Fresno State Athletics
Just A Season Away
3/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2000
Just A Season Away
By Curtis Webb
The Bulldogs are right in the middle of a heated race to the finish for first place in the Western Athletic Conference. The season will come down to the wire and Selland Arena will be hopping when the WAC tournament comes to town. Seniors Larry Abney, Courtney Alexander and Terrance Roberson will be giving it all they have got as their careers at Fresno State come to a close. The Valley would like to see the 'Dogs make a run at the NCAA tournament, but whatever the outcome is this season, next year will no doubt be a wild ride as well.
While the team loses the three seniors at the conclusion of this season, the 'Dogs will not surrender any less talent. There are a trio of newcomers who consistently give the starters good competition in practice and will be poised to show the community what they have got when the 2000-01 season rolls around. Chris Jefferies, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward native to Fresno, transferred from Arkansas where he played in all of the Razorbacks' 34 games, starting 21 of them. Junior guard Scotty Graham returns to California from Boise State. Senior Shannon Swillis is also a Fresno product. The 6-foot-8 forward from Bullard High School transferred from the University of Southern California.
Let us start with Jefferies, the former Washington Union standout who played with junior guard Demetrius Porter there. At Arkansas, Jefferies averaged 7.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during his freshman campaign. He scored a career-high 23 points against Mississippi State on January 13, 1999. He led the Hogs with 16 points in their NCAA tournament first round win last March. During his days at Washington, Jefferies was a pure scorer. He ran the floor extremely well and could play at any position for the Panthers who went 88-9 during his three years on the varsity squad. He earned a California All-State selection and scored 19 points in the California high school all-star game. Jefferies will provide those same attributes to the Bulldogs when he is inserted into the lineup. His quickness will be a strength both offensively and defensively on the perimeter and his size is an asset for rebounding purposes in the paint. Most importantly, Jefferies brings some of his tournament experience. "Jefferies will give us some versatility on the wing," head coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "He has a good scorers mentality who can beat guys off the dribble too."
Graham is the same type of player. He is not as tall, but is very physical and has good ball handling skills. The 6-foot-5 Harbor City, Calif. native was a stud at Jordan High School. He averaged 15.2 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior while leading his team to a 30-4 record. He was also an all-league first team selection and the defensive player of the year. "Graham will really provide some depth," Tarkanian said. "He is a smart player that can play solid defense."
Swillis is no stranger to Fresno. He was the Northwest yosemite League Co-MVP and an All-Central Section first team member for the Bullard Knights. Under former coach Dan Pagliotti, a former Bulldog himself, Swillis averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game as a senior. Some of his other honors in high school include being named to the Long Beach Press-Telegram's prestigious Best in the West first team and a No. 74 ranking in Bluechip Illustrated.
At USC, Swillis earned All-Freshman Pac-10 honorable mention honors and was awarded the team'' most improved player. His career-high in points came against Tennessee and he pulled down a personal-best 15 rebounds against UNLV. "Swillis is a great player," Tarkanian said. "He has to step in and replace Abney's rebounding and give us some scoring inside. His experience and leadership will also be very beneficial to our team next season."
What was just a season away is now only just a turn around the corner.
