Bulldogs to host UNLV in MW opener

Game 7: UNLV (3-6) at Fresno State (2-4)
Dec. 4, 2019 • 7 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV: AT&T Sports Net (Drew Goodman/Dave Bollwinkel/Jenny Cavnar)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: UNLV leads 30-15 (overall) • Fresno State leads 4-2 (at Save Mart Center)
Last Meeting: Fresno State 83, UNLV 65 (Feb. 8, 2019 • Las Vegas, Nev.)
Next Up: at No. 25 Utah State (Dec. 7); at Cal (Dec. 10); at Cal Poly (Dec. 14)
Fresno State's 2018-19 Final NCAA NET Ranking: No. 82

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.

Fresno State to host UNLV in MW opener
Fresno State, who is 25-13 since head coach Justin Hutson's arrival in 2018, will host the UNLV Runnin' Rebels on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on AT&T Sports Net and 940 AM ESPN Radio. This will be the Mountain West opener for both teams.

Fresno State & UNLV: All-Time Series History
Fresno State has won the last seven meetings in its all-time series against UNLV and the Bulldogs are 9-3 versus the Runnin' Rebels since Fresno State joined the MW in 2012. The 'Dogs are 4-2 (4-1 in MW games) against UNLV in games played at the Save Mart Center. Last season, Hutson coached the Bulldogs to an 83-65 victory over the Runnin' Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center in the lone contest between the programs during the 2018-19 season. Fresno State's last loss to UNLV was on Feb. 20, 2015 (73-61) in Las Vegas and the Bulldogs have won their last three home contests against UNLV with the last home loss coming back on Jan. 1, 2014 (75-62).

Youth Movement
Through the first four weeks of the season, Fresno State has five of the 20 freshmen who have appeared in games so far for Mountain West teams. Fresno State leads the league with freshmen averaging 101.2 minutes per game, which is nearly half of the Bulldogs' minutes per game average (49.6 percent). Fresno State's freshmen have accounted for 574 of the team's 1,225 total minutes played (46.9 percent) this season. Fresno State freshmen Jarred Hyder (15.6 ppg) and Orlando Robinson (10.5 ppg) have combined to produce an average of 26.1 points per game for the Bulldogs to lead the way for Fresno State's five freshmen, who are averaging a combined 34.9 points of the team's 70.3 points per game (49.6 percent).

Most minutes per game played by freshmen
1. Fresno State: 101.2 MPG
2. Colorado State: 68.2 MPG
3. Nevada: 41.1 MPG
4. Boise State: 32.0 MPG
5. Wyoming: 27.0 MPG
6. Utah State: 20.5 MPG
7. San Jose State: 15.6 MPG
8. San Diego State: 6.8 MPG
None: Air Force, New Mexico & UNLV

Bulldogs thriving in the Mountain West
When the Bulldogs joined the MW in 2012, the conference had three teams – New Mexico (No. 21), San Diego State (No. 22) and UNLV (No. 23) – ranked in the final 2011-12 Associated Press poll on March 12, 2012. It appeared to be – and was – a daunting task to find a way to compete and thrive in such a challenging conference, which sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and five in 2013.

Yet, after a lot of hard work and a relentless commitment to excellence, Fresno State is a combined 20-6 against UNLV (7-0), UNM (6-3) and SDSU (7-3) for a league-leading 76.9 winning percentage against those three MW programs in the past four seasons, including a 5-0 record when playing those teams last year under Hutson.

Also of note during the four-season stretch: 1) Fresno State is the only MW program with a winning record against SDSU; 2) Fresno State is the only MW program to not lose to UNLV; and 3) Fresno State has the best winning percentage (6-3, .667 winning percentage) of all MW teams against UNM.

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.

Consistent, sustained success for the Bulldogs
Fresno State is 48-24 in Mountain West play over the course of the last four seasons (since the start of the 2015-16 season), which ranks as the second-best conference record in the 11-team league. Fresno State is one of two MW programs to have won 35 or more MW gmaes in the last three seasons, one of three programs to have won 45 or more MW games in the last four seasons and one of four teams with 55 or more MW wins in the last five seasons. Fresno State is the only program to have won at least 10 MW games in each of the last five seasons and the only team to have earned a first-round bye for the MW Tournament in each of the last five seasons.

Fresno State's consistency leads to success
Fresno State is one of two Mountain West programs (San Diego State) to have a .500 record or better with at least nine wins in league play in each of the past six seasons. Fresno State has averaged 11.2 conference wins per season over the last six seasons, with at least 10 MW wins in now five straight seasons, including a 13-5 mark twice (2015-16 & 2018-19).

Bulldog Bones

Fresno State senior guard Noah Blackwell leads the Mountain West and ranks fourth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.0 A-TO ratio, 20-4).
Fresno State leads the MW in blocked shots per game (4.0 bpg).
Fresno State is opening 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 is 19-3 when leading at halftime during Hutson's tenure.
Justin Hutson is 24-2 all-time as a Division I head coach (4-0) or assistant coach (20-2) when coaching against one of his former teams. Hutson was UNLV's associate head coach for two seasons (2011-13).

Hyder ranks in Top 25 in NCAA freshmen scorers
Through the first four weeks of the season, Fresno State freshman point guard Jarred Hyder (San Bernardino, Calif.) is tied for 24th in the nation in scoring (15.6 ppg) for all NCAA Division I freshmen scorers. Hyder has scored at least 20 points in three straight contests for a total of 69 points during the stretch, which includes 49 points in two games in three days having scored 26 points (Nov. 10 vs. Winthrop) and 23 points (Nov. 12 at San Diego), and then going for 20 points (Nov. 20 versus Saint Mary's in Sacramento). For the season, Hyder has played a team-high 166 minutes (33.2 mpg) in averaging 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He has also made 11 3-pointers (11-for-27 3FG, 40.7 percent) with a 50.9 percent field goal efficiency (27-for-53) and sports a 81.3 free throw percentage (13-for-16).

Blackwell fiercely enhancing game
For Fresno State fifth-year senior guard Noah Blackwell, who is from Roseville, Calif., the 2019-20 season will be his last collegiate campaign. He played two seasons at Long Beach State with his first career start for the 49ers as a freshman in 2015 coming against then-No. 12 Duke when he scored 19 points against the Blue Devils. During his LBSU career, Blackwell was a solid contributor, primarily at shooting guard, before deciding to transfer to Fresno State in 2017. After redshirting the 2017-18 season, the 6-foot-3 play-making point guard averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game last season, especially thriving late in nonconference play when Hutson needed someone to fill the void with veteran All-Mountain West guard Deshon Taylor sidelined with an elbow injury. Blackwell currently leads the Mountain West and ranks fourth nationally with a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio (20-4 A-TO).

Protecting the Yard

Fresno State is 183-78 (70.1 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State is 80-22 overall at home since the start of the 2013-14 season.
Fresno State has won 29 of its last 38 home games.
Fresno State has won 39 of its last 49 home games.
Fresno State has won 48 of its last 59 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.

'Dogs to play three preseason AP Top 25 early

Fresno State is 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 visits Utah State (No. 17) on Dec. 7 (AP Top 25 preseason rankings).
Fresno State's road game at No. 25 Utah State will be the Bulldogs' second game this season (fifth during Hutson's tenure) against an Associated Press Top 25 team

"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 call 559-278-7160.

Bulldogs to host UNLV in MW opener

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Players Mentioned

Noah Blackwell

Jarred Hyder

Orlando Robinson

Deshon Taylor

Bulldogs to host UNLV in MW opener

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