Colorado State University Athletics
Wednesday, November 14
Fort Collins, Colo.
7 p.m. MT
Colorado State
vs
Montana State
Rams Host Montana State, Nov. 14
11/12/2018 4:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CSU concludes three-game homestand to open the season by taking on the Bobcats at 7 pm
2018-19 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #3 - Colorado State vs. Montana State
Nov. 14, 2018 • 7 p.m. MT • Moby Arena (8,745) - Fort Collins, Colo.
(Game Day Information, including clear bag policy)
Buy Tickets Now
Video: Mountain West Network
Radio: 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), KMTS 96.7 FM (West Glenwood Springs), KRDO 105.5 FM (Colorado Springs), KKVT 100.7 FM (Grand Junction), KMTS/KKVT 99.5/100.3 FM (Rifle), KKVT 97.1 FM (Delta), KKVT 98.1 FM (Montrose), KRFD 100.1 FM (Sterling), KNEC 100.9 FM (Yuma), KNAB 1140 AM (Burlington), KLMR 920 AM (Lamar)
Live Stats:
https://csurams.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Buy Tickets Now
Video: Mountain West Network
Radio: 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), KMTS 96.7 FM (West Glenwood Springs), KRDO 105.5 FM (Colorado Springs), KKVT 100.7 FM (Grand Junction), KMTS/KKVT 99.5/100.3 FM (Rifle), KKVT 97.1 FM (Delta), KKVT 98.1 FM (Montrose), KRFD 100.1 FM (Sterling), KNEC 100.9 FM (Yuma), KNAB 1140 AM (Burlington), KLMR 920 AM (Lamar)
Live Stats:
https://csurams.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
The Leaders
• Colorado State Head Coach Niko Medved (Minnesota, '97) is in his first season at CSU as head coach and has a 81-87 overall record as he starts his sixth season as a head coach.
• Montana State Head Coach Brian Fish (Marshall, '89) is in his fifth season at Montana State and as a head coach overall with a 51-77 record.
A Quick Look at Montana State
• Picked in a tie for sixth in the Big Sky preseason coaches' poll, the Bobcats return four starters, including preseason All-Big Sky pick Tyler Hall. The senior guard ranks 11th on the Big Sky career scoring list and was a second-team selection last year. Keljin Blevins leads the team in scoring in the early going at 15.7 points per game.
• Montana State already faced a Mountain West opponent this year, losing against Utah State 101-71 in the season opener on Nov. 6.
History Versus Montana State
• This will be the 16th time that Colorado State and Montana State have met on the basketball court, with CSU holding an 11-4 advantage, including 7-2 at home and a perfect 6-0 record in Moby Arena. The Bobcats played the second-ever game in Moby on Jan. 28, 1966, won by the Rams 91-62.
• Head Coach Niko Medved has never faced Montana State in his head coaching career.
MONTANA STATE - 11-4
Home: 7-2 / Away: 4-2
Date Loc. W/L Score Att.
12/21/1957 Away W 69-49
1/4/1958 Home L 69-83
1/3/1959 Home L 73-78
2/1/1963 Home W 100-83 3000
2/1/1964 Away W 77-65
2/27/1965 Home W 91-71
12/18/1965 Away W 82-68
1/28/1966 Home W 91-62
12/1/1966 Home W 90-73
2/4/1967 Away L 69-70
12/2/1967 Home W 68-64
1/7/1984 Home W 72-65 3501
1/6/1985 Away W 72-65 3277
1/5/2004 Away L 75-82 3027
12/7/2004 Home W 78-53 2470
CSU Opp
Most Points Win: 100 83
Most Points Loss: 75 83
Fewest Points Win: 68 70
Fewest Points Loss: 69 49
Margin of Victory: 25 14
Winning Streak: 6 2
(1963-66) (1958-59)
A New Leader But Familiar Face
• While he may be in his first season in charge of the program, head coach Medved is already a familiar face around Fort Collins and to Rams' fans. Medved previously was on the coaching staff from 2007-13 under two different coaches. He was a key part of recruiting players that helped the Rams to four consecutive postseason appearances, the last two in the NCAA Tournament that included a win over Missouri in 2013.
Medved vs. 2018-19 Opponents
School Overall Home Away Neut.
Air Force First Meeting
Arkansas First Meeting
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1-0 1-0 - -
Boise State First Meeting
Colorado 0-1 - - 0-1
Colorado Christian
Florida Gulf Coast 0-2 0-1 0-1 -
Fresno State First Meeting
Long Beach State First Meeting
Louisiana 0-1 0-1 - -
Montana State First Meeting
Nevada First Meeting
New Mexico First Meeting
New Mexico State First Meeting
Sam Houston State First Meeting
San Diego State First Meeting
San Jose State First Meeting
South Dakota 0-1 - 0-1 -
South Dakota St. 0-1 - 0-1 -
Southern Illinois 1-1 0-1 1-0 -
Toledo First Meeting
Tulane First Meeting
UC Irvine First Meeting
UNLV First Meeting
UT-San Antonio First Meeting
Utah State First Meeting
Wyoming 0-1 - 0-1 -
Totals 2-8 1-3 1-4 0-1
Postseason Experience
• Head coach Niko Medved has had extensive success wherever he has coached, both as a head and an assistant.
• As an assistant coach, he helped turn around the CSU program to improving its win totals from his first year in each successive year, ending in four straight postseason appearances.
• He continued that trend at Furman and Drake, improving both programs' win totals from the previous year in each of his five seasons as a head coach, finishing his last three years in postseason play.
