Vol 127, No. 87, Friday, February 2, 2018 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Volume 127, No. 87 Friday, February 2, 2018

Inside The Lines

RYUN WILLIAMS TOPS RECORD BOOKS AT CSU PAGE 2

DEION JAMES HARNESSING FULL POTENTIAL PAGE 10

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOOPS PROPELLED BY DEFENSE PAGE 11 & 12

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Ryun Williams’ 130 wins tops record books of women’s hoops By Christian Hedrick @ChristianHCSU

In his sixth season donning the green and gold, Colorado State women’s basketball head coach Ryun Williams is alone atop the program’s all-time wins record with 130. Wednesday’s recordbreaking win in Wyoming will likely be remembered for Williams’ milestone achievement. To the head coach himself, though, a record win feels just as significant as the 129 before it. “It (the record) don’t mean squat to me, alright,” Williams said. “We just got to coach every possession like it’s the most important possession and all that other stuff gives people something to write about.” Most coaches might take a moment to bask in their achievement, but considering the success that’s followed Williams through every stop along his 20-plus year coaching career, this isn’t the first record he’s shrugged off and it likely won’t be the last. Williams kicked off his coaching career at Sheridan College in his home state of Wyoming. Before jetting off to Division II Wayne State, the head coach earned Region IX Coach of the Year honors and was named Wyoming Conference Coach of the Year twice. Within a decade at Wayne State, Williams led the Warriors to two Division II NCAA tournament appearances and set the alltime programs win record with 180. Prior to the 2008-09 season, Williams took the head coaching reigns at his alma mater South Dakota, racking up a 76-47 record, featuring two 20-win seasons and the program’s first Division I WNIT appearance. Accredited and acclaimed, Williams took over the CSU program in 2012-13. In his first season at CSU, the Gillette, Wyoming native finished in the bottom half of the conference standings with a 7-9 record. Williams’ initial season presiding over the Rams serves as an anomaly, as he earned his first of two Mountain West Coach of the Year honors in his next season behind the CSU bench. Since 2013-14, the Rams have taken down four consecutive conference titles and a 71-13 Mountain West record. From Sheridan to Fort Collins, Williams’ coached

teams share two common traits: winning and a hardnosed defense. “In the four years I’ve been here, defense has always been what we’re about,” CSU redshirt senior and reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week Hannah Tvrdy said. “I think that’s kind of engrained in all of our minds.” Before arriving at CSU, Williams coached Summit League South Dakota into a top-10 defense in the nation. At CSU, that same defensive philosophy turned the Rams into a perennial Mountain West powerhouse. “Defense is important,” senior Stine Austgulen said. “It’s won us a lot of games and some championships.” For much of Willliams’ CSU tenure, a stellar offense, featuring a fleet of allconference contenders, often overshadowed the Rams’ defensive effort. With the departure of stars Elin Gustavsson and Ellen Nystrom prior to the 2017-18 season, the Rams’ defense is playing a leading role in carrying CSU back to the top of the conference. Though defense is Williams’ strong suit, players also commend his ability to come up with unique game plans for each opponent. “He always comes up with a really good game plan,” Austgulen said. “Some people you’re going to guard on the 3-point line because they’re shooters and some you’re not. He’s really smart about it and that’s been important for us.” While finding flaws in the opposition, the CSU head coach also has a knack for maximizing his own player’s potential. Even on a roster that he admits doesn’t feature an all-conference caliber player, Williams manages to put his players in positions to succeed. “He’s smart, he knows how to play us,” Austgulen said. “Ever since I got here, we haven’t had like a super tall team, like a big post or anything like that. But he knows how to use his players to kind of play differently in the post. I think he’s really good at getting the best out of us.” With consistently strong defenses and educated game plans, it’s no coincidence that Williams’ arrival at CSU coincided with the Rams’ first regular season conference championship in over 10 years. But even a winning coach like Williams takes limited credit for the era of success he’s

CSU Woman’s Basketball Head Coach Ryun Williams calls out a play to his team during the first quarter of action against the Wyoming Cowgirls. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

Colorado State Woman’s Basketball Head Coach Ryun Williams looks out on to the floor during the final minutes of the third quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes on Dec. 6. The Rams fell in a hard fought battle 70-67 in Moby Arena. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

helped usher in. “A coach gets credit for the victories, but I’ve got really good assistant coaches and we’ve had good assistant coaches over the years,” Williams said in a statement

after his record-breaking win. “We’ve recruited and have had good players that have made the baskets and the passes and the rebounds - I’ve never done any of that. It’s them.” Williams will seek win

131 when the Rams head to Nevada for a 3 p.m. showdown on Saturday. Christian Hedrick can be reached by email at sports@ collegian.com.

