Tuesday, November 5
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM PT
Fresno State
at
No. 15/14 Oregon
Photo by: Keith Kountz
Bulldogs, Ducks tip off on Tuesday
11/3/2019 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State opens the 2019-20 regular season at No. 15/14 Oregon on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
Game 1: Fresno State at No. 15/14 Oregon
Nov. 5, 2019 • 6 p.m. PT • Eugene, Calif. (Matthew Knight Arena)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Ted Robinson/P.J. Carlesimo)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: Oregon leads 12-2 (overall) & 9-0 (true road games played in Eugene, Ore.)
Last Meeting: Oregon 68, Fresno State 61 (12/16/17 • Fresno, Calif.)
Next Up: vs. Winthrop (Nov. 10); at San Diego (Nov. 12); vs. CSUSB (Nov. 17)
Fresno State's 2018-19 Final NCAA NET Ranking: No. 82
Opening Tip
The Fresno State men's basketball team, who went 23-9 last season, gets a tough test out of the gates by opening the 2019-20 regular season at Oregon, who is ranked 15th in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll and 14th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll released in October. Â The Bulldogs and Ducks will tip off on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
Bulldogs, Ducks to meet for fifth time since 2011
While the all-time series between Fresno State and Oregon has been dominated by the Ducks, nine of the 14 contests have been decided by single digits, including four of the five meetings since 2011. Â Fresno State is 0-9 all-time in road games against Oregon (0-3 in Matthew Knight Arena).
'Dogs to play three preseason AP Top 25 teams early
Fresno State fifth-year senior forward/center Nate Grimes is back for his final season at Fresno State and enters the 2019-20 season as a strong all-conference candidate in the Mountain West. Â Grimes is one of two MW players, along with Colorado State's Nico Carvacho, to average a double-double (11.8 points/10.2 rebounds) during league play in 2018-19. Â On the defensive end of the floor, the 225-pound Grimes is also a rim protector, who averaged a block and a half per game to post the second-best shot-blocking clip in the MW last season.
Williams focused on consistency, dialing up pressure
Fresno State fifth-year senior guard New Williams, who was a McDonald's All-America nominee out of Santa Monica High School and began his college career at Auburn, has spent countless hours in the gym to become a more consistent offensive threat and dial up the pressure on defense. Â Williams played in all 32 games (8.2 points/3.2 rebounds/1.0 assists per game in 2018-19) for the 'Dogs last season with some big efforts, especially an important 24-point output on Jan. 30 at Wyoming and the go-ahead steal and dunk in the final minute at San Diego State to lead to two of the Bulldogs' co-leading seven conference road wins.
A proven winner and consistent contender in the Mountain West
Fresno State ranked ninth in the country in 3-point field goals per game (10.7 made 3-pointers per game), 16th in total 3-point field goals (342), and 24th nationally in both 3-point field goal percentage defense (225-735, 30.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage offense (342-897, 38.1 percent). Â The Bulldogs' defense also led the MW in steals (228 steals, 7.1 steals per game) and turnovers forced (13.7 per game).
Hutson: 2018-19 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson was named the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year on April 5 by the College Insider Awards at the 2019 Final Four in Minneapolis. Â Hutson, who earned the nation's best record (23-9, .719 winning percentage) by a first-time Division I head coach during the 2018-19 season, was recognized with the national award, which is presented annually to the top first-year coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.
Bulldog Bones: 2018-19 Season Spotlight
Paul George, a six-time NBA All-Star and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, will have his No. 24 jersey retired during the Fresno State men's basketball team's Nov. 10 regular season home opener. Â George, a native of Palmdale, Calif., has become a bonafide NBA superstar after shining for two seasons at Fresno State before being drafted No. 10 overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. Â George spent his first seven seasons (2010-17) in the NBA with the Pacers, and then two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-19) before becoming a member of the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. Â George will attend and be celebrated during a halftime jersey retirement ceremony and Nov. 10 will be Paul George Day at the Save Mart Center. Â George is the second former Fresno State men's basketball student-athlete to be honored with a jersey retirement, joining former Bulldog coach and student-athlete Jerry Tarkanian, who had his #2 jersey retired on March 1, 2014. Â A special 4 for $24 offer, which includes four Nov. 10 game tickets, is on sale now through the Bulldog Ticket Office.
Nov. 5, 2019 • 6 p.m. PT • Eugene, Calif. (Matthew Knight Arena)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Ted Robinson/P.J. Carlesimo)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: Oregon leads 12-2 (overall) & 9-0 (true road games played in Eugene, Ore.)
Last Meeting: Oregon 68, Fresno State 61 (12/16/17 • Fresno, Calif.)
Next Up: vs. Winthrop (Nov. 10); at San Diego (Nov. 12); vs. CSUSB (Nov. 17)
Fresno State's 2018-19 Final NCAA NET Ranking: No. 82
Opening Tip
- Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is entering his second season after winning 23 games in his first season back home in the San Joaquin Valley.