Basketball Staff
• Head coach Niko Medved brought four members of his staff from Drake with him. Dave Thorson, JR Blount and Ali Farokhmanesh were assistant coaches with Medved, while Aaron Katsuma joined him again as Director of Basketball Operations. Thorson has extensive experience as a high school coach and had previously worked with Medved at the University of Minnesota. Blount and Farokhmanesh also bring extensive recent playing experience with them as Blount played at Loyola Chicago, graduating in 2009, and Farokhmanesh was a key part of a Northern Iowa squad that knocked off No. 1 Kansas in the NCAA Tournament in his senior year in 2010.
Coors Light Coaches Show Is Back
• The Coors Light Basketball Head Coaches Show returns to Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon in Old Town Fort Collins this year. Join men's head coach Niko Medved and women's head coach Ryun Williams starting at 6 p.m. on the Mondays listed below to hear their thoughts on the previous week and look forward to upcoming action
• November: 12 & 26
• December: 3 & 10
• January: 7, 14, 21 & 28
• February: 4, 11, 18 & 25
2018-19 Schedule Is Home Laden
• The Rams will play a good schedule in head coach Niko Medved's first season as the leader in Fort Collins.
• Of the 13 non-conference games on the schedule, eight of them are in the friendly confines of Moby Arena, including the first three to start the season.
• The program will first play away from home on Nov. 19-21 at the Gulf Coast Showcase, a three-game tournament that is all neutral games unless the Rams take on co-host Florida Gulf Coast.
• CSU is scheduled for just a pair of true road games and only a single plane trip for those. The Rams will play their first true road contest at Colorado on Sat. Dec. 1, with the flight trip to Long Beach to take on the 49ers on Dec. 22.
• The Rams also welcome a Southeastern Conference team to Moby Arena on Dec. 5, as Arkansas makes the return trip after last year's meeting in Fayetteville. This will be just the third meeting with a SEC foe since 2010 and the first time a squad from that league has come to Moby since Nov. 28, 2005, when the Rams defeated Auburn, 77-67. Versus the SEC, CSU is 5-1 all-time at home and 10-7 overall.
• Non-conference play wraps up on Dec. 30, with CSU hosting New Mexico State.
Rams On the Tube
• The Rams' package has 18 televised games, with 11 of them occurring at Moby Arena, including all nine league contests.
• In the 17 televised games, CSU will appear on the ESPN family of networks three times, CBS Sports Network five times, AT&T SportsNet on eight occasions and Stadium and Pac-12 Network once each.
• Two non-conference games will be televised from Moby Arena, with the Arkansas contest on Dec. 5 on CBS Sports Network and the New Mexico State matchup on Dec. 30 on AT&T SportsNet.
• As part of the Mountain West conference slate, four home games were moved from Wednesday to Tuesday to accommodate broadcast requests. The Air Force game moved from Jan. 9 to Jan. 8, Boise State goes from Jan. 30 to Jan. 29 as both will be shown on AT&T SportsNet. San Diego State will now come to town on Tue., Feb. 12 for a battle on ESPN, while the Utah State game was bumped to Tue., March 5 to be shown on AT&T SportsNet.
ESPN Networks (3)
Tue. Feb. 12 San Diego State* (ESPN2) 9 p.m.
Sat. March 2 at New Mexico* (ESPNU) 8 p.m.
Sat. March 9 UNLV* (ESPN3) 2 p.m.
CBS Sports Network (5)
Wed. Dec. 5 Arkansas 8 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 2 at UNLV* 8:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 12 New Mexico* 2 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 23 at Nevada* 9 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 6 Nevada* 8 p.m.
AT&T SportsNet (8)
Sun. Dec. 30 New Mexico State 2 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 5 at Fresno State* 8 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 8 Air Force* 7 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 26 Fresno State* 2 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 29 Boise State* 7 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 9 at Wyoming* 12 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 23 Wyoming* 12 p.m.
Tue. March 5 Utah State* 7 p.m.
Pac-12 Network (1)
Sat. Dec. 1 at Colorado 1 p.m.
Stadium (1)
Wed. Feb. 27 at Boise State* 7 p.m.
Roster Size... But Inexperienced
• The Rams will start the year with 14 eligible players on the roster, one of the largest opening day rosters in recent history. CSU had 11 players available to start the 2017-18 season. Of those 14 this season, a total of 11 were part of the program last season, with seven having played, with four returners who did play and also four newcomers to the lineup this year.
• Last year's Rams combined for just 7.5 seasons of NCAA Division I experience to start the season, but this year's squad comes in with 17 combined Division I seasons, a marked improvement.
Returning/Lost...By the Numbers
• The Rams added several key newcomers for 2018-19 as Colorado State looked to fill some gaps from last year's production on the floor, though CSU returns a significant portion on all categories.
• Here is a quick look at what the Rams returned in major statistical categories:
Category Total (R/L) % Returning
> Scoring 2314 (1353 / 961) 58.5%
> Rebounding 1126 (764 / 362) 67.9%
> Assists 409 (251 / 158) 61.4%
> Blocks 102 (55 / 47) 53.9%
> Steals 190 (100 / 90) 52.6%
> Minutes 6475 (4110 / 2365) 63.5%
Newcomers (Lots of)
• The Rams will have a strong group of newcomers to the floor this year, made up of three transfers and four freshmen.
• The class distribution among those that could see the floor for CSU the first time this season is:
-- Juniors (Hyron Edwards, Kris Martin, Zo Tyson)
-- Freshmen (Sam Bannec, Kendle Moore,
Jack Schoemann, Adam Thistlewood)
Moby Arena Home Court Advantage
• CSU has a record of 548-226 (.708) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams have finished at least .500 in each of the last nine years, dating back to the 2008-09 season when the program was 6-9.
