CSU Ends Homestand Against Fresno State, Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m.

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #17 - Colorado State (8-8, 1-2) vs. Fresno State (11-5, 1-2)
January 6, 2018 • 3:30 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,745) - Fort Collins, Colo.

Video: CBS Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Jason Knapp / Color Analyst: Pete Gillen (DirectTV: 221 / Dish Network: 158 / Comcast Digital: 412 (HD))
Colorado State Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Brian Roth / Color Analyst: Adam Nigon
Flagship: KARS 102.9 FM (Fort Collins); Affiliates: KDCO 104.7 FM (Denver), KMTS 99.1 FM (Glenwood Springs), KJME 890 AM (Colorado Springs), KKVT 100.7 FM (Grand Junction), KRFD 100.1 FM (Sterling)

Opening Tip
• Colorado State will wrap up a two-game homestand when it hosts Fresno State, Sat., Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m.
• The contest between the Rams and Bulldogs will be televised on the CBS Sports Network, with Jason Knapp handling play-by-play and former Virginia head coach Pete Gillen with the analysis.
•   Live audio is available on the Colorado State Sports Network, including KARS 102.9 FM (flagship). Brian Roth is on the play-by-play for the Rams, with Adam Nigon handling the analysis.
• The game will also have live audio on CSURams.com in partnership with SIDEARM Sports and live stats on CSURams.com.

Rams Quick Hits
• The 2017-18 season marks the 116th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,248-1,239 (.502) in 2,487 games all-time.
•   Colorado State is under the direction of coaching veteran Larry Eustachy, who is starting his sixth season as the leader of the Rams' program and his 27th as a Division I head coach in 2017-18. Last season, Eustachy reached the 500-win plateau in his coaching career and the 100-victory mark at CSU along with being named the Mountain West Coach of the Year.
• Colorado State basketball is looking for its eighth invitation for postseason play in the last nine years, advancing to the second round of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament.
• CSU lost two of last year's five starters, including Mountain West Player of the Year Gian Clavell and First Team All-MW forward Emmanuel Omogbo, who set a new record for double-doubles in league play in 2016-17.
• Overall, the Rams return three players with significant starting experience in redshirt-junior J.D. Paige, junior Prentiss Nixon and redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho. Nixon, an honorable mention All-MW pick by the media last year, averaged 13.2 points per game, while Paige was at 8.8 points and a team-best 2.5 assists per game. Carvacho posted 5.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, ranking third on the team in boards.
• For broadcasting quick hits, current averages and career highs on individual players, go to the back page of the notes for a Radio/TV chart that includes that information.

The Coaches
• Colorado State Head Coach Larry Eustachy (Long Beach State, '79) is in his sixth season at the helm of the Rams and holds a 119-68 (.636) record at CSU and 521-326 (.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.
•   Fresno State Head Coach Rodney Terry (St. Edward's, '90) is in his seventh season as leader of the Bulldogs and as a head coach overall with a 116-102 mark.

Scouting Fresno State
• The Bulldogs enter the game at 11-5 and 1-2 the Mountain West following a tough 81-79 overtime loss at Utah State, Jan. 3.
•   Picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West just ahead of CSU, Fresno State returns four starters, including 2017 Second Team All-MW redshirt-junior guard Deshon Taylor, and eight letterwinners from last year's team that finished 20-13 and 11-7 in the Mountain West to place fourth and earn a berth in the National Invitation Tournament.
•   The Bulldogs are led by Taylor, who paces the squad in points (18.8 ppg), assists (46), steals (26), free throw percentage (.848) and minutes (33.4 mpg).

