CSU Travels To The Springs, Taking On Air Force, Tue., Feb. 6

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #26 - Colorado State (10-15, 3-9) vs. Air Force (8-13, 2-7)
February 6, 2018 • 8 p.m. MT • Clune Arena (5,843) - USAFA, Colo.

Video: AT&T SportsNet -- Play-by-Play: Drew Goodman / Color Analyst: Dave Bollwinkel
Colorado State Sports Network -- Play-by-Play: Brian Roth / Color Analyst: Adam Nigon (TuneIn App available for download)
Flagship: KARS 102.9 FM (Fort Collins) / Affiliates: KOCO 92.9 FM (Longmont)/ 104.7 FM (Denver), KMTS 99.1 FM (Glenwood Springs), KJME 890 AM (Colorado Springs), KKVT 100.7 FM (Grand Junction), KRFD 100.1 FM (Sterling), KKVT 100.3 FM (Rifle),/97.1 FM (Delta)

Opening Tip
•   Colorado State is back on the road in-state, traveling to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force, Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Falcons will be televised on AT&T SportsNet with Drew Goodman and Dave Bollwinkel handling the broadcast duties.
•   The game will air across the Colorado State Sports Network (along with online at CSURams.com), with Brian Roth and Adam Nigon on the call.
• The game will also have live audio on CSURams.com in partnership with SIDEARM Sports and live stats on CSURams.com. The audio broadcast of the game is also available through the TuneIn app, available on all platforms.

Rams Quick Hits
• The 2017-18 season marks the 116th in the history of the Colorado State men's basketball program. The Rams are 1,250-1,246 (.501) in 2,496 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 Interim Head Coach Steve Barnes (Asuza Pacific, '81) is in his sixth season at CSU, first at the helm of the Rams with an 0-1 (.000) record and holds a 39-52 (.429) overall coaching record in his fourth season. In 2016-17, CSU posted an 24-12 mark, including 13-4 in Mountain West play, advanced to the MW Championship game and played in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
•   Air Force Head Coach Dave Pilipovich (Thiel, '86) is in his sixth season as leader of the Falcons and as a head coach overall with a 80-107 mark.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 111th meeting ever between the two schools with CSU leading the series 78-32, including 32-17 at USAFA. The Rams however dropped the most recent meeting in Fort Collins earlier this year, 76-71, Jan. 17.
•   CSU has won 12 of the last 13 meetings and 15 of the last 17 times the teams have played. Other than this year's defeat, the last previous loss for CSU in the series came on Feb. 26, 2011 in Clune Arena, as Air Force won decisively, 74-57.
•   CSU has also won the last five in Clune Arena overall.
•    Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 365-413, including 126-249 in road arenas.

AIR FORCE - 78-32
(Conference: 53-21)
Home: 42-11 / Away 32-17 / Neutral 4-4
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 15)

Barnes vs. Mountain West Conference
School   Overall   Home   Away   Neut.
Air Force   -   -   -   -
Boise State   1-1   1-0   0-1   -
Colorado State   0-1   -   -   0-1
Fresno State   0-6   0-3   0-3   -
Nevada   3-1   1-1   2-0
New Mexico   -   -   -   -
San Diego State   -   -   -   -
UNLV   -   -   -   -
Utah State   -   -   -   -
Wyoming   -   -   -   -
Totals   4-9   2-4   2-4   0-1

A Win Over Air Force Will...
•   Move CSU to 79-32 all time in the series, including 33-17 in Colorado Springs.
•   End the Rams' six-game losing skid.