• Current head coach Niko Medved was part of a coaching staff at CSU that posted two of the top records in program history at home, as the 2012-13 team set the best mark at 16-1 with the 2011-12 team going 14-1. Overall as an assistant at CSU, he was part of a team that went 97-97 overall and 59-30 in Moby Arena and improved their overall record in each successive season.
Moby & Record Improvement WIth Medved (CSU Asst.)
Overall Moby Total Attend. Avg Att.
2012-13 26-9 16-1 92,488 5,440
2011-12 20-12 14-1 62,889 4,193
2010-11 19-13 9-5 68.305 4.879
2009-10 16-16 11-4 50,878 3,392
2008-09 9-22 6-9 48,858 3,257
2007-08 7-25 3-10 43,588 3,353
Totals 97-97 59-30
Mountain West Record
• Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 123-171 (.418) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School Overall Home Away Neut.
Air Force 78-33 42-11 32-18 4-4
Boise State 10-10 8-2 1-8 1-0
Fresno State 17-17 13-3 2-12 2-2
Nevada 9-11 5-3 4-7 0-1
New Mexico 46-77 33-26 12-49 1-2
San Diego State 41-42 26-12 13-26 2-4
San Jose State 17-0 8-0 7-0 2-0
UNLV 16-38 11-15 5-22 0-1
Utah State 39-54 28-18 11-34 0-2
Wyoming 93-135 51-56 39-75 3-4
Totals 366-417 225-146 126-251 15-20
Last Time Out...
• Colorado State enjoyed several early runs and never looked back in a 92-67 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10 at Moby Arena. The Rams open the season 2-0 under first-year head coach Niko Medved, while the loss drops the Golden Lions to 0-2.
• Colorado State took advantage of a Kendle Moore three pointer to open the game on an 11-4 run in the first five minutes. Following redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho's slam dunk, the Rams would blow the game open on a 17-7 run over the next 5:32, capped off with redshirt-junior Lorenzo Jenkins' shot from beyond the arc giving the Rams a 28-12 lead. The Rams eventually built the lead to 47-28 at the break, keyed by late threes from redshirt-senior J.D. Paige, redshirt-junior Anthony Masinton-Bonner and Lorenzo Jenkins.
• The Rams opened out the second half playing sensational defense, preventing Arkansas-Pine Bluff from getting into any sort of a rhythm as the lead grew to 62-33 with 11:16 remaining in the contest. The Rams enjoyed their largest lead of the afternoon at 76-41 after Carvacho slammed home the pass from Masinton-Bonner.
• On the game, Colorado State shot 54 percent (27-of-50) from the floor including a stellar 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from beyond the three-point line. Conversely, the Rams stymied the Golden Lions offense to just a 37.9 percent (22-of-58) field goal percentage, including 26.3 percent (5-of-19) on three-point shooting. CSU also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Golden Lions 35-32.
• Six different Rams reached double-figure scoring in the contest, including all five starters for the second consecutive game. Carvacho led the team in scoring with 18 points and 11 , while freshmen Adam Thistlewood and Moore added 14 and 10, respectively. Masinton-Bonner tallied 13 points and Paige added another 14 points in his first action this season.
(See page 18 for complete box score)
Carvacho Growing On the Floor
• Redshirt-junior center Nico Carvacho showed his increased comfort level on the floor, growing extensively as a sophomore in 2017-18.
• In the 2017-18 season, Carvacho was the leader on the glass for CSU with 331 boards (125 offensive) in 32 games (the only Ram to start all 32 last year). His 10.3 boards per game average ranked second in the Mountain West, as he had double-digit boards in the last 16 games (averaging 13.6 per game in that span). He also just had the sixth-ever individual 300-rebound season in CSU history, surpassing the mark at Nevada, Feb. 25.
• Last year, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.3 rebounds in Mountain West play, leading by a wide margin in rebounding for league games only (next was 9.6 per game). He also had seven of the top 14 single-game totals in MW action.
• He has had double-doubles in 10 of the last 16 games he played in 2017-18 and had a higher rebound average in MW league contests than Emmanuel Omogbo had in 2016-17 (10.9).
• Carvacho posted a career-high 26 points and tied a career best with 20 rebounds in the win over San Jose State, Feb. 10, 2018. The last Ram to have a 20-point/20-rebound game prior to that one was current Washington Wizards' Jason Smith, with 27 & 22 in a win over Wyoming on Feb. 24, 2007.
• With his 20-rebound game against San Jose State, he moved up from 17th to eighth on CSU's single-season list. He finished the season in fifth with 331 boards, surpassing former standout and current Washington Wizard Jason Smith in sixth.
• For his play in '17-18, Carvacho was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West by both the league's coaches and media members in two separate votes.
• This season, Carvacho has started out effectively, recording double-doubles in his first two games and averaging 16.0 points and 13.0 rebounds while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.
• He had CSU game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10.