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Ryun Williams’ 130 wins tops record books of women’s hoops By Christian Hedrick @ChristianHCSU

CSU Woman’s Basketball Head Coach Ryun Williams calls out a play to his team during the first quarter of action against the Wyoming Cowgirls. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

helped usher in. “A coach gets credit for the victories, but I’ve got really good assistant coaches and we’ve had good assistant coaches over the years,” Williams said in a statement

131 when the Rams head to Nevada for a 3 p.m. showdown on Saturday. Christian Hedrick can be reached by email at sports@ collegian.com.

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Ryun Williams’ 130 wins tops record books of women’s hoops By Christian Hedrick @ChristianHCSU

CSU Woman’s Basketball Head Coach Ryun Williams calls out a play to his team during the first quarter of action against the Wyoming Cowgirls. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

helped usher in. “A coach gets credit for the victories, but I’ve got really good assistant coaches and we’ve had good assistant coaches over the years,” Williams said in a statement

131 when the Rams head to Nevada for a 3 p.m. showdown on Saturday. Christian Hedrick can be reached by email at sports@ collegian.com.

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Ryun Williams’ 130 wins tops record books of women’s hoops By Christian Hedrick @ChristianHCSU

CSU Woman’s Basketball Head Coach Ryun Williams calls out a play to his team during the first quarter of action against the Wyoming Cowgirls. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

helped usher in. “A coach gets credit for the victories, but I’ve got really good assistant coaches and we’ve had good assistant coaches over the years,” Williams said in a statement

131 when the Rams head to Nevada for a 3 p.m. showdown on Saturday. Christian Hedrick can be reached by email at sports@ collegian.com.

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Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Seniors stepping up down the stretch for CSU women’s hoops By Christian Hedrick @ChristianHCSU

As the clock winds down on the regular season and their collegiate careers, the trio of seniors on Colorado State women’s basketball are stepping up their game for their finale. “You’ve just seen an aggressiveness, a little more fight mentality in those kids, urgency,” CSU head coach Ryun Williams said. “They want to make the most of what little time they have left here.” Throughout the season, seniors Stine Austgulen, Hannah Tvrdy and Veronika Mirkovic have provided priceless leadership to this young Rams’ team. But since the Jan. 24 game versus San Diego State, their leadership has transferred from the intangibles into the box score. “Before the San Diego game we all just had a talk, us three, and were like, ‘We only have so many games left, so let’s just go out and do our thing,’’’ Mirkovic said. “I think that kind of translated into the rest of the team.” Since that meeting of the veteran minds, the Rams are the hottest team in the Mountain West with three straight wins, while lighting up the scoreboard for over 200 points. The senior trio is stealing the show. Against SDSU, Mirkovic posted a career-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, only to be outdone by Tvrdy’s 28-point, 10-rebound double-double. Austgulen rounded out the Rams’ double-digit scoring with 10 points in CSU’s 29-point thrashing of the Aztecs. Before the senior slugfest could be written off as a flash-inthe-pan against a weak defense, Mirkovic shattered the highwatermark she set versus SDSU with her first ever 15-point, 10-board double-double against New Mexico. Though a career night for Mirkovic, Tvrdy stole the show with a 10-point second half, highlighted by a game winning 3-pointer in overtime. After the game, Tvrdy said she and the team had taken on a more aggressive, confident mindset. That new mindset earned her Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors, a remarkable achievement considering the redshirt senior was shutout offensively at UNLV exactly one week prior to the nomination. Away from the friendly confines of Moby Arena, Tvrdy turned her torrid pace into a trilogy with a 25-point outing at rival Wyoming. While Tvrdy handled the scoring, Austgulen and Mirkovic led a relentless

Redshirt Senior Hannah Tvrdy looks to pass to an open teammate during the second quarter of play against the Colorado State Buffaloes on Dec. 6. The Rams fell in a hard fought battle 70-67 in Moby Arena. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

Senior Veronika Mirkovic attacks the hoop against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 16th. The Rams won 75-35. PHOTO BY JORDAN REYES COLLEGIAN

effort off the glass, keeping the Cowgirls out of contention down the stretch. Boasting one of the youngest lineups in the nation, the senior surge is paying dividends throughout the roster. “It’s huge for those seniors and it’s huge for those other kids to watch those kids kind of lead by example and play good basketball,” Williams said. The CSU seniors are not just playing good basketball. For Tvrdy, it’s the best stretch of ball in her career.