Mountain West Record
•   Colorado State - a charter member of the Mountain West - is now 122-168 (.421) 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   78-32   42-11   32-17   4-4
Boise State   10-10   8-2   1-8   1-0
Fresno State   17-16   13-3   2-11   2-2
Nevada   9-11   5-3   4-7   0-1
New Mexico   46-76   33-25   12-49   1-2
San Diego State   41-42   26-12   13-26   2-4
San Jose State   16-0   7-0   7-0   2-0
UNLV   16-38   11-15   5-22   0-1
Utah State   39-53   28-18   11-34   0-1
Wyoming   93-135   51-56   39-75   3-4
Totals   365-413   224-145   126-249   15-19

Last Time Out...
•   Colorado State went back and forth with league-leader Nevada but came out on the short end of a 76-67 loss, Feb. 3. The loss marks CSU's sixth in a row.
•   CSU and Nevada traded triples to open the game and battled in a tight first half that experienced four lead changes and five ties. Nevada held the largest lead of the half at six at 27-21 with 9:08 remaining in the half, utilizing a perfect 15-of-15 at the free throw line in the opening half. However, the lead would get no larger, as CSU eventually tied the game at 35 on a pair of redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho free throws. Nevada hit two free throws in the final minute to take a 37-35 advantage into the halftime break.
•   The Rams grabbed their only lead of the second half when junior forward Deion James hit the second of back-to-back threes to put CSU up 41-40 with 17:32 to play. However, Nevada went on 11-2 run over the next 5:28 to take an eight-point lead at 51-43. CSU battled through the rest of the 20 minutes, cutting the margin to as few as two on two occasions and within one possession at 65-62 with 2:58 remaining. The Wolf Pack put the game away, as it hit their last three field goal and four free throw attempts to seal the victory.
•   The two teams were comparable on both ends, as CSU shot 38.2 percent (21-of-55), including 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from the three-point line. Nevada was 36.2 percent (21-of-58) from the floor and 29.6 percent (8-fo-27) behind the arc. CSU had a slight edge on the boards, 39-38, with the Rams holding a 9-4 advantage on second-chance points. Both teams had 12 turnovers, but Nevada held an 11-2 edge in fast-break points. The free-throw line was the difference maker in the contest, as the Wolf Pack outscored the Rams by nine at the stripe, going 26-of-32 (81.3 percent) while the hosts were 17-of-23 (73.9 percent).
•   The Rams had four players in double digits, with senior forward Che Bob and redshirt-sophomore guard Anthony Bonner each posting 13 points. Junior forward Deion James had 12 points and added eight rebounds, while redshirt-sophomore guard Raquan Mitchell chipped in 11 points and a game-high four assists. Redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho led the Rams in rebounding with 10 boards. Forward Caleb Martin led the Wolf Pack effort with 26 points.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

This Year's Previous Meeting
•   Colorado State could not hold on to its second half lead in the closing minutes and dropped a 76-71 home decision to Air Force, Jan. 17.
•   In a game that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes, the Rams held an eight-point advantage, its largest of the game, with nine minutes to go in the game, but the Falcons kept battling and chipping away at the margin. The visitors got the game to a tie at 62-each with 3:30 to play and took the lead for good on a three-pointer by Lavelle Scottie with 1:45 to play. In that final stretch, Air Force was perfect at the free throw line, canning all six attempts in the last two minutes and each of the 12 free throws in that final nine-minute span. CSU got it to on twice in the closing seconds but could not reclaim the lead.
•   The first half had neither team able to pull away, as the biggest lead was eight, as Air Force relied on its six three-pointers while CSU held a 21-17 advantage on the glass in the opening 20 minutes. The two teams struggled to score as the Rams led 10-8 with more than 10 minutes gone. However, both teams picked up the offense as the hosts eventually took a 33-31 lead into the halftime break.
•   Colorado State finished the game shooting just 37.0 percent (27-of-73) from the floor and only 29.4 percent (5-of-17) beyond the arc. Air Force was slightly better at 39.7 percent (25-of-63) on field goal attempts and 30.8 percent (12-of-39) on three-pointers. Both teams were solid at the free throw line, as CSU was 12-of-15 (80.0 percent) and AF was 14-of-17 (82.4 percent). The Rams did have a 49-37 advantage on the glass in the contest.
•   Junior guard Prentiss Nixon led four Rams in double figures with 18 points and a career-high tying seven assists. Junior Deion James and redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho each posted double-doubles as James had 11 points and a season-best 14 rebounds, while Carvacho had 12 points and 13 boards. Redshirt-junior J.D. Paige was the final Ram with double-figure scoring with 10. Air Force was led by Trevor Lyons' 22 points, including 7-of-9 field goals and 4-of-4 from behind the three-point line.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

