'Dogs open homestand with IUPUI

Game 11: IUPUI (4-8) at Fresno State (3-7)
Dec. 20, 2019 • 7 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV/Online: KAIL-TV/Mountain West Network (Ralph Wood/Matt Norville/Julia Vella)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Next Up: vs. San Francisco (Dec. 23); vs. UC Riverside (Dec. 28); at San Diego State (Jan.1)
Fresno State's 2019-20 Ken Pom Ranking: No. 123

Opening Tip

Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is in 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.
This is the third of seven straight games Fresno State is playing in the state of California, including four home games at the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State returns home for three-game homestand
The Fresno State men's basketball team returns to the San Joaquin Valley for a three-game homestand, which begins against the IUPUI Jaguars on Friday at 7 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center. The game will be broadcast on KAIL-TV (My Central Valley), the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio. This will be the first of five men's basketball games broadcast on KAIL-TV (My Central Valley) with Ralph Wood and Matt Norville, along with Julia Vella (sideline). This is the first-ever meeting between Fresno State and IUPUI in the sport of men's basketball.

Nate Grimes: Double-Double Production
Fresno State senior forward Nate Grimes enters the week tied for ninth in the country with six double-doubles so far this season (20 in his Bulldog career). Grimes is one of three MW players currently averaging a double-double this season (13.4 ppg/10.5 rpg). Grimes is one of 29 players in the nation averaging over 10 rebounds per games and ranks tied for 20th in the nation in rebounding (10.5 rpg). In addition to his double-double feats, Grimes is also one of 50 players in the nation to average at least two blocks per game this season. Grimes enters Friday's game three blocks away from tying Noel Felix (2000-03) for seventh on the Bulldogs' all-time career blocked shots list. Grimes has 107 career blocks, three shy of Felix' 110.

Between the Baselines

Fresno State opened the season by playing seven of its first 10 games away from the Save Mart Center (six road games + one neutral site game).
Fresno State leads the MW in blocked shots per game (4.2 bpg).
Fresno State is second in the MW in 3-pointers made per game (9.3/gm).
Fresno State senior forward Nate Grimes leads the Mountain West in blocked shots (2.0 bpg) and ranks third in rebounding (10.5 rpg).
Grimes is one of three MW players averaging a double-double this season (13.4 ppg/10.5 rpg). Grimes also ranks 14th in the MW in scoring (13.4).
Fresno State is 20-4 when leading at halftime during Hutson's tenure.
Fresno State's scoring margin against Division I opponents is minus-1.9.

'Dogs played three preseason AP Top 25 teams early

Fresno State was one of two teams (Michigan State) in the nation that had three teams ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 poll on its schedule for the first eight games of the 2019-20 regular season.
Fresno State opened the season at Oregon (No. 15) on Nov. 5, and then played Saint Mary's (No. 20) in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center on Nov. 20 and visited Utah State (No. 17) on Dec. 7 (AP Top 25 preseason rankings).

A proven winner and consistent contender in the Mountain West

Fresno State has won the second-most MW games in the last three-plus seasons (35), which is since the start of the 2016-17 season.
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.

Protecting the Yard

Fresno State is 183-79 (70.1 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State is 80-23 overall at home since the start of the 2013-14 season (15-5 during Hutson's tenure).
Fresno State has won 29 of its last 39 home games.
Fresno State has won 39 of its last 50 home games.
Fresno State has won 48 of its last 60 home games.
Fresno State has won 20 of its last 22 non-conference home games.
Fresno State has won at least 11 home games in six straight seasons.

Youth Movement
Through the first six weeks of the season, Fresno State fielded five of the 21 freshmen who have appeared in games so far for Mountain West teams. Fresno State leads the league with freshmen averaging 99.5 minutes per game, which is nearly half of the Bulldogs' minutes per game average (47.4 percent). Fresno State's freshmen have accounted for 928 of the team's 2,100 total minutes played (44.2 percent) this season. Fresno State freshmen Jarred Hyder (12.0 ppg) and Orlando Robinson (9.4 ppg) have combined to produce an average of 21.4 points per game for the Bulldogs to lead the way for Fresno State's five freshmen, who are averaging a combined 28.9 points of the team's 69.7 points per game (41.5 percent). Fresno State freshmen have also accounted for 21 of the Bulldogs' 50 starts (42 percent) and 48 of the 105 appearances this season (45.7 percent).

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.

'Dogs open homestand with IUPUI

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Players Mentioned

Nate Grimes

Jarred Hyder

Orlando Robinson

'Dogs open homestand with IUPUI

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