“I definitely feel like it is (the best basketball of my career),” Tvrdy said. “The confidence I have now, I haven’t had probably in a long time, maybe since high school. I think it’s just a whole other level I’ve found.” Though Tvrdy’s confidence is a key contributor to her career run, Williams sees Tvrdy day-in and day-out in practice and views the hot streak as a number of factors coming together at the correct time. “I think it’s a couple things,”

Williams said. “She works extremely hard on improving her game. Second of all, she knows her time is coming to an end. She’s going to make the most of her minutes on the floor and I think she knows she’s a senior and she’s learning to accept the role of more responsibility.” Tvrdy and the seniors’ redhot run is not unprecedented. Throughout his career, Williams has seen seniors step up as their final season winds down and this year is no

different. “I think their experience here has been so good, it’s so fun, Moby’s so fun,” Williams said. “Competing is so fun. And they want to go out playing well. They have a lot of respect for our program and they want to go out on a good note.” The CSU seniors will be in action seven more times, beginning with Nevada at 3 p.m. MT on Saturday. Christian Hedrick can be reached by email at sports@ collegian.com.

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Larry Eustachy may have broken the camel’s back Colin Barnard @ColinBarnard_

Larry Eustachy’s pedigree as a college basketball coach is undeniable. The former Associated Press National Coach of the Year took the Iowa State Cyclones to the Elite Eight in 2000. He’s been to the NCAA Tournament five times, including once at Colorado State, and ranks within the top 60 in all-time wins as a head coach in NCAA history. His behavior on the other hand? That’s a different story. Fans know about his history at Iowa State, where he resigned after he was seen drinking and partying with college students. They read the report last year from the Coloradoan that revealed Eustachy created a culture of fear and emotionally abused his players in the 2013-14 season.

Now in the midst of the worst losing streak in his tenure at CSU, Eustachy may have lain the straw that breaks the camel’s back. For the second time in five years, the university launched an investigation on Eustachy and his behavior as the Rams’ head coach. The severity of the actions under review is unknown, but one thing is for sure: Eustachy’s conduct caused enough concern for the athletic department to take serious notice. Following the first instance in 2013-14, former athletic director Jack Graham recommended that Eustachy be fired with cause. Instead, the coach attended a series of anger management sessions and was given a strict zerotolerance policy regarding his behavior towards players, coaches and other members of the team. The simple fact that an investigation is ongoing does not appear to bode well for his chances of upholding that zero-tolerance policy. In basketball senses,

CSU head coach Larry Eusatchy questions a call made by an official during the Rams’ 72-61 win over Sacramento State on Nov. 10, 2017.

PHOTO BY JACK STARKEBAUM COLLEGIAN

Eustachy’s past success has been far from matched at CSU. The maddening cycle of successful seasons intertwined with mediocracy that has followed CSU through Eustachy’s tenure is evident. After inheriting an experienced, talented team his first season, Eustachy led CSU to victory over Missouri in the NCAA Tournament. The following year saw CSU drop below .500 in the MW. The Rams won 27 games in 2014-15 before again failing to repeat the success a season later. Last season, the junior college-laden Rams made it to the final of the MW tournament; a year later, the Rams are stuck in a downward spiral. Eustachy’s reliance onCD junior college transfers 303 #818876 enables this cycle to continue.

CSU’s struggles in the preceding weeks are not all on Eustachy. Injuries to the team’s two leading scorers have forced players into a larger role, whether or not they’re ready for it. Blowing late leads in three consecutive home games, though, is attributable to coaching. As Eustachy has continued to say, his team played well enough to win in each of those games. Oddly enough, they lost. Offensive miscues and defensive breakdowns in the final five minutes of all three games leave Rams fans wondering what is going on in the huddle. Despite the controversy both on and off the court, many Rams have voiced their support of Eustachy since the

investigation began. “I love my coach, that’s all I’ve got to say,” guard Anthony Bonner continued to say after the Rams’ loss to Wyoming. “We’ve got his back 100 percent. Whatever’s happening is happening, we’re just focused on the game, it’s as simple as that,” forward Deion James added. “I can’t speak for others, but as of right now, everybody’s trying to focus on winning, getting some Ws.” Other players, both current and former, took to social media to explain that Eustachy’s hard-nosed, oldschool approach to coaching is what makes him so successful. If that’s true, someone forgot to tell this year’s Rams. Colin Barnard can be reached by email at sports@ collegian.com.

