Fresno State vs. Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament

March 13, 2000

FRESNO, Calif. - The Bulldogs received their first invitation to the NCAA tournament since 1984 and will play Wisconsin in the first round of the tournament which begins Thursday. Fresno State received a ninth seed and will face the eighth-seeded Badgers in Salt Lake City at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The game will begin at approximately 7 p.m. PST, 25 minutes after the end of the Arizona-Jackson State game, which begins at 4:40 p.m. It will be televised locally on CBS.

NCAA First and Second Round Tournament Schedule in Salt Lake City
Thursday, March 16
Game No. 1 - (12) Indiana State vs. (5) Texas, 9:40 a.m.
Game No. 2 - (13) Southeast Missouri State vs. (4) LSU, 30 minutes after Game No. 1
Game No. 3 - (1) Arizona vs. (16) Jackson State, 4:40 p.m.
Game No. 4 - (8) Wisconsin vs. (9) Fresno State, 25 minutes after Game No. 3

Saturday, March 18
Game No. 5 - Winner Game No. 1 vs. Winner Game No. 2, 12:20 p.m.
Game No. 6 - Winner Game No. 3 vs. Winner Game No. 4, 30 minutes after Game No. 5

ALL TIMES ARE PACIFIC

About Last Week
The Bulldogs ran their winning streak to eight games and captured the 2000 WAC Tournament championship with a 75-72 win over No. 13 Tulsa. Fresno State opened the tournament with a 79-70 win over UTEP and had to go to double overtime to defeat Hawai'i 103-100 to reach the championship game against the Golden Hurricane, which won the WAC regular season title. It was the third win of the season over Tulsa. Courtney Alexander was selected the MVP of the WAC Tournament and Terrance Roberson was chosen to the all-tournament team. Larry Abney shattered the WAC tournament record with 44 rebounds in three games.

On Wisconsin
The Badgers are the No. 8 seed in the west region of the NCAA tournament after an 18-13 overall record and 8-8 Big Ten mark. Wisconsin advanced to the semifinal of the Big Ten Tournament with a 78-66 win over No. 22 Purdue before losing to eventual champion and fifth-ranked Michigan State 55-46. The Badgers have won five of their last seven games, with both losses coming to the Spartans. Wisconsin is making its second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. UW lost to Southwest Missouri State 43-32 last season at Charlotte, N.C. The Badgers are coached by Dick Bennet, in his fifth season at the school. Center Mark Vershaw leads the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game and the is only player in double figures.

vs. the Badgers
Wisconsin leads the series 2-1 and has a two-game winning streak with one win in each of the last two seasons. The Badgers beat the Bulldogs 87-65 at the Kohl Center in Madison on Dec. 27, 1998, in the most recent meeting. Wisconsin also won in Fresno 64-60 on Dec. 27, 1997.

Last Time vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin beat Fresno State by 22 points last season in the last meeting between the two teams. After jumping to a 47-32 halftime lead, Wisconsin coasted for an easy victory, the second-worst regular season loss for the Bulldogs last season. The 87-points scored by the Badgers were a season-high. It is also the most points scored by UW in the last 50 games. Courtney Alexander scored 18 points to lead Fresno State.

'Dogs vs. the Badgers
Here's what the current Bulldogs have done against the Badgers in their careers.

Pos  #   Name                        Games    PPG    RPG    FG%    3FG%    FT% 6   32  Courtney Alexander            1      18.0   4.0   .364   .400    1.000 C   33  Melvin Ely                    1       2.0   1.0   .400   .000     .000 F   44  Terrance Roberson             1      14.0   2.5   .455   .167     .125 G    5  Demetrius Porter              2       7.5   1.5   .667   .667    1.000 F   21  Larry Abney                   2       3.0   2.0   .750   .000     .000

Team Comparisons

Team            PPG    Opp.    RPG    Opp.    FG%    3FG%    FT%Arizona        77.2   67.8    38.3   35.8    .461    .323   .733Fresno State   83.1   75.5    38.8   40.5    .471    .350   .703Jackson State  67.4   68.1    40.5   37.8    .412    .255   .641Wisconsin      60.0   55.8    30.9   32.0    .429    .339   .682Leaders in italics

Used to Utah
This will be Fresno State's third NCAA tournament game played in the state of Utah but the first ever in Salt Lake City. Of Fresno State's previous four NCAA tournament games, two were played in Utah. The 'Dogs played both of their 1982 NCAA tournament games in Utah. Fresno State beat West Virginia 50-46 in Logan before being eliminated the following week in the Sweet 16 in Provo by Georgetown 58-40.

