Colorado State University Athletics

Wednesday, January 31
Fort Collins, Colo.
7 pm MT

Colorado State

vs

Wyoming

State Pride Graphic with Sponsor

CSU Returns Home For #StatePride & Border War Against Wyoming, Jan. 31

1/29/2018 9:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball

The Rams and Cowboys will meet for the second time this season as the game is televised on AT&T SportsNet

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #24 - Colorado State (10-13, 3-7) vs. Wyoming (14-7, 5-3)
January 31, 2018 • 7 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,745) - Fort Collins, Colo.


Video: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain -- Play-by-Play: Conor McGahey / 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 is back home for the Border War on Wed., Jan. 31 at 7 pm, as the Rams host Wyoming.
•    The contest between the Rams and Cowboys will be televised on AT&T SportsNet, as Conor McGahey will be play-by-play and Sed Bonner the analyst.
•    CSU will sport their "State Pride" uniforms, specially designed by Under Armour and featuring the state flag.
•    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.
• 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 1,250-1,244 (.501) in 2,494 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 121-73 (.624) record at CSU and 523-331 (.612) 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 37-22 mark.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•     This will be the 228th meeting ever between the two schools (the longest rivalry in CSU history), with Wyoming leading 134-93, including 55-51 in Fort Collins. The Rams took this year's first meeting in Laramie and have won the last three in the series. Last year in Moby Arena, the Rams took a thrilling 78-76 win on Prentiss Nixon's buzzer-beating three-pointer.
•     CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is 7-7 all-time against Wyoming, including 6-5 while at Colorado State. Eustachy has coached CSU to three wins in five games at Moby Arena.
•     Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 365-411, including 224-143 in home games. Head coach Larry Eustachy is 91-74 overall in his career against the MW, including 50-20 on home floors.

WYOMING - 93-134
(Conference: 66-115)
Home: 51-55 / Away: 39-75 / Neutral: 3-4
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 15)

Eustachy vs. Wyoming
Overall: 7-7 (6-5 at CSU)
(Home 3-2 / Away 3-4 / 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
1/13/17    A    Colorado State    W    78-73

Mountain West Record
•    Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 122-166 (.424) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000. 
•    Head coach Larry Eustachy is 55-43 (.561) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 60-48 (.556) including tournament games.

CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School    Overall    Home    Away    Neut.
Air Force    78-32    42-11    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    46-76    33-25    12-49    1-2
San Diego State    41-42    26-12    13-26    2-4
San Jose State    16-0    7-0    7-0    2-0
UNLV    16-38    11-15    5-22    0-1
Utah State    39-53    28-18    11-34    0-1
Wyoming    93-134    51-55    39-75    3-4
Totals    365-411    224-143    126-249    15-19

Eustachy vs. MW at CSU (w/Tourney)
School    Overall    Home    Away    Neut.
Air Force    10-1    5-1    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    3-7    2-3    1-4    0-0
San Diego State    5-9    3-3    1-5    1-1
San José State    10-0    4-0    5-0    1-0
UNLV    6-5    5-1    1-3    0-1
Utah State    4-5    1-2    3-2    0-1
Wyoming    6-5    3-2    3-3    0-0
Totals    60-48    33-15    21-26    6-5

Eustachy vs. Mountain West All-Time
School    Overall    Home    Away    Neut.
Air Force    10-1    5-1    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    3-8    2-3    1-5    0-0
San Diego State    6-10    3-3    1-5    2-2
San José State    15-3    7-1    7-1    1-1
UNLV    9-8    7-2    2-5    0-1
Utah State    4-5    1-2    3-2    0-14
Wyoming    7-7    3-2    3-4    1-1
Totals    91-74    50-20    30-45    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
55.    Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)    525 
    John Beilein (current Michigan)    525
57.    Larry Eustachy (current CSU)    523
58.    Mark Few (current Gonzaga)    522
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 523-331 (.612), 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    194    121    73    .624
    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

Last Time Out...
•    Colorado State could not find an answer for a hot shooting San Diego State squad and suffered a 97-78 road defeat, Jan. 24. 
•    The Rams did not lead in the opening 20 minutes and had two ties at seven and 14. A triple from Max Montana put the Aztecs up for good on a three pointer to kick a 12-2 run for the hosts over the next three-and-a-half minutes for a 26-16 lead. The Rams got it down to a five-point margin at 36-31, but CSU was held to just one basket the last 3:15 of the half as San Diego State closed on a 11-2 run to take a 47-33 lead into the halftime break, a period in which the host squad shot better than 62 percent from the field.
•    CSU had it down to 12 on two separate occasions in the second half. However, a 19-4 run by San Diego State put the game out of reach in the final half with the largest lead of the contest at 27. The Rams were unable to get any closer than 20 the remainder of the game until the final margin.
•    Colorado State shot a respectable 48.3 percent (29-of-60) from the field and 44.0 percent (11-of-25) from behind the arc, but San Diego State was better, hitting on 55.6 percent (35-of-63) of its field goal attempts and 43.3 percent (13-of-3) from the three point line. The Aztecs went 14-of-21 at the free throw line, while the Rams went just 11 times, hitting nine of them. CSU held a slim advantage on the boards 31-28, but gave up 16 turnovers to the Aztecs' nine. 
•    CSU was led by redshirt-sophomore Anthony Bonner with a career-high 22 points on 7-of-10 field goals, including 4-of-6 on three pointers. Freshman Logan Ryan chipped in a season-high 13 points, while redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho posted his fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds. San Diego State had six players in double figures, led by Max Montana's 20 points off the bench and Trey Kell's 17.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

This Year's Previous Meeting
•    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 20 for complete box score)

Last Year's Meeting in Fort Collins
•    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 21 for complete box score)

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 Wyoming, Jan. 13, for three consecutive Mountain West road victories before the loss at San Diego State, Jan. 24.
•    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 29-40 (.420) in true road games, above the national average of 32.4 percent.