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Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Injuries shake up the backcourt of CSU men’s basketball By Austin White @ajwrules44

Every great basketball team usually starts with an outstanding guard; someone who can command his or her team from the top of the key and be the leader on the court to create organization. This person can either be a prolific scorer themselves or a solid distributor, or even a mixture of both. Either way, they are the one who the team will look toward for the offensive play or to make first contact on defense and stop the ball. For Colorado State men’s basketball, the pecking order for floor general has dwindled and the outcomes provide varying pros and cons. “It’s kind of been an unfortunate turn of events,” head coach Larry Eustachy said about the team’s five-game losing streak and the injuries. “The teams I’ve coached are never fragile. They understand you got to go to work with what you have and you see it all over.”

Juniors Prentiss Nixon and J.D. Paige both suffered injuries in seemingly strange fashion. Nixon hurt his left ankle after landing on an Air Force defender’s foot coming down from a layup back on Jan. 17. Paige broke his hand by a hard screen set on him in the back half of the court as a San Diego State player brought the ball up on Jan. 24. These two guards are the leading scorers for the Rams with Nixon averaging 17.9 points per game, sixth in the Mountain West, and Paige averaging 10.4 per contest. The two injuries have without a doubt affected the team as a whole. Stepping up in the absence of the juniors is Raquan Mitchell and Anthony Bonner, two guards who are experiencing what starting in the Mountain West feels like. The chance to show what they can each bring to the table can be seen as the silver lining of the injuries to the regular starters. “I’m very excited to step into that role and show people

what I can do and then also contain until (Nixon and Paige) get back,” Mitchell said. “I’m just trying to stay positive for the whole team because everybody is doubting us that we can’t win without J.D. and Prentiss, but we want to show them that we can.” Mitchell already filled that sixth-man role before the injuries to the starting guards so playing time is nothing new to him. The 6-foot-3-inch redshirt sophomore electrifies crowds by defying gravity and propelling himself to be, debatably, the best dunker on the team. Bonner, also a redshirt sophomore, is experiencing a boost in time as well after appearing sparingly last season with 14.5 minutes played per game. “When we talk he just tells me, ‘You can be as good as you want to be,’” Bonner said on what Eustachy tells him about his increased role. “’You got the opportunity, you got the role, just keep working and you can keep that role.’” The first question with

moving bench players into the starting lineup would be their potential fatigue. Mitchell played all 40 minutes of the Rams’ road matchup against New Mexico last Saturday, the first game with both Nixon and Paige out. CSU returned home to face the rival Wyoming Cowboys Wednesday night, during which Mitchell played 42 minutes and Bonner played all 50 minutes of the doubleovertime thriller. “I mean that 40 minutes was kind of tough,” Mitchell said. “I just got to get through it, play through it and play through fatigue and keep my mind and play mentally.” “Preseason conditioning is so hard, summer pushing the sleds, practicing hard that first month, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.,” Bonner said. “It’s not a fatigue thing, we just got to show leadership and play hard.” In the game against Wyoming, the Rams held large leads toward the end of both halves, but lost both of them, resulting in questions of fatigue to still linger. However, the Larry

Anthony Bonner works the ball around during the Ram’s double-overtime loss to Wyoming. PHOTO BY JOE OAKMAN COLLEGIAN

Eustachy style of basketball is one that relies on getting to the basket and making contested layups or nailing shots from the free throw line. With injuries to guards, the reliance on the Rams’ big men has increased in order to take some pressure off the guard rotation. In the game against New Mexico, Mitchell and Bonner combined for only six points and five of the Rams’ 23 turnovers. The Wyoming matchup showed improvement, though, by the duo combining for 32 of the Rams’ 86 points and the team committing only 12 turnovers against the Cowboys. Other guards are having opportunities to see the floor as well with redshirt junior Robbie Berwick and redshirt sophomore Lorenzo Jenkins receiving more minutes. However, neither one has made too much of an offensive impact to help make up for the points lost in Paige and Nixon. “I think the amazing thing about that (game against New Mexico) was how Robbie (Berwick), cause he’s been see INJURIES on page 6 >>

