Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs' Basketball Opens at Cal Poly
11/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2005
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Game 1 • Fresno State at Cal Poly
Date: Wed., Nov. 23
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Mott Gym (3,032) • San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Radio: KMJ (AM 580): Bill Woodward (play-by-play) & Dave Severns (analyst); KOQO (FM 101.9): Jess Gonzalez (play-by-play) & Guillermo Prince (analyst)
Game 2 • Fresno State vs. Oregon State
Date: Sat., Nov. 26
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Save Mart Center (16,116) • Fresno, Calif.
Radio: KMJ (AM 580): TBA (play-by-play) & Dave Severns (analyst); KOQO (FM 101.9): Jess Gonzalez (play-by-play) & Guillermo Prince (analyst)
Fresno State Basketball Opens 83rd Season
The 2005-06 Fresno State basketball team officially opens its season this week when the Bulldogs travel to Cal Poly on Wed., Nov. 23, 7:00 p.m. Fresno State then comes home to open its home schedule against Oregon State on Sat., Nov. 26, 7:00 p.m.
Quickie Notes
Fresno State is opening its season against Cal Poly for the second time in school history. In the 1993-94 season, the Bulldogs hosted the Mustangs and posted an 88-58 victory. Fresno State leads the all-time series against Cal Poly, 24-6. The last time the two programs met was in 1998 when Fresno State posted a vacated 114-101 win at home. The `Dogs are opening their home schedule against a Pac-10 team for the third time in school history. In the 1960-61 season, Fresno State defeated Arizona State, 77-76, while in the 1985-86 season the Bulldogs dropped a 57-54 decision to Washington State. Against Oregon State, the `Dogs trail the all-time series, 7-6. The last time the two programs met was in 1994 when the Beavers won 72-67 in Corvallis, Ore. Oregon State is making its fourth appearance in Fresno as the Bulldogs are 3-0 all-time against OSU at home (W 74-62, 1993; W 83-72, 1991; W 60-47, 1983). Fresno State first-year head coach Steve Cleveland is meeting Cal Poly and Oregon State for the first time.
Season and Home Openers
Fresno State is 58-23 in season openers overall (two years in which the Bulldogs opened with wins were vacated due to NCAA infractions: 1998-99 and 2000-01). In their season openers, the `Dogs have gone 3-1 in the last four years and are unofficially 8-1 in the past nine years. In home openers, Fresno State is 62-19 (had two home opening wins vacated due to NCAA infractions in 1998-99 and 2000-01). Unofficially, the Bulldogs have won 15 of their last 16 home openers since the 1988-89 season.
Last to Open
Fresno State is the last Western Athletic Conference school to open the 2005-06 season. This is not the Bulldogs latest start, however. According to school records, that belongs to the 1979-80 and 1984-85 Bulldogs when both seasons began on Nov. 30. With both squads being coached by Boyd Grant, the 1979-80 season opened with a 79-66 home victory over Sacramento State while the 1984-85 season opened with a 61-46 home win against Wisconsin-Green Bay. In both of those seasons, Fresno State would go on to notch at least 17 wins while sporting single digit losses. The last time Fresno State opened its season on Nov. 23 was the 1990-91 season in which the Bulldogs defeated U.S. International, 104-76, at home.