• Carvacho started the season No. 20 on the CSU career rebounding chart and moved up to 19th after his play against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Carvacho's '17-18 MW/Nat'l Rankings Stat MW NCAA
Rebounds Per Game 10.3 2nd 15th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game 3.91 1st 7th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game 6.44 5th 49th
Double-Doubles 11 4th 55th
Total Rebounds 331 2nd 17th
Carvacho's Career Double-Doubles Date Pts Reb
Northern Colorado 12/10/16 13 11
Wyoming 2/28/17 10 10
Sacramento State 11/10/17 11 20
Fresno State 1/6/18 10 19
at Utah State 1/10/18 10 15
Air Force 1/17/18 12 13
at San Diego State 1/24/18 14 12
at New Mexico 1/27/18 14 15
Wyoming 1/31/18 10 13
at Air Force 2/6/18 16 12
San Jose State 2/10/18 26 20
at Fresno State 2/17/18 14 11
at Nevada 2/25/18 13 14
Colorado Christian 11/7/18 14 15
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 11/10/18 18 11
CSU Single-Season Total Rebounding Ranks
1. 392 Mike Childress (23 Games) - 1969-70
2. 373 Emmanuel Omogbo (101O-272D) - 2016-17
3. 349 Mike Childress (25 Games) - 1970-71
4. 342 Colton Iverson (117O-225D) - 2012-13
5. 331 Nico Carvacho (125O-206D) 2017-18
6. 304 Jason Smith (98O-206D) 2006-07
Current CSU Single-Season Defensive Rebounds
1. 272 Emmanuel Omogbo (101O-272D) 2016-17
2. 225 Colton Iverson (117O-225D) 2012-13
3. 219 Pat Durham (52O-219D) 1986-87
4. 206 Nico Carvacho (125O-206D) 2017-18
206 Jason Smith (98O-206D) 2006-07
6. 194 Daniel Bejarano (73O-194D) 2013-14
Current CSU Single-Season Offensive Rebounds
1. 133 Pierce Hornung (133O-160D) 2012-13
2. 125 Nico Carvacho (125O-206D) 2017-18
3. 121 Tiel Daniels (121O-139D) 2015-16
4. 117 Colton Iverson (117O-225D) 2012-13
5. 102 Emmanuel Omogbo (102O-163D) 2015-16
CSU Career Rebounding Ranks
1. 851 Pat Durham (52O-799D) 1985-89
------
15. 610 Barry Bailey (63O-547D) 1984-88
16. 577 Matt Nelson (152O-425D) 2000-05
17. 569 Sonny Bustion (70 Games) 1963-65,66-67
18. 564 Gary Rhoades (77 Games) 1970-73
19. 562 Nico Carvacho (70 Games) 2016-19
20. 555 Gary Hibbard (73 Games) 1953-56
Paige Wheels & Deals
• Redshirt-senior J.D. Paige adjusted well to his new role within CSU's offense the last two years.
• In 2016-17, 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 (11/23/16), 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.
• Last season, Paige picked up a season-high 22 points versus San Diego State (1/2/18), making a career-high field goals.
• Paige scored in double figures in five of his last six games in 2017-18, 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.
• After missing six games with a broken hand suffered at San Diego State on Jan. 24, Paige returned to the lineup against Boise State (Feb. 21) with 12 points and averaged 10.4 points per game, third on the team, and had a team-high 2.6 assists per game.
• Paige missed the season opener but returned with 14 points (4-of-5 3-pointers) and a career-high tying six assists in the win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10.
• If Paige stays healthy and averages 10.0 points per game during the season, he would reach the career 1,000-point plateau on Feb. 27 at Boise State.
A Little Different Name, Same Face
• Redshirt-junior guard Anthony Masinton-Bonner (the guard previously known as Anthony Bonner but always "AB") is expected to take up more of the scoring load this season.
• Last year, Masinton-Bonner started in 21 of the 32 games he played in, averaging 8.9 points per contest in 27.1 minutes per game.
• He was the team leader at the three-point arc at 43.2 percent and was second from the charity stripe, connecting on 82.1 percent of his attempts.
• In the season opener against Colorado Christian, Masinton-Bonner was not only effective but efficient. He tallied a career-high tying 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including 6-of-7 from the three-point arc. He also chipped in five rebounds and four assists.
• In the first two contests, he is averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while shooting 65.0 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from the three-point line.
Newcomers Jumping In Early
• Five Rams made their debut in the Green and Gold in Wednesday's win over Colorado Christian.
• Freshman Kendle Moore started and scored a game-high 26 points in 32 minutes of action. He was solid, going 9-of-11 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the arc and 4-of-5 at the charity stripe. He also added four rebounds, four assists and one steal.
• Freshman Adam Thistlewood had 10 points in starting his first collegiate game, while also grabbing five rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
• Also seeing time were redshirt-junior Zo Tyson and freshmen Jack Schoemann and Sam Bannec. Tyson had six points and four rebounds, while Bannec hit a three-pointer late.
• Moore currently leads the Rams at 18.0 points per game after his 10-point outing against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, while Thistlewood has scored in double figures in both games and is fifth at 12.0 points a contest while making 13 of 14 free throw attempts (92.9 percent).
Looking Ahead
• Colorado State will take to the road to play in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., opening up the three-game event against Louisiana, Mon., Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT.
• The contest between will be televised on the FloHoops.com, a pay-per-view service.
• The game will air across the Colorado State Sports Network (along with online at CSURams.com), with Matt Wozniak and Adam Nigon on the call.
• CSU Sports Network broadcasts can be also accessed on mobile devices through the TuneIn app (free on all Apple, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Amazon Kindle devices) – once downloaded, search "Colorado St. Rams Sports Network" in the app for the games and coaches' show broadcasts.
