Defending Champs Host UTSA in 2016-17 Opener

Game Preview: UTSA at Fresno State

November 11, 2016 -- 7 p.m. PT -- Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV/Online: Mountain West Network (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: UTSA leads 1-0
Last Meeting: UTSA 83, Fresno State 79 (NIT Season Tip Off • Nov. 22, 2011 • Fort Collins, Colo.)
Next Week: vs. Prairie View A&M (Nov. 14 • 7 p.m. PT); vs. Lamar (Nov. 19 • 11 a.m. PT)

Bulldog Bones
• By winning the 2016 Mountain West Basketball Championship, Fresno State earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.
• Fresno State has improved its conference win total in each of the last four seasons since head coach Rodney Terry arrived in 2011, rising from 3-11 (11-12) to 5-11 (12-13) to 9-9 (13-14) to 10-8 (14-15) to 13-5 (15-16).
• Fresno State is one of eight teams in the nation to have improved its conference win total in each of the last four seasons.
• This season, Fresno State was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West by the league's media in a preseason poll in mid-October.
• Before the 2015-16 season, Fresno State was picked to finish fifth in a preseason poll. The Bulldogs went on to win the MW Championship and earn the MW's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

'Dogs Won MW Title to Capture NCAA Bid
• Fresno State won the 2016 MW Basketball Championship Tournament by defeating UNLV (95-82) in the quarterfinals, Colorado State (64-56) in the semifinals and San Diego State (68-63) in the championship game.
• Fresno State (13-5) finished in second place in the MW standings to earn a No. 2 seed - its best seed for a conference tournament since 2001.
• Fresno State entered the NCAA Tournament on a nine-game winning streak, which was the third-longest then-active streak in the nation.
• Fresno State finished 25-10, which was the program's third-most wins in a single season and two wins away from the program record (27).
• Fresno State won 11 of its last 13 games to close the season.
• Fresno State won eight games this season when trailing at halftime.
• Fresno State ranked sixth in the nation in turnover margin (+4.3).
• Fresno State was 6-0 last season in games decided by a single possession (three points or fewer), including 5-0 in Mountain West play.

Defending Champs Host UTSA in 2016-17 Opener
The Fresno State men's basketball team tips off the 2016-17 season on Friday night at 7 p.m. PT when the Bulldogs host the UTSA Roadrunners at the Save Mart Center. Fresno State won the 2016 Mountain West championship and returned to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 2001. The Bulldogs went 25-10 last season, including 16-2 record in home games, and enter Friday's opener on an eight-game home win streak. Tickets for Friday's game start at $10 with all Fresno State students, veterans and active duty-military getting free admission.

Watson's Versatility Key as Bulldogs Rise
Bulldogs' senior guard/forward Paul Watson - the 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year - gives Fresno State a versatile option on the wing and the post. Watson played both positions last season, primarily on the wing. During his previous three seasons at Fresno State, he has converted 41.5 percent (337-for-812) of his field goal attempts and 37.0 percent (136-for-368) of his 3-point field goal attempts. He has scored a total of 984 points to rank 34th on the all-time scoring list and 16 points away from becoming the 32nd 1,000-point scorer in school history. He also has 426 career rebounds (4.2 rebounds/game) and started 95 of his 102 games played.

About the UTSA Roadrunners
The UTSA Roadrunners are under the direction of first-year head coach Steve Henson. A year ago, UTSA was led offensively by Christian Wilson (16.8 ppg) and J.R. Harris (11.9 ppg). UTSA went 5-27 last season. This is just the second meeting between the schools with UTSA edging the 'Dogs 83-79 in 2011 in a NIT Season Tip Off consolation game in Fort Collins.

Protecting the Yard
• Fresno State recorded a Mountain West-best 16 home wins and the best home winning percentage (16-2, 88.9 percent) by a MW team last season.
• Fresno State was 16-2 at home last season - a new single-season record for most home wins in Save Mart Center history (opened in 2003).
• This was the second time in the Save Mart Center's 13 seasons that Fresno State won at least 15 home games in a single season.
• Fresno State is on an eight-game home winning streak. The 'Dogs last lost a home game on Dec. 20, 2015 when Fresno State fell 85-77 to Evansville.
• Fresno State is 26-5 overall at home since the start of the 2014-15 season.
• Fresno State has won 18 of its last 20 home games.
• Fresno State is 143-67 (68.1 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.
• The Bulldogs owned a +4.2 rebounding margin at home compared to a -2.5 rebounding margin in road games last season.

George, Johnson represent Fresno State in NBA
Former Fresno State basketball players Paul George (2008-10) and Tyler Johnson (2010-14) are two of the 30 former Bulldogs to have played in the NBA. George is currently in his seventh NBA season with the Indiana Pacers after being drafted 10th overall in 2010 and Johnson is in his third season with the Miami Heat. George is in the third of five-year, $90 million extension and Johnson is in the first of a four-year, $50 million extension.

• Paul George also won a gold medal with Team USA during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, is a three-time NBA All-Star and has been named twice to both the All-NBA Team and the NBA All-Defensive Team.

• Tyler Johnson scored 1,346 points during his four-year Fresno State career and ranks No. 17 all-time on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list. Johnson was undrafted by earned a roster spot with Miami after a strong showing during the NBA Summer League in 2014.

• REFERENCE: "Fresno State" (never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno"); ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS

Defending Champs Host UTSA in 2016-17 Opener

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paul Watson

Fresno State Athletics