Cal Poly Notebook (1-1)
Opening its 2005-06 season by playing its first three games at home, Cal Poly opened last week with a 71-67 win over UC San Diego before dropping a 72-57 decision to San Jose State. The Mustangs, who close out their brief homestand on Wednesday against Fresno State, are being led by senior forward Gabe Stephenson and junior guard/forward Derek Stockalper. While both are averaging 7.0 rebounds on the young season, Stephenson is averaging 13.5 points per game while Stockalper is averaging 12.0. In addition, sophomore guard Dawin Whiten is averaging double-figures (11.5 ppg). In the season-opener, Stephenson poured in a game-high 22 points, including a 16-for-18 performance at the free throw line. Whiten and Stockalper also had double-figures with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Against San Jose State, freshman guard Chaz Thomas came off the bench and led the Mustangs with 10 points as Cal Poly shot 38.2 percent from the field for the game. In exhibition action, Cal Poly went 2-0 at home with victories over Maritime Academy (79-36) and Cal Baptist (74-53). Stephenson posted double figures in both games and averaged 12.5 points while Whiten averaged 11 points. In the Big West preseason polls, Cal Poly was picked to finish seventh by the coaches and eighth by the media. Cal Poly returns seven letterwinners, including one true starter, from a 5-22 squad that finished 10th in the Big West with a 3-15 mark. With six newcomers suiting up, the Mustangs will look to Whiten and Stockalper to lead the team. Last year, Whiten averaged 11.4 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game while Stockalper averaged 5.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. Head coach Kevin Bromley is in his sixth year at Cal Poly. He owns a career record of 52-77 (.403).
Oregon State Notebook (0-1)
Oregon State opened its 2005-06 season on the road at Tennessee Tech yesterday and lost to the Golden Eagles, 90-62. In the season opener for OSU, sophomore forward Sasa Cuic was the only Beaver in double figures with 11 points while he also collected five rebounds. OSU hosts Prairie View A&M on Tue., Nov. 22, 7:00 p.m., before traveling to Fresno State this weekend. In exhibition play, Oregon State went 2-0 at home after recording wins over Souther Oregon (75-60) and Lewis & Clark (110-63). Senior guard Chris Stephens averaged 17 points after tallying double-figures in both games to lead OSU. Also notching double-figures was Cuic (12.5 ppg) and sophomore forward Marcel Jones (11.0 ppg). In the Pac-10 media preseason poll, Oregon State was picked to finish seventh. The Beavers return nine letterwinners, including three starters, from a 17-15 squad that finished fifth in the Pac-10 with an 8-10 mark. Oregon State advanced to postseason play last year when it lost in overtime to CS Fullerton (85-83) in the opening round of the NIT. Last year, senior forward Nick DeWitz averaged 14.0 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game as he garnered All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention honors. In addition, Stephens averaged 9.8 points and 2.3 rebounds while Cuic, who was a Pac-10 All-Freshman Honorable Mention, averaged 9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Head coach Jay John is in his fourth season at OSU and owns an all-time career record of 42-47 (.472).
Fresno Pacific in Review (Exhibition 2)
The Fresno State basketball team wrapped up its exhibition schedule on a high note when the Bulldogs recorded a 101-66 home victory over Fresno Pacific. The `Dogs were relentless offensively as junior forwards Ja'Vance Coleman (Fresno, Calif.) and Quinton Hosley (Harlem, N.Y.) combined for 47 points after going 17-20, collectively, from the field. Coleman lead all players with 27 points -- his second consecutive 27-point game in exhibition play -- after being 9-10 from the field, which included a 5-6 performance from three-point land. Hosley recorded 20 points as he went 8-10 from the field while adding seven rebounds and three steals. Not to go unnoticed was the performance from sophomore guards Kevin Bell (Los Angeles) and Dwight O'Neil (Fresno, Calif.). Bell notched his second straight double-double as he chipped in 11 points while dishing out 10 assists. Picking up four steals, he also did not have a turnover in 29 minutes of play. O'Neil was just two rebounds shy of also posting a double-double. For the second straight game, O'Neil shared or led the team defensively with eight rebounds. He added 19 points, including the final three-point shot that pushed the Bulldogs over the century mark with just over one minute of play. Still further, Fresno State took advantage of the Sunbirds' mishaps by scoring 39 points off turnovers. In the first half, Fresno State jumped out to a 16-0 lead before a three-point shot by FPU broke a five minute scoreless drought to open the game. Coleman and O'Neil already reached double-figures when the first half was over. With Fresno State taking a 47-38 lead into halftime, Coleman posted 14 points and was a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe. O'Neil had tallied 12 points and had collected six boards. The second half was simply dominated by the Bulldogs offensively. They opened with a 21-0 run before the Sunbirds snapped a seven minute drought (68-39). Hosley, Bell and Coleman helped the `Dogs build as much as a 43 point lead (91-48) with just over seven minutes left to play. Hosley, who had five points in the first half, poured in 15 while Bell and Coleman each scored 13 points.
