Men's Basketball Set for Trend Homes Classic

Dec. 21, 1999

FRESNO, Calif. - Trend Homes signed a six-year marketing agreement Nov. 16 to become the title sponsor for the annual men?s basketball classic. The official name of the tournament will be the Trend Homes Classic beginning with the 1999 tournament. "We are very happy to have a community-minded business like Trend Homes join us in this partnership," said Fresno State Athletic Director Al Bohl. "With the commitment from Trend Homes, we know the Classic will continue it?s outstanding tradition as a first-class basketball tournament."

vs. Wagner
The Bulldogs and the Seahawks will be meeting for the first time.

Back on Track
After convincing consecutive home victories, Fresno State looks to improve on its slow early season start at Selland Arena. The Bulldogs were 1-3 at home before last week's sweep. Fresno State has lost just four home games in a season once under Jerry Tarkanian's direction, that was in 1997-98 when the 'Dogs were 13-4.

Trend Homes History
The Bulldogs have won 10 of the previous 20 Classic championships, including each of the last three years. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated Miami (Ohio) 73-62 to win the championship. Courtney Alexander was selected the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after scoring 39 points in the two Classic games.

TREND HOMES CLASSIC HISTORY
Year    Champions         MVP                                Attendance1979    Fresno State      Pete Verhoeven, Fresno State            9,0761980    Fresno State      Steve Lingenfelter, South Dakota       12,8621981    Fresno State      Rod Higgins, Fresno State              13,0601982    Fresno State      Bernard Thompson, Fresno State         13,0601983    Purdue            Jim Rowinski, Purdue                   13,1741984    Washington        Chris Welp, Washington                 20,1391985    Fresno State      Mike Mitchell, Fresno State            20,2641986    McNeese State     Jerome Batiste, McNeese State          20,2641987    Kansas State      Mitch Richmond, Kansas State           20,3181988    San Francisco     Mark McCathrion, San Francisco         19,9141989    LaSalle           Lionel Simmons, LaSalle                19,8361990    Pepperdine        Doug Christie, Pepperdine              19,6661991    Fresno State      Wil Hooker, Fresno State               19,4771992    Long Beach State  Lucious Harris, Long Beach State       17,7731993    Fresno State      Carl Ray Harris, Fresno State          16,3741994    Santa Clara       Steve Nash, Santa Clara                16,4891995    Princeton         Kendric Brooks, Fresno State           19,7451996    Fresno State      Dominick Young, Fresno State           20,3641997    Fresno State      Chris Herren, Fresno State             20,4401998    Fresno State      Courtney Alexander, Fresno State       20,440

About Last Year
The Bulldogs opened the 1998 Classic with a 94-71 win over Chicago State and advanced to the championship game to face Miami (Ohio), which defeated San Diego in the opener. Fresno State defeated Miami (Ohio) in the title game 73-61, an impressive victory over a team that won the MAC and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. In addition to MVP Courtney Alexander, Willie Farley, Larry Abney and Terrance Roberson were selected to the all-tournament team along with Miami's Wally Szczerbiak and Chicago State's Jermaine Hicks.

Who's No. 35?
Following Fresno State's win over Florida Atlantic Dec. 16, junior center Melvin Ely's white home jersey jersey was apparently stolen. Unless it is recovered by the start of the Trend Homes Classic, Ely will be wearing No. 35 this week.

Got Tickets?
There are a limited number of general admission tickets available for the Trend Homes Classic. Tickets are available at the athletic ticket office or at Selland Arena on the days of the games. For more information, call (559) 278-DOGS.

