CSU Back At Moby Arena To Host Air Force, Jan. 17 at 7 pm

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #20 - Colorado State (10-9, 3-3) vs. Air Force (7-10, 1-4)
January 17, 2018 • 7 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,745) - Fort Collins, Colo.

Video: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain -- Play-by-Play: Drew Goodman / Color Analyst: Sed Bonner
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: KOCO 92.9 FM (Longmont)/ 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), KKVT 100.3 FM (Rifle),/97.1 FM (Delta)

Opening Tip
•   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.
•   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 1,250-1,240 (.502) in 2,490 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 121-69 (.637) record at CSU and 523-327 (.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.
•   Air Force Head Coach Dave Pilipovich (Thiel, '86) is in his sixth season as leader of the Falcons and as a head coach overall with a 79-104 mark.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 110th meeting ever between the two schools with CSU leading the series 78-31, including 42-10 in Fort Collins. The Rams won both of last year's meetings, winning in Fort Collins during the regular season and then handling Air Force in the Mountain West Tournament quarterfinals after the Falcons upset Wyoming in the first round.
•   CSU has won the last 12 meetings and 15 of the last 16 times the teams have played. The last loss for CSU in the series came on Feb. 26, 2011 in Clune Arena, as Air Force won decisively, 74-57.
•   CSU has also won the last nine in Moby Arena, with the most recent defeat on Feb. 23, 2008, with the Falcons earning a 61-59 victory.
•   CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is 10-0 all-time against Air Force, all of it coming at Colorado State. Eustachy has coached CSU to wins in all five matchups in Moby Arena
•    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.

AIR FORCE - 78-31
(Conference: 53-20)
Home: 42-10 / Away 32-17 / Neutral 4-4
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 15)

Eustachy vs. Air Force
Overall: 10-0 (10-0 at CSU)
(Home 5-0 / Away 4-0 / Neutral 1-0)
Date   Loc   Coached   W/L   Score
1/16/13   H   Colorado State   W   79-40
2/16/13   A   Colorado State   W   89-86
1/18/14   H   Colorado State   W   74-68
2/8/14   A   Colorado State   W   68-56
1/10/15   A   Colorado State   W   92-87
2/21/15   H   Colorado State   W   66-53
1/20/16   A   Colorado State   W   83-79
3/5/16   H   Colorado State   W   87-73
1/7/17   H   Colorado State   W   85-58
3/9/17   N   Colorado State   W   81-55

A Win Over Air Force Will...
•   Move CSU to 79-31 all time in the series, including 43-10 at home.
•   End the Rams' two-game home losing skid and improve the current win streak to three.
•   Give Larry Eustachy his 122nd win in six seasons at CSU, passing Stew Morrill for second on CSU's all-time wins chart, and the 524th of his 27-year career overall.

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 122-162 (.430) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
•   Head coach Larry Eustachy is 55-39 (.585) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 60-44 (.576) 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   93-134   51-55   39-75   3-4
Totals   365-407   224-141   126-247   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   6-5   3-2   3-3   0-0
Totals   60-44   33-13   21-24   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   7-7   3-2   3-4   1-1
Totals   92-69   51-17   30-43   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 523 wins ranks 19th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and 57th all-time (list below).
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
54.   Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)   525
55.   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   524
   John Beilein (current Michigan)   524
57.   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)   523
58.   Mark Few (current Gonzaga)   519
59.   Rick Majerus (four schools)   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 523-327 (.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 tied Stew Morrill (1992-98) with the win at Wyoming last Saturday.
•   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.   Larry Eustachy (2012-17)   6   190   121   69   .637
   Stew Morrill (1992-98)   7   207   121   86   .585
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...
•   In a foul-laden game, the Colorado State men's basketball team held off host Wyoming in the final minutes for a 78-73 win in the first game of this year's Border War, Jan. 13.
•   The Rams gave up the first six points of the game to the host Cowboys, but CSU put together a long surge, holding the Cowboys scoreless for an eight-minute span, to build a lead to as many as 15 at 28-13 with 5:11 to go in the first half. However, Wyoming went on a 14-0 run over the next almost five minutes to cut it to a 28-27 lead for the Rams. A pair of free throws for both teams in the closing minute made it a 30-29 lead for the visitors at the halftime break.
•   CSU scored the first five points of the second half to lead by six at 35-29, but Wyoming came back and tied the game at 40 on a three by Hayden Dalton. Redshirt-junior J.D. Paige hit a free throw and junior Prentiss Nixon scored on a layup to put CSU up for good. It was a tight battle the final 14 minutes of the game, with the Rams stretching it to 11 with 6:36 to play but the hosts cutting it to a 68-66 margin with 2:23 to go. However, Paige canned a huge three and senior Che Bob and Nixon combined down the stretch to make five of six free throw attempts to seal the rivalry victory.
•   For the game, Colorado State shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) while limiting Wyoming to just 36.0 percent (18-of-50), including 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from beyond the arc. The Cowboys did go 73.8 percent (31-of-42) at the free throw line, but the Rams were slightly better at 75.9 percent (22-of-29). The Rams won the battle of the boards, 43-33.
•   CSU was led by Bob's 17 points on 6-of-8 field goals and 4-of-6 free throw shooting. Nixon added 16 points, all in the second half, while Paige was the only other Ram in double figures with 14 points. However, redshirt-sophomores Nico Carvacho and Raquan Mitchell and junior Deion James combined to chip in 25 points and 22 rebounds, with Carvacho grabbing a game-high 13 boards. Wyoming was led by Hayden Dalton's double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds while Alan Herndon also tallied 18 points.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

