CSU Back On the Road At Utah State, Jan. 10

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #18 - Colorado State (8-9, 1-3) vs. Utah State (10-7, 3-1)
January 10, 2018 • 7 p.m. MT • Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270) - Logan, Utah

Video: MW Network (Live Stream)
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 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.
•   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 1,248-1,240 (.502) in 2,488 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.

Opening Tip
•   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.
•   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 1,248-1,240 (.502) in 2,488 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 119-69 (.633) record at CSU and 521-327 (.614) 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.
•   Utah State Head Coach Tim Duryea (North Texas, '88) is in his third season as leader of the Aggies and as a head coach overall with a 40-39 mark.

Scouting Utah State
• The Aggies enter the game at 10-7 and 3-1 in the Mountain West following a tough 85-78 home victory over UNLV, Jan. 6.
•   Picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West, Utah State returns four starters, including 2017 Preseason All-MW sophomore guard Koby McEwen, and seven letterwinners from last year's team that finished 14-17 and 7-11 in the Mountain West to tie for eighth.
•   The Bulldogs are led by Sam Merrill, who paces the squad in minutes (34.5 mpg), points (15.4 ppg), three pointers (38) and assists (63). McEwen is close behind at 14.8 points per game and hist better than 36 percent from the three-point line.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 92nd meeting ever between the two schools, with Utah State holding the 53-38 lead, including a 34-10 lead in games in Logan. Since joining the Mountain West starting in the 2013-14 season, the Aggies have won five of eight meetings against the Rams. However, CSU took both victories last year, including a win in Logan.
•    CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is just 3-5 all-time against Utah State, with all of those games coming in his time at Colorado State.
•    Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 363-407 and 124-247 on the road. Head coach Larry Eustachy is overall 90-69 in his career against the MW, including 28-43 on road courts.
UTAH STATE - 38-53
Conference: 20-37
Home: 28-18 / Away: 10-34 / Neutral: 0-1
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 14)

A Win Over Utah State Will...
•   Move CSU to 39-53 all time in the series, including 11-34 in Logan.
•   Move head coach Larry Eustachy to 4-5 against the Aggies in his career.
•   Give Larry Eustachy his 120th win in six seasons at CSU, one shy of Stew Morrill in second on CSU's all-time wins chart, and the 522nd of his 27-year career overall.

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 120-162 (.426) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
•   Head coach Larry Eustachy is 53-39 (.576) in MW regular-season action in his time at Colorado State and 58-44 (.569) 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   38-53   28-18   10-34   0-1
Wyoming   92-134   51-55   38-75   3-4
Totals   363-407   224-141   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   8-5   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   3-5   1-2   2-2   0-1
Wyoming   5-5   3-2   2-3   0-0
Totals   58-44   33-13   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   9-5   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   3-5   1-2   2-2   0-14
Wyoming   6-7   3-2   2-4   1-1
Totals   90-69   51-17   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 ranks 17th among active NCAA Division I coaches (same standard) and is No. 57 all-time (list below).
Current Rankings of Division I Wins for Head Coaches
55.   Pete Carril (Lehigh, Princeton)   525
   Jay Wright (current Villanova)   522
   John Beilein (current Michigan)   521
57.   Larry Eustachy (current CSU)   521
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 521-327 (.614), 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   188   119   69   .633
4.   Dale Layer (2001-07)   7   209   103   106   .493
5.   Boyd Grant (1988-91)   4   127   81   46   .638

Familiarity with Today's Opposing School
• CSU head coach Larry Eustachy is very familiar with the school the Rams are facing today. More than 20 years ago, Eustachy departed his head coaching job at Utah State to take the Iowa State job.
• Eustachy was the head coach of the Aggies for five season from 1993-94 to 1997-98, where he posted a 98-53 record and led the Aggies to three regular-season conference championships and an NCAA tournament run in 1998.
• Rams' associate head coach Steve Barnes served two stints with Eustachy in Logan, as an assistant (1993-94), and associate head coach (1996-98).

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.

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.

Last Time Out...
•   The Colorado State men's basketball team suffered an 82-79 overtime setback to Fresno State on January 6.
•   Tied at 69 entering overtime, neither team scored in the first three minutes. The Bulldogs scored first with a pair of free throws at the 2:49 mark to lead by two and they wouldn't trail again. Colorado State trail by two with 17 seconds left following a J.D. Paige three pointer and again with six seconds left after a bucket by Lorenzo Jenkins, but could not get the lead again.
•   Fresno State started the game building a 23-9 advantage – largest of the game – with 10:50 left to play in the first half. Over the next three minutes, Colorado State cut into the deficit with help from four three pointers to trail by five at 25-20 with 8:04 left in first half. Fresno State would hold a 39-33 lead at halftime.
•   After the break, the Rams caught fire, hitting eight of their first 10 field goal attempts early in the second half, while the defense started to click holding the Bulldogs to just three of their first 11. Colorado State scored the first eight points of the second half to take its first lead of the game at 41-39. The Rams continued to lead through the second half, building their largest leads of the game at 54-44 with 13:15 left and at 59-49 at 9:09 left to play in regulation.
•   Fresno State went on an 11-1 run over the next three minutes to tie the game 60-60 with six minutes left to play. Both teams battled down the stretch as neither team led by more than three points and were tied at 69-69 at the end of regulation.
•   Junior guard Prentiss Nixon led the Rams scoring 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Paige added 16 from 5-of-11 from three-point range. Redshirt-sophomore center Nico Carvacho recorded his second double-double of the season – third of his career – after reaching double-figure points with 10 and pulling down 19 rebounds – 11 offensive. Redshirt-sophomore forward Lorenzo Jenkins came off the bench and added 11 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes.
(See page 18 for complete box score)