A Win Over Fresno State Would...
•   Give the Rams eight wins in nine home games this year.
•   Move Larry Eustachy within one win of Stew Morrill for second on the CSU career coaching chart.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 33rd meeting ever between the two schools, with CSU holding a slim 17-15 advantage, but the Rams are 13-2 at home. Last year, the two teams played just twice, with each winning on their home court.
•    CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is 9-4 all-time against Fresno State, including 8-4 while at Colorado State. Eustachy has coached CSU to victories in all four meetings at Moby Arena in his tenure.
•    Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 363-406 and 224-140 at home. Head coach Larry Eustachy is 9-68 overall in his career against the MW, including 51-16 on his home court.
FRESNO STATE - 17-15
(Conference: 9-10)
Home: 13-2 / Away: 2-11 / Neutral: 2-2
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 120-161 (.427) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
•   Head coach Larry Eustachy is 53-38 (.582) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 58-43 (.574) including tournament games.
CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   78-31   42-10   32-17   4-4
Boise State   10-10   8-2   1-8   1-0
Fresno State   17-15   13-2   2-11   2-2
Nevada   9-10   5-2   4-7   0-1
New Mexico   46-75   33-25   12-48   1-2
San Diego State   41-41   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   38-53   28-18   10-34   0-1
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   363-406   224-140   124-247   15-19

Eustachy vs. MW at CSU (w/Tourney)
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   10-0   5-0   4-0   1-0
Boise State   5-6   4-1   0-5   1-0
Fresno State   8-4   4-0   2-3   2-1
Nevada   5-4   3-0   2-3   0-1
New Mexico   3-6   2-3   1-3   0-0
San Diego State   5-8   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   3-5   1-2   2-2   0-1
Wyoming   5-5   3-2   2-3   0-0
Totals   58-43   33-12   19-24   6-5

Eustachy vs. Mountain West All-Time
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   10-0   5-0   4-0   1-0
Boise State   13-12   9-3   2-9   2-0
Colorado State   1-4   0-1   1-2   0-1
Fresno State   9-4   4-0   2-3   3-1
Nevada   14-11   9-1   4-9   1-1
New Mexico   4-6   3-2   1-4   0-0
San Diego State   6-9   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   3-5   1-2   2-2   0-14
Wyoming   6-7   3-2   2-4   1-1
Totals   90-68   51-16   28-43   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 521 wins ties for 16th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and is tied for No. 55 all-time (list below)
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
54.   Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)   525
55.   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)   521
   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   521
   John Beilein (current Michigan)   521
58.   Rick Majerus (four schools)   517
59.   John Chaney (Temple)   516
60.   Mark Few (current Gonzaga)   515

• In his first season as the top man of the Rams' program, Eustachy became the first head coach in NCAA Division I history to lead five different programs - CSU, Southern Miss, Iowa State, Utah State and Idaho - to 24 or more wins in a season.
•   With a career record of 521-326 (.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   187   119   68   .636
4.   Dale Layer (2001-07)   7   209   103   106   .493
5.   Boyd Grant (1988-91)   4   127   81   46   .638

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

CSU All-Time Vs. 2017-18 Opponents
       Overall   Home   Road   Neutral
Air Force   78-31   42-10   32-17   4-4
Arkansas   0-1   -   0-1   -
Arkansas-Fort Smith   4-0   4-0   -   -
Boise State   10-9   8-2   1-7   1-0
Colorado   38-89   28-36   9-53   1-0
Florida State   0-2   -   -   0-2
Fresno State   17-15   13-2   2-11   2-2
Long Beach State   3-2   2-1   1-1   -
Missouri State   1-1   -   0-1   1-0
Nevada   9-10   5-2   4-7   0-1
New Mexico   46-75   33-25   12-48   1-2
New Mexico State   5-2   4-0   1-2   -
Northwestern State   3-0   2-0   1-0   -
Oregon   1-9   0-1   0-5   1-3
Sacramento State   5-0   4-0   1-0   -
San Diego State   41-41   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   38-53   28-18   10-34   0-1
Winthrop   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   426-512   271-178   137-309   18-25

