Bulldogs to play at Arkansas on Friday night

Game 3: Fresno State (2-0) at Arkansas (2-0)
Nov. 17, 2017 -- 5 p.m. PT
Fayetteville, Ark. (Bud Walton Arena)
TV: SEC Network Plus/ESPN3/WatchESPN (Josh Haley/Manuale Watkins)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Randy Rosenbloom/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: Arkansas leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Arkansas 70, Fresno State 69 (11/29/97 - Phoenix, Ariz. - Premier Classic)
Next Up: vs. Evansville (Nov. 21); vs. LA Tech/George Mason (Nov. 22) - both in Cancun, Mexico

Opening Tip
• Fresno State is one of eight schools in the West to have made back-to-back postseason appearances (NCAA or NIT).
• Fresno State is seeking its first-ever true road win over a SEC opponent.
• The Bulldogs' road game at Arkansas marks Fresno State's first road non-conference SEC game since Dec. 28, 1996 when the 'Dogs played at LSU.
• Fresno State last faced a SEC opponent in a true road game on March 14, 2007 at Georgia in the first round of the 2007 NIT.
• In total, it is Fresno State's 13th game in its history playing a SEC opponent and first since playing Florida on Dec. 21, 2013 in the Orange Bowl Classic at a neutral site inside the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.
• This will be Fresno State's first-ever game played in the state of Arkansas.
• Fresno State has scored at least 80 points in each of its first two games.
• Fresno State is 29-3 when scoring 80 or more in the last four seasons.

On the road
• Fresno State has won 10 of its last 20 true road games.
• 13 of Fresno State's 16 road games last season were decided by nine points or fewer (four of six road wins by five points or fewer).
• Fresno State was 2-1 in overtime last season (all three road games).
• Fresno State played its first-ever quadruple overtime game in program history (at Wyoming, Feb. 8, 2017) last season.

Bulldogs to play at Arkansas on Friday night
Fresno State (2-0) visits Arkansas (2-0) in a clash of two postseason contenders on Friday at 5 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on WatchESPN/SEC Network Plus and 940 AM ESPN Radio.

About the Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks (SEC) are 2-0 on the season after opening the season with home wins over Samford (95-56) and Bucknell (101-73). The Razorbacks, who are coached by Mike Anderson, are led by Jaylen Barford (21.5 ppg/4.5 rpg/4.0 apg). This will be the second all-time meeting between Fresno State and Arkansas, with the previous meeting back on Nov. 29, 1997 in the Premier Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., when the Razorbacks edged the 'Dogs 70-69.

Bulldog Bones - Player Notes
• Fresno State guard Deshon Taylor has made:
   ~ 22 of his last 24 free throws (91.7 percent, last five games)
   ~ 43 of his last 46 free throw attempts (93.5 percent, last nine games)
   ~ 97 of his last 103 free throw attempts (94.2 percent, last 14 games)
• Fresno State guard Deshon Taylor has made 21 of his last 38 (55.3 percent) 3-point attempts (last eight games). He has made multiple 3-pointers in 10 of his last 12 games and three or more 3-pointers in six of the last 11 games. Taylor has also scored at least 15 points in all 17 of his starts.
• Fresno State junior guard Sam Bittner is tied for first in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (100 percent, 5-5). He is one of three players in the nation with five made 3-pointers without a miss.
• Last season, Fresno State's Deshon Taylor tied for 32nd in the nation (1st in the MW) in free throw shooting (87.9 percent, 145-165).
• Last season, Fresno State's Jaron Hopkins was 15th in the nation in steals per game (2.2 spg, 71 steals).

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

Fresno State's consistency leads to success
Fresno State is one of three Mountain West teams to have finished .500 or better in league play in each of the past four seasons. Fresno State, Boise State and San Diego State have won at least nine conference games in each of the last four seasons. During the four-year stretch, Fresno State has averaged 10.8 conference wins per season, with at least 10 MW wins for three straght seasons, including a 13-5 mark during the 2015-16 season.

'Dogs finish 4th in MW, reach MW semis & NIT
Fresno State is a perennial Mountain West contender - winning at least 20 games in three of the last four seasons. The Bulldogs, who finished fourth in league play and 20-13 last season, made the MW semifinals for the second straight season. Fresno State is one of two MW programs to earn a first round bye for the MW Championships in each of the last three seasons. With a strong resume, which featured eight wins over teams in the Top 100 of the NCAA's Ratings Performance Index (RPI), the 'Dogs earned a No. 5 seed in the Iowa Quadrant of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Fresno State lost 66-59 at TCU in the First Round.

Former Bulldog designs Nike signature shoe
In Nike's 44-year history, fewer than one percent of its endorsed athletes have been given a signature shoe. Joining one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sport, former Fresno State men's basketball star Paul George (2008-10) debuted his first signature shoe, the PG1, on an international stage as the Indiana Pacers played the Denver Nuggets in London on Jan. 12. George became Nike Basketball's fourth active signature athlete, and the 21st basketball player to receive a signature shoe from Nike. Fresno State is wearing four versions of the PG1 shoe line this season. Blending George's smooth personality with performance attributes, the PG1 is tailored to PG13's two-way game. The lightweight, low cut PG1 is a true collaboration between George and designer Tony Hardman. The simple, highly functional silhouette features a distinctive forefoot strap anchored by Flywire cable loops providing a dynamic, contained feel, while a forefoot Zoom Air unit delivers low-profile, responsive cushioning.

Bulldogs to play at Arkansas on Friday night

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Players Mentioned

Sam Bittner

Jaron Hopkins

Deshon Taylor

Fresno State Athletics