Huntsman Highlights
The Jon M. Hunstman Center on the campus of the University of Utah has hosted more NCAA tournament games than any other facility. It was the site of one of the most famous NCAA Championship games in 1979 when Michigan State, led by Magic Johnson, defeated Indiana State and Larry Bird. The 'Dogs are 1-5 at the Huntsman Center, all games against the University of Utah. Fresno State's only win came in 1996. Chasing Courtney Courtney Alexander is vying to become the first player in WAC history to win the NCAA scoring crown. Alexander is leading the nation at 25.3 points per game. SirValient Brown (24.5) of George Washington is second.

Alexander 2000
Senior Courtney Alexander scored his 2,000th career point earlier this season vs. San Jose State. He has scored 1,318 points at Fresno State and scored 759 points in his two-year career at Virginia (1996-97). He is on track to break the school's career scoring average record of 22.4 set by Jerry Pender (1971-72) and the single season record of 23.2 by Lonnie Hughes (1965).

Legend of Larry
Larry Abney's 35 rebounds vs. SMU (2-17) were the most in an NCAA game in 35 years. Abney's amazing night, which included scoring 20 points, shattered the WAC record for rebounds set in 1992 by Wyoming's Reginald Slater, who had 27 vs. Troy State. It also broke the 41-year-old school record of 31 set by Gary Alcorn vs. Regis. It was the most in a WAC game since 1963, when Art Becker of Arizona State had 26 vs. Arizona. The 35 rebounds is tied for 18th all-time in NCAA Division I history and are the most in a game since Keith Swagerty of Pacific grabbed 39 boards on March 5, 1965. Earlier this season, Abney pulled down 24 rebounds in a 75-73 win versus Tulsa on Jan. 29. Abney averaged 13.7 rebounds per game in WAC games, the sixth-best average of all-time. He broke the WAC Tournament record for rebounds with 44 in three games. The previous record was 37 rebounds in four games.

Double Trouble
Senior Larry Abney leads the WAC with 14 double-doubles this season and is the only player in the WAC averaging a double-double, 10.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg.

20-20
The 'Dogs gained their fifth consecutive 20-win season. Fresno State has posted five consecutive 20-win season only once previously (1981-85). The 20-win season marks the the 16th consecutive for Jerry Tarkanian, who has failed to reach 20 wins only once in his 29-year career. That's the most by any current coach and ranks second all-time to Dean Smith, who had 30 20-win season at North Carolina. Fresno State's 24 regular season victores is the most since 1983-84, its last apperance in the NCAA tournament. Fresno State was 25-8 that season.

Dishin' It Out
The Bulldogs have three players with more than 100 assists this season, and a fourth, Courtney Alexander, who is on pace to reach that mark. Demetrius Porter leads the team with 200 assists, followed by Terrance Roberson with 132 and Nick Irvin with 115. Alexander, who has missed seven games due to injuries, needs nine assists to reach that mark.

Porter Point
Junior point guard Demetrius Porter has been one of the premier point guards in the WAC. Porter leads the league in three categories in league games, more than any other player. He led the WAC in assists (6.24) and assist/turnover ratio (2.81) for most of the season. In addition, he leads the WAC in three point field goals made per game in league games (3.00). He ranks third in steals (1.97) and second in three point field goal percentage (.457, 80-175). Here's where he ranks on the Fresno State assist and steals charts.

