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Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, December 20
Logan, UT
12:00 p.m.
Colorado State
at
Utah State
Men’s Hoops Opens Mountain West Play Saturday
12/19/2025 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Colorado State men’s basketball faces Utah State to open conference play
FORT COLLINS – Turn the page. Just as those around the world are about to turn the page on a new year, Colorado State men's basketball turns the page to a new chapter of the 2025-26 season. The Rams look to ink a good first chapter of the Mountain West portion of the book as they start conference play Saturday at Utah State with a noon tip on CBS Sports Network.
Opening Tip
- Colorado State concluded non-conference play with a five-game win streak, defeating Northern New Mexico 104-54.
- The 54 points are the lowest amount by a CSU opponent so far this season.
- Six Rams finished the game in double figures scoring led by Darnez Slater's 17 points. Jon Mekonnen (13), Nikola Djapa (12), Brandon Rechsteiner (12), Jojo McIver (11) and Josh Pascarelli (10) join Slater in double figures.
- Slater, Mekonnen and McIver all recorded career-highs scoring in the win.
- Slater was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, including a made 3, and made all four of his free throws.
- CSU forced a season-high 16 turnovers on Sunday leading to 28 points. Ten of those 16 turnovers came via steals.
- Eight different Rams recorded a steal in the game. Jojo McIver led the team with a career-best three.
- The Rams eclipsed the 20 assist mark for the fifth time this year with 24 in the win.
- CSU ranks 23rd in the nation and leads the Mountain West in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.72.
- The Rams 18.7 assists per game are the best in the Mountain West and 25th in the nation.
- Colorado State is assisting on 65.0% of its made field goals on the year, the 13th best mark in the nation.
- CSU enters Saturday's game on a four-game road win streak, tied for the third longest in program history. The program record is six done four times, most recently in the 2014-15 season.
- Colorado State leads the nation in efficient field goal percentage (65.4%), field goal percentage (54.3%), free throw percentage (80.8) and 3-point percentage (44.7%).
- The Rams are one of five programs in the nation shooting over 50.0% overall, 35.0% from behind the arc and 75.0% from the free throw line. The others are Yale, Saint Louis, Bellarmine and Northern Colorado.
- Colorado State has a pair of Mountain West Players of the Week so far this season in Kyle Jorgensen and Josh Pascarelli.
- Jorgensen's performance over the first week earned him Mountain West Player of the Week honors. The sophomore averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in the first two games of the season.
- Pascarelli earned his honor after his performance against Colorado (12/6/25). The junior scored 26 points connecting on eight 3-pointers for the second straight game.
- CSU earned a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25 and third in four years.
- Colorado State's 26 wins in 2024-25 tied for the second most in program history. They finished one win behind the record of 27 set by the 2014-15 team.
- The Rams welcomed the best transfer portal class in the Mountain West in 2025 ranking 61st in the nation.
- Colorado State has the longest active streak of having a player on the first team All-Mountain West list at seven years. Nico Carvacho (2019-20), David Roddy (2021-22), Isaiah Stevens (2023-24) and Nique Clifford (2025).
- Nique Clifford became the fourth player in program history to be picked in the first round of the NBA Draft in June. Clifford was the 24th pick overall by Oklahoma City with his rights traded to Sacramento.
- Clifford had one of the best seasons in program history his final year. He earned AP All-America honorable mention, was the MVP for the Mountain West Tournament and helped the program earn its first Mountain West title since 2003 by winning the Mountain West Tournament.
Scouting the Aggies
Utah State is off to another strong start under Jerrod Calhoun at 9-1 entering Saturday's conference opener. The Aggies lone loss came on the road to South Florida 74-61.
Transfer MJ Collins leads the team and Mountain West, averaging 20.6 points per game. Preseason All-Mountain West selection Mason Falslev is continuing to fill up the stat sheet for USU, averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.6 assists per game.
A key to Utah State's 84.5 points per game is their ball pressure on defense, leading to 16.90 fast break points per game, the 30th best mark in the nation. The Aggies are turning over opponents 16.6 times per game this season. That ranks 16th in the NCAA this year.
What's Ahead
Colorado State takes a break for the holidays before hosting Nevada on December 30 at 7 pm for the Rams' Mountain West home opener.
