Fresno State Athletics
Unassuming Demeanor
1/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State point guard Tito Maddox had been waiting for a chance to be a factor in the Bulldogs' season. So when Maddox suited up for the Bulldogs in his debut against Toledo on December 19 in Fresno State's first game of the Trend Homes Classic, you could say that he was just excited to get back on the court.
And Maddox didn't disappoint. The freshman from Compton, Calif. turned in the kind of spectacular performance (19 points, 13 assists) that has had fans craving their "Tito Time" ever since. Maddox followed that up with a 20-point, nine-assist performance in the championship game against Louisiana-Lafayette. Add in the fact that the flashy point guard was a nearly unanimous selection for the tournament MVP award, and one can see just how much of an impact Maddox has made right from the start.
The late start is part of what of has placed Maddox's play under a microscope. The NCAA declared the freshman, who sat out last year as an academic non-qualifier, ineligible for the first eight games on the Bulldog's 2000-01 schedule. Following a joint review with the NCAA enforcement staff, Fresno State officials self-reported that Maddox accepted a free airplane ticket from a family friend to Las Vegas and also received free meals and ground transportation. Fresno State filed an appeal Dec. 8, only to be denied five days later on the morning of the Bulldogs' contest at Santa Clara. Since Fresno State athletic director Al Bohl had already sat Maddox out of six games before the ruling, the 6-4 guard was able to return in time for the Trend Homes Classic. However, Maddox insists he didn't feel the need to be the go-to guy during his first few games back.
"No, I still don't have anything to prove," said Maddox. "The only thing I want to prove is that we can win as a team. I don't have anything to prove to anyone."
While that sense of self-assurance may be sometimes confused as cockiness, Maddox is simply a player confident of his abilities on the court and that much has been evident in his play. Entering tonight's game against rival UTEP, Maddox is second for the Bulldogs in scoring per game (14.4 points), leads the team in assists per game (9.9), and ranks third on the team in rebounding (6.1 per game). He still continues to lead the team in free throw percentage at an .814 clip, making 35 of 43. Maddox was named WAC Player of the Week on Dec. 26. Even more impressively, he would lead the NCAA in assists if he had played in enough games. So it's easy to see how much of a difference the addition of Maddox to the Bulldog lineup has made so far this season.
"Right now we're just all playing hard and playing together," explained Maddox. "We have 12 players who we can go to on this team. Our scoring is real balanced, with four of our five starters in double figures. That's the good thing and that's why we've been winning."
Winning they are, as the Bulldogs have pieced together an impressive 12-game winning streak entering tonight's match up - the fourth longest in school history. The Bulldogs 16-2 record represent the best start for the program since the 1981-82 season, when the Bulldogs started the year by winning 17 of the their first 18 games.
When Maddox was able to step into the starting point guard role, he lived up to his pre-season billing as one of the premier high school players in the nation, and has been soaring with the Bulldogs since. Case in point: since Maddox became the starting point guard, Fresno State has not lost a game (10-0) entering the showdown against the Miners and has been defeating their opponents by an average of 16 points per game.
Head coach Jerry Tarkanian has repeatedly stated that this year's squad is the hardest-working Fresno State team he has coached, and Maddox agrees.
"We are a hard-working defensive team," Maddox said. "Defensively, coach has always had the talent, but right now we're 16-2 and we want to get better. He has emphasized defense a lot to us."
Effective guard play has been equally important in the Bulldog's early success. Maddox and senior guard Demetrius Porter have given Fresno State two capable floor leaders, and both feed off each other when they are on the floor at the same time. Whether it's Maddox finding Porter open for a three-point shot out on the wing or both leading a 2-on-1 fast break opportunity, the chemistry between the two players has been a major factor in the Bulldog offense. Maddox is just glad he can be a part of it -- all of it.
