Fresno State Athletics
Thursday, November 22
Fullerton, Calif.
1:30 p.m. PT
Fresno State
vs
Northwestern
Photo by: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Bulldogs face Northwestern on Thanksgiving
11/21/2018 4:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State (1-1) will open play on Thankskgiving Day in a showdown with Big Ten opponent Northwestern (3-0) with tip off slated for 1:30 p.m. PT on ESPNU.
Game 3: Fresno State (1-1) vs. Northwestern (3-0)
Nov. 22, 2018 • 1:30 p.m. PT • Fullerton, Calif. (Titan Gym)
TV: ESPNU (Doug Sherman/Robbie Hummel)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Sirius XM (Audio): Sirius (N/A), XM 195, Internet 957 (Northwestern Radio)
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting vs. Big Ten opponent: Fresno State 63, Michigan State 58 (11/23/01 • New York)
Next Up: vs. Miami/LaSalle (Nov. 23 •  11 a.m. or 1/1:30 p.m • Wooden Legacy • Fullerton, Calif.)
Opening Tip
The Fresno State men's basketball team will travel to Southern California for the 2018 Wooden Legacy, which will be played in Fullerton inside Titan Gym. Â Fresno State (1-1) will open play on Thankskgiving Day in a showdown with Big Ten opponent Northwestern (3-0) with tip off slated for 1:30 p.m. PT on ESPNU, 940 AM ESPN Radio and Sirius XM. Â The winner advances to play the winner of Thursday's Miami/LaSalle quarterfinal on Friday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, while the losers of those opening games will meet on Friday at 1 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
About the Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten) are 3-0 on the season with three home wins over New Orleans (82-52), American (63-51) and Binghamton (82-54). Â The Wildcats are led by Vic Law (19.3 ppg/5.7 rpg/3.0 apg), Evansville transfer Ryan Taylor (12.3 ppg) and Dererk Pardon (12.0 ppg). Ryan Taylor scored 21 points last year against the Bulldogs when playing for the Purple Aces, who beat Fresno State 59-57 in the 2017 Cancun Challenge on Nov. 21, 2017. Â Ryan Taylor made the game-winning shot - a floater from off of his left leg just inside the free throw line - with 6.8 seconds left on the clock to lift Evansville to the two-point victory. Â Thursday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Fresno State and Northwestern.
Fresno State versus the Big Ten
When Fresno State and Northwestern meet on Thursday afternoon, it will be the Bulldogs' 15th all-time game against a team from the Big Ten Conference and first since defeating Michigan State 63-58 on Nov. 23, 2001 in the Preseason NIT inside Madison Square Garden. Â Fresno State is 4-10 in games against Big Ten opponents. With Thursday being the first-ever meeting between the Bulldogs and Wildcats, Northwestern will be the sixth different Big Ten opponent that Fresno State has faced, joining Michigan State (3-1), Ohio State (0-1), Minnesota (0-4), Purdue (0-1) and Wisconsin (1-2). Â Fresno State also played current Big Ten member Nebraska (0-2) when the Cornhuskers were in the Big Eight Conference.
Deshon Taylor returns for senior season
After testing the NBA Draft waters this spring, Deshon Taylor decided to return to Fresno State for his senior season and now is a prime position as an experienced guard poised to once again lead the Bulldogs on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Â Last season, Taylor earned first-team All-Mountain West and All-Defense Team honors from the MW's head coaches, first-team All-MW honors from the MW Wire staff and second-team All-MW honors from a select MW media panel of newspaper beat reporters. Taylor finished the 2017-18 season averaging 17.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Â During the Bulldogs' campaign a year ago, Taylor set a new single-season program record 200 free throws and he was one of 11 players in the nation with at least 200 free throws made during the 2017-18 season. Â Taylor ranked fifth in the MW with an 83.3 free throw percentage (200-for-240).
Bittner named CoSIDA Academic All-District 8
Fresno State senior guard/forward Sam Bittner was named a 2017-18 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District 8 honoree. Bittner is also a three-time Mountain West scholar athlete and a three-time Academic All-MW selection. Bittner (business administration major, 3.95 GPA) is the second Bulldog ever to be honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection – joining three-time Academic All-District honoree Nedeljko Golubovic, who was recognized from 2009-11. Last season, he ranked 11th in the nation in 3-point shooting (39-for-81, 48.1 percent) for players with at least one made 3-pointer per team game.  He also made more field goals and 3-pointers in his junior season than he did in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined.  On defense, Bittner can guard all five positions on the floor, while offensively, he has become an efficient 3-point shooter.  Fresno State is 30-11 in Bittner's 41 career starts.
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. Â George is currently in his ninth NBA season and first with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being drafted 10th overall in 2010 by the Indiana Pacers, who he played for from 2010-17. Johnson is in his fifth season with the Miami Heat. Â
REFERENCE: "Fresno State" (never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno"); ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS
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Nov. 22, 2018 • 1:30 p.m. PT • Fullerton, Calif. (Titan Gym)
TV: ESPNU (Doug Sherman/Robbie Hummel)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Sirius XM (Audio): Sirius (N/A), XM 195, Internet 957 (Northwestern Radio)
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting vs. Big Ten opponent: Fresno State 63, Michigan State 58 (11/23/01 • New York)
Next Up: vs. Miami/LaSalle (Nov. 23 •  11 a.m. or 1/1:30 p.m • Wooden Legacy • Fullerton, Calif.)