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Injuries >> from page 6

hurt…the poise he showed in that environment,” Eustachy said. “Yeah, his conditioning is a struggle right now, but a lot of our breakdowns were because guys are out on the court too long...but we will be better for it in the long run.” A potential return to action for Nixon could be next Tuesday, Feb. 6 when the Rams travel to Colorado Springs to take on the Air Force Falcons, a rematch of the game when Nixon got hurt. For Paige, the time table for his return was stated as 3-4 weeks when first announced last Thursday, Jan. 25. If that plan stays true, he could return for the Rams’ matchup at Fresno State on Feb. 17 or potentially at Nevada on Feb. 25. As for now, the Rams welcome in the league-leading Nevada Wolfpack Saturday night. CSU will look to end its five-game losing streak and get their first conference win at home when the game tips off at 6 p.m. Austin White can be reached by email at sports@collegain. com.

Sophomore guard Raquan Mitchell takes it to the hoop uncontested during the second half of action against the UNLV Rebels on Jan. 20 at Moby Arena. The Rams fell to the Rebels 79-74. The Rams are now 10-11 on the season. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

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Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Deion James harnessing his potential in conference play By Colin Barnard @ColinBarnard_

Ever since Deion James signed his National Letter of Intent in May 2017 to play basketball at Colorado State University, coach Larry Eustachy touted his potential for stardom. Now 10 games into Mountain West play, that potential is starting to become tangible. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward is accustomed to being the best player on a basketball court. He was the Player of the Year at the Division II level of the National Junior College Athletic Association as a member of Pima Community College last year. Throughout high school, James earned first-team honors in his region of Arizona and was selected to state-wide All-Star games his senior year. Success followed him at nearly every stop of his basketball career. That track record of success is part of what made his inconsistencies during the opening portion of the schedule so unique. The talent existed, but everything had yet to come together in a cohesive manner. That’s where coaching comes into play. “A lot of the great players now, they accept criticism and they take it and learn from it,” James said. “That’s just part of

learning, especially in college, and coach Eustachy has been helping me with that.” James flashed the skillset with back-to-back doubledigit scoring nights to open the season, then again in a 22-point, nine-rebound outing against Arkansas-Fort Smith. Intertwined in those spurts of success, though, were inconsistent performances in which James failed to stay on the court. As he’s become more receptive to coaching, James’ improvement is noticeable. In the past five conference games, the skilled four-man is averaging 14 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. James enjoyed his best performance of the season during the double-overtime loss to Wyoming Wednesday night. He racked up a seasonhigh 24 points while shooting 62.5 percent from the field, hauled in 14 rebounds and added five assists to boot. Eustachy isn’t the only one who has had an impact on James’ development. Fellow big man Nico Carvacho, just a redshirt sophomore, has developed into a leader for the forwards at CSU. “He’s helped me a lot,” James said of Carvacho, who he rooms with on the road. “Since he’s been here for a couple years, he’s been teaching me the ropes and helped me get on the

Junior Forward Deion James drives to the hoop during the first half of action against UNLV on Jan. 20 at Moby Arena. The Rams fell to the Rebels 79-74. The Rams are now 10-11 on the season. PHOTO BY ELLIOT JERGE COLLEGIAN

train faster and understanding how we run and how we play. He’s helped me a lot, and I’m just happy he’s there.” In the middle of games, during practice and in film sessions, Carvacho’s three years of experience at the

Nico Carvacho (32) and Deion James (20) bump fists after a play against Northwestern State Nov. 24 PHOTO BY JAVON HARRIS COLLEGIAN

