CSU Opens 2018 Mountain West Championship Versus Utah State, March 7

2017-18 Colorado State Men's Basketball
Game #32 - #10 Colorado State (11-20) vs. #7 Utah State (15-16)
March 7, 2018 • 2:30 p.m. MT • Thomas & Mack Center (18,000) - Las Vegas, Nev.

Video: Facebook Live / Stadium -- Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe / Color Analyst: Doug Gottlieb / Sideline: Kristen Balboni
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 opens the 2018 Mountain West Basketball Championship as the No. 10 seed, taking on No. 7 Utah State, Wed., March 7 at 2:30 pm MT.
•   The contest between the Rams and Aggies will be televised on the Mountain West Network as well as on Facebook Live on the CSU Men's Basketball site.
•   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 1,251-1,251 (.500) in 2,502 games all-time.
• 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 Jase Herl (Colorado Mesa, 2010) is in his second season at CSU, first at the helm of the Rams and as a Division I head coach with an 1-4 (.200) record. 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 45-48 mark.

Scouting Utah State
• The Aggies enter the game as the No. 7 seed at 15-16 and 8-10 in the Mountain West following a 79-67 home victory over UNLV, March 3.
•   Picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West, Utah State returned 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 (35.2 mpg), points (16.1 ppg), three pointers (88) and assists (94). McEwen is close behind at 15.3 points per game, leads the team in rebounding (5.2 ppg) and hits better than 34 percent from the three-point line.

All-Time Against Today's Opponent
•    This will be the 93rd meeting ever between the two schools, with Utah State holding the 53-39 lead, including winning the only previous neurtral court game at the 2014 Mountain West Tournament. Since joining the Mountain West starting in the 2013-14 season, the Aggies have won five of nine meetings against the Rams. However, CSU took both victories last year, including a win in Logan, ahd this year's only meeting, also in Logan.
•    Against all current teams from the Mountain West Conference, CSU is 366-416 and 15-19 on neutral courts.

UTAH STATE - 39-53
Conference: 21-37
Home: 28-18 / Away: 11-34 / Neutral: 0-1
(Complete Game-by-Game Results on Page 15)

A Win Over Utah State Will...
•   Give CSU its 40th win in the 93 game series and even the record in Las Vegas to one win each.
•   End the Rams' four-game losing skid and give them just their second win in the last 13 games.
•   Advance CSU out of its first game in the Mountain West Tournament for the 11th time in 19 years.
•   GIve the Rams their fourth win as a lower seed in their opening game in tournament history.

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   39-53   28-18   11-34   0-1
Wyoming   93-135   51-56   39-75   3-4
Totals   366-416   225-146   126-251   15-19

Last Time Out...
•   Colorado State couldn't rebound from a slow start and dropped its final regular season game in Moby Arena to New Mexico State, 108-87, Feb. 28.
•   New Mexico started quick with two straight triples and never trailed in the contest, taking a 21-5 lead with less than six minutes gone in the game. Behind a stellar 71.4 percent field goal percentage (20-of-28) in the opening 20 minutes, the Lobos built as much as a 30-point advantage and entered the break with a 58-32 lead. Colorado State battled back in the second half, eventually outscoring the visitors, 55-50, but could never get the difference under 15 the remainder of the contest.
•   On the night, Colorado State shot 50.0 percent (31-of-62) from the field but just 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from beyond the three-point line. New Mexico finished with an impressive 60.7 percent (37-of-61) from the floor, with 30 points from beyond the arc on 33.3 percent shooting (10-of-30). The Lobos would hold the rebounding advantage at 37-27 and outscored CSU in bench points, 54-24.
•   Colorado State had four players reach double-digit scoring figures, led by junior guard Prentiss Nixon's 27 to go along with a career-high five steals. Redshirt-sophomore guard Raquan Mitchell tallied a career-best 21 points off the bench on 7-of-12 field goals and 6-of-7 at the free throw line. Junior forward Deion James chipped in 12 points, while redshirt-sophomore center Nico Carvacho added a game-high 11 boards. New Mexico had seven players reach double-digit points, with forward Joe Furstinger leading the way with 22 points and seven rebounds.
(See page 19 for complete box score)