Head Coach Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian returned to his alma mater 40 years after he graduated and has quickly put Fresno State on the national basketball map with unprecedented national exposure. After four consecutive 20-win seasons and four trips to the NIT, the Bulldogs will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament appearance under Tark in 2000. Tarkanian has guided two other programs to the NCAA tournament, Long Beach State and UNLV, and has made 16 appearances in the Big Dance. During his coaching career, he has led his teams to four appearances in the NCAA Final Four (UNLV in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991), one national championship (UNLV in 1989-90) and owns a 37-16 record in 16 NCAA tournament appearances. In 35 years at the major college and junior college levels he has never suffered a losing season. Forty-one of his players have been drafted by NBA teams, including nine first-round selections. His four consecutive 20-win seasons with the Bulldogs ? only the third time that feat has been accomplished in the history of Bulldog basketball ? have brought him to 27 20-win seasons in his career, the best among active coaches. He stands behind only Dean Smith, who had 30 such seasons before retiring from the game in 1997, on the all-time list. Each year, Tarkanian and Kansas? Roy Williams battle for the top spot in winning percentage among active coaches, separated by thousandths of a point. Williams stands just ahead of the "Shark," at .809 with Tarkanian at .808. Tark?s record is testament to 28 years of coaching at the major college level. He currently stands fourth on the all-time win percentage list and reigned for several years as the all-time winningest coach prior to coming to Fresno State. Tarkanian wasted no time bringing the Bulldogs back to national prominence when he took a team that had gone 13-15 the previous year and led it to a 22-win season, a third-place WAC finish and the quarterfinals of the NIT during the 1995-96 season. In 1997-98 the Bulldogs were 21-13 and made it to the semifinals of the NIT before falling to 1997 Final Four participant Minnesota. NIT champion Cal defeated Fresno State in the first round of postseason play in 1999. On the day Fresno State officials introduced him as the Bulldogs? new head coach, April 5, 1995, Tarkanian hinted at better days for the Bulldogs and the Red Wave. "I never really thought this would happen, but if there was any way that I could end my coaching career here, this would be the best place," said Tarkanian, who had not coached at the college level since leaving UNLV at the end of the 1992 season. "It?s a great opportunity for me. I?m excited. I?ve always said that the Red Wave are perhaps the very best fans in the entire country, and hopefully we can get the program going to the level that will bring a lot of excitement and pride to the people in the San Joaquin Valley." And the fans have responded. Selland Arena has enjoyed 56 sellouts in the last four years, making it one of the best home-court advantages on the West Coast. The university has moved forward on plans for an on-campus events center, the Save Mart Center, a 16,500-seat showcase home for Bulldog basketball.

Tark Bites
--- Became the 12th coach to reach the 700-victory mark at the major college level, defeating No. 15 New Mexico Jan. 4, 1999.

--- Currently second on the NCAA active win percentage list at .807, just behind Kansas? Roy Williams at .809.

--- Has led Fresno State to four consecutive 20-win seasons, only the third time that feat has been accomplished in Bulldog basketball history.

--- Tutored 41 players who were drafted by the NBA, including nine first-round selections.

--- One of only a handful of coaches to lead three different schools to 20-win seasons. At each school, Tark recorded a 20-win season in his first year.

--- Led UNLV to the NCAA title in April of 1990 (the Rebels defeated Duke 103-73, in posting the largest winning margin in NCAA championship game history).

--- Tarkanian has averaged 25.3 wins per season during his 28-year major college coaching career.

--- Led UNLV to Top 10 finishes in wire-service polls nine times (1976, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992).

--- Won or shared Big West Conference Coach of the Year honors seven times in 10 seasons. Also was named West Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1975.

--- Coached six first-team All-Americans: Ricky Sobers (1975), Eddie Owens (1976), Sidney Green (1983), Larry Johnson (1990, 1991) and Stacey Augmon (1991).

Courtney Alexander - All-America Candidate
All-America candidate Courtney Alexander begins his senior season as one of the most decorated players in Bulldog history. Alexander transfered to Fresno State from Virginia, where he was an honorable mention All-ACC selection as a sophomore and made the All-ACC freshman team. Following his first season as a Bulldog, he endeared himself to Fresno State fans when he elected to bypass the NBA draft, where he was a projected Top 15 selection, to return for his senior season, earn his degree, and vowed to lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament. In his first season, Alexander led the team in scoring (21.4 ppg) and earned first-team All-WAC and All-WAC Newcomer accolades. He was selected All-Impact by Dick Vitale. Prior to his senior season, Alexander has been the consensus selection for WAC Player of the Year and was named the No. 1 shooting guard in America by Dick Vitale's College Basketball Magazine and No. 2 by Lindy's College Basketball. He is on the early list for the Naismith Award and a candidate for the John Wooden Award. Alexander, an excellent student, will graduate in December with a degree in anthropology.

Alexander Awards 1998-99 All-WAC All-WAC Newcomer All-Impact Team (Dick Vitale) No. 19 in NCAA in scoring (21.4 ppg)

1999-00 Preseason Awards Naismith Award Nominee John Wooden Award Candidate First Team All-America (Dick Vitale's College Basketball Magazine) No. 1 Rated Shooting Guard (Dick Vitale's College Basketball Magazine) No. 1 Rated Shooting Guard (ESPN.com) No. 2 Rated Shooting Guard (Lindy's) WAC Player of the Year (Dick Vitale's College Basketball Magazine, WAC Media, Blue Ribbon College Basketball, Sport Magazine, Street and Smith's College Basketball, Lindy's, Basketball Times)

Alexander's Web
Follow Fresno State All-America candidate Courtney Alexander on the internet at Fresno State's official web site: www.GoBulldogs.com.

