Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State to Honor 1983 NIT Champions
2/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State hosts Cal Poly in the annual Bracketbuster game. The match-up between the Bulldogs and Mustangs is one of sister Cal State schools and marks the second straight year the teams have played. The Dogs won last year at the Save Mart Center 95-75.
Scouting Cal Poly
The Mustangs enter the week with a 9-14 overall record and a 4-7 record in the Big West Conference. Trae Clark leads the Mustangs in scoring at 9.6 points per game. Cal Poly averages 63.2 points per game while allowed 68.9 points per game. Among their nine wins this season is an 83-69 win over Utah State.
Against the Mustangs
The Dogs own a 26-6 record against the Mustangs in a series that began in 1961. The Dog have won six straight in the series.
NIT Champs Honored
Fresno State will honor the 25th Anniversary of the 1983 NIT Championship Bulldog team on Feb. 23. Members of the team, including head coach Boyd Grant, will be honored during halftime ceremonies.
1983 Remembered
In one of the greatest moments in Fresno State Athletics history, the Bulldogs and the Red Wave took New York City by Storm in March of 1983.
The Bulldogs, under legendary head coach Boyd Grant, were having a terrific season that would eventually see them win 25 games.
After missing a change to play in the NCAA tournament, the Dogs showed their resilience and talent as they entered the National Invitational Tournament.
The Dogs opened the NIT with a 71-64 victory of UTEP and Hall of Fame Coach Don "Bear" Haskins and followed that up with a win over another legendary coach Jud Heathcoate in a 72-58 win at Michigan State.
The Dogs were on the road for the third round, returning to the West Coast to defeat Oregon State 76-67 in Corvallis. That win earned the Dogs a trip to New York City's famed Madison Square Garden and a date in the NIT Final Four. No Bulldog basketball team had ever made such a national statement.
After a win over Wake Forest, 86-62, the Bulldogs found themselves in the NIT Championship against the powerful DePaul Blue Devils and their legendary coach Ray Meyers. The feisty Bulldogs would not be denied, earning a 69-60 victory and a special place in college basketball history.
Ron Anderson was named the 1983 NIT Most Valuable Player and Tyrone "T-Bone" Bradley and Bernard Thompson were selected to the NIT All-Tournament team.
In honor of that team and the 25th Anniversary of the Dogs winning the NIT, Fresno State will once again say congratulations and "Thank You" to an outstanding group of individuals.
Members of that championship team scheduled to attend the game include:
- Desi Barmore
- David Mosebar
- Charles Smith
- Melvin Carter
- Tyrone "T-Bone" Bradley
- Athletic Trainer Ed Ferriera
- Boyd Grant, Coach of the 1983 NIT Champion Fresno State Bulldogs
Bell Shines Against Hawaii
Senior Kevin Bell continues to impress in his senior season. Coming off a career-high 27 points against Hawaii, the outstanding senior continues to make a case as one of the all-time best Bulldog players. Bell's career-high of 27 points bested his previous high of 26 set six games ago at home against Boise State. He's averaging 20.3 points per game in that time. He had nine assists in the Hawaii game, one shy of his season high. Bell became the 27th Bulldog in history to reach the 1,000-point milestone and now has 1,068 points in his brilliant career. In addition, he passed former WAC legend Tim Hardaway for eighth place on the all-time WAC assist list in the Hawaii game. Bell has 570 career assists.
Postcards from Hawaii
The Dogs had some special performances against Hawaii, including Bell's big night. Here are a few others:
- Ned Golubovich set a career-high with eight rebounds and added nine points in 28 minutes of action. He started for the first time since Jan. 31 at Nevada.
- The Dogs continue to be the best team in the league at taking care of the basketball, accounting for just eight turnovers. It was the ninth game this season they kept their turnover total under 10.
- Hector Hernandez continues to attack the boards. With nine against the Warrios, he has a total of 46 in his last four games, an average of 11.5 per game.
Fresno State Leads WAC In Attendance
After a season-high 11,030 fans against Utah State, Fresno State continues to lead the WAC in home attendance, nearly 1,600 more fans per more game than the No. 2 program in the league, Utah State. The Save Mart Center has seen an average of 10,486 fans per game through nine games. The Aggies average 8,832 per contest. Nevada ranks third in the WAC a 7,473 fans per game. Last season, the Dogs ranked No. 33 in the NCAA in attendance average at more than 11,000 fans per game.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The Fresno State men's basketball team will host a Bracketbuster game in the Save Mart Center this Saturday, February 23 against Cal Poly at 7 p.m. The 25th anniversary of the 1983 men's basketball NIT Championship will be celebrated on the court at halftime with members of the championship team. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (559)-485-TIXS, or in person at the Save Mart Center box office.
