Colorado State University Athletics
Carvacho earns first-team All-Mountain West, Paige honorable mention, duo on All-Defensive Team
3/12/2019 3:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The redshirt-junior center is just the ninth Ram to earn first team honors in league history
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State had a pair of players honored in a vote by the Mountain West coaches, as redshirt-junior center Nico Carvacho was named as a first-team All-Mountain West, while redshirt-senior guard J.D. Paige garnered honorable mention recognition, as well as both being named tl the Mountain West All-Defensive team. Last season, Carvacho was an honorable mention honoree from the media and has now earned first-team All-MW honors this year from both the coaches and media.
Currently the national leader in rebounds per game at 13.2, Carvacho ranked seventh in the Mountain West with 17.8 points per game in league contests and leading the MW at 13.8 rebounds per game, including league highs in both offensive (4.0) and defensive (9.8) rebounds per game. He was third in the Mountain West games in field goal percentage, connecting on 60.3 percent of his shots, and tied for sixth at 0.8 blocks a game. He recorded double-doubles in 14 of 18 league games, including a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds at UNLV on Jan. 2. He had six games of 15 or more rebounds as well as six games with 20 or more points after recording just one in his first two years in Fort Collins.
Only the ninth Ram ever honored as first-team All-Mountain West, Carvacho has had a record-setting season both for the Rams and the Mountain West Conference. He has become just the second player in league history to grab 400 rebounds in a single season, a mark currently at a school-record 409 boards. With his 20-rebound effort in the season finale against UNLV, he became the all-time career leader in rebounding in the Mountain West at 945 and in conference games only with 578. He ranks fourth in career double-doubles in league history with 35, while he is the all-time leader in conference games with 22.
Paige ranks 13th in the Mountain West in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game in league action. He also is third in free-throw percentage at 83.6 percent, seventh in league assists games at 3.6 per contest and third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.5. He handed out a career-best seven assists three different times this season as well as connecting on a career-high six threes against Nevada, Jan. 23.
He set a new career-high with 29 points in the overtime battle with Utah State March 5. He became the 29th Ram to reach the 1,000-point plateau with 18 points at Nevada, Jan. 23, and currently ranks 15th with 1,185 career points. For his career, Paige ranks in the CSU top 20 in games started and played, minutes, three-pointers made and attempted, assists and steals.
The Rams open the 2019 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship on Wednesday at 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT, taking on Boise State in the opening round. The game will be streamed on Stadium on Facebook, with the radio broadcast going across the Colorado State Sports Network.
Mountain West Superlatives
Player of the Year: Sam Merrill, Jr., G, Utah State
Defensive Player of the Year: Neemias Queta, Fr., C, Utah State
Newcomer of the Year: Braxton Huggins, R-Sr., G, Fresno State
Sixth Man of the Year: Jazz Johnson, Jr., G, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Neemias Queta, Fr., C, Utah State
Steve Fisher Coach of the Year: Craig Smith, Utah State
First-Team
Sam Merrill, Jr., G, Utah State
Jordan Caroline, Sr., G/F, Nevada
Caleb Martin, Sr., F, Nevada
Nico Carvacho, RS-Jr., F/C, Colorado State
Deshon Taylor, Sr., G, Fresno State
Second-Team
Jalen McDaniels, RS-So., F, San Diego State
Justin James, Sr., G, Wyoming
Braxton Huggins, RS-Sr., G, Fresno State
Neemias Queta, Fr., C, Utah State
Devin Watson, Sr., G, San Diego State
Third-Team
Cody Martin, Sr., F, Nevada
Lavelle Scottie, Jr., F, Air Force
Justinian Jessup, Jr., G, Boise State
Kris Clyburn, Sr., G, UNLV
Anthony Mathis, Sr., G, New Mexico
Men's Honorable Mention selections
Ryan Swan, Jr., F, Air Force
Derrick Alston, R-So., G, Boise State
J.D. Paige, R-Sr., G, Colorado State
Nate Grimes, Fr., F, Fresno State
All-Defensive Team
Neemias Queta, Fr., C Utah State
Cody Martin, Sr., F, Nevada
Deshon Taylor, So., G, Fresno Stae
Jordan Caroline, Sr., F, Nevada
Jeremy Hemsley, Sr., G, San Diego State
Nico Carvacho, RS-Jr., F/C, Colorado State
J.D. Paige, RS-Sr., G, Colorado State
Kris Clyburn, Sr., G, UNLV
Currently the national leader in rebounds per game at 13.2, Carvacho ranked seventh in the Mountain West with 17.8 points per game in league contests and leading the MW at 13.8 rebounds per game, including league highs in both offensive (4.0) and defensive (9.8) rebounds per game. He was third in the Mountain West games in field goal percentage, connecting on 60.3 percent of his shots, and tied for sixth at 0.8 blocks a game. He recorded double-doubles in 14 of 18 league games, including a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds at UNLV on Jan. 2. He had six games of 15 or more rebounds as well as six games with 20 or more points after recording just one in his first two years in Fort Collins.