1999-00 Highlights
--- Scored a career-high 43 points vs. UAB , second most in Fresno State history
--- Fresno State's leading scorer, 24.8 points per game
--- WAC Player of the Week (12-13) averaging 32.5 pts., 9.5 rebs., 2.5 assts, and 2.0 stls
--- Had a career-high 11 rebounds vs. UAB (12-11)
--- Tied school record with 18 field goals vs. UAB (12-11)
--- Set the Arby's Hardwood Classic Records for scoring (43), FG (18), FGA (31)
--- Ranks second on the team in rebounding, 8.3 per game
--- Has scored 20 points or more in 22 games at Fresno State
--- Has scored 20 points or more in 11 of the last 13 games
--- Is averaging 25.5 points per game in his last nine games dating back to last season
--- Missed the first six games with a stress fracture in his left foot

1998-99 Highlights
--- First-team All-WAC and All-Newcomer Team.
--- All-Impact selection by Dick Vitale.
--- His 684 points last season ranks him second on the Bulldog single-season chart.
--- 21.4 scoring average tied for ninth on the single-season list with Gary Alcorn.
--- Had back-to-back 30-point games vs. No. 13 Utah (37) and San Diego State (35).
--- Scored 37 points vs. No. 13 Utah in Selland Arena
--- Had game-high 26 points to lead Fresno State over No. 15 New Mexico
--- Has scored in double figures all his games last season, with 19 20-plus point games
--- Scored his 1,000th career point vs. Wisconsin on his second basket of the game.
--- Led Fresno State with 24 points vs. No. 25 Temple

Tough Schedule
While the 1999-2000 schedule is not loaded with nationally ranked teams, the Bulldogs are playing a lot of games in a short period of time, which has proved costly to an injured-riddled team. The Bulldogs will have played one-third if their schedule before Dec. 15 and nearly half of their schedule before Christmas. At 7-5 overall, Fresno State will play two more games this week in the Trend Homes Classic, giving them a total of 14 games of the 31 on the schedule before the first of the year.

Pomp and Circumstance
Three members of Fresno State's starting lineup will graduate at the end of the fall semester and begin playing the WAC schedule with diplomas in hand. Larry Abney (speech communication), Courtney Alexander (anthropology) and Terrance Roberson (sociology) will each graduate at the end of this semester. The impressive part is that both Abney and Roberson were non-qualifiers out of high school and not eligible to play at Fresno State that first year.

Preseason Hype
The Bulldogs have gotten a lot of preseason attention. Here's what the publications and media think about Fresno State's chances in 1999-2000:
WAC Champions
WAC Media
Basketball Times
Dick Vitale's College Basketball
Blue Ribbon College Basketball
Lindy's
Sport Magazine
ESPN.com

National Ranking
No. 20 Dick Vitale's College Basketball
No. 29 Sport Magazine
No. 34 Sports Illustrated
No. 38 Blue Ribbon College Basketball

Roberson for the Record
Terrance Roberson is having an excellent senior season. He is the team's second leading scorer and the top three point shooter. He had a career-high 30 points vs. LSU and followed that with 26 points, including career highs for three point field goals (8) and attempts (17) vs. Cal State Northridge. Roberson ranks in the Top 10 on several Fresno State career lists. In addition, he ranks 13th on the career scoring list with 1,296 points. He needs four points for 1,300 in his career and 96 points to move into the Top 10.

Three Point Field Goals1. Dominick Young (1995-97)    2792. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        2623. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   218
Three Point Field Goal Attempts1. Dominick Young (1995-97)    7892. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        6773. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   686
Three Point Field Goal Percentage1. Brian Santiago (1993-94)    .4482. Andre Sims (1988-89)        .4013. Davon Satterwhite (1992-93) .3984. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        .3875. Tod Bernard (1990-92)       .3806. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   .373

Looking Ahead
After the Trend Homes Classic, the Bulldogs have some time off before resuming action Jan. 4 at Utah State. Fresno State returns home Jan. 8 to play High Point and opens the WAC season vs. UTEP Jan. 15 at Selland Arena.

Fresno State Athletics

Men's Basketball Set for Trend Homes Classic

Related News

Related Videos