Last Year Versus Air Force
•   No. 2 Colorado State took control of the game midway through the first half and never relinquished it in an impressive 81-55 victory over No. 10 seed Air Force in 2017 Mountain West Championship quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, March 9. The Rams improved to 22-10 on the season, while the Falcons finished at 11-21.
•   Air Force came out strong, leading for the most of the first part of the game and holding a 16-12 advantage with just over six minutes gone. The Rams then put together an 11-0 run over the next 3:32, including five from sophomore forward Braden Koelliker and six from senior guard Gian Clavell, to take a 23-16 lead. The Falcons responded with eight straight to take a 24-23 lead with 8:06 to play, but the Rams' defense got stops as the No. 2 seed scored 16 straight over an eight-minute span and led 39-26 at the break.
•   The Rams continued their strong defensive effort to start the final 20 minutes, scoring the first eight points and holding the Falcons to just two in the first four minutes for a 48-28 lead at the under-16 media timeout. CSU built the lead to as many as 33 in the game, maintaining complete control of the contest throughout the second half.
•   CSU finished the game shooting 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the floor while limiting Air Force to 38.5 percent (20-of-52), including 36.0 percent (9-of-25) in the second half. CSU outrebounded AFA 38-26, including 10 offensive rebounds that were converted into 15 second chance points. Both teams were solid at the free throw line, as Colorado State was 13-of-15 and Air Force was 11-of-13.
•   Clavell led all scorers with a game-high 30 points and added seven rebounds. Sophomore Prentiss Nixon had 15 points, while senior Emmanuel Omogbo had 12. Redshirt-freshman forward Nico Carvacho finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Air Force was led by Hayden Graham's 15 points, while Lavell Scottie was the only other Falcon in double figures with 12.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

• Head Coach Larry Eustachy earned his 500th career victory in emphatic fashion as the Colorado State Rams beat the Air Force Falcons 85-58, Jan. 7, 2017, in Moby Arena.
• The Rams opened the game on a 8-0 run and led for all but 2:51 of the in-state matchup, never trailing by more than four points. After taking a 33-28 lead into the break, Colorado State came out of the locker room on fire, shooting 63 percent (17-of-27) from the floor and an obscene 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from the three-point line in the second half, opening up a lead that reached as high as 34 points. The Rams' 52 second-half points falls just two points short of their season best in that category.
•   Colorado State shot an even 50 percent (30-of-60) for the game, and 43.8 percent (14-of-32) from deep. The 14-made three pointers nearly doubles its previous season-best of eight, and their 19 total assists, led by senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo's career-best five, marks a new season high as well.
•   Air Force shot 41.7 percent (20-of-48) for the game from the floor but were limited to just 36.4 percent (8-of-22) in the second half. CSU won the battle of the boards, 31-29, but made more of its opportunities, outscoring the visitors 13-6 on second-chance points.
•   Senior guard Gian Clavell led all scorers with 28 points, and Omogbo recorded his Mountain West-leading eighth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon and freshman guard Anthony Bonner rounded out the Rams' double-digit scorers with 20 and 11 points, respectively. Senior forward Frank Toohey led the Falcons with 14 points.
(See page 21 for complete box score)

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.

Road Improvement Showing
•   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. Recently, the Rams added back-to-back road wins at Utah State, Jan. 10, and Wyoing, Jan. 13, for three consecutive 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.
•   Under Eustachy, CSU is 29-39 (.426) in true road games, above the national average of 32.4 percent.

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 101-33 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 10 times, including seven of the 10 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 107-7 (43-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 112-7 (48-4 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.
•   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 17 of 18 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.9 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 946 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 43 offensive fouls (a season-high five against Fresno State, Jan. 6) in his first 18 games along with grabbing a team-best 26 steals (career-high four in the win at Utah State, Jan. 10). Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.

Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Points Per Game   17.9   5th   117th
3-Pt FG Per Game   2.67   5th   99th
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts   133   2nd   42nd
Free-Throw Percentage   87.6   2nd   45th
Free Throws Made   78   6th   90th
3-Pt FG Percentage   36.1   6th   119th
Minutes Per Game   33:30   4th   179th

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 15 of 19 games played this year, Bob is averaging 10.3 points per game (second for CSU) and 7.4 rebounds 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.
•   In the last two road wins at Utah State (Jan. 10) and Wyoming (Jan. 13), Bob has averaged 18.0 points per game while connecting on 10-of-15 field goal attempts and 14-of-18 at the free throw line.

Bob's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Blocks Per Game   1.63   2nd   93rd
Rebounds Per Game   7.4   7th   152nd
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   2.37   7th   166th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game   5.05   10th   196th
Double-Doubles   5   6th   83rd

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.
•   Paige has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, including the performance at San Diego State and a 14-point, six-rebound outing in the win at Wyoming, Jan. 13.
•   With his recent performances, Paige is now averaging an improved 10.2 points per game, third on the team and has a team-high 2.4 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 9.2 points and third in rebounding at 4.2 boards, while shooting 45.7 percent on his field goal attempts and 75.0 percent at the line.
•   He has scored in double figures eight times and grabbed five or more boards on nine 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 nine wins he played in, his numbers go up as he is averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 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 164 boards (64 offensive) in the first 19 games. His 8.6 boards per game average ranks fourth 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.

???????Carvacho's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Rebounds Per Game   8.6   4th   65th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   3.37   1st   21st
Defensive Rebounds Per Game   5.26   7th   156th
Double-Doubles   3   9th   174th

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 19 games, the Rams have shot 72.6 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 68.8 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line 43 more times total than its foes, making 308 as compared to just 381 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   93-134   51-55   39-75   3-4
Totals   428-513   271-179   139-309   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, 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 will host UNLV for the two teams' only regular-season meeting on Sat., Jan. 20 at 3 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Falcons will be televised on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz handling play-by-play and Bob Wenzel 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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