GETTING INSIDE
Jesse Carr is back in the mix at Colorado State. At least for the moment.
Carr was back on the court against Northern Arizona, and the Rams are giving him a five-game test drive to see how recovered he is from last season’s pelvis injury. If all goes well, he’ll continue to play. If he’s not up to the task, he’ll redshirt.
NCAA rules will allow him to see action in five games. Since his first action came against Northern Arizona on Dec. 20, the Rams will have to make a decision prior to the Jan. 9 game against Air Force.
Carr played eight minutes against the Lumberjacks and was surprised he even received that many minutes.
“I didn’t think I’d be out there that much,” Carr said. “All week, I’ve felt all right but I’m a little sore. I won’t lie.”
Two nights later, Carr played nine minutes off the bench against UCLA. He’s expected to see action again when the Rams play Fresno State on Dec. 28.
Carr showed great promise last season when he was the third-leading freshman scorer (8.8 points per game) in the Mountain West Conference and had a team-leading 63 assists. He would provide a great boost to the Colorado State bench if he can stay healthy.
NOTES, QUOTES
• The Rams had a modest four-game winning streak broken by losing to UCLA 76-64 on Dec. 22. The winning streak was Colorado State’s longest since the 2006-07 squad won nine straight games.
• Colorado State ranks last in the Mountain West Conference in field-goal percentage (42.1) and eighth in scoring (68.8).
January At A Glance: The Rams would love to see injured Andre McFarland (back) return to good health and Jesse Carr (pelvis) back on the court full time when Mountain West Conference play heats up. Without the duo, Colorado State just doesn’t have enough depth to make a serious run. Freshman guard Dorian Green and junior forwards Andy Ogide and Travis Franklin form a good trio but need more help.
Quote To Note: “We just got out-toughed the last eight to nine minutes. We didn’t get the right type of stops. I think when we look at the film, our guys will realize that trying is not good enough.”—Colorado State coach Tim Miles, after his team was outscored 27-9 by UCLA over the final nine minutes in a 12-point loss.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: The Rams are 8-4 and their next victory will equal last year’s victory total. That’s quite an accomplishment for a team that doesn’t start a single senior. Colorado State is 6-0 at home and slowly building a fan base … but not enough of one to make Moby Arena a feared building in which to play.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—F Travis Franklin, F Pierce Hornung, C Andy Ogide, G Adam Nigon, PG Dorian Green. Key Subs—F Travis Busch, G Arin Dunn, F/C Mame Bocar Ba, G Jesse Carr, F Greg Smith.
Game Review:
Colorado State 62, Montana 61
Colorado State 64, Northern Arizona 56
Ucla 75, C olorado State 63
Game Preview:
at Fresno State, Monday, Dec. 28
vs. Yale, Thursday, Dec. 31
at Wyoming, Wednesday, Jan. 6
vs. Air Force, Saturday, Jan. 9
at Brigham Young, Saturday, Jan. 16
In Focus: Colorado State fancies a fast start in Mountain West Conference play and will need to win on the road at Wyoming in the opener to make that a possibility. The Rams second league game is against an Air Force squad that didn’t win a single conference game last season.
Roster Report:
• Freshman PG Dorian Green is likely pleased that sophomore Jesse Carr is temporarily back to give him a breather. Green is averaging 34.6 minutes per contest while leading the Rams in scoring at 14.6 points per game.
• Junior F Andre McFarland has missed four consecutive games due to back problems. McFarland had played in 71 consecutive contests prior to the injury.
• Freshman F Pierce Hornung received his third start of the season against UCLA. Hornung is third on the Rams in rebounding (5.5).