Division I level allow him to see things that others might miss. “If I see something on the film, it’s not just getting on them, because we all make mistakes,” Carvacho said. “I’m talking to Deion, but I’m also talking to Doobie (Lorenzo Jenkins), talking to Logan (Ryan), talking to other guys so that they see it as well and try to understand it.” As always, development is a two-way street. While Carvacho’s experience in Eustachy’s system allows him to show less experienced players the ropes, James’ scoring ability and quickness for a big is something he can encourage in his teammates. “In practice when we’re guarding each other – since me and him already know how we play – we just try to make us uncomfortable on the court and try to make our skill level higher and make us think a little bit more,” James said. James and Carvacho’s relationship as teammates has developed into a friendship off the court, too. Rooming together on road trips and spending time together off the court, the pair has plenty of time for things other than basketball. “He’s a goofball, like us all,” Carvacho said. “We talk about basketball, but we’re joking around. We’ll play Xbox, play Fortnite or Call of Duty together and just talk trash all the time. It’s fun, that’s my guy,

for sure.” And as the two become closer off the court, their performances during games have flourished. In addition to James’ emergence in the last three weeks, Carvacho has developed into one of the Rams’ most consistent players. Carvacho has at least 12 rebounds in eight consecutive games and six double-doubles over the stretch. During the span, he is averaging 10.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. The friendship off the court makes communication on it that much easier. “Especially since we’re so close, he can tell me certain things,” James said. “He might not say it in the right way, but I know what he’s trying to say so I’m not gonna take it personal. I know he’s trying to help me and I’m trying to help him.” While he continues to adjust to the speed, physicality length and all the other aspects that come with Division I basketball, James’ comfort level in Fort Collins is burgeoning. “The pace is a little slower, I’m just starting to slow down and realize what works and what doesn’t work right now,” James said. “Once you start doing everything that coach Eustachy teaches right, the game comes easier for everybody.” Colin Barnard can be reached at sports@collegian. com.

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Defensive prowess proves crucial in CSU’s success By Luke Zahlmann @lukezahlmann

A brick wall has been laid layer-by-layer since recruitment for Colorado State University women’s basketball and has been the catalyst for their dominance in coach Ryun Williams’ tenure. Being the less flashy of the two avenues to winning, Williams has preached defense to each and every player that has come through the Rams’ system, and the philosophy is paying off in a season when they need it most. The Rams have spent their time in the upper echelon in the nation in defensive prowess for the past four years,

culminating in this year’s effort.

DEFENSIVE DOMINATION ■ 4th in NCAA in field goal per-

centage defense (33.8 percent) ■ 12th in NCAA in points allowed per game (55) ■ CSU leads MW in both categories

In a year where the Rams have failed to truly ignite their offense for much of the year, their defense has come to the rescue and been a roadblock for other teams. The class

of the Mountain West, the Rams have only allowed their opponents a mere 55 points per contest, good for 12th in the nation. “The four years I’ve been here, defense has always been what we’re about,” Hannah Tvrdy said. “I think that’s ingrained in all of our minds (that), ‘Yeah, we wanna do well offensively, and that’s been a big push for us.’ But defense, we know that’s expected of us every game.” In a world fueled by the outside shot, the Rams have chosen to take their success by way of uncharted territory. Running several defensive concepts, the Rams have developed chemistry

that allows them to switch their scheme possession by possession, causing confusion for their opposition. “(Mixing it up) helps a lot,” Veronika Mirkovic said. “Sometimes we’ll go just for one possession to play with their minds a little bit and then go back to man and vice-versa.” In his near six-year tenure for the Rams, Williams has preached defensive dominance in route to his 130 wins, most in CSU history. The philosophy has given the Rams a distinct edge throughout the season while their offense warms up and gives them a leg up once the crucial games in the Mountain West tournament come around.

Though the dominance has only netted them one tournament championship in Williams’ stint, they have been able to capture the regular season title four years in a row. In a season after the Rams lost their two offensive stalwarts to graduation, Williams has molded his team to rely even more heavily on the defensive end. Leaning on each player to do their part has spread from the offensive end to the defensive and the Rams have kept pace even when their offensive was a bottom dweller in the conference. Limiting turnovers has been a main focus for the

see PROWESS on page 12 >>

Senior Guard Hannah Tvrdy plays defense on a Idaho forward during forth quarter against the Idaho State Vandals on Nov. 10. The Rams fell to Vandals 83-69 during the home opener at Moby Arena. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

