Fresno State Athletics
'Dogs Fly to #DunkCity for Gulf Coast Showcase
11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2014
GAMES 4-6: 2014 Gulf Coast Showcase
Nov. 24-26, 2014 -- Estero. Fla. (Germain Arena)
TV: None • Video Feed: Atlantic Sun (Free)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio & GoBulldogs.com (Paul Loeffler & Randy Rosenbloom)
• Quarterfinals (Nov. 24 • 11:30 a.m. PT): Fresno State vs. Evansville
• Consolation/Semifinals (Nov. 25 • 9 a.m./3:30 p.m. PT): Fresno State vs. E. Carolina/Green Bay
• Championship: (Wednesday, Nov. 26 • TBD): Fresno State vs. TBD
Bulldog Bones
• Fresno State returns four starters from last season's squad that went 21-18 and finished the year in April as a College Basketball Invitational finalist.
• Fresno State won 13 of its last 18 games last year; tied for 5th in the MW.
• In 2014, Fresno State made its first postseason appearance since 2007.
• Fresno State reached the championships of a postseason tournament for the first time since winning the NIT in 1983.
• Fresno State was projected by the Mountain West media to finish seventh in the regular season conference standings.
• Fresno State will appear on the ESPN Family of Networks more than any other Mountain West school during the 2014-15 season.
• REFERENCE: "Fresno State" (never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno"); ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS
Between the Baselines: Inside the Numbers
• Fresno State junior guard Marvelle Harris is the Bulldogs' leading returning scorer at 14.3 points per game.
• Harris scored at least 10 points in 28 games in the last two seasons and posted 20 or more points in eight games.
• Fresno State redshirt junior guard Julien Lewis was tabbed as the No. 6 scoring impact transfer on Sports Illustrated's Top 100 forecast.
• Lewis leads Fresno State with 16.0 ppg.
• Fresno State is back in the state of Florida for the second straight year.
• Fresno State owns a +10 steal ratio (27-17) and +8 rebound ratio (103-95), including a 46-35 advantage on the offensive glass.
• Fresno State is 11-0 when holding an opponent under 50 points. (last 2 years).
• Fresno State is 6-3 when playing on Monday since Coach Terry's arrival.
'Dogs Fly to #DunkCity for Gulf Coast Showcase
The Fresno State men's basketball team wraps a four-game road trip by playing in the 2014 Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. from Nov. 24-26. All three contests will be live on 940 AM ESPN Radio and www.GoBulldogs.com.
Fresno State Returns to Florida for Showcase
During the 2014 Gulf Coast Showcase, Fresno State will play its second, third and fourth ever games in the state of Florida. The Bulldogs played their first contest in the Sunshine State last year when Fresno State traveled to Sunrise for the 2013 MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. The 'Dogs gave then-No. 16 and eventual Final Four team Florida a strong first-half test - trailing 23-19 at halftime - before falling 66-49 to the Gators.
Lewis Infuses Scoring Spark, Defensive Edge
Junior shooting guard Julien Lewis, who played his first two collegiate seasons for the University of Texas, has quickly provided the immediate impact that Coach Terry envisioned for the 6-4 guard from Galveston, Texas. Lewis leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.0 ppg) and has scored in double figures in each of his first three games for Fresno State. His defensive grit has provided a high-pressure extra edge to the Bulldogs' mentality.
Versatile Watson Focused on Production
Bulldogs guard/forward Paul Watson, who was named the 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, gives Fresno State a versatile option on the wing and the post. Watson played almost exclusively at forward as a freshman and moved out to the wing for the Bulldogs' season-opening loss at Pepperdine before Coach Terry slipped him back down to the "4" one game later. Watson is 7-for-17 from beyond the 3-point arc this season forcing defenders to guard him on the perimeter in addition to his ability to attack the basket. Watson scored a career-high 28 points in leading Fresno State to a 93-55 victory over Bristol in the Bulldogs' home opener.
About the Evansville Purple Aces
The Evansville Purple Aces are 2-0 this season with wins over Earlham College (116-45) and Miami-Ohio (69-50). Evansville leads the all-time series 2-1 with the most recent meeting coming back during the 1972-73 season as the only Fresno State win in the series. The other two meetings - both Evansville wins - came in the 1957-58 and 1959-1960 seasons.
About the Green Bay Phoenix
The Green Bay Phoenix are 1-1 on the season with a win over Illinois-Springfield (88-57) and a loss at Wisconsin (84-60). This would be the second-ever meeting between Green Bay and Fresno State. The Bulldogs leads the all-time series 1-0 with a 61-46 home win on Nov. 30, 1984.
About the East Carolina Pirates
The East Carolina Pirates are 2-1 on the season with wins over North Carolina Wesleyan (99-81) and Virginia University of Lynchburg (92-51) and a loss to UNC-Asheville (83-79). This would be the first ever meeting between East Carolina and Fresno State in men's basketball.
LAST TIME OUT: NAU Shoots Past Fresno State, 73-52
Fresno State struggled to run its offense and contain a physical Northern Arizona Lumberjack squad as NAU defeated the Bulldogs on Thursday night at Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff. Fresno State mustered just two assists and committed 18 turnovers as NAU sharp-shooter Aaseem Dixon went off for a career-high 30 points with seven 3-pointers and a 9-for-11 clip at the free throw line. The Bulldogs were led offensively by junior guard Julien Lewis (12 points and five rebounds), junior guard Marvelle Harris (11 points) and sophomore forward Karachi Edo (11 points).
Fresno State Announces Holiday Pack Ticket Sale
Fresno State Athletics has introduced a special Holiday Package that includes tickets to the Nov. 29 football game vs. Hawai`i and Nov. 30 men's basketball game against Cal. The Holiday Pack is available at the price of $30 and in addition to getting the tickets to both the football and basketball games, fans that purchase the package will receive a free Derek Carr bobblehead. Season tickets start at $149 and mini-plans that include the Cal game plus all five Saturday Mountain West home games start at $84. Fans can purchase the Holiday Pack, season tickets and mini-plans by calling 278-DOGS, visiting the Fresno State ticket office located in the northeast corner of the Save Mart Center or by logging on to GoBulldogs.com.
