’Dogs hit the road to battle TCU in NIT opener

2017 National Invitation Tournament [NIT]
First Round: [5] Fresno State (20-12) at [4] TCU (19-15)
March 15, 2017 -- 5 p.m. PT -- Fort Worth, Texas
Online: ESPN3/WatchESPN (Jim Barbar/Mike O'Donnell)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: TCU leads 4-2* (overall) • TCU leads 2-1 (games played in Fort Worth)
Last Meeting: TCU 102, Fresno State 88 (Feb. 15, 2001 • Fort Worth, Texas)
Next Up: The Fresno State-TCU winner will play the winner of the South Dakota-Iowa First Round game in the Second Round at a site to be determined.

Opening Tip
• Fresno State is making its first back-to-back postseason appearances since 2000 and 2001. Fresno State played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
• Fresno State is making its first National Invitation Tournament [NIT] appearance since 2007 and the 10th all-time NIT appearance.
• This is Fresno State's 23rd all-time postseason appearance.
• This is Fresno State's third postseason appearance in the last four seasons.
• Fresno State is one of three Mountain West schools, along with Boise State and Colorado State, to earn bids into the 2017 NIT.
• Fresno State is one win away from its 18th season with at least 21 wins and third in the last four seasons. Fresno State is 11-3 since the start of the 2015-16 season in tournament contests (non-conference and postseason).
• Fresno State has won six of its last seven games (two straight road wins).

'Dogs hit the road to battle TCU in NIT opener
No. 5 seed Fresno State (20-12) will play at No. 4 seed TCU (19-15) on Wednesday night at 5 p.m. PT in first round of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament [NIT]. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and 940 AM ESPN Radio. Tickets for the game in Fort Worth, Texas, start at $20 and can be purchased online through TCU's website (www.GoFrogs.com).

Deshon Taylor earns All-MW honors
Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor has been one of the most consistent and tenacious players in the Mountain West, especially down the stretch. He earned third-team All-MW honors from the league's head coaches and second-team All-MW honors from a MW media panel. Since becoming a starter on Jan. 14, Taylor has scored at least 15 points in all 14 of his starts and has averaged 20.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game in those 14 contests.

Fresno State's experience with Dixon, Big 12
This will be Fresno State's second game against a Jamie Dixon-coached team. Fresno State is 0-1 against Dixon as the 'Dogs lost 75-54 at Pittsburgh on Nov. 12, 2013. Two current Fresno State seniors from that 2013-14 team - Paul Watson and Karachi Edo - were freshmen during that season. In that game at Pitt, Watson had 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting with five rebounds, an assist and a steal in 26 minutes, while Edo had four points, two rebounds and four blocks in 16 minutes. This will be Fresno State's third game against a Big 12 team since 2012 and the 10th since the Big 12 formed in 1996. Fresno State is 3-6 all-time versus Big 12 opponents and Fresno State has won one of its five road games at Big 12 opponents (since the conference began play in 1996). Fresno State is seeking its first win over a Big 12 team since the Bulldogs won 84-77 at Iowa State on Dec. 3, 2005.

About the TCU Horned Frogs
The Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs are 19-15 overall and reached the Big 12 semifinals this season. TCU defeated then-No. 1 Kansas in the Big 12 quarterfinals. The Frogs, who are under the direction of first-year head coach Jamie Dixon, are led by Vladimir Brodziansky (13.8 ppg/5.6 rpg). This will be the ninth all-time meeting between Fresno State and TCU with the Horned Frogs leading the all-time series 4-2, as the Bulldogs were forced to vacate two wins in the series. Fresno State is 1-2 all-time when playing TCU in Fort Worth. Fresno State and TCU last played each other in 2001 when both were members of the WAC.

Bulldog Bones - Player Notes
• Fresno State junior guard Jahmel Taylor is seventh in the nation in 3-point shooting (77-for-173, 44.5 percent).
• Fresno State redshirt junior guard Jaron Hopkins is 16th in the nation in steals per game (2.2 spg, 69 steals).
• Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor ranks 30th in the nation (1st in the MW) in free throw shooting (88.1 percent, 141-160).
• Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor has made:
   ~ 13 consecutive free throws (100.0 percent, last two games)
   ~ 34 of his last 35 free throw attempts (97.1 percent, last six games)
   ~ 88 of his last 92 free throw attempts (95.7 percent, last 11 games)
• Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor has made 16 of his last 29 (55.2 percent) 3-point attempts (last six games). He has made multiple 3-pointers in eight of the last 10 games and three or more 3-pointers in five of the last nine games.

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

Hopkins named to MW's all-defensive team
Fresno State redshirt junior guard Jaron Hopkins has established himself as one of the premier defenders in the nation for disrupting passing lanes and scoring in transition. Hopkins was named to the Mountain West's All-Defensive team by the conference's head coaches and earned third-team All-MW honors from a MW media panel. This season, Hopkins has averaged a team-best 13.2 points, while also adding 5.5 rebounds, a team-high 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Hopkins, who played his first two seasons at Colorado, has played in all 32 games this season, with 25 starts.

On the road
• Fresno State has won 10 of its last 19 true road games.
• Fresno State is 2-1 in overtime this season (all three road games).
• Fresno State played its first-ever quadruple overtime game in program history (at Wyoming, Feb. 8, 2017).
• 12 of Fresno State's 15 road games this season have been decided by nine points or fewer (four of six road wins by five points or fewer).

Bulldog Bones
• By winning the 2016 Mountain West Basketball Championship, Fresno State earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.
• 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 2016 MW Championship and earn the MW's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Fresno State rising in Mountain West
Fresno State has won at least 10 MW games in each of the last three seasons. The Bulldogs were also one of eight teams in the country to have won more league games every year in a four-season span (2012-16). The 'Dogs won 13 league games during the 2015-16 season after winning 10 MW games in 2014-15, nine MW games in 2013-14, five MW games in 2012-13 and three league games in 2011-12 as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Two of the other schools were Texas A&M and South Carolina.

Terry climbing Bulldogs' all-time wins list
In his sixth season at Fresno State, head coach Rodney Terry has 105 wins, which ranks him third on the Bulldogs' all-time head coaching wins list. Jerry Tarkanian (1995-2002) had 104 career wins (153* wins prior to having to vacate 49 wins). Terry is the 18th head coach in program history and the fifth Fresno State head coach to coach at least 190 games (199 career games). Boyd Grant (1977-86) is first with 194 career wins.

Fresno State, Terry sign contract extension
Rodney Terry, who is in his sixth season as Fresno State's head men's basketball coach, has signed a new 5-year contract through 2021. Terry's new 5-year contract with Fresno State, which is retroactive to July 1, 2016, runs through April 30, 2021. Under Terry's leadership, Fresno State won the 2016 Mountain West Championship and returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 for the first time since 2001.

’Dogs hit the road to battle TCU in NIT opener

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Karachi Edo

Jaron Hopkins

Deshon Taylor

Jahmel Taylor

Paul Watson

Fresno State Athletics