Colorado State vs UNLV game preview

Colorado State (8-4, 0-0) looks to put their non-conference schedule in the rearview mirror. A schedule that ended with some heartbreaking losses to leave the Rams limping into Mountain West conference play Wednesday night against UNLV (7-6, 0-0).

The Rams have lost three in a row and their last two by a combined four points. Hopefully five days off will allow the team to refocus on a UNLV team that comes stumbling into the game after losing three of their last five games.

Larry Eustachy’s team is two defensive stops from being 10-2 instead of 8-4. While the defense has done its part, it’s their offense that has yet to find first gear in particularly from behind the three-point line. Colorado State enters the game ranked 10th in the conference in three-point percentage which in stark contrast to last years team that finished third in the conference hitting nearly half of their shots from behind the arc.

UNLV saw their turbulent offseason bleed over into the regular season. Former New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies took over for Chris Beard who high tailed it to Texas Tech after just seven days on the job in Las Vegas. Their out of conference schedule couldn’t have gone any worse as they were taken behind the woodshed by Duke, Oregon and Kansas. To make it worse, two of those three games were played in Las Vegas.

UNLV is led by sophomore guard Jalen Poyser and senior forward Tyrell Green. Both score around 14 points per game and will be the focus of Colorado State’s defensive game plan. The Rams are holding opposing teams to an average of 66 points a game which is third best in the Mountain West.

Tip off is scheduled for 9 p.m. MST Wednesday night at Moby Arena and can be seen on ESPNU.