Single Season Assists                       Career Assists4. Dave Barnett (1991)       208            5. Brian Santiago  (1993-94)    3545. Demetrius Porter (2000)   200            6. Demetrius Porter (1998-)     353
Single Season Steals                        Career Steals7. Mike Mitchell (1987)       65            6. Jervis Cole (1986-89)        1458. Brian Santiago  (1994)     63            7. Chris Herren (1997-99)       1389. Demetrius Porter (2000)    61               Demetrius Porter (1998-)     138

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 five 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 five consecutive 20-win seasons with the Bulldogs -- only the second time that feat has been accomplished in the history of Bulldog basketball -- have brought him to 28 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 29 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).

Below the Bench
Despite ranking fifth in the NCAA in scoring at 83.1 points per game, Fresno State's bench is averaging just 4.7 points per game. Fresno State's starters are averaging 78.3 points per game and account for 94% of the scoring.

Where's the Average?
While the Bulldogs are averaging 83.1 points per game, they have not scored 83 points in one game this season. In fact, only once all season has Fresno State scored between 80-84 points, an 82-point performance at San Jose State.

Ely's Coming
As he becomes more healthy, junior center Melvin Ely has become a terror in the WAC. Ely leads the WAC and ranks seventh in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.603, 175-290) and ranks 12th in the nation in blocked shots (3.1). His field goal percentage currently ranks as the second-best in Fresno State history. He is 14th in scoring (13.3) and eighth in rebounds (7.0). The 'Dogs are 7-1 when Ely has a double-double. Ely, Fresno State's all-time shot blocking king with 180, owns the two best season in school history for blocked shots. He had a school record 91 last season and has 89 this season.

Ely's Perfect
Melvin Ely has four games this season when he missed only one field goal or fewer, including two school record setting performance of 10-10 from the floor. He made 17 consecutive field goals over a three-game period. Here are his best shooting performances of the season:

Opponent (date)                        FG-FGA        FG%     PtsHigh Point (1/7/00)                    10-10       1.000      21San Jose State (2/3/00)                10-10       1.000      22Southwest  Missouri State (11/27/99)   10-11        .909      21Rice (2/26/00)                          9-10        .900      20Hawai'i (3/10/00)                       8-10        .800      22Cornell (12/22/99)                      7-9         .778      14

Scoreboards Beware
The Bulldogs are the fifth-highest scoring team in the country. Fresno State is averaging 83.1 points per game, which ranks second in the WAC behind TCU, second in the NCAA in scoring at 88.7 points per game. Bulldogs Scoring Breakdown (record)
Most Points: 105 vs. Cornell
Games over 100 Points: Four (4-0)
95-99 Points: Six (5-1)
90-94 Points: Two (2-0)
85-89 Points: Three (2-1)
80-84 Points: Two (1-1)
75-79 Points: Six (4-2)
70-74 Points: Four (3-1)
Less than 70 Points: Six (2-4)

Roberson for the Record
Terrance Roberson ranks second place on the Fresno State career scoring list and needs 68 points to catch current Fresno State assistant coach Wil Hooker (1989-92) as the school's all-time scoring leader.

Career Scoring1. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        1,7392. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   1,671
Three-Point Field Goals1. Dominick Young (1989-92)    2792. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   268
Steals2. Wil Hooker (1989-92)        1823. Terrance Roberson (1996-)   172

WAC Leaders
All five of Fresno State's starting players lead nearly every individual category in the WAC. The only categories that Fresno State players don't lead are steals, three point field goal percentage and three point field goals made per game where Demetrius Porter is third, fourth and fourth respectively. Here's a look at the WAC leading Bulldogs.
Scoring: Courtney Alexander (25.3)
Rebounding: Larry Abney (11.9)
Free Throw %: Terrance Roberson (.854, 88-103)
Assists: Demetrius Porter (6.25)
Blocked Shots: Melvin Ely (3.0)
Field Goal %: Melvin Ely (.603, 175-290)
Assist-Turnover Ratio: Demetrius Porter (2.81)