This Year's Previous Meeting
•   The Colorado State men's basketball team picked up their second road win of Mountain West action and ended Utah State's five-game home winning streak with an 84-75 victory in Logan, Jan. 10.
•   The two teams went at it in the early going with both teams taking small leads, with the tie at 18 apiece with 8:59 to play in the game. Utah State took a 22-20 lead on a pair of Dwayne Brown free throws, but a three by senior forward Che Bob put CSU up 23-22, an advantage that the Rams wouldn't give up the rest of the half as the visitors eventually led 41-31 at the halftime break. Rams built the lead on 50.0 percent (15-of-30) shooting in the opening half, including 4-of-8 from the three-point arc. CSU also was solid defensively, limiting Utah State to just 37.0 percent (10-of-27) from the floor and 23.5 percent (4-of-17) behind the line.
•   CSU came out strong to start the final 20 minutes, scoring the first seven points of the period to push the margin to 17. The Rams used strong defense and solid offense to get the lead to as many as 22 at 60-38 with 14:31 remaining. Known for second-half comebacks this year, Utah State battled and chipped it down to 10 at 66-56 with 6:01 to play. However, junior guard Prentiss Nixon took over with back-to-back three-pointers, a steal and a pair of free throws to push it back to a 15-point advantage just after the final media timeout. The Aggies kept coming but CSU had the answers down the stretch before settling for the nine-point win.
•   For the game, Colorado State shot 46.3 percent (25-of-54), including 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from the three-point arc. Utah State finished at 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the floor and 34.4 percent (11-of-32) from outside the line. The Rams were stellar at the free throw line, hitting 26-of-33 attempts (78.8 percent) while the Aggies were just 61.5 percent (16-of-26). The teams tied at 35 in the battle of the boards.
•   Nixon finished with 26 points, 22 coming in the second half, on 8-of-14 field goals, 4-of-6 three-pointers and six free throw attempts. Bob finished with 19 points, his second highest of the year, while redshirt-sophomore Nico Carvacho had his second straight double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds along with four assists. Sam Merrill led Utah State with 18, with Daron Henson and Koby McEwen adding 12 and 11, respectively.
(See page 20 for complete box score)

Last Time in Las Vegas (2014)
• The Colorado State men's basketball team stormed back from a double-digit first-half deficit to take an 11-point lead of its own late in the second half of the first game of the 2014 Reese's Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship Wednesday afternoon, only to watch the Aggies (18-13) close the game on a 19-5 run over the final 2:10 to eliminate the Rams (16-16).
• The Aggies jumped out to an 18-9 lead just more than 6 minutes into the contest, thanks to a trio of three-pointers - one each from Spencer Butterfield, TeNale Roland and Preston Medlin - and the lead was extended to 10 points at the 9:45 mark when Jalen Moore sank a pair of free-throws for Utah State.
•   That's when the Rams made their run, behind a monster effort from redshirt junior guard Dwight Smith who started his first game since Feb. 25, 2012, in place of injured big man Gerson Santo (broken hand). The Rams closed the half on a 17-9 run which included eight points from Smith and five more from freshman guard Carlton Hurst, and the team's went in the locker room knotted, 31-31.
•   Smith, who redshirted last season during the Rams' second consecutive NCAA tournament run and had played in just 17 of the Rams' 31 games this season due to injury, finished with career bests of 21 points and eight rebounds, both game highs.
• The Rams' lead reached 11 points with 2:40 to play, following an Octeus layup and a pair of J.J. Avila free-throws on back-to-back possessions.
•   The Aggies answered with the first of four late three-pointers to cut the lead to eight. But after a pair of Octeus free-throws, the Rams still looked to be in control with a 10-point lead and just move than 2:00 to play.
•   Roland, who finished with 14 points, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, hit eight of the Aggies next 11 points, including a three-point dagger that cut the Rams' lead to 66-65, with 42 seconds to play, and prompted an exchange on the court that led to a technical foul against the Rams' Daniel Bejarano, who was held to just five points but recorded seven rebounds and a game-high six assists on an off-shooting night (2-for-17).
•   USU's Butterfield hit the ensuing pair of free-throws to take a 67-66 lead, with 40.7 seconds to play. He added four more from the charity stripe in the final 15 seconds, after a pair from Moore, to cap off the Rams' late-game letdown.
(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 546-226 (.707) 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 the first six games by a combined 36 points, with four of those six losses decided by five points or less.

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

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 18 times, including eight of the 11 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 321 boards (122 offensive) in 31 games (the only Ram to start all 31 this year). His 10.4 boards per game average leads the Mountain West, as he has double-digit boards in the last 15 games (averaging 13.8 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.
•   He is averaging 11.1 points and 12.3 rebounds in Mountain West play, leading by a wide margin in rebounding for league games only (next is 9.6 per game). He also has seven of the top 14 single-game totals in MW action.
•   He has double-doubles in 10 of the last 15 games he has played in and has a higher rebound average in MW league contests than Emmanuel Omogbo had last season (10.9).
•   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 posted a career-high 26 points and tied a career best with 20 rebounds in the win over San Jose State, Feb. 10. The last Ram to have a 20-point/20-rebound game 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 now sits at fifth at 321 boards, surpassing former standout and current Washington Wizard Jason Smith in sixth.
•   For his play this year, Carvacho was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West by both the league's coaches and media members in two separate votes.