Prowess >> from page 11 offense, but the trend has yet to convert to the defensive side as the Rams have failed to force an overwhelming number. Despite the lack of turnovers by their opposition, the Rams are fourth in the nation in opposing field goal percentage (33.8 percent). The Rams’ zone look has allowed their agile guards and forwards to lock down the outside, forcing their opposition to go inside. The disallowance of 3-pointers has converted to wins for the 15-7 squad, a number rarely possessed by a team with so much turnover in the offseason. “(Defense) is important and it has won us a lot of games,” Stine Austgulen said. “It’s won us some championships here and (we) just play the game plan. We always have a good game plan.” The mastermind behind the team’s game plans is Williams who has had success at nearly every stop along his coaching path. He has coached his teams to the best conference winning percentage in the Mountain West’s history during his stay at CSU. The run has also included the most consecutive regular season titles in conference history. In what had previously been an underwhelming part of CSU athletics, women’s basketball has flourished under the tutelage of Williams and continued their success through multiple graduating classes. This constant success has created trust in the process within the team. “We have new people coming in and we’re still able to keep the defense set up,” Austgulen said. “It starts with coaches and what they do. We practice (our system) every day, even in preseason and it’s obviously helping us out.” Constant plugging in of players has only highlighted the Rams’ focus on defense as they have continued their lockdown ways regardless of the lineup on the floor. With ten players averaging double-digit minutes, the Rams have continued to excel with each player who steps on the floor, a true indication of the prominence of defensive excellence. The Rams’ stalwart defense will be tested often as their season winds down and their push for another conference championship comes from behind rather than their typical front-running ways. Luke Zahlmann can be reached at sports@collegian. com.

Sofie Tryggedsson, junior, defends Brecca Thomas, senior, during the first quarter of the game against Colorado on December 6, 2017. The Rams lost in a tough battle 70-67 in Moby Arena. PHOTO BY JULIA BAILEY COLLEGIAN

Colorado State University’s Hannah Tvrdy (10) blocks a shot by a Utah State forward during the women’s basketball game against Utah State on Saturday at Moby Arena. The Rams beat the visiting Utah State Aggies 74-43. PHOTO BY FORREST CZARNECKI COLLEGIAN

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

15 Anthony Bonner Guard RS Sophomore

Inside The Lines Friday, February 2, 2018

CSU men’s basketball looks to weather the storm against Nevada By Austin White @ajwrules

Like the snow that fell overnight Thursday, struggles and outside news keep stacking up for the Colorado State men’s basketball team. The storm begins with the Rams currently riding a five-game losing streak and being winless at home in conference play. Throw in some freezing rain in the form of the Rams’ top two scorers in Prentiss Nixon and J.D. Paige both being hurt and cover that layer of ice with the thick snow of head coach Larry Eustachy being evaluated for a second time by CSU officials. Sounds like the perfect storm. Amid all the cold conditions, the Rams have to welcome in the defending Mountain West champion and current conference-leading Nevada Wolfpack. CSU (10-14, 3-8 Mountain West) currently sits six games behind the Wolfpack in

ninth place with only seven games remaining on the schedule. In the absence of the Rams’ junior guard duo, CSU has turned their focus to their dominating big men in Nico Carvacho and Deion James. The plan is simple: feed the ball down low or drive to the basket and get fouled or make a layup. Execution of this plan worked well for 30 minutes in the Rams’ last matchup against the Wyoming Cowboys Wednesday night. Poor play in the last five minutes of both halves led to blown leads and ultimately a 9186 loss in double overtime to the rivals from up north. The losses cannot be attributed to the play of Carvacho and James though, as the two have led the Rams in points in the past two games with the starting guards on the bench. Carvacho also had a double-double in both games and led the Rams in boards in both. Turnovers plagued the Rams

on the road against the New Mexico Lobos as they committed 23 of them to hand the Lobos over 20 fast-break points. As for Wyoming, the fatigue factor comes to mind when late leads like the ones possessed by the Rams were blown. Redshirt sophomore guards Raquan Mitchell and Anthony Bonner have been thrust into the starting lineup for the first time in their careers at CSU. Nevada (19-4, 8-1 MW) will certainly not make things any easier for the gasping Rams. Coming to Fort Collins is potential conference Player of the Year Caleb Martin who averages 19.6 points per game at the forward position. As a team, the Wolfpack are second in conference in scoring with 83.4 points per game and they are deadly from deep, shooting 41.1 percent from the beyond the arc. The defense of CSU has been plagued by great shooting all year, most notably seen by the come back from the Air Force Falcons