CSU All-Time Vs. 2018-19 Opponents
(including possible at Gulf Coast Showcase)
Overall Home Road Neutral
Air Force 78-33 42-11 32-18 4-4
Arkansas 0-1 - 0-1 -
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3-0 3-0 - -
Boise State 10-11 8-3 1-8 1-0
Colorado 38-89 28-36 9-53 1-0
Colorado Christian 1-0 1-0 - -
Florida Gulf Coast First Meeting
Fresno State 17-17 13-3 2-12 2-2
Long Beach State 3-2 2-1 1-1 -
Louisiana 1-0 1-0 - -
Montana State 11-4 7-2 4-2 -
Nevada 9-12 5-3 4-8 0-1
New Mexico 46-77 33-26 12-49 1-2
New Mexico State 5-2 4-0 1-2 -
Sam Houston State 0-1 0-1 - -
San Diego State 41-42 26-12 13-26 2-4
San Jose State 17-0 8-0 7-0 2-0
South Dakota First Meeting
South Dakota State 0-1 0-1 - -
Southern Illinois 1-2 1-0 0-1 0-1
Toledo 3-2 1-1 2-1 -
Tulane 0-1 - - 0-1
UC Irvine First Meeting
UNLV 16-38 11-15 5-22 0-1
UT-San Antonio 1-0 1-0 - -
Utah State 39-54 28-18 11-34 0-2
Wyoming 93-135 51-56 39-75 3-4
Totals 433-524 274-189 143-313 16-22
• Colorado State Head Coach Niko Medved (Minnesota, '97) is in his first season at CSU as head coach and has a 81-87 overall record as he starts his sixth season as a head coach.
• Montana State Head Coach Brian Fish (Marshall, '89) is in his fifth season at Montana State and as a head coach overall with a 51-77 record.
A Quick Look at Montana State
• Picked in a tie for sixth in the Big Sky preseason coaches' poll, the Bobcats return four starters, including preseason All-Big Sky pick Tyler Hall. The senior guard ranks 11th on the Big Sky career scoring list and was a second-team selection last year. Keljin Blevins leads the team in scoring in the early going at 15.7 points per game.
• Montana State already faced a Mountain West opponent this year, losing against Utah State 101-71 in the season opener on Nov. 6.
History Versus Montana State
• This will be the 16th time that Colorado State and Montana State have met on the basketball court, with CSU holding an 11-4 advantage, including 7-2 at home and a perfect 6-0 record in Moby Arena. The Bobcats played the second-ever game in Moby on Jan. 28, 1966, won by the Rams 91-62.
• Head Coach Niko Medved has never faced Montana State in his head coaching career.
MONTANA STATE - 11-4
Home: 7-2 / Away: 4-2
Date Loc. W/L Score Att.
12/21/1957 Away W 69-49
1/4/1958 Home L 69-83
1/3/1959 Home L 73-78
2/1/1963 Home W 100-83 3000
2/1/1964 Away W 77-65
2/27/1965 Home W 91-71
12/18/1965 Away W 82-68
1/28/1966 Home W 91-62
12/1/1966 Home W 90-73
2/4/1967 Away L 69-70
12/2/1967 Home W 68-64
1/7/1984 Home W 72-65 3501
1/6/1985 Away W 72-65 3277
1/5/2004 Away L 75-82 3027
12/7/2004 Home W 78-53 2470
CSU Opp
Most Points Win: 100 83
Most Points Loss: 75 83
Fewest Points Win: 68 70
Fewest Points Loss: 69 49
Margin of Victory: 25 14
Winning Streak: 6 2
(1963-66) (1958-59)
A New Leader But Familiar Face
• While he may be in his first season in charge of the program, head coach Medved is already a familiar face around Fort Collins and to Rams' fans. Medved previously was on the coaching staff from 2007-13 under two different coaches. He was a key part of recruiting players that helped the Rams to four consecutive postseason appearances, the last two in the NCAA Tournament that included a win over Missouri in 2013.
Medved vs. 2018-19 Opponents
School Overall Home Away Neut.
Air Force First Meeting
Arkansas First Meeting
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1-0 1-0 - -
Boise State First Meeting
Colorado 0-1 - - 0-1
Colorado Christian
Florida Gulf Coast 0-2 0-1 0-1 -
Fresno State First Meeting
Long Beach State First Meeting
Louisiana 0-1 0-1 - -
Montana State First Meeting
Nevada First Meeting
New Mexico First Meeting
New Mexico State First Meeting
Sam Houston State First Meeting
San Diego State First Meeting
San Jose State First Meeting
South Dakota 0-1 - 0-1 -
South Dakota St. 0-1 - 0-1 -
Southern Illinois 1-1 0-1 1-0 -
Toledo First Meeting
Tulane First Meeting
UC Irvine First Meeting
UNLV First Meeting
UT-San Antonio First Meeting
Utah State First Meeting
Wyoming 0-1 - 0-1 -
Totals 2-8 1-3 1-4 0-1
Postseason Experience
• Head coach Niko Medved has had extensive success wherever he has coached, both as a head and an assistant.
• As an assistant coach, he helped turn around the CSU program to improving its win totals from his first year in each successive year, ending in four straight postseason appearances.
• He continued that trend at Furman and Drake, improving both programs' win totals from the previous year in each of his five seasons as a head coach, finishing his last three years in postseason play.
Basketball Staff
• Head coach Niko Medved brought four members of his staff from Drake with him. Dave Thorson, JR Blount and Ali Farokhmanesh were assistant coaches with Medved, while Aaron Katsuma joined him again as Director of Basketball Operations. Thorson has extensive experience as a high school coach and had previously worked with Medved at the University of Minnesota. Blount and Farokhmanesh also bring extensive recent playing experience with them as Blount played at Loyola Chicago, graduating in 2009, and Farokhmanesh was a key part of a Northern Iowa squad that knocked off No. 1 Kansas in the NCAA Tournament in his senior year in 2010.
Coors Light Coaches Show Is Back
• The Coors Light Basketball Head Coaches Show returns to Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon in Old Town Fort Collins this year. Join men's head coach Niko Medved and women's head coach Ryun Williams starting at 6 p.m. on the Mondays listed below to hear their thoughts on the previous week and look forward to upcoming action
• November: 12 & 26
• December: 3 & 10
• January: 7, 14, 21 & 28
• February: 4, 11, 18 & 25
2018-19 Schedule Is Home Laden
• The Rams will play a good schedule in head coach Niko Medved's first season as the leader in Fort Collins.