The Master's College In Review (Exhibition 1)
Coleman picked up right where he left off from a year ago as he poured in 27 points in Fresno State's 77-66 exhibition win over The Master's College. He wasn't alone in his scoring effort as Hosley and Bell also tallied double-figure games with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Still further, the Bulldogs' reserves made a statement as they scored 29 points to the Mustangs' six off the bench. The Bulldogs built up as much as a 13 point advantage (32-19) with just five minutes left. Fresno State opened the first half with a 37-33 lead as Coleman collected 13 points. In the second half, the Mustangs immediately chipped away at Fresno State's four point cushion. The Master's College outscored the `Dogs 11-3 in the first five minutes and assumed a 44-40 lead. That would be the Mustangs biggest lead, however, as Coleman answered right back with his third long distance shot of the night to get within one at 44-43. Fresno State retook its lead at 46-44, courtesy of a three-point basket by O'Neil at the 13:18 mark. The Master's College got back within one at 50-49 with just over 10 minutes left to play. And that would be the closest the Mustangs would ever get as Fresno State went on a 13-2 run in a span of four minutes to post its biggest second half lead at 63-51. With the Bulldogs up 71-57 with just over three minutes to go, Coleman would hit his fifth three-pointer of the game to make it 75-60 and junior center Renato Cesar (São Bernardo, Brazil) would add a bucket for a 77-62 advantage to seal the victory with 54 seconds left. While Coleman scored 27 points in 33 minutes of play, Bell tallied 11 assists, O'Neil had seven rebounds and Hosley also added seven rebounds and six steals.
Fresno State to be Showcased on ESPNU's Pride of the Program
Beginning Mon., Nov. 14, every ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU men's college basketball telecast will include an ESPNU's Pride of the Program segment celebrating a historic moment from each of the 326 Division I programs in alphabetical order. From Air Force on Nov. 14 (Boston University at Duke on ESPN2) to Youngstown State on March 30 (NIT championship on ESPN), the moments are from any time in the history of the program. Each will tell a story that will serve as a platform to recognize each school nationally. Fresno State is scheduled to be showcased on Jan. 5, 2006.
Dickie V's Super Seven by Conference
On Oct. 25, Dick Vitale released his super seven player by conference on ESPN.com. Coleman was one of the All-WAC Super Seven picked as he joined Jaycee Carroll (G, Utah State), Nick Fazekas (F/C, Nevada), Nate Harris (F, Utah State), Coby Karl (G, Boise State), Paul Millsap (F/C, Louisiana Tech) and Julian Sensley (F, Hawai'i). Last month, Athlon and Lindy's magazines both named Coleman to its preseason All-WAC teams.
WAC Preseason Polls Have `Dogs Among Top Five
The WAC announced its men's basketball preseason polls on Wed., Oct. 12, and Fresno State was picked to finish among the top five in both the coaches' and media preseason polls. In the coaches' poll, the Bulldogs were tabbed fifth and received 38 points. Nevada was picked to win the WAC as the Wolf Pack received eight first place votes for 64 total points. In the media poll, the Bulldogs were picked third as they received 139 points. Nevada was the unanimous selection as it received all 22 first-place votes for 198 points.
Coleman Named to Preseason All-WAC Teams
After being named to the 2005 WAC All-Newcomer team, Coleman gets his first preseason All-WAC nod when he was selected to both the coaches and media preseason All-WAC Teams. On the coaches' preseason 10-member team, Coleman was a first team pick and one of four guards selected overall. On the media's preseason team, he was one of five players named.