Last Time At Clune Arena
•   Colorado State men's basketball team built a big lead and fought off a pesky Air Force squad at the end, coming away with an 83-79 road victory, Jan. 20, 2016.
•   With just its third unique starting lineup this season, CSU scored the first five points of the game and led throughout the first half, though Air Force did cut it to one at 18-17 with 10:14 to go in the first half. The Rams put on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to extend the lead to 11, finishing the half with a 41-31 advantage.
•   CSU built the lead to as many as 17 in the second half at 53-36, but Air Force would not concede eventually tying the game at 62 and taking the lead at 64-63 with 8:04 to play. CSU would retake the lead for good on free throws by redshirt-freshman guard J.D. Paige to go up 66-64, but it stayed within five the rest of the way For the sixth straight MW game, it came down to a one-possession contest in the final minute, as CSU led 79-77 with 1:05 to play. The Rams closed the door on the Falcons' hopes by converting all four free throws in the final 13 seconds of the game.
•   Colorado State finished the game 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the floor, including 12-of-30 from the three-point line. However, the game was won down the stretch at the line, as CSU was 78.3 percent (18-of-23) from the free throw stripe in the second half and 75.0 percent (21-of-28) for the game. Air Force finished 51.9 percent (27-of-52) from the field, 9-of-20 on three pointers and 72.7 percent (16-of-22) at the charity stripe. Air Force won the battle of the boards 37-28, but only outscored CSU on second chance points 12-8. CSU committed just six turnovers for the game, while forcing eight Falcon miscues.
(See page 21 for complete box score)

Road Improvement Showing
•   CSU picked up its first win away from Moby Arena this year in eight tries, six of them true road contests, with the victory at San Jose State, Dec. 30. The Rams added back-to-back road wins at Utah State, Jan. 10, and Wyoming, Jan. 13, for three consecutive Mountain West road victories before the loss at San Diego State, Jan. 24.
•   Last season, CSU picked up its fifth straight MW road win and sixth in conference play at New Mexico, Feb. 21, a streak snapped at Nevada March 4, but the Rams finished 9-6 in games away from home in 2016-17.
•   In 2016-17, the Rams won five straight MW road games for the 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.

Moby Arena Homecourt Advantage
•   CSU has a record of 545-223 (.710) record all-time at Moby Arena.
• 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.
•   Colorado State finished the 2015-16 regular season 12-5 at Moby Arena.
•    At 15-5 in 2016-17 at Moby Arena, it marked the fifth time in program history that CSU won at least 15 home games. Last season's 15 victories was the sixth season of 15-plus wins at the Rams' arena.
• The Rams finished the 2014-15 regular-season one win shy (15-2) of the best home mark in program history (16-1 in 2012-13). CSU went 15-2 at Moby in 1987-88.
•   CSU has struggled in conference action at home this year, dropping all six games by a combined 36 points, with four of the six losses decided by five points or less.

Non-Conference Highlight
•   CSU was undefeated in non-conference home games this season at 7-0.

Fall Semester Wrapped Up
•   The Rams concluded the fall semester of classes in a solid way with a team GPA of better than 2.5.
•   All student-athletes also have met NCAA and CSU standards for eligibility, including progress towards degree requirements.

Rebounding Emphasis Noted
•   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 16 times, including seven of the 10 wins.