- Hutson was named the 2018-19 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year.
- Hutson, a Bakersfield native, had spent 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 four seasons (five of the past six seasons) and joined the Mountain West in 2012.
The Fresno State men's basketball team, who went 23-9 last season, gets a tough test out of the gates by opening the 2019-20 regular season at Oregon, who is ranked 15th in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll and 14th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll released in October. Â The Bulldogs and Ducks will tip off on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
Bulldogs, Ducks to meet for fifth time since 2011
While the all-time series between Fresno State and Oregon has been dominated by the Ducks, nine of the 14 contests have been decided by single digits, including four of the five meetings since 2011. Â Fresno State is 0-9 all-time in road games against Oregon (0-3 in Matthew Knight Arena).
'Dogs to play three preseason AP Top 25 teams early
- Fresno State is one of two teams (No. 1 Michigan State) in the nation scheduled to play three teams ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 poll in the first eight games of the 2019-20 season.
- Fresno State opens the season at No. 15/14 Oregon on Tuesday, and then plays No. 20/20 Saint Mary's in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center on Nov. 20 and visits No. 17/19 Utah State on Dec. 7.
- Fresno State is seeking its first win over a AP Top 25 team since 2002.
Fresno State fifth-year senior forward/center Nate Grimes is back for his final season at Fresno State and enters the 2019-20 season as a strong all-conference candidate in the Mountain West. Â Grimes is one of two MW players, along with Colorado State's Nico Carvacho, to average a double-double (11.8 points/10.2 rebounds) during league play in 2018-19. Â On the defensive end of the floor, the 225-pound Grimes is also a rim protector, who averaged a block and a half per game to post the second-best shot-blocking clip in the MW last season.
Williams focused on consistency, dialing up pressure
Fresno State fifth-year senior guard New Williams, who was a McDonald's All-America nominee out of Santa Monica High School and began his college career at Auburn, has spent countless hours in the gym to become a more consistent offensive threat and dial up the pressure on defense. Â Williams played in all 32 games (8.2 points/3.2 rebounds/1.0 assists per game in 2018-19) for the 'Dogs last season with some big efforts, especially an important 24-point output on Jan. 30 at Wyoming and the go-ahead steal and dunk in the final minute at San Diego State to lead to two of the Bulldogs' co-leading seven conference road wins.
A proven winner and consistent contender in the Mountain West
- Fresno State has won the second-most MW games in the last three seasons (35) and in the last four seasons (48).
- Fresno State is one of three programs (Nevada and San Diego State) with 58 or more MW wins in the last five seasons.
- Fresno State is the only program to earn a MW Tournament first-round bye in each of the past five seasons.
- Fresno State is one of two programs, along with San Diego State, with a .500 record or better in MW play in each of the last six seasons.
- Fresno State is the only team to win at least 10 MW games in each of the last five seasons.
Fresno State ranked ninth in the country in 3-point field goals per game (10.7 made 3-pointers per game), 16th in total 3-point field goals (342), and 24th nationally in both 3-point field goal percentage defense (225-735, 30.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage offense (342-897, 38.1 percent). Â The Bulldogs' defense also led the MW in steals (228 steals, 7.1 steals per game) and turnovers forced (13.7 per game).
Hutson: 2018-19 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson was named the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year on April 5 by the College Insider Awards at the 2019 Final Four in Minneapolis. Â Hutson, who earned the nation's best record (23-9, .719 winning percentage) by a first-time Division I head coach during the 2018-19 season, was recognized with the national award, which is presented annually to the top first-year coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.
Bulldog Bones: 2018-19 Season Spotlight
- Fresno State outscored four autonomy-five conference schools (TCU, Northwestern, Miami & Cal) by a combined score of 318-287 (+31).
- Fresno State was one of 18 programs in the nation to average over 10 made 3-pointers per game during the 2018-19 season (10.9/gm; 9th nationally).
- Only one of the Bulldogs' nine losses were by more than 10 points.
- Fresno State had one NCAA Quadrant 1 NET road win (at Utah State, 78-77, Jan. 9, 2019) -- one of two MW teams with seven MW road wins.
Paul George, a six-time NBA All-Star and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, will have his No. 24 jersey retired during the Fresno State men's basketball team's Nov. 10 regular season home opener. Â George, a native of Palmdale, Calif., has become a bonafide NBA superstar after shining for two seasons at Fresno State before being drafted No. 10 overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. Â George spent his first seven seasons (2010-17) in the NBA with the Pacers, and then two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-19) before becoming a member of the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. Â George will attend and be celebrated during a halftime jersey retirement ceremony and Nov. 10 will be Paul George Day at the Save Mart Center. Â George is the second former Fresno State men's basketball student-athlete to be honored with a jersey retirement, joining former Bulldog coach and student-athlete Jerry Tarkanian, who had his #2 jersey retired on March 1, 2014. Â A special 4 for $24 offer, which includes four Nov. 10 game tickets, is on sale now through the Bulldog Ticket Office.
Players Mentioned
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