Last Time Out...
•   Colorado State had its 11-game regular-season home winning streak snapped with a tough 77-68 loss to San Diego State, Jan. 2.
•   A three-point game at the break was close throughout the second half, with San Diego State leading by no more than eight in the final 20 minutes. CSU took a brief lead at 61-60 with 5:54 to play, but the visitors closed the game on a 17-7 run, led by Trey Kell's seven points in that stretch. CSU trailed by two with 1:42 to play on a one free throw, but Kell scored five of the next seven points for SDSU on a 7-2 run that put the game away.
•   Colorado State shot just 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the floor in the game while San Diego State hit on 48.3 percent (28-of-58) of its shots, including 60.0 percent (15-of-25) in the second half. The Aztecs dominated the glass, 45-32, and utilized it for an 18-11 advantage in second change points.
•   Redshirt-junior guard J.D. Paige posted a season-high 22 points on 9-of-18 field goals, while redshirt-sophomore guard Anthony Bonner chipped in 13. Junior guard Prentiss Nixon was the only other Ram in double figures with 11 points. San Diego State had four players in double figures led by Jalen McDaniels with 19 points, while Jeremy Hemsley added 13.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

Last Year Versus Fresno State
• Colorado State broke open a tie game with a 16-3 run at the start of the second half and ran away with a 78-62 win over defending Mountain West Champions Fresno State, Feb. 11. The Rams earned their sixth win in the last seven games.
•   After scoring the first bucket of the game, CSU struggled from the floor, making just three of its first 14 shots. The Rams' defense kept them in good stead, however, forcing 10 turnovers in the opening period that were converted into 13 points. The game was tied at 11 with 8:22 remaining and the game went back and forth before senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo's 3-pointer triggered a 6-0 run that put the Rams up 24-18 with just over four minutes to play. After an exchange of buckets, Fresno State went on a 7-0 run to take a 27-26 lead with 2:21 to go. From there, the teams went back and forth, including the final one on a 3-pointer by redshirt-sophomore guard J.D. Paige that put CSU up 31-29 at the halftime break.
•   Fresno State scored the first two points on a pair of technical-foul free throws to tie the game. CSU responded with a 16-3 run over the first 5:09 to take a 52-36 advantage with just over 11 minutes to play. From there, the Rams kept the lead, shooting 50 percent (17-of-34) from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
•   Paige led the Rams , scoring a career-high tying 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting overall and 5-of-7 from the 3-point arc. Redshirt-senior guard Gian Clavell racked up 19 points, six rebounds and three assists. Omogbo followed with 17 points and three rebounds. Redshirt-freshman center Nico Carvacho accounted for six points, 11 rebounds and one assist. Fresno State guard Deshon Taylor scored a team-high 19 points for the Bulldogs.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

•    Colorado State couldn't get the offensive flow on the road and fell at defending Mountain West champions Fresno State, 78-57, Jan. 18, 2017.
• With the game tied at 10 eight minutes into the first half, Fresno State put on a 13-2 run over 3:58 to take an 11-point lead. The Bulldogs pushed it to as many as 14 behind Jahmel Taylor's four 3-pointers and led 37-25 at the halftime break.
• CSU cut the deficit to seven on a pair of Braden Koelliker free throws early in the second half, but an 10-2 FS run pushed it back out to a 15-point lead at 48-33 just after the first media timeout. CSU's cold spell continued as the FS lead grew to as many as 26 in the second half.
• The Rams shot 34.4 percent (21-of-61) from the field while the Bulldogs connected on 44.4 percent (28-of-63) of their field goal attempts. CSU did have the 41-38 advantage on the boards, but turned it over 17 times as compared to nine for Fresno State.
• Colorado State was led senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while redshirt-freshman Nico Carvacho added 12 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon scored 13 points, while redshirt-senior guard Gian Clavell had a personal season-best 11 rebounds to go with 10 points. Fresno State's top scorers were Jaron Hopkins with 18, while Deshon Taylor and Jahmel Taylor tallied 17 and 15, respectively.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
•   CSU has a record of 545-218 (.714) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams are 79-20 (.798) under Larry Eustachy in games played at Moby Arena, including this year's 7-0 mark.
• CSU completed the 2016-17 regular-season home slate at 14-5 (7-2 in Mountain West), giving the program a winning home record for the eighth straight season, including all five under head coach Larry Eustachy.
•   Colorado State finished the 2015-16 regular season 12-5 at Moby Arena.
•    At 15-5 in 2016-17 at Moby Arena, it marked the fifth time in program history that CSU won at least 15 home games. Last season's 15 victories was the sixth season of 15-plus wins at the Rams' arena.
• The Rams finished the 2014-15 regular-season one win shy (15-2) of the best home mark in program history (16-1 in 2012-13). CSU went 15-2 at Moby in 1987-88.