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 243 boards (94 offensive) in 25 games. His 9.7 boards per game average ranks second in the Mountain West, as he has double-digit boards in the last nine games (averaging 14.0 per game in that span). He also is just three rebounds shy of cracking the top-20 single-season performances in CSU history.
•   He is averaging 10.3 points and 12.1 rebounds in Mountain West play, leading by a wide margin in rebounding for league games only (next is 9.2 per game). He also has six of the top 13 single-game totals in MW action.
•   He has double-doubles in six of the last nine games he has played in and has a higher rebound average through 12 league contests than Emmanuel Omogbo had last season at this time (10.8).
•   He had his third career double-double with 11 points and a career-best 20 boards (still a league season-best mark) in the home win over Winthrop, Nov. 14.
•   In the win at Utah State, Jan. 10, Carvacho had 10 points, a game-high 15 rebounds for his second straight double-double and a career-high four assists.

Carvacho's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Rebounds Per Game   9.7   2nd   23rd
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   3.76   1st   11th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game   5.96   6th   80th
Double-Doubles   7   5th   71st
Total Rebounds   243   1st   15th

Nixon Does It All
•    Junior Prentiss Nixon became an integral part of the CSU lineup the last two seasons.
•    The guard averaged 13.2 points per game in 2016-17 (13th in MW), scoring in double figures in 27 games, including a current streak of 10 straight.
•    In all MW contests, he averaged 13.3 points per game - 17th in regular-season league only.
•    He scored a then-career-high 30 points against Kansas State and surpassed his high from 2015-16 six times.
•    In the Mountain West Tournament, Nixon averaged 14.7 points per game, earning All-Tournament honors.
•    Against Nevada in the MW championship, Nixon scored 23 points, including tying the school record for a MW Tournament game with six three-pointers.
•    This year, Nixon continued his double-figure scoring streak, moving it to 12 with a pair of 16-point performances before it was snapped against Tulane, Nov. 17. However, he started a new streak with 22 points, including five three-pointers, against Florida State, Nov. 19, followed by 15 at New Mexico State, Nov. 22. He missed the Northwestern State game with a concussion but returned to the lineup with 20 points at Missouri State, Nov. 28.
•   He scored a career-high 31 points on 8-of-13 field goal attempts (5-of-8 three pointers) and 10-of-11 free throws along with four rebounds at Arkansas, Dec. 5. He then followed it up with 25 at Oregon, Dec. 8.
•    In double-figure scoring 18 of 20 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 17.2 points per game and has hit a team-best 51 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 13 games this season.
•   With 968 career points, if he averages 17.0 points per game from this point on, he will surpass the 1,000 point mark against San Jose State, Feb. 10. However, he just returned to action with 18 minutes of play against Nevada (scoring four points) after having bee out due to an ankle injury suffered in the final minute against Air Force, Jan. 17.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 46 offensive fouls (a season-high five against Fresno State, Jan. 6) in his 20 games played along with grabbing a team-best 29 steals (career-high four in the win at Utah State, Jan. 10). Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.

Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Points Per Game   17.2   8th   148th
3-Pt FG Per Game   2.55   5th   116th
3-Pt Field Goal Attempts   147   3rd   138th
Free Throws Made   83   10th   195th
3-Pt FG Percentage   34.7   6th   118th
Steals Per Game   1.45   5th   203rd

James Making An 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 10.3 points and third in rebounding at 5/3 boards, while shooting 47.1 percent on his field goal attempts.
•   He has scored in double figures 13 times and grabbed five or more boards on 14 occasions.
•   He tallied a then-season-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win over Arkansas-Fort Smith, Dec. 19.
•   He scored 14 points and had seven boards in the win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
•   He posted his first CSU double-double of 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds against Air Force, Jan. 17.
•   He followed it up with a season-best 24 points and 14 rebounds (tying season-high) against Wyoming, Jan. 31.
•   In CSU's nine wins he played in, his numbers go up as he is averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Bob Learning the Ropes
• Senior Che (said CHAY not SHAY) Bob is figuring out ways to contribute to the Rams' effort in all phases.
•   Getting the start in 21 of 25 games played this year, Bob is averaging 10.0 points per game (fourth for CSU) and 6.6 rebounds per contest (10th in the Mountain West).
•   Bob had a streak of four straight games with a double-double (five total in his CSU career), with the performance of 13 points and 12 boards at Missouri State, Nov. 28. He added the sixth of his career with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Long Beach State, Dec. 23.
•   He tied a career high with 21 points at New Mexico State, Nov. 24, including connecting on seven free throws and a pair of three pointers.
•   In the win over Colorado Dec. 2, Bob scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.
•   In the last two road wins at Utah State (Jan. 10) and Wyoming (Jan. 13), Bob has averaged 18.0 points per game while connecting on 10-of-15 field goal attempts and 14-of-18 at the free throw line.