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
•    CSU has a record of 545-221 (.711) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams are 79-23 (.775) under Larry Eustachy in games played at Moby Arena, including this year's 7-4 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. 
•    CSU has struggled in conference action at home this year, dropping all four games by a combined 22 points, with three of the four losses decided by five points or less.

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.

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.

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 101-37 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 14 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 107-9 (43-5 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 112-8 (48-5 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 (now 18-4 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 106-28 (46-13 MW) when opponent commits more fouls overall.
•    When Colorado State forces more turnovers than it gives up, the good guys have posted a 73-21 overall record.
•    When the Rams shoot at least 45 percent from the floor, they are 66-7 (28-5 MW) in five-plus years under Eustachy.

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 220 boards (89 offensive) in 23 games. His 9.6 boards per game average ranks third in the Mountain West, as he has double-digit boards in the last seven games (averaging 14.7 per game in that span). He also is just 26 rebounds shy of cracking the top-20 single-season performances in CSU history.
•    He is averaging 10.6 points and 12.2 rebounds in Mountain West play, leading by a wide margin in rebounding for league games only (next is 9.1 per game). He also has six of the top 13 single-game totals in MW action.
•    He has double-doubles in five of the last seven games he has played in and has a higher rebound average through 10 league contests than Emmanuel Omogbo had last season at this time (10.6).
•    He had his third career double-double with 11 points and a career-best 20 boards (still a league season-best mark) in the home win over Winthrop, Nov. 14.
•    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    9.6    3rd    28th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game    3.87    1st    10th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game    5.70    7th    102nd
Double-Doubles    6    5th    82nd

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 18 of 19 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.9 points per game and has hit a team-best 50 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 13 games this season. 
•    With 964 career points, if he averages 18.0 points per game from this point on, he will surpass the 1,000 point mark in two contests. However, he has been out due to an ankle injury suffered in the final minute against Air Force, Jan. 17.
•     He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 45 offensive fouls (a season-high five against Fresno State, Jan. 6) in his first 19 games along with grabbing a team-best 28 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    6th    111th
3-Pt FG Per Game    2.63    5th    98th
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts    141    2nd    112th
Free-Throw Percentage    88.2    2nd    39th
Free Throws Made    82    7th    147th
3-Pt FG Percentage    35.5    6th    116th
Minutes Per Game    33:31    6th    189th
Steals Per Game    1.47    4th    209th

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 9.6 points and third in rebounding at 4.8 boards, while shooting 46.7 percent on his field goal attempts and 71.7 percent at the line.
•    He has scored in double figures 11 times and grabbed five or more boards on 12 occasions.
•    He tallied a season-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win over Arkansas-Fort Smith, Dec. 19.
•    He scored 14 points and had seven boards in the win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
•    Recently, he posted his first CSU double-double of 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds against Air Force, Jan. 17.
•    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.

Bob Learning the Ropes
• Senior Che (said CHAY not SHAY) Bob is figuring out ways to contribute to the Rams' effort in all phases.
•    Getting the start in 19 of 23 games played this year, Bob is averaging 9.9 points per game (third for CSU) and 6.8 rebounds per contest (eighth 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    1.43    5th    119th
Rebounds Per Game    6.8    8th    227th
Double-Doubles    5    8th    115th

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 five of the last six games, including the performance at San Diego State and a 14-point, six-rebound outing in the win at Wyoming, Jan. 13. He also had 19 points against UNLV, Jan. 20.
•    With his recent performances, Paige is now averaging an improved 10.4 points per game, second on the team and has a team-high 2.5 assists per game. However, he will be out 3-4 weeks with a broken non-shooting hand suffered at San Diego State, Jan. 24.

CSU All-Time Vs. 2017-18 Opponents
        Overall    Home    Road    Neutral
Air Force    78-32    42-11    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    46-76    33-25    12-49    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    41-42    26-12    13-26    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    16-38    11-15    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    428-517    271-121    139-311    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, 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 hosts defending Mountain West champion Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 6 p.m.
•    The contest between the Rams and Wolf Pack will be televised on ESPNU.
•    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.
 

Players Mentioned

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Colorado State Basketball (M): Season 1 - Ep. 1
Sunday, August 10
Ramily - CSU Men's Basketball
Tuesday, August 05
Ram Line - Shoot Around with Josh Pascarelli & Darnez Slater (MBB)
Monday, August 04
Behind the White Board - Ken DeWeese
Monday, August 04