Carvacho's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Rebounds Per Game   10.4   1st   16th
Offensive Rebounds Per Game   3.94   1st   6th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game   6.42   5th   50th
Double-Doubles   11   3rd   50th
Total Rebounds   321   1st   13th

Carvacho's '17-18 Double-Doubles   Date   Pts   Reb
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

Current 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.   321   Nico Carvacho (122O-199D)   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   Jason Smith (98O-206D)   2006-07
5.   199   Nico Carvacho (122O-199D)   2017-18
6.   194   Daniel Bejarano (73O-194D)   2013-14

Current CSU Single-Season Offensive Rebounds
1.       133   Pierce Hornung (133O-160D)   - 2012-13
2.   122   Nico Carvacho (122O-199D)   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
19.   555   Gary Hibbard (73 Games)   1953-56
20.   531   Greg Smith (156O-375D)   2009-13
       526   Nico Carvacho    2016-18

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 21 of 26 games played, Nixon leads CSU in scoring at 16.2 points per game and has hit a team-best 62 three-pointers. He also has led the Rams in scoring in 15 games this season.
•   He returned to action with 18 minutes of play against Nevada (scoring four points) after having been out due to an ankle injury in the final minute against Air Force, Jan. 17.
•   With his 27-point outing at Nevada, Feb. 25, Nixon surpassed the career 1,000 point mark and become the 28th Ram to accomplish that feat. He currently stands at 1,044 points in 24th.
•    He also continues to do the job on the defensive end, as he has drawn 54 offensive fouls (a season-high five against Fresno State, Jan. 6) in his 26 games played along with grabbing a team-best 40 steals (career-high five against New Mexico, Feb. 28) -- a staggering total of 94 turnovers created (24.0 percent of CSU's opponent turnovers). Last year, he finished with 37 drawn fouls.

Nixon's MW/National Rankings   Stat   MW   NCAA
Three-Point FG Per Game   2.38   7th   166th
Free Throw Percentage   85.0   3rd   77th
Free Throws Made
Steals Per Game   1.54   4th   147th
Three-Point FG Attempts   190   5th   153rd

CSU Career Scoring
1.       1980   Pat Durham (125 Games)   - 1985-89
-------
17.   1085   Chuck newcomb (70 Games)   1957-60
18.   1062   Gian Clavell (70 Games)   2014-17
19.   1060   Milt Palacio (88 Games)   1996-99
20.   1056   John Sivesind (88 Games)   1997-2001
21.   1051   Greg Smith (121 Games)   2009-13
22.   1050   Aaron Atkinson (102 Games)   1990-94
       1050   JJ. Avila (63 Games)   2013-15
24   1044   Prentiss Nixon (92 Games)   2015-18
25.   1031   George Price (71 Games)   1969-72
26.   1027   Andy Birley (121 Games)   1999-03

CSU Single-Season 3-Point Field Goals Made
1.       96   Antwan Scott (33 Games)   - 2015-16
-------
16.   67   John Sivesind (28 Games)   - 2000-01
       67   Joe De Ciman (34 Games)   - 2015-16
18.   65   Daniel Bejarano (33 Games)   - 2014-15
19.   64   David Turcotte (35 Games)   - 1987-88
20.   63   Jameel Mahmud (29 Games)   - 1997-98
       62   Prentiss Nixon (25 Games)   2017-18

CSU Single-Season 3-Point Field Goals Attempted
1.       231   Antwan Scott (33 Games)   - 2015-16
-------
8.   195   Marcus Walker (32 Games)   - 2007-08
9.   190   Daniel Bejarano (32 Games)   - 2013-14
       190   Prentiss Nixon (25 Games)   2017-18
10.   184   Andy Birley (30 Games)   - 2001-02
12.   181   Daniel Bejarano (33 Games)   - 2014-15

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 second on the team in scoring at 10.5 points and third in rebounding at 5.2 boards, while shooting 46.2 percent on his field goal attempts.
•   He has scored in double figures 16 times and grabbed five or more boards on 16 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 10 wins he played in, his numbers go up as he is averaging 10.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Bob Wrapping Up His Career
• Senior Che (said CHAY not SHAY) Bob is figuring out ways to contribute to the Rams' effort in all phases.
•   Getting the start in 27 of 31 games played this year, Bob is averaging 9.9 points per game (fourth for CSU) and 6.1 rebounds per contest (14th 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   1.23   5th   154th
Double-Doubles   5   10th   190th
Total Blocks   38   5th   141st

Paige Wheels & Deals
•    Redshirt-junior J.D. 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.
•   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 is now averaging 10.4 points per game, third on the team, and has a team-high 2.6 assists per game.
•   However, Paige was suspended for a violation of team rules prior to the Nevada game, Feb. 25, and is out for today's game.

CSU All-Time Vs. 2017-18 Opponents
       Overall   Home   Road   Neutral
Air Force   78-33   42-11   32-18   4-4
Arkansas   0-1   -   0-1   -
Arkansas-Fort Smith   4-0   4-0   -   -
Boise State   10-11   8-3   1-8   1-0
Colorado   38-89   28-36   9-53   1-0
Florida State   0-2   -   -   0-2
Fresno State   17-17   13-3   2-12   2-2
Long Beach State   3-2   2-1   1-1   -
Missouri State   1-1   -   0-1   1-0
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   -
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   17-0   8-0   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   429-525   272-125   139-315   18-25

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 had 11 players available to start 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.

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