In the Preseason Basketball Polls
In the two preseason basketball polls (AP and USA Today/ESPN), Fresno State has two preseason Top 25 teams on its slate. In the AP Poll, Nevada checked in at No. 22 while Iowa State was 25th. In addition, WAC newcomer Utah State received votes. In the USA Today/ESPN Poll, Nevada was ranked No. 25 while Iowa State was 23rd. Utah State also picked up votes.
Cleveland Named New Head Coach
On April 9, 2005, Steve Cleveland became the 17th head coach of the Fresno State men's basketball program. He came from BYU where he built the Cougar program into a Mountain West Conference power. In his eight years, Cleveland guided BYU to a 138-108 record, five consecutive postseason appearances (three NCAA, two NIT) and four 20-win seasons. The Fresno, Calif. native was the 2003 MWC Coach of the Year as he guided BYU to three MWC championship titles (two regular-season and one tournament).
Fourth Straight Bracket Buster Appearance for `Dogs
For the fourth year in a row, the WAC has partnered with ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences for Bracket Buster Saturday, a one-day men's basketball event matching potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other. All nine WAC teams will be involved in this year's event to be held on Feb. 18, 2006. The match-ups will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences on Sun., Jan. 29. Bracket Buster Saturday is currently set up to showcase 11 nationally televised games, including five on ESPNU. ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televised the remaining six contests. All teams playing home games will play a "return" game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the following season. The 2006 field boasts teams that have made a combined 31 appearances in the NCAA Tournament the last two years, including a pair of Sweet 16 programs in Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2005) and Nevada (2004). In the 2005 NCAA Tournament, 18 schools earned a berth, which was the most since 2001 when Fresno State was one of 17 programs that played in the postseason. Fresno State is making its fourth consecutive appearance and will be on the road this season. The Bulldogs are 0-3 in Bracket Buster play with losses at No. 17 Creighton (67-66, 2003), and East Tennessee State (66-62, 2004) and Buffalo (52-49, 2005) at home.
Who's Back
Fresno State returns five letterwinners, including two starters, from 16-14 squad that finished fourth in the league standings with a 9-9 record and advanced to the 2005 WAC semifinals. In addition to Coleman, Bell is back as he finished fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.8) per game. Also back is sophomore forward Hector Hernandez (Chihuahua, Mexico), who played in all 30 games last year but came off the bench to shoot 31.9 percent beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Donovan Morris (San Bernardino, Calif.), who started 24 of the 29 games played, returns as one of the league's best outside shooters as he made 42.5 percent of his three-pointers overall and 45.8 in league games. O'Neil, who also played in all 30 games with seven starts, played a key role down the stretch for the Bulldogs. Starting four of the last eight games, he played at least 15 minutes in the final 10 games and made 35.0 percent of his three-point attempts.
Coleman and Morris in the School Annals
After one year of play, Coleman and Morris already rank in Fresno State's single-season annals. Coleman is fourth in three-point attempts (246) and ninth in three-pointers made (82). Morris ranks seventh in three-point field goal percentage after hitting 42.5 percent last season (62-146).
In the Final 2004-05 NCAA Statistics
In the final 2004-05 NCAA statistical rankings, Fresno State finished among the top 100 schools in four different categories: field goal percentage (68th, 41.5), three-pointers per game (76th, 7.2), assists (82nd, 14.9) and blocks (83rd, 4.0). Individually, Coleman finished 50th in the nation for three-pointers per game (2.7).
Bulldogs Top Draw in the WAC and Nation's Top 25
Fresno State ranked as the WAC's top attendance leader and 23rd nationally in 2004-05. The Bulldogs averaged 11,835 as they also led the conference in total attendance (189,368) and posted a WAC-best single-date attendance mark of 13,250 versus then No. 25 Nevada on Feb. 26, 2005. The home finale against the Wolf Pack saw the first nationally-ranked team to play at the Save Mart Center.