Nico Carvacho goes to the rim after recording a steal during the first half of CSU’s 76-71 loss to Airforce. PHOTO BY JAVON HARRIS COLLEGIAN

earlier this year at Moby Arena. The cadets hit several 3-pointers late, along with some offensive rebounds to eventually get their first win over the Rams since 2011. A hot-shooting team like Nevada will certainly test a CSU group who has struggled to force opponents into misses. And even when the Wolfpack miss shots, they have the ability to grind out games as they have attempted the third most free throws in the Mountain West. The leader down low is Jordan Caroline who averages 8.9 boards per game, good enough for fourth in the Mountain West right behind Carvacho in third with 9.7. Caroline, who Nevada lists as a guard despite being 6 feet 7 inches, averages 17.2 points per game, mostly from layups or free throws. Caleb Martin’s brother, Cody Martin, cannot be forgotten either with his 6.3 rebounds and 13.9 points per game. Either way, the defense of the Rams will need

to improve from the 72.1 points they give up per game if they want to stop the triple-threat offense of Nevada. And the Rams have to not only deal with the Martin Brothers, but are also under close scrutiny from the university. Athletic director Joe Parker announced Wednesday that he is investigating Eustachy’s conduct with the team following a report first announced by former Collegian sports director Justin Michael. The process involves interviewing the players and several people associated with the program and is the second investigation Eustachy has been under during his tenure at CSU. With the best team in conference coming to town, the storm that the men’s basketball season has become looks to be only growing stronger as the game tips off from Moby Arena at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Austin White can be reached by email at sports@collegian.com.

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Inside The Lines

CSU heads to Reno to defend their winning streak against Nevada By Luke Zahlmann @lukezahlmann

From up north to the west side of the country, Colorado State women’s basketball will continue their traveling ways in hopes of gaining further traction in the conference standings against Nevada (11-9, 4-5 Mountain West). Riding the wave of a threegame win streak that included a victory over top dog Wyoming, the Rams roll into Reno on a high note. In their win streak, the Rams have locked in on both sides, averaging 70 points per game, a figure almost 10 points higher than their season average. On the other side, defense has continued to hum for the Rams as they have averaged near their season average of 55 points allowed per game, first in the conference and tied for 12th in the nation. “Knowing that we will defend the other team well gives us an advantage,” Stine Austgulen said. Directly juxtaposing the Rams is the Wolfpack who come into the matchup riding the lulls of a two-game losing streak, the most recent by double digits. Unfortunately for the hosts, they have yet to beat the Rams since their inclusion to the conference, an eight-game losing streak

overall. “We just have to take it one game at a time,” Hannah Tvrdy said. “No matter if it’s Wyoming or Nevada or anyone, that game is most important. We’ve learned from past games already that anyone can beat anyone, so I think that every game, (we have to) have that focus of giving our all.” Nevada poses an offensive threat that is similar to the Rams. The Wolfpack spread the scoring around and allow their points to be distributed, rather than housing a frontrunner in the department. Though the Rams have relied on big nights from Tvrdy during their win streak, they continue to push a community narrative on offense, both inside and outside the arc. In their win streak, the Rams have embraced several different lineups and looks for other teams, allowing players that rarely played early in the season to embrace their role on the court. The new game plan has worked out well for the Rams who are outscoring their opponents by an average of nearly 15 points per game in their streak. “That’s been our biggest strength as of late,” coach Ryun Williams said. “We don’t just have to rely on a couple of kids, we have everybody playing with a

freedom and the ball is moving.” As a team that has been nearly outscored in the year as a whole, the Wolfpack have been unable to string together several good games in a row on both sides of the ball. Allowing nearly 15 more points a game than the visiting Rams will be a large hurdle for the Wolfpack still in search of a victory over their conference foes. Leading the underdog effort for the home team will be senior Teige Zeller, who is the leading scorer and rebounder for the team averaging a near double-double with 13.6 points and 8.2 boards a game. Coming off several games against elite guards, the Rams will be tasked with a new challenge in the 6-foot-2-inch forward, size that nearly rivals the tallest of the Rams’ players. The Rams matchup against the Wolfpack is the first of three against teams in the bottom half of the conference, a streak of games that can push the Rams from the middle to the top of the conference in one fell swoop. The game will take place at 3 p.m. in Nevada on Saturday before the Rams return home to host Air Force the following Wednesday. Luke Zahlmann can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

Stine Austgulen (2) advances the ball down the court during the state pride game against New Mexico on Jan. 27. The Rams beat the Lobos 74-71 in overtime. PHOTO BY ASHLEY POTTS COLLEGIAN

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