• Of the 13 non-conference games on the schedule, eight of them are in the friendly confines of Moby Arena, including the first three to start the season.
• The program will first play away from home on Nov. 19-21 at the Gulf Coast Showcase, a three-game tournament that is all neutral games unless the Rams take on co-host Florida Gulf Coast.
• CSU is scheduled for just a pair of true road games and only a single plane trip for those. The Rams will play their first true road contest at Colorado on Sat. Dec. 1, with the flight trip to Long Beach to take on the 49ers on Dec. 22.
• The Rams also welcome a Southeastern Conference team to Moby Arena on Dec. 5, as Arkansas makes the return trip after last year's meeting in Fayetteville. This will be just the third meeting with a SEC foe since 2010 and the first time a squad from that league has come to Moby since Nov. 28, 2005, when the Rams defeated Auburn, 77-67. Versus the SEC, CSU is 5-1 all-time at home and 10-7 overall.
• Non-conference play wraps up on Dec. 30, with CSU hosting New Mexico State.
Rams On the Tube
• The Rams' package has 18 televised games, with 11 of them occurring at Moby Arena, including all nine league contests.
• In the 17 televised games, CSU will appear on the ESPN family of networks three times, CBS Sports Network five times, AT&T SportsNet on eight occasions and Stadium and Pac-12 Network once each.
• Two non-conference games will be televised from Moby Arena, with the Arkansas contest on Dec. 5 on CBS Sports Network and the New Mexico State matchup on Dec. 30 on AT&T SportsNet.
• As part of the Mountain West conference slate, four home games were moved from Wednesday to Tuesday to accommodate broadcast requests. The Air Force game moved from Jan. 9 to Jan. 8, Boise State goes from Jan. 30 to Jan. 29 as both will be shown on AT&T SportsNet. San Diego State will now come to town on Tue., Feb. 12 for a battle on ESPN, while the Utah State game was bumped to Tue., March 5 to be shown on AT&T SportsNet.
ESPN Networks (3)
Tue. Feb. 12 San Diego State* (ESPN2) 9 p.m.
Sat. March 2 at New Mexico* (ESPNU) 8 p.m.
Sat. March 9 UNLV* (ESPN3) 2 p.m.
CBS Sports Network (5)
Wed. Dec. 5 Arkansas 8 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 2 at UNLV* 8:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 12 New Mexico* 2 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 23 at Nevada* 9 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 6 Nevada* 8 p.m.
AT&T SportsNet (8)
Sun. Dec. 30 New Mexico State 2 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 5 at Fresno State* 8 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 8 Air Force* 7 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 26 Fresno State* 2 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 29 Boise State* 7 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 9 at Wyoming* 12 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 23 Wyoming* 12 p.m.
Tue. March 5 Utah State* 7 p.m.
Pac-12 Network (1)
Sat. Dec. 1 at Colorado 1 p.m.
Stadium (1)
Wed. Feb. 27 at Boise State* 7 p.m.
Roster Size... But Inexperienced
• The Rams will start the year with 14 eligible players on the roster, one of the largest opening day rosters in recent history. CSU had 11 players available to start the 2017-18 season. Of those 14 this season, a total of 11 were part of the program last season, with seven having played, with four returners who did play and also four newcomers to the lineup this year.
• Last year's Rams combined for just 7.5 seasons of NCAA Division I experience to start the season, but this year's squad comes in with 17 combined Division I seasons, a marked improvement.
Returning/Lost...By the Numbers
• The Rams added several key newcomers for 2018-19 as Colorado State looked to fill some gaps from last year's production on the floor, though CSU returns a significant portion on all categories.
• Here is a quick look at what the Rams returned in major statistical categories:
Category Total (R/L) % Returning
> Scoring 2314 (1353 / 961) 58.5%
> Rebounding 1126 (764 / 362) 67.9%
> Assists 409 (251 / 158) 61.4%
> Blocks 102 (55 / 47) 53.9%
> Steals 190 (100 / 90) 52.6%
> Minutes 6475 (4110 / 2365) 63.5%
Newcomers (Lots of)
• The Rams will have a strong group of newcomers to the floor this year, made up of three transfers and four freshmen.
• The class distribution among those that could see the floor for CSU the first time this season is:
-- Juniors (Hyron Edwards, Kris Martin, Zo Tyson)
-- Freshmen (Sam Bannec, Kendle Moore,
Jack Schoemann, Adam Thistlewood)
Moby Arena Home Court Advantage
• CSU has a record of 548-226 (.708) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• The Rams have finished at least .500 in each of the last nine years, dating back to the 2008-09 season when the program was 6-9.
• Current head coach Niko Medved was part of a coaching staff at CSU that posted two of the top records in program history at home, as the 2012-13 team set the best mark at 16-1 with the 2011-12 team going 14-1. Overall as an assistant at CSU, he was part of a team that went 97-97 overall and 59-30 in Moby Arena and improved their overall record in each successive season.
Moby & Record Improvement WIth Medved (CSU Asst.)
Overall Moby Total Attend. Avg Att.
2012-13 26-9 16-1 92,488 5,440
2011-12 20-12 14-1 62,889 4,193
2010-11 19-13 9-5 68.305 4.879
2009-10 16-16 11-4 50,878 3,392
2008-09 9-22 6-9 48,858 3,257
2007-08 7-25 3-10 43,588 3,353
Totals 97-97 59-30
Mountain West Record
• Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 123-171 (.418) in regular-season action against MW foes since the formation of the league in 1999-2000.
CSU vs. Mountain West Conference
School Overall Home Away Neut.