Opening Tip
- First-year Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is back home in the Valley. Â Hutson, a Bakersfield native, spent the last 12 seasons (San Diego State and UNLV) as one of the most respected assistant coaches in country.
- Fresno State has won at least 20 games in each of the past three seasons (four of the past five seasons).
- Last season, Fresno State (21-11, 11-7 MW) finished fourth in the MW standings and earned its third straight Top 4 seed for the MW Tournament.
- Fresno State is one of two MW teams (Boise State) to have earned a first round bye in each of the past four seasons.
- Fresno State leads the MW in steals (9.5 spg) and turnover margin (+4.5).
- Overall, Fresno State is 13-6 in its last 19 non-conference or postseason tournament contests, including non-conference tournaments, MW Tournament, NCAA Tournament and NIT.
- Through the first two games, Fresno State's free throw percentage is up 23.4 percent from last year (27-35, 77.1 percent in 2018-19 versus 21-39, 53.7 percent in 2017-18 in the first two games of each respective season).
- Fresno State senior guard Deshon Taylor is one of 33 players in program history with at least 1,000 career points while playing at Fresno State.
- Fresno State junior guard New Williams ranks in the top five in the MW in steals, 3-point shooting and 3-point field goals made.
The Fresno State men's basketball team will travel to Southern California for the 2018 Wooden Legacy, which will be played in Fullerton inside Titan Gym. Â Fresno State (1-1) will open play on Thankskgiving Day in a showdown with Big Ten opponent Northwestern (3-0) with tip off slated for 1:30 p.m. PT on ESPNU, 940 AM ESPN Radio and Sirius XM. Â The winner advances to play the winner of Thursday's Miami/LaSalle quarterfinal on Friday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, while the losers of those opening games will meet on Friday at 1 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
About the Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten) are 3-0 on the season with three home wins over New Orleans (82-52), American (63-51) and Binghamton (82-54). Â The Wildcats are led by Vic Law (19.3 ppg/5.7 rpg/3.0 apg), Evansville transfer Ryan Taylor (12.3 ppg) and Dererk Pardon (12.0 ppg). Ryan Taylor scored 21 points last year against the Bulldogs when playing for the Purple Aces, who beat Fresno State 59-57 in the 2017 Cancun Challenge on Nov. 21, 2017. Â Ryan Taylor made the game-winning shot - a floater from off of his left leg just inside the free throw line - with 6.8 seconds left on the clock to lift Evansville to the two-point victory. Â Thursday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Fresno State and Northwestern.
Fresno State versus the Big Ten
When Fresno State and Northwestern meet on Thursday afternoon, it will be the Bulldogs' 15th all-time game against a team from the Big Ten Conference and first since defeating Michigan State 63-58 on Nov. 23, 2001 in the Preseason NIT inside Madison Square Garden. Â Fresno State is 4-10 in games against Big Ten opponents. With Thursday being the first-ever meeting between the Bulldogs and Wildcats, Northwestern will be the sixth different Big Ten opponent that Fresno State has faced, joining Michigan State (3-1), Ohio State (0-1), Minnesota (0-4), Purdue (0-1) and Wisconsin (1-2). Â Fresno State also played current Big Ten member Nebraska (0-2) when the Cornhuskers were in the Big Eight Conference.
Deshon Taylor returns for senior season
After testing the NBA Draft waters this spring, Deshon Taylor decided to return to Fresno State for his senior season and now is a prime position as an experienced guard poised to once again lead the Bulldogs on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Â Last season, Taylor earned first-team All-Mountain West and All-Defense Team honors from the MW's head coaches, first-team All-MW honors from the MW Wire staff and second-team All-MW honors from a select MW media panel of newspaper beat reporters. Taylor finished the 2017-18 season averaging 17.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Â During the Bulldogs' campaign a year ago, Taylor set a new single-season program record 200 free throws and he was one of 11 players in the nation with at least 200 free throws made during the 2017-18 season. Â Taylor ranked fifth in the MW with an 83.3 free throw percentage (200-for-240).
Bittner named CoSIDA Academic All-District 8
Fresno State senior guard/forward Sam Bittner was named a 2017-18 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District 8 honoree. Bittner is also a three-time Mountain West scholar athlete and a three-time Academic All-MW selection. Bittner (business administration major, 3.95 GPA) is the second Bulldog ever to be honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection – joining three-time Academic All-District honoree Nedeljko Golubovic, who was recognized from 2009-11. Last season, he ranked 11th in the nation in 3-point shooting (39-for-81, 48.1 percent) for players with at least one made 3-pointer per team game.  He also made more field goals and 3-pointers in his junior season than he did in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined.  On defense, Bittner can guard all five positions on the floor, while offensively, he has become an efficient 3-point shooter.  Fresno State is 30-11 in Bittner's 41 career starts.
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. Â George is currently in his ninth NBA season and first with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being drafted 10th overall in 2010 by the Indiana Pacers, who he played for from 2010-17. Johnson is in his fifth season with the Miami Heat. Â
REFERENCE: "Fresno State" (never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno"); ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS
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Players Mentioned
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