Road Struggles
•   CSU picked up its first win away from Moby Arena this year in eight tries, six of them true road contests, with the victory at San Jose State, Dec. 30.
•   Last season, CSU picked up its fifth straight MW road win and sixth in conference play at New Mexico, Feb. 21, a streak snapped at Nevada March 4, but the Rams finished 9-6 in games away from home in 2016-17.
•   In 2016-17, the Rams won five straight MW road games for the first time ever under head coach Larry Eustachy and for the second time in school history.
•   The only other time CSU won five consecutive conference road games occurred over the last four games of the 1988-89 and first game of the 1989-90 season in the WAC.
•   However under Eustachy, CSU is 27-39 (.409) in true road games, above the national average of 32.4 percent.
•   For comparison in 2015-16, the Rams were 6-11 in games away from Moby Arena.

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 .419 from the floor, 18 percentage points better than their opponents and outrebound the visitors by an average of 5.3 boards a game.
•   On the road, the Rams shoot just 38.5 percent from the field, down 3.4 percent and the opponents hit at 51.5 percent while outrebounding visiting CSU by 4.2 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 19 regular season games, the Rams have won on shots in the final five seconds three times.
•    Last year, CSU defeated San Diego State and Wyoming in back-to-back games on its final possession, as Emmanuel Omogbo and Prentiss Nixon hit game-winning threes in the final two regular season home games of 2016-17.
•    Recently, Nixon hit a 28-foot triple as time expired to lift CSU to a 68-66 win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23, 2017.

Rebounding Emphasis Noted
•    Head coach Larry Eustachy makes rebounding one of his top priorities in all practices and games and it shows in his record, as CSU is 100-33 under the leader when winning the glass.
•   The Rams won the battle of the boards in 22 of their 36 games last season, going 19-3 in those contests.
•   Colorado State was +2.6 on the glass in its 36 games with at least one player with a double-figure rebounding total in 26 of 36 games.
•   Last season, CSU finished third in the Mountain West and at 38.2 rebounds per game as well as second in the MW a +2.7 rebounding margin.
•   This season, it is again a key for the Rams, as they have on the boards nine times, including six of the eight wins.

Quick Bits Under Eustachy
•   The Rams had a seven-game Mountain West winning streak during last season, the longest MW win streak in program history from Feb. 4-28 (7-0 in February).
•   CSU is 105-7 (41-3 MW) when leading with five minutes to play under head coach Larry Eustachy and 110-7 (46-4 MW) when leading with two minutes to go.
•   The 22-point loss at Boise State, Dec. 27, 2017 was a rarity, as it was just the third time that a Eustachy-led CSU team lost to a MW foe by more than 15 points (16-3 in his six years in MW games decided by 16 points or more).
•   The Rams are 102-30 (41-14 MW) when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 105-27 (45-12 MW) when opponent commits more fouls overall.
•   When Colorado State forces more turnovers than it gives up, the good guys have posted a 72-20 overall record.
•   When the Rams shoot at least 45 percent from the floor, they are 65-6 (27-4 MW) in five years under Eustachy.