Only the ninth Ram ever honored as first-team All-Mountain West, Carvacho has had a record-setting season both for the Rams and the Mountain West Conference. He has become just the second player in league history to grab 400 rebounds in a single season, a mark currently at a school-record 409 boards. With his 20-rebound effort in the season finale against UNLV, he became the all-time career leader in rebounding in the Mountain West at 945 and in conference games only with 578. He ranks fourth in career double-doubles in league history with 35, while he is the all-time leader in conference games with 22.
Paige ranks 13th in the Mountain West in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game in league action. He also is third in free-throw percentage at 83.6 percent, seventh in league assists games at 3.6 per contest and third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.5. He handed out a career-best seven assists three different times this season as well as connecting on a career-high six threes against Nevada, Jan. 23.
He set a new career-high with 29 points in the overtime battle with Utah State March 5. He became the 29th Ram to reach the 1,000-point plateau with 18 points at Nevada, Jan. 23, and currently ranks 15th with 1,185 career points. For his career, Paige ranks in the CSU top 20 in games started and played, minutes, three-pointers made and attempted, assists and steals.
The Rams open the 2019 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship on Wednesday at 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT, taking on Boise State in the opening round. The game will be streamed on Stadium on Facebook, with the radio broadcast going across the Colorado State Sports Network.
Mountain West Superlatives
Player of the Year: Sam Merrill, Jr., G, Utah State
Defensive Player of the Year: Neemias Queta, Fr., C, Utah State
Newcomer of the Year: Braxton Huggins, R-Sr., G, Fresno State
Sixth Man of the Year: Jazz Johnson, Jr., G, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Neemias Queta, Fr., C, Utah State
Steve Fisher Coach of the Year: Craig Smith, Utah State
First-Team
Sam Merrill, Jr., G, Utah State
Jordan Caroline, Sr., G/F, Nevada
Caleb Martin, Sr., F, Nevada
Nico Carvacho, RS-Jr., F/C, Colorado State
Deshon Taylor, Sr., G, Fresno State
Second-Team
Jalen McDaniels, RS-So., F, San Diego State
Justin James, Sr., G, Wyoming
Braxton Huggins, RS-Sr., G, Fresno State
Neemias Queta, Fr., C, Utah State
Devin Watson, Sr., G, San Diego State
Third-Team
Cody Martin, Sr., F, Nevada
Lavelle Scottie, Jr., F, Air Force
Justinian Jessup, Jr., G, Boise State
Kris Clyburn, Sr., G, UNLV
Anthony Mathis, Sr., G, New Mexico
Men's Honorable Mention selections
Ryan Swan, Jr., F, Air Force
Derrick Alston, R-So., G, Boise State
J.D. Paige, R-Sr., G, Colorado State
Nate Grimes, Fr., F, Fresno State
All-Defensive Team
Neemias Queta, Fr., C Utah State
Cody Martin, Sr., F, Nevada
Deshon Taylor, So., G, Fresno Stae
Jordan Caroline, Sr., F, Nevada
Jeremy Hemsley, Sr., G, San Diego State
Nico Carvacho, RS-Jr., F/C, Colorado State
J.D. Paige, RS-Sr., G, Colorado State
Kris Clyburn, Sr., G, UNLV
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
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