Last Year Versus Utah State
•    Colorado State never trailed against visiting Utah State, earning the 69-52 Mountain West victory, Feb. 7, 2017.
• The decisive section of the game occurred in a seven-minute span ending the first half and starting the second as the Rams went on a 19-2 run to break open a tie game. Utah State battled back and got the margin down to nine, but CSU pulled away in the late stages on the strength of 14 straight points from senior guard Gian Clavell.
•   Both teams had a slow start to the game, with the Rams opening the scoring on a dunk by senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo off a dish from redshirt-freshman center Nico Carvacho. The Rams scored the first seven points of the contest while holding Utah State scoreless for almost six minutes to open the game. The Aggies rallied to tie the game at 23 at the final media timeout of the opening period, but Colorado State started their breakout run by scoring the final 10 points of the first half to lead 33-23 at the break.
•   The Rams finished the game shooting 40 percent (24-of-60) from the floor while limiting Utah State to just 36 percent (21-59) shooting. Colorado State was even better from the 3-point line, connecting on 43.3 percent (13-of-30) while USU was only able to muster 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from behind the arc. CSU also was able to convert 12 Utah State turnovers into 11 points.
•   Clavell led all scorers with 24 points, while Omogbo posted his third straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon had career highs with seven assists and seven rebounds along with his 11 points. Carvacho also contributed 11 points and eight rebounds in the victory. Quinn Taylor came off the bench for Utah State to lead them with 11 points.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

•    Colorado State men's basketball jumped out to the early lead and never let it go, earning a 64-56 win at Utah State, Jan. 21, 2017.
• The Rams opened strong with an 11-4 run over the first five minutes of the game, spurred by senior forward Emmanuel Omogbo and sophomore Prentiss Nixon in that run. The Rams built it quickly to a 13-point margin on the strength of 51.9 percent (14-of-27) field goal shooting in the opening period and eventually led by 12 at the halftime break, 35-23.
•   CSU withstood some early surges from Utah State in the final period, but the visitors were able to build the lead to as many as 16 in the second half. The Aggies had a 7-2 run to cut it to a nine-point margin with just over four minutes to go and later six with 1:15 to play. However, the Rams were clutch down the stretch at the charity stripe, connecting on all six attempts in that final segment to seal victory.
•   Colorado State finished the game at 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the floor while limiting Utah State to just 36.7 percent (22-of-60) on its field goal attempts, including 15.8 percent (3-of-19) from the three-point line. The Rams were 12-of-17 at the free throw line as compared to the Aggies 9-of-17. CSU outrebounded USU 41-37, while both teams committed 12 turnovers.
•   Omogbo led all scorers with 20 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, his league-leading 10th double-double this season. Senior guard Gian Clavell had 15 points, while Nixon added 14 and redshirt-sophomore guard J.D. Paige chipped in eight. Utah State was led by Jalen Moore with 14 while Koby McEwen was the only other Aggie in double figures with 13.
(See page 20 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.
•   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.

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 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 20 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 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 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 15 of 16 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.5 points per game and has hit a team-best 44 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 11 games this season.
•   With 904 career points, if he averages 17.5 points per game from this point on, he will surpass the 1,000 point mark at New Mexico on Jan. 27.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 38 offensive fouls (a season-high five against Fresno State, Jan. 6) in his first 16 games along with grabbing a team-best 20 steals. Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.
Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Points Per Game   17.5   6th   135th
3-Pt FG Per Game   2.75   5th   82nd
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts   122   2nd   38th
Free-Throw Percentage   86.8   1st   64th
Free Throws Made   66   7th   108th
3-Pt FG Percentage   36.1   5th   129th
Minutes Per Game   33:52   3rd   140th

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 13 of 17 games played this year, Bob is averaging 9.4 points per game (fourth 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.
Bob's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Blocks Per Game   1.71   2nd   84th
Rebounds Per Game   7.7   7th   129th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   2.47   6th   143rd
Defensive Rebounds Per Game   5.24   8th   173rd
Double-Doubles   5   5th   66th

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 10.3 points per game, second on the team and has a team-high 2.5 assists per game.

James Starting To Make Impact
•   Junior forward Deion James is getting more comfortable on the court in his first year at CSU, and the stats show it.
•   James is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points and third in rebounding at 4.4 boards, while shooting 46.9 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 the leader on the glass for CSU with 136 boards (58 offensive) in the first 17 games. His 8.0 boards per game average ranks sixth 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 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.
•   He tallied a season-high 12 points with a team-high five boards at Oregon, Dec. 8.
Carvacho's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Rebounds Per Game   8.0   6th   106th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   3.41   1st   20th
Double-Doubles   2   12th   235th

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 17 games, the Rams have shot 71.8 percent from the free throw line, better than the opponents 68.7 percent. However, CSU has gone to the line 49 more times total than its foes, making 260 as compared to just 313 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   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   426-513   271-179   137-309   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. 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.
•   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 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.
•   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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