the guard canned a three to make it a four-point game. Wyoming continued to make buckets late, but Nixon was outstanding at the free throw line in the final 15 seconds, hitting all four attempts to seal the win for CSU.
• The Rams finished the game shooting 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the floor, including 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from the 3-point line. Wyoming was held to just 35.9 percent (23-of-64) from the field and 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from beyond the arc. The Rams went to the free-throw line 34 times but could only hit 21 (61.8 percent) while WYO was 17-of23 (73.9 percent) at the stripe. CSU won the battle of the boards, 45-42, and outscored the Cowboys 11-7 on second-chance points.
• Clavell led the Rams in scoring with 20 points and added 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Omogbo recorded a double-double with 19 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, while Nixon tallied 16 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Wyoming was led by Justin James with 23 points, while Alan Herndon had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
(See page 21 for complete box score)

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. Most recently, the Rams added a win at Utah State, Jan. 10, for back-to-back Mountain West road victories.
•   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 28-39 (.418) 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.

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
•   CSU has a record of 545-219 (.713) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams are 79-21 (.790) under Larry Eustachy in games played at Moby Arena, including this year's 7-2 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.

More Reasons to Love Home Games
•   The Rams definitely enjoy the friendly confines of Moby Arena, and the stats bear it out.
•   At home, CSU shoots .417 from the floor, 12 percentage points better than their opponents and outrebound the visitors by an average of 4.6 boards a game.
•   On the road, the Rams shoot just 39.5 percent from the field, down 2.2 percent and the opponents hit at 50.2 percent while outrebounding visiting CSU by 3.6 caroms a contest.

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 21 regular season games, the Rams have won on shots in the final five seconds three times and played one overtime contest.
•    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 nine 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 106-7 (42-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 111-7 (47-4 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 103-30 (42-14 MW) when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 106-27 (46-12 MW) when opponent commits more fouls overall.
•   When Colorado State forces more turnovers than it gives up, the good guys have posted a 73-20 overall record.
•   When the Rams shoot at least 45 percent from the floor, they are 66-6 (28-4 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 16 of 17 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 18.0 points per game and has hit a team-best 48 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 12 games this season.
•   With 930 career points, if he averages 18.0 points per game from this point on, he will surpass the 1,000 point mark at San Diego State on Jan. 24.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 41 offensive fouls (a season-high five against Fresno State, Jan. 6) in his first 17 games along with grabbing a team-best 24 steals (career-high four in the win at Utah State, Jan. 10). Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.

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 14 of 18 games played this year, Bob is averaging 9.9 points per game (third for CSU) and 7.7rebounds per contest (seventh 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 22 points versus San Diego State (1/2), making a career-high field goals.
•   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 10.0 points per game, second on the team and has a team-high 2.6 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 fourth on the team in scoring at 9.3 points and third in rebounding at 4.2 boards, while shooting 46.6 percent on his field goal attempts and 76.2 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 eight wins he played in, his numbers go up as he is averaging 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

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 the leader on the glass for CSU with 151 boards (61 offensive) in the first 18 games. His 8.4 boards per game average ranks fifth in the Mountain West.
•   He had his third career double-double with 11 points and a career-best 20 boards in the home win over Winthrop, Nov. 14.
•   He tallied a season-high 12 points with a team-high five boards at Oregon, Dec. 8.
•   Recently, he posted another double-double with 10 points, 19 rebounds (one off his career high) and a career-best tying four blocks against Fresno State, Jan. 6.
•   In the win at Utah State, Jan. 10, Carvacho had 10 points, a game-high 15 rebounds for his second straight double-double and a career-high four assists.

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 18 games, the Rams have shot 72.4 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 68.1 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line 56 more times total than its foes, making 286 as compared to just 339 attempts combined for the opponents.

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   17-16   13-3   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   41-41   26-12   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   39-53   28-18   11-34   0-1
Winthrop   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   427-513   271-179   138-309   18-25

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:
•   January: Mondays, Jan. 15, 22 & 29
•   February: Thursday, Feb. 8 and Mondays, Feb. 12 & 19
•   March: Thursday, March 1

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.
•   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 comes back home for the next two games, starting with in-state rival Air Force on Wed., Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Falcons will be televised on AT&T SportsNet with Drew Goodman on the play-by-play and Sed Bonner on the analysis.
•   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.
•   CSU Sports Network broadcasts can be also accessed on mobile devices through the Tune In app (free app  - available on all Apple, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Amazon Kindle devices) – once app has downloaded, then search "Colorado St. Rams Sports Network" in the app for the games and coaches' show broadcasts.

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