Nixon Does It All
•    Junior Prentiss Nixon became an integral part of the CSU lineup the last two seasons.
•    The guard averaged 13.2 points per game in 2016-17 (13th in MW), scoring in double figures in 27 games, including a current streak of 10 straight.
•    In all MW contests, he averaged 13.3 points per game - 17th in regular-season league only.
•    He scored a then-career-high 30 points against Kansas State and surpassed his high from 2015-16 six times.
•    In the Mountain West Tournament, Nixon averaged 14.7 points per game, earning All-Tournament honors.
•    Against Nevada in the MW championship, Nixon scored 23 points, including tying the school record for a MW Tournament game with six three-pointers.
•    This year, Nixon continued his double-figure scoring streak, moving it to 12 with a pair of 16-point performances before it was snapped against Tulane, Nov. 17. However, he started a new streak with 22 points, including five three-pointers, against Florida State, Nov. 19, followed by 15 at New Mexico State, Nov. 22. He missed the Northwestern State game with a concussion but returned to the lineup with 20 points at Missouri State, Nov. 28.
•   Recently, he scored a career-high 31 points on 8-of-13 field goal attempts (5-of-8 three pointers) and 10-of-11 free throws along with four rebounds at Arkansas, Dec. 5. He then followed it up with 25 at Oregon, Dec. 8.
•    In double-figure scoring 14 of 15 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.3 points per game and has hit a team-best 41 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 10 games this season.
•   With 883 career points, if he averages 15.0 points per game from this point on, he will surpass the 1,000 point mark against Wyoming at home on Jan. 31.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 33 offensive fouls (a season-high four at Oregon) in his first 15 games along with grabbing a team-best 19 steals. Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.

Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Points Per Game   17.3   6th   145th
3-Pt FG Per Game   2.73   4th   92nd
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts   117   1st   31st
Free-Throw Percentage   85.7   2nd   86th
Free Throws Made   60   8th   118th
3-Pt FG Percentage   35.0   6th   143rd
Minutes Per Game   33:36   4th   156th

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 12 of 16 games played this year, Bob is averaging 9.6 points per game (fourth for CSU) and 8.1 rebounds per contest (fifth in the Mountain West).
•   Bob had a streak of four straight games with a double-double (five total in his CSU career), with the performance of 13 points and 12 boards at Missouri State, Nov. 28. He added the sixth of his career with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
•   He tied a career high with 21 points at New Mexico State, Nov. 24, including connecting on seven free throws and a pair of three pointers.
•   In the win over Colorado Dec. 2, Bob scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.

Bob's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Blocks Per Game   1.81   2nd   71st
Rebounds Per Game   8.1   5th   103rd
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   2.63   5th   114th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game   5.44   7th   144th
Double-Doubles   5   5th   53rd

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 9.9 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 second on the team in scoring at 10.4 points and third in rebounding at 4.5 boards, while shooting 48.4 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 seven wins he played in, his numbers go up as he is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 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 second on the glass for CSU with 117 boards (50 offensive) in the first 16 games. His 7.3 boards per game average ranks seventh 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.
•   Recently, he swatted a career-best four blocked shots along with eight points and nine rebounds in the win over Colorado, Dec. 2.
•   He tallied a season-high 12 points with a team-high five boards at Oregon, Dec. 8.

Taking Charity
•   For the 2016-17 season, CSU was 73.1 percent from the charity line, ranking 34th nationally in free throws made and 33rd in free throws attempted.
•   The Rams also made 596 free throws while their opponents combined for just 663 total attempts.
•   In the win at Colorado Nov. 30, the Rams made their first 18 free throws in a row, a key reason that CSU won the road game.
•   For 13 games, the Rams have shot 71.8 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 69.3 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line 61 more times total than its foes, making 247 as compared to just 283 attempts combined for the opponents.

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. 8, 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.
•   Senior Che Bob and juniors J.D. Paige and Prentiss Nixon will be looked at to lead the squad. Redshirt-sophomores Nico Carvacho and Anthony Bonner also saw extensive action last year. Redshirt-sophomore Juan Sabino II came in at midseason and played limited minutes in 2016-17.
•   Redshirt-junior Robbie Berwick and redshirt-sophomore Lorenzo Jenkins have seen their first playing time at Colorado State after sitting out last year due to NCAA Division I transfer rules. Transfers junior Deion James and redshirt-sophomore Raquan Mitchell as well as freshman Logan Ryan join the program and have contributed in the early going.
•   However, the Rams combine for just 7.5 seasons of NCAA Division I experience to start the season, four of those coming from juniors J.D. Paige and Prentiss Nixon.

Looking Ahead
•   Colorado State heads back to the road for the next two games, starting at Utah State on Wed., Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Aggies will be televised on the Mountain West Network.
•   The game will air across the Colorado State Sports Network (along with online at CSURams.com), with Brian Roth and Adam Nigon on the call.

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