Air Force 78-33 42-11 32-18 4-4
Boise State 10-10 8-2 1-8 1-0
Fresno State 17-17 13-3 2-12 2-2
Nevada 9-11 5-3 4-7 0-1
New Mexico 46-77 33-26 12-49 1-2
San Diego State 41-42 26-12 13-26 2-4
San Jose State 17-0 8-0 7-0 2-0
UNLV 16-38 11-15 5-22 0-1
Utah State 39-54 28-18 11-34 0-2
Wyoming 93-135 51-56 39-75 3-4
Totals 366-417 225-146 126-251 15-20
Last Time Out...
• Colorado State enjoyed several early runs and never looked back in a 92-67 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10 at Moby Arena. The Rams open the season 2-0 under first-year head coach Niko Medved, while the loss drops the Golden Lions to 0-2.
• Colorado State took advantage of a Kendle Moore three pointer to open the game on an 11-4 run in the first five minutes. Following redshirt-junior Nico Carvacho's slam dunk, the Rams would blow the game open on a 17-7 run over the next 5:32, capped off with redshirt-junior Lorenzo Jenkins' shot from beyond the arc giving the Rams a 28-12 lead. The Rams eventually built the lead to 47-28 at the break, keyed by late threes from redshirt-senior J.D. Paige, redshirt-junior Anthony Masinton-Bonner and Lorenzo Jenkins.
• The Rams opened out the second half playing sensational defense, preventing Arkansas-Pine Bluff from getting into any sort of a rhythm as the lead grew to 62-33 with 11:16 remaining in the contest. The Rams enjoyed their largest lead of the afternoon at 76-41 after Carvacho slammed home the pass from Masinton-Bonner.
• On the game, Colorado State shot 54 percent (27-of-50) from the floor including a stellar 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from beyond the three-point line. Conversely, the Rams stymied the Golden Lions offense to just a 37.9 percent (22-of-58) field goal percentage, including 26.3 percent (5-of-19) on three-point shooting. CSU also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Golden Lions 35-32.
• Six different Rams reached double-figure scoring in the contest, including all five starters for the second consecutive game. Carvacho led the team in scoring with 18 points and 11 , while freshmen Adam Thistlewood and Moore added 14 and 10, respectively. Masinton-Bonner tallied 13 points and Paige added another 14 points in his first action this season.
(See page 18 for complete box score)
Carvacho Growing On the Floor
• Redshirt-junior center Nico Carvacho showed his increased comfort level on the floor, growing extensively as a sophomore in 2017-18.
• In the 2017-18 season, Carvacho was the leader on the glass for CSU with 331 boards (125 offensive) in 32 games (the only Ram to start all 32 last year). His 10.3 boards per game average ranked second in the Mountain West, as he had double-digit boards in the last 16 games (averaging 13.6 per game in that span). He also just had the sixth-ever individual 300-rebound season in CSU history, surpassing the mark at Nevada, Feb. 25.
• Last year, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.3 rebounds in Mountain West play, leading by a wide margin in rebounding for league games only (next was 9.6 per game). He also had seven of the top 14 single-game totals in MW action.
• He has had double-doubles in 10 of the last 16 games he played in 2017-18 and had a higher rebound average in MW league contests than Emmanuel Omogbo had in 2016-17 (10.9).
• Carvacho posted a career-high 26 points and tied a career best with 20 rebounds in the win over San Jose State, Feb. 10, 2018. The last Ram to have a 20-point/20-rebound game prior to that one was current Washington Wizards' Jason Smith, with 27 & 22 in a win over Wyoming on Feb. 24, 2007.
• With his 20-rebound game against San Jose State, he moved up from 17th to eighth on CSU's single-season list. He finished the season in fifth with 331 boards, surpassing former standout and current Washington Wizard Jason Smith in sixth.
• For his play in '17-18, Carvacho was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West by both the league's coaches and media members in two separate votes.
• This season, Carvacho has started out effectively, recording double-doubles in his first two games and averaging 16.0 points and 13.0 rebounds while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.
• He had CSU game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10.
• Carvacho started the season No. 20 on the CSU career rebounding chart and moved up to 19th after his play against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Carvacho's '17-18 MW/Nat'l Rankings Stat MW NCAA
Rebounds Per Game 10.3 2nd 15th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game 3.91 1st 7th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game 6.44 5th 49th
Double-Doubles 11 4th 55th
Total Rebounds 331 2nd 17th
Carvacho's Career Double-Doubles Date Pts Reb
Northern Colorado 12/10/16 13 11
Wyoming 2/28/17 10 10
Sacramento State 11/10/17 11 20
Fresno State 1/6/18 10 19
at Utah State 1/10/18 10 15
Air Force 1/17/18 12 13
at San Diego State 1/24/18 14 12
at New Mexico 1/27/18 14 15
Wyoming 1/31/18 10 13
at Air Force 2/6/18 16 12
San Jose State 2/10/18 26 20
at Fresno State 2/17/18 14 11
at Nevada 2/25/18 13 14
Colorado Christian 11/7/18 14 15
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 11/10/18 18 11
CSU Single-Season Total Rebounding Ranks
1. 392 Mike Childress (23 Games) - 1969-70
2. 373 Emmanuel Omogbo (101O-272D) - 2016-17
3. 349 Mike Childress (25 Games) - 1970-71
4. 342 Colton Iverson (117O-225D) - 2012-13
5. 331 Nico Carvacho (125O-206D) 2017-18
6. 304 Jason Smith (98O-206D) 2006-07
Current CSU Single-Season Defensive Rebounds
1. 272 Emmanuel Omogbo (101O-272D) 2016-17
2. 225 Colton Iverson (117O-225D) 2012-13
3. 219 Pat Durham (52O-219D) 1986-87
4. 206 Nico Carvacho (125O-206D) 2017-18
206 Jason Smith (98O-206D) 2006-07
6. 194 Daniel Bejarano (73O-194D) 2013-14
Current CSU Single-Season Offensive Rebounds
1. 133 Pierce Hornung (133O-160D) 2012-13
2. 125 Nico Carvacho (125O-206D) 2017-18
3. 121 Tiel Daniels (121O-139D) 2015-16
4. 117 Colton Iverson (117O-225D) 2012-13
5. 102 Emmanuel Omogbo (102O-163D) 2015-16
CSU Career Rebounding Ranks
1. 851 Pat Durham (52O-799D) 1985-89
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15. 610 Barry Bailey (63O-547D) 1984-88
16. 577 Matt Nelson (152O-425D) 2000-05
17. 569 Sonny Bustion (70 Games) 1963-65,66-67
18. 564 Gary Rhoades (77 Games) 1970-73
19. 562 Nico Carvacho (70 Games) 2016-19
20. 555 Gary Hibbard (73 Games) 1953-56
Paige Wheels & Deals
• Redshirt-senior J.D. Paige adjusted well to his new role within CSU's offense the last two years.