Two Bulldogs Sitting Out as Division I Transfers
Junior guard Justin Loewe (Caldwell, Texas) and junior guard/forward Dominic McGuire (San Diego, Calif.) will not suit up in 2005-06 as both are Division I transfers. Loewe transferred from Texas A&M where he played in 19 games and averaged 2.8 minutes per game last year for the Aggies who went 21-10 and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals. McGuire is a transfer from California. He started 23 games out of 28 played last season and averaged 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and shared team-high honors in blocks per game (1.1). Averaging 24.6 minutes of play, he totaled 11 double-figure games for a team that went 13-6 overall.
New York, New York
For the second time in Bulldogs' basketball history, Fresno State boasts two New Yorkers playing on the same team in the same year in Tchana and Hosley. The first time that two New Yorkers played together at the same time was the 1997-98 season (Larry Abney from Nyack and Rafer Alston from Queens). Both Tchana and Hosley are the seventh and eighth New Yorkers to play at Fresno State.
International Flair
A native of São Bernardo, Brazil, Cesar is the second Brazilian and 12th international Bulldog to play for Fresno State. Tchana was born in Cameroon, Africa, but emigrated to the United States as a sophomore in high school.
TV Schedule Announced for 2005-06
The 2005-06 Fresno State basketball television schedule has been released and 12 games will be broadcast live on KFRE (WB 59) and ESPN, collectively. Bulldog Sports Network (BSN), which is a production of Bulldog Sports Properties, is making its debut this year with nine televised basketball games on KFRE. Fresno State will have a national audience on ESPN's "Big Monday" on Feb. 27, 2006 when the Bulldogs host WAC opponent Boise State. In addition, Fresno State will be shown regionally on SportsWest for two games on KFRE when the `Dogs entertain WAC nemesis Nevada on Jan. 18 before traveling to Boise State on Feb. 4.
WAC Announces TV Schedule
The WAC has a multi-year contract with ESPN for coverage of WAC football and basketball. SportsWest also will carry several games this season. Seventeen games plus the Bracket Buster and WAC Tournament are scheduled as part of the WAC packages for 2005-06, with others still under consideration.
2005-06 Schedule Overview
With seven schools advancing to postseason play, including four that qualified for the NCAA Tournament, Fresno State has 28 games on the docket for the 2005-06 season. While 14 home games are on tap, adding to the attraction of the home schedule will be Fresno State's appearance on ESPN's "Big Monday" versus Boise State on Feb. 27. The Bulldogs' notable non-conference slate includes 2005 NCAA Tournament participants Iowa State and Pacific. Both programs advanced to the NCAA Second Round and the Tigers earned a final No. 22 ranking in the AP Poll. The `Dogs open their home schedule against Oregon State on Nov. 26. Fresno State then travels to Buffalo four days later before hosting San Francisco nearly a month later -- all three teams participated in the 2005 NIT. Rounding out its non-conference ledger will be contests against CS Northridge, San Diego, Norfolk State, UC Santa Barbara, Iona and a Bracket Buster game on Feb. 18. The WAC season gets underway in early January. Playing two of their first four conference games at the Save Mart Center, the Bulldogs open league play against 2005 NCAA participants Utah State and Nevada. In addition, nine of the Bulldogs' home games will take place from mid-December until the end of January. In this 12-game stretch, Fresno State will entertain Norfolk State, UC Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Iona, Utah State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech and Idaho. In Fresno State's basketball history, the Bulldogs will be playing Iona for the first time as well as playing three of its five oldest opponents in Pacific, San Jose State and UC Santa Barbara. The Bulldogs' regular-season tips off at Cal Poly, making it the second time in three years that Fresno State opens on the road.
Former Bulldog Selected to NBA Development League
Recently signed by the NBA Development League, former Bulldog stand out Mustafa Al-Sayyad (Khartoum, Sudan) will look to be drafted this month. Al-Sayyad wrapped up his Bulldog career by being a Second Team All-WAC selection and leading the WAC in blocked shots (2.36) in his final season. In the school record books, he ranks second in blocks (140), fifth in field goal percentage (292-510, .572) and 48th in career points (745). Al-Sayyad owns Fresno State's and the Save Mart Center's single-game record for rejections with 11 (vs. Buffalo, Feb. 19, 2005).
