How to watch and what to know about Colorado State men's basketball vs. New Mexico
Update: Due to a TV slide, the game will start at 8:45 p.m. MT on FS1.
The gauntlet begins now.
Eighteen games to win a conference title in what is sure to be a hotly contested fight for the Mountain West.
There are five or six teams who enter league play with a solid claim to be in the mix as favorites as well as in a true hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Two of them get things started Tuesday at Moby Arena when the Colorado State men's basketball team hosts New Mexico. The teams enter with a combined record of 24-2.
Here's a look at everything to know about Tuesday's game.
What time does New Mexico vs. CSU basketball start?
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 2
Start time: 8:30 p.m. MT
Tuesday's game between New Mexico and Colorado State will begin at 8:30 p.m. MT.
What channel is the New Mexico vs. Colorado State basketball game on?
New Mexico and CSU's game will be broadcast nationally on FS1.
How to find Fox Sports 1 (FS1):
Comcast/Xfinity: Channel 408 (777 for HD)
DirecTV: Channel 219
Dish Network: Channel 150
Fort Collins Connexion: Channel 55
The broadcast can also be livestreamed through FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports Go app.
Who are the announcers for the New Mexico basketball at CSU game?
Play-by-play: Jenny Cavnar
Analyst: Nick Bahe
How can you listen to the game on the radio?
The CSU broadcast is available on 99.1 FM or on the Varsity Network app.
CSU's radio team will be Brian Roth (play-by-play) and Adam Nigon (analyst).
What are the records, rankings?
Both teams went 12-1 in nonconference play. It is the Mountain West opener for each team.
CSU is No. 13 in the AP poll. New Mexico is receiving votes.
What's the betting line?
CSU is a consensus 3.5-point favorite, according to Vegas Insider.
Who are the coaches?
New Mexico is led by Richard Pitino, who is in his third season leading the Lobos. He's 79-47 at New Mexico and 206-169 in his 12th season as a Division I head coach. CSU is led by Niko Medved, who is in his sixth season as head coach of the Rams. He's 104-65 at CSU and 183-153 overall in his career.
Series history
New Mexico leads the all-time series 79-52. The teams split the two games last year, each winning at home.
Stadium information, tickets
The game will be at Moby Arena on Colorado State's campus. Moby has a capacity of 8,083. Tickets are available at CSURams.com/tickets.
What do the metrics say?
New Mexico is No. 36 in the NCAA's NET rankings and CSU is No. 15. That makes it, right now, a Quad 1 game for the Lobos and Quad 2 game for the Rams.
New Mexico is No. 36 in KenPom and CSU is No. 30. KenPom projects a five-point win for the Rams.
Who are the top players to watch?
Here are some players for each team who will be key to the game.
NEW MEXICO
Jamal Mashburn Jr.: Picked a guard to lead this section with. Could be any of three star guards but we'll begin with Mashburn, who is just returning from injury. In six games this season he's scoring a team-high 18 points.
Jaelen House: House and Donovan Dent are the other star guards. Due to injury the trio have hardly played together, so it will be interesting to see how they mesh. House plays with his hair on fire, hassling ball handlers.
JT Toppin: The missing ingredient for New Mexico last season was a big. Enter JT Toppin. The 6-foot-9 freshman has been excellent, averaging 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He also has 20 blocks so far.
COLORADO STATE
Isaiah Stevens: Point guard play is even more important in the crucible of key Mountain West games, especially against the guards of New Mexico. Stevens is averaging a team-high 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per game and will need to be excellent in this one.
Joel Scott: The 6-foot-7 Scott has been as hoped for CSU in his move up from Division II. Carrying it into Mountain West play will be the next test. The Rams don't need him to score a ton, but defend and rebound with strength.
Jalen Lake: Great timing for a return from injury. The absences of Lake and Josiah Strong left CSU without their top two perimeter defenders the last few weeks, allowing guards to thrive outside. Lake returned against Adams State and he will be vital vs. New Mexico. Scoring from him in this game will be secondary. His defensive work will be most important.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What channel is New Mexico basketball vs. Colorado State on today?