Take advantage of the Family Night Out deal for the Nevada game featuring BOGO tickets and reduced concessions. Tickets for the Nevada and all CSU men's basketball games are available at CSURams.com/MBBTickets or by calling 800-491-RAMS (7267).
Opening Tip
- Colorado State concluded non-conference play with a five-game win streak, defeating Northern New Mexico 104-54.
- The 54 points are the lowest amount by a CSU opponent so far this season.
- Six Rams finished the game in double figures scoring led by Darnez Slater's 17 points. Jon Mekonnen (13), Nikola Djapa (12), Brandon Rechsteiner (12), Jojo McIver (11) and Josh Pascarelli (10) join Slater in double figures.
- Slater, Mekonnen and McIver all recorded career-highs scoring in the win.
- Slater was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, including a made 3, and made all four of his free throws.
- CSU forced a season-high 16 turnovers on Sunday leading to 28 points. Ten of those 16 turnovers came via steals.
- Eight different Rams recorded a steal in the game. Jojo McIver led the team with a career-best three.
- The Rams eclipsed the 20 assist mark for the fifth time this year with 24 in the win.
- CSU ranks 23rd in the nation and leads the Mountain West in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.72.
- The Rams 18.7 assists per game are the best in the Mountain West and 25th in the nation.
- Colorado State is assisting on 65.0% of its made field goals on the year, the 13th best mark in the nation.
- CSU enters Saturday's game on a four-game road win streak, tied for the third longest in program history. The program record is six done four times, most recently in the 2014-15 season.
- Colorado State leads the nation in efficient field goal percentage (65.4%), field goal percentage (54.3%), free throw percentage (80.8) and 3-point percentage (44.7%).
- The Rams are one of five programs in the nation shooting over 50.0% overall, 35.0% from behind the arc and 75.0% from the free throw line. The others are Yale, Saint Louis, Bellarmine and Northern Colorado.
- Colorado State has a pair of Mountain West Players of the Week so far this season in Kyle Jorgensen and Josh Pascarelli.
- Jorgensen's performance over the first week earned him Mountain West Player of the Week honors. The sophomore averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in the first two games of the season.
- Pascarelli earned his honor after his performance against Colorado (12/6/25). The junior scored 26 points connecting on eight 3-pointers for the second straight game.
- CSU earned a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25 and third in four years.
- Colorado State's 26 wins in 2024-25 tied for the second most in program history. They finished one win behind the record of 27 set by the 2014-15 team.
- The Rams welcomed the best transfer portal class in the Mountain West in 2025 ranking 61st in the nation.
- Colorado State has the longest active streak of having a player on the first team All-Mountain West list at seven years. Nico Carvacho (2019-20), David Roddy (2021-22), Isaiah Stevens (2023-24) and Nique Clifford (2025).
- Nique Clifford became the fourth player in program history to be picked in the first round of the NBA Draft in June. Clifford was the 24th pick overall by Oklahoma City with his rights traded to Sacramento.
- Clifford had one of the best seasons in program history his final year. He earned AP All-America honorable mention, was the MVP for the Mountain West Tournament and helped the program earn its first Mountain West title since 2003 by winning the Mountain West Tournament.
Scouting the Aggies
Utah State is off to another strong start under Jerrod Calhoun at 9-1 entering Saturday's conference opener. The Aggies lone loss came on the road to South Florida 74-61.
Transfer MJ Collins leads the team and Mountain West, averaging 20.6 points per game. Preseason All-Mountain West selection Mason Falslev is continuing to fill up the stat sheet for USU, averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.6 assists per game.
A key to Utah State's 84.5 points per game is their ball pressure on defense, leading to 16.90 fast break points per game, the 30th best mark in the nation. The Aggies are turning over opponents 16.6 times per game this season. That ranks 16th in the NCAA this year.
What's Ahead
Colorado State takes a break for the holidays before hosting Nevada on December 30 at 7 pm for the Rams' Mountain West home opener.
Take advantage of the Family Night Out deal for the Nevada game featuring BOGO tickets and reduced concessions. Tickets for the Nevada and all CSU men's basketball games are available at CSURams.com/MBBTickets or by calling 800-491-RAMS (7267).
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