Former Bulldogs in the NBA
Former Bulldogs Rafer Alston (Houston) and Melvin Ely (Charlotte) are currently active in the NBA for Fresno State. Alston was a second round draft pick by Milwaukee in 1998. Ely was the Bulldogs' highest draft selection as he was chosen 12th by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2002. In the front office, former Bulldog All-American Rod Higgins is in his second year as general manager of the Golden State Warriors. On the side lines, former Bulldog head coach Ron Adams is in his second season as an assistant with the Chicago Bulls.
Bulldogs Sign One in Early Period
Cleveland signed his first Bulldog recruit in highly touted junior college player Eddie Miller (Pocomoke, Md.). Out of Pocomoke High School, Miller is a 6-2 1/2, 170-pound two guard who is currently playing for No. 1 preseason ranked Cecil Community College. Redshirting last season, Miller comes into his sophomore year ranked 41st among the top 65 junior college players in 2006 by JucoJunction.com. While CCC has produced 23 NCAA Division I players in the last eight years, Miller helped Cecil Community College capture the 2005 Region XX Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament the first weekend of November. As a freshman in 2003-04 for the Seahawks, he averaged 18.3 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 28-4 season. Leading Cecil to the Maryland JUCO State Championship title his rookie year, Miller also garnered all-tournament honors as the Seahawks defeated Allegany College (Md.). In his first season, Miller shot 46.0% (208-452) from the field and 40.5% (104-257) beyond the arc. The 104 three-pointers made already have Miller ranked among the school's top five career leaders. Averaging 27 minutes of play, he also converted 47 of 63 free throw attempts for a 74.6 free throw percentage and finished his rookie season with 567 points in 31 games played. While CCC never fell out of the top five in the NJCAA national poll during his first season, Miller was part of a record-setting squad as the Seahawks led the nation in scoring by averaging 104.9 points while holding opponents to 76 points. This was the second time that Cecil led the nation in scoring average as the Seahawks averaged 101.7 points during the 1997-98 campaign. As a high school prepster, Miller played two full years on the varsity squad and directed PHS to a state title his junior year and a state runner-up finish his senior season. In his two years as a varsity starter for the Warriors, Pocomoke went 51-3. The two-time Bayside All-Conference pick wrapped up his prep career by totaling more than 1,200 points to finish among the school's all-time top 10 scoring leaders. Miller, who is described as a prolific shooting guard, was recruited out of high school by Florida, Indiana, Providence, Rutgers, Texas, USC, UAB and St. Bonaventure, among others.
Time Out Club Luncheons & Booster Bus Trips
Seven Time Out Club Luncheons are set up for the upcoming season. Each luncheon will feature Fresno State head coach Steve Cleveland, a current Bulldog and an alumni of the program. Held at Pardini's Restaurant, the cost is $12 for Time Out Club members and $15 for non-members. Reservations can be made by phoning the Bulldog Foundation at (559) 278-7103. In addition, five Bulldog basketball booster road trips have been set up with trips to Cal Poly (Nov. 23), San Diego (Dec. 10), Pacific (Dec. 17), San Jose State (Feb. 23) and Nevada (March 4). All reservations can be made at Time Out Club Luncheons or by contacting Tim Schiller at (559) 225-3164.
Season & Single-Game Tickets Available
While single-game tickets can now be purchased through Ticketmaster, new season tickets for the general public are on sale for $196 (upper bowl) and can be purchased by contacting the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS or on-line (www.gobulldogs.com). For Personal Seat Licenses (PSL), the general public may contact The Bulldog Foundation at (559) 278-7160. In addition, group tickets (10 or more people) and party suite rentals are available by phoning the Bulldog Ticket Office.