Bob's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Blocks Per Game   1.48   5th   107th
Double-Doubles   5   9th   135th
Total Blocks   37   2nd   91st

Paige Wheels & Deals
•    Redshirt-junior J.D. (or as Coach Eustachy calls him Jeremiah) Paige adjusted well to his new role within CSU's offense the last two years.
•   Last year, Paige led CSU assists (2.5 apg), was third in steals (0.9 spg) and blocked shots (0.7) and fourth in scoring (8.8 ppg).
•   The Denver, Colo., native had a solid outing against Alcorn State (11/23), recording career bests of 23 points and six assists in the home victory.
•   Paige tied his career high with 23 points, including a career-best five three-pointers in the win over Fresno State, Feb. 11, 2017.
•   This season, Paige picked up a season-high 22 points versus San Diego State (1/2), making a career-high field goals.
•   He tied for team-high honors with 16 points and earned a career-best seven boards in the win over Colorado, Dec. 2.
•   Paige has scored in double figures in five of the last six games, including the performance at San Diego State and a 14-point, six-rebound outing in the win at Wyoming, Jan. 13. He also had 19 points against UNLV, Jan. 20.
•   With his recent performances, Paige is now averaging an improved 10.4 points per game, second on the team and has a team-high 2.5 assists per game. However, he is out 3-4 weeks with a broken non-shooting hand suffered at San Diego State, Jan. 24.

Mountain West Tourney Around the Corner
•   The 2018 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship is back in Las Vegas, March 7-10. All-session and single game passes are available for the postseason tournament that includes a NCAA Tournament berth to the winner by going to theMW.com.

CSU All-Time Vs. 2017-18 Opponents
       Overall   Home   Road   Neutral
Air Force   78-32   42-11   32-17   4-4
Arkansas   0-1   -   0-1   -
Arkansas-Fort Smith   4-0   4-0   -   -
Boise State   10-9   8-2   1-7   1-0
Colorado   38-89   28-36   9-53   1-0
Florida State   0-2   -   -   0-2
Fresno State   17-16   13-3   2-11   2-2
Long Beach State   3-2   2-1   1-1   -
Missouri State   1-1   -   0-1   1-0
Nevada   9-11   5-3   4-7   0-1
New Mexico   46-76   33-25   12-49   1-2
New Mexico State   5-2   4-0   1-2   -
Northwestern State   3-0   2-0   1-0   -
Oregon   1-9   0-1   0-5   1-3
Sacramento State   5-0   4-0   1-0   -
San Diego State   41-42   26-12   13-26   2-4
San Jose State   16-0   7-0   7-0   2-0
Texas State   2-0   2-0   -   -
Tulane   0-1   -   -   0-1
UNLV   16-38   11-15   5-22   0-1
Utah State   39-53   28-18   11-34   0-1
Winthrop   1-0   1-0   0-0   0-0
Wyoming   93-135   51-56   39-75   3-4
Totals   428-519   271-123   139-311   18-25

Coaches Shows Back at Lucky Joe's
•   The Coors Light Basketball Coaches' Show is back again, hosted at Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon in Old Town Fort Collins. The show starts at 6 pm with women's coach Ryun Williams, followed by men's coach Larry Eustachy for the second half-hour. Remaining dates of the shows are:
•   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 is back home to host San Jose State at Moby Arena, Sat., Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.
•   The contest between the Rams and Spartans 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.
•   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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