Nationally Ranked 'Dogs
Here's where Fresno State players rank in the most recent (March 6) NCAA statistics:
Scoring: Courtney Alexander (25.7), 1st
Rebounding: Larry Abney (11.7), 4th
Field Goal Percentage: Melvin Ely (.613, 160-261), 5th
Field Goal Percentage: Terrance Roberson (.846, 77-91), 26th
Blocked Shots: Melvin Ely (3.1), 13th
Assists: Demetrius Porter (6.2), 23rd
Team Scoring: Fresno State (82.9), 5th
Team Three Point Field Goals Per Game: Fresno State (8.2), 12th

"Alexander the Great"
Courtney Alexander was selected the 2000 WAC Player of the Year in voting by the league's coaches. Alexander, who is leading the nation in scoring at 25.6 points per game, averaged 27.2 points per WAC game, the eighth-best scoring average in league history and the highest since 1989. He is the first player since BYU's Devin Durrant (1983 and 1984) to lead the league in scoring in consecutive seasons. He is the first Fresno State player ever selected WAC Player of the Year. In addition, he was selected the WAC Tournament MVP leading Fresno State to its first WAC Tournament championship. Alexander is on the ballot for the John R. Wooden Award.

All-WAC 'Dogs
Fresno State was well represented on the All-WAC team, which was announced Sunday. The team was selected by voting of the league coaches. Three 'Dogs were named to the first or second team. Senior guard Courtney Alexander was named the WAC Player of the Year and the five-member first team. Alexander was a first team selection in 1999. Junior center Melvin Ely and senior forward Larry Abney, the WAC's leading rebounder, were selected to the second team. Ely was selected to the WAC's All-Defensive team for the second consecutive season.

WAC Record Check
Several Bulldogs put their names in the WAC record books. Here's a look at where the Bulldogs rank among the WAC's all-time greats in single season and career records. The WAC ranks the top 15 players in each category.

Courtney Alexander
Ranks ninth in single-season scoring in all games (25.7 ppg)

Melvin Ely
Ranks 11th in single-season blocked shots average in all games (3.08)

Terrance Roberson
Ranks fourth in career three point field attempted (699)
Ranks sixth in career three points field goals made (257)
Ranks 13th in career steals (166)

NCAA Tournament History
The Bulldogs are 1-3 in NCAA Tournament games. Here's a look at their previous NCAA Tournament games. Appearances: Three (1981, 1982, 1984) Record: 1-3

1981
Northeastern 55, Fresno State 53 (March 13, 1981 - El Paso, Texas) Coach Boyd Grant guided Fresno State to a 25-3 regular season record and led the 'Dogs to their first NCAA tournament appearance. Fresno State's 13-game winning streak was snapped by Northeastern in the first round. The 'Dogs had a six-point lead at halftime 36-30, but a scoring drought over the last 5:13 proved costly. Rod Higgins, a current assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, scored a game-high 24 points for Fresno State.

1982
Fresno State 50, West Virginia 46 (March 13, 1982- Logan, Utah) The Bulldogs returned to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and earned their first win over West Virginia 50-46. The game was close throughout, but a Rod Higgins baseline jumper from 17 feet at 8:05 of the second half gave the 'Dogs a lead they would never give up. Higgins scored 18 points nad Tyrone Bradley scored 11 for Fresno State.

Georgetown 58, Fresno State 40 (March 18, 1982 - Provo, Utah) Fresno State advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament and had to play the Georgetown Hoyas in Provo, Utah. Led by future NBA all-stars Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and Patrick Ewing, the talented Hoyas easily beat the Bulldogs 58-40. The last tie of the game came at the 13:45 mark of the first half at 8-8. From there, Georgetown went on an 11-2 run and dominated the game. Floyd scored 15 for the Hoyas and Ewing added 15. Higgins scored 12 for the 'Dogs.

1984
Louisiana Tech 66, Fresno State 56 (March 15, 1984 - Memphis, Tenn.) Fresno State reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons but had to travel to the Mid-South Coliseum and the Midwest Regional for a first round matchup with Louisiana Tech. Led by Karl Malone, who scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, Louisiana Tech overcame a seven-point first half deficit to take a two-point halftime lead. La. Tech would never give up the lead and won 66-56. Ron Anderson scored 18 points and Scott Barnes scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds for Fresno State.

Fresno State Athletics

Fresno State vs. Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament

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