• In 2016-17, 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 (11/23/16), 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.
• Last season, Paige picked up a season-high 22 points versus San Diego State (1/2/18), making a career-high field goals.
• Paige scored in double figures in five of his last six games in 2017-18, 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.
• After missing six games with a broken hand suffered at San Diego State on Jan. 24, Paige returned to the lineup against Boise State (Feb. 21) with 12 points and averaged 10.4 points per game, third on the team, and had a team-high 2.6 assists per game.
• Paige missed the season opener but returned with 14 points (4-of-5 3-pointers) and a career-high tying six assists in the win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nov. 10.
• If Paige stays healthy and averages 10.0 points per game during the season, he would reach the career 1,000-point plateau on Feb. 27 at Boise State.
A Little Different Name, Same Face
• Redshirt-junior guard Anthony Masinton-Bonner (the guard previously known as Anthony Bonner but always "AB") is expected to take up more of the scoring load this season.
• Last year, Masinton-Bonner started in 21 of the 32 games he played in, averaging 8.9 points per contest in 27.1 minutes per game.
• He was the team leader at the three-point arc at 43.2 percent and was second from the charity stripe, connecting on 82.1 percent of his attempts.
• In the season opener against Colorado Christian, Masinton-Bonner was not only effective but efficient. He tallied a career-high tying 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including 6-of-7 from the three-point arc. He also chipped in five rebounds and four assists.
• In the first two contests, he is averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while shooting 65.0 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from the three-point line.
Newcomers Jumping In Early
• Five Rams made their debut in the Green and Gold in Wednesday's win over Colorado Christian.
• Freshman Kendle Moore started and scored a game-high 26 points in 32 minutes of action. He was solid, going 9-of-11 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the arc and 4-of-5 at the charity stripe. He also added four rebounds, four assists and one steal.
• Freshman Adam Thistlewood had 10 points in starting his first collegiate game, while also grabbing five rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
• Also seeing time were redshirt-junior Zo Tyson and freshmen Jack Schoemann and Sam Bannec. Tyson had six points and four rebounds, while Bannec hit a three-pointer late.
• Moore currently leads the Rams at 18.0 points per game after his 10-point outing against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, while Thistlewood has scored in double figures in both games and is fifth at 12.0 points a contest while making 13 of 14 free throw attempts (92.9 percent).
Looking Ahead
• Colorado State will take to the road to play in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., opening up the three-game event against Louisiana, Mon., Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT.
• The contest between will be televised on the FloHoops.com, a pay-per-view service.
• The game will air across the Colorado State Sports Network (along with online at CSURams.com), with Matt Wozniak and Adam Nigon on the call.
• CSU Sports Network broadcasts can be also accessed on mobile devices through the TuneIn app (free on all Apple, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Amazon Kindle devices) – once downloaded, search "Colorado St. Rams Sports Network" in the app for the games and coaches' show broadcasts.
CSU All-Time Vs. 2018-19 Opponents
(including possible at Gulf Coast Showcase)
Overall Home Road Neutral
Air Force 78-33 42-11 32-18 4-4
Arkansas 0-1 - 0-1 -
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3-0 3-0 - -
Boise State 10-11 8-3 1-8 1-0
Colorado 38-89 28-36 9-53 1-0
Colorado Christian 1-0 1-0 - -
Florida Gulf Coast First Meeting
Fresno State 17-17 13-3 2-12 2-2
Long Beach State 3-2 2-1 1-1 -
Louisiana 1-0 1-0 - -
Montana State 11-4 7-2 4-2 -
Nevada 9-12 5-3 4-8 0-1
New Mexico 46-77 33-26 12-49 1-2
New Mexico State 5-2 4-0 1-2 -
Sam Houston State 0-1 0-1 - -
San Diego State 41-42 26-12 13-26 2-4
San Jose State 17-0 8-0 7-0 2-0
South Dakota First Meeting
South Dakota State 0-1 0-1 - -
Southern Illinois 1-2 1-0 0-1 0-1
Toledo 3-2 1-1 2-1 -
Tulane 0-1 - - 0-1
UC Irvine First Meeting
UNLV 16-38 11-15 5-22 0-1
UT-San Antonio 1-0 1-0 - -
Utah State 39-54 28-18 11-34 0-2
Wyoming 93-135 51-56 39-75 3-4
Totals 433-524 274-189 143-313 16-22
Players Mentioned
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F/C
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G/F
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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