Men's Basketball Opens Up WAC Play Against UTEP

Fresno State opens the WAC season this week, hosting the UTEP Miners Sat., Jan. 15, at Selland Arena. The Bulldogs enter the week having won six of their last seven games. The Miners are 10-4 overall and 1-0 in the WAC with a victory over Hawai'i last weekend at El Paso. The Miners have won seven of their last nine games.

About Last Week
The Bulldogs split their final two non-conference games losing at Utah State 83-66 and defeating High Point 96-65 in Fresno.

Tickets Available
A limited number of general admission tickets are available for Saturday's WAC opener vs. UTEP for $15. Call the Bulldog Ticket Office 278-DOGS for more information.

About UTEP
The Miners (10-4, 1-0) have been one of the most surprising teams in the WAC this season. After being predicted to finish in fifth place, the Miners are on track for a 20-win season and opened the WAC season with a victory over Hawai'i last weekend. Brandon Wolfram, a 6-9 junior center, is the WAC?s top scorer, averaging more than 20 points per game. He ranks second in the league, behind Fresno State?s Larry Abney, in field goal percentage.

vs. the Miners
This will be the 15th meeting between the two schools, which have split the first 14 games. The Bulldogs won in Fresno last season 70-56 and lost at El Paso 73-63. Tonight?s game will also be the first game between the two schools that retired UTEP coach Don Haskins was not coaching in. Haskins had coached in every game since the series began in 1966.

WAC Opener
This is the WAC opener for the Bulldogs, who are 5-2 in WAC openers and 3-1 under Jerry Tarkanian in WAC openers. This is the first time the Bulldogs have opened the WAC season against the Miners.

Hot Shots
This game features the WAC?s top two scorers in Fresno State?s Courtney Alexander and UTEP?s Brandon Wolfram, who combine to score nearly 45 points per game. The two players have very different styles. Wolfram is an interior workhorse who is averaging 20.4 points per game, while Alexander is a perimeter scorer who scores nearly 24 points per contest.

Where's the Bear?
For the first time since 1961 someone other than Don Haskins is coaching the UTEP basketball team. Haskins retired from coaching prior to this season after guiding UTEP to 14 NCAA tournament appearances and the 1966 NCAA championship. He was replaced by Jason Rabedeaux, 34, who was less than a year old when the Miners won the NCAA title. Rabadeaux had been an assistant coach under Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma and Washington State and helped the Sooners to five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Rabedeaux is a graduate of UC Davis, where he was a four-year starter in basketball.

Tark & the Bear
With a win tonight, Jerry Tarkanian would surpass former UTEP coach Don Haskins on the all-time career coaching victories list. Both the legendary coaches have 719 wins which ranks 10th all-time. Haskins had a 719-354 record from 1962-99 as the coach at UTEP. Tarkanian owns a 719-176 record in 28 years.

Tark & Lefty
Jerry Tarkanian has passed Georgia State's Lefty Driesell for third place on the active career coaching victories list with 719 wins. Driesell led Tarkanian by seven wins entering the season, but his team is 2-8 overall. Driesell's wins have come in his 38th season, while Tarkanian reached 718 wins in 28 years at the Division I level. Tarkanian and Driesell trail only Indiana's Bob Knight (754) and Mount St. Mary's Jim Phelan (801) in career coaching wins among active coaches.

Ely's Elite
Junior Melvin Ely tied a school record for field goal percentage by making all 10 of his field goal attempts vs. High Point last Saturday. Ely shares the record with Darnell McCullough who was 10-10 vs. UTEP in 1995. Earlier this season, Ely connected on 10-11 field goal attempts vs. Southwest Missouri State. Ely had made 42 of 63 field goal attempts over the last seven games for a percentage of .667.

Double Trouble
Senior Larry Abney recorded consecutive double-doubles last week giving him a team-best five on the season. Abney had 10 points and 12 rebounds vs. Utah State and contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds against High Point. Abney was 8-9 from the floor vs. High Point. Abney was one of three Bulldogs with double-doubles vs. High Point. Melvin Ely had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Terrance Roberson came up three rebounds shy of a triple double as he had 10 points, 10 assists and seven boards.

Pomp and Circumstance
Senior Larry Abney officially graduated at the conclusion of the fall semester. Abney, who earned a degree in speech communication, was one of the three Bulldogs seniors on track to graduate before the beginning of the Spring semester, which starts Jan. 18. Courtney Alexander is also expected to complete the needed classes to earn his degree by then. Terrance Roberson is on track to graduate after the spring semester. Even though he has earned his degree, Abney must still enroll as a full-time student (12 hours) for the spring semester in order to be eligible to compete.

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

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

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

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

o 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.

o 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).

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

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

o 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.

o 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 was named as one of 30 nominees for the John Wooden Award. Alexander, an excellent student, will this month 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 R. Wooden Mid-Season All-American and Wooden Award Nominee (Top 30)
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, 23.9 points per game
--- Would rank fourth in the nation in scoring if he played in enough games
--- WAC Player of the Week (12-13) averaging 32.5 pts., 9.5 rebs., 2.5 assts, and 2.0 stls
--- MVP of the 1999 Trend Homes Classic with 57 points and 17 assists in two games
--- 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, 6.3 per game
--- Has scored 20 points or more in 24 games at Fresno State
--- Has scored 20 points or more in 13 of the last 17 games
--- Has scored 20 points or more in six of 10 games this season
--- Ranks third in the team in assists, 4.2 per game
--- Is averaging 25.8 points per game in his last 15 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. With 14 games completed, Fresno State played more games before Jan. 1 than any other school in the country.

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. Roberson is currently leading the WAC and ranks 10th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (39-44, .886). He is fourth in the WAC in scoring (16.8) and third in three point field goals made per game (3.0). Here's where he ranks on some of Fresno State's all-time lists.

Career Scoring6. Bernard Thompson (1981-84)  1,4527. Tod Bernard (1989-92)       1,4268. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   1,421
Three Point Field Goals1. Dominick Young (1995-97)    2792. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        2623. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   235
Three Point Field Goal Percentage4. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        .3875. Tod Bernard (1990-92)       .3806. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   .376
Steals2. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        1823. Mike Mitchell (1986-89)     1674. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   155

Tark Takes Over Third
Jerry Tarkanian surpassed Harry Miller on the Fresno State career coaching victory list with last Saturday's win over High Point. Miller had a record of 93-39 in five season (1961-66). Tarkanian owns a 94-54 record at the school since taking over in 1996. Ed Gregory is second on the career coaching victory list with a record of 172-142 established between 1966-77.

WAC 2000
The 2000 Western Athletic Conference men's and women's basketball tournament will be hosted by Fresno State at Selland Arena March 8-11. Tickets for the 2000 WAC tournament are available at the Bulldog Ticket Office or by calling (559) 278-DOGS.

Fresno State Athletics

Men's Basketball Opens Up WAC Play Against UTEP

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