Fresno State Athletics
Photo by: Keith Kountz
Agau adding to explosive skillset
8/26/2019 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State sophomore Aguir Agau has been vigorously working on his craft in the offseason, fueled by a passion to bring the Bulldogs even more success in the upcoming 2019-20 season.
FRESNO, Calif. — With a successful freshman season under his belt, Aguir Agau is preparing for an explosive sophomore year.
"I'm a competitor. I love playing basketball," Agau said. "That's the reason I came to Fresno State."
Agau, who was one of the first two signees by head coach Justin Hutson in 2018, has a versatile skillset on both ends of the floor and developed an even more relentless work ethic throughout his freshman campaign.
One of the key mentors for Agau last season was hard-working veteran Sam Bittner, who took the 6-foot-7 freshman under his wing.
"Sam would literally come in every single day and compete and he would never take it easy on me, even though I was a freshman," Agau said of his Academic All-American teammate from a year ago. "I feel like that's why I got so much better, because Sam was that mentor for me my freshman year. He was one of the most fundamental guys on the team, and I tried to follow his basics and that helped me a lot my first year."
That preparation and commitment led to a breakout performance in the Mountain West quarterfinals, which saw Agau score a season-high 16 points while making four 3-pointers in the 26-point victory over the Air Force Falcons. Fresno State finished the 2018-19 season with 23 wins, including seven on the road in conference play, and ranked in the top 25 nationally in 3-point offense and defense.
"Locking people up—that's what I like about him," Fresno State senior guard Noah Blackwell said of Agau. "His length, defense and athleticism is off the charts."
Mastering both ends of the court
This offseason, Agau has been focused on taking an enhanced and consistent advantage of his seven-foot wingspan and elevating his fitness through regular vigorous training.
"I wanted to be in game shape by the time I got back for school in August," Agau said. "Quicker, faster, stronger and a better shooter. My goal is to play out on the perimeter. So I have been working on my handles, my dribbling, taking care of the ball, pick and roll, and shooting a lot off of the dribble."
Defensively, Agau has been focusing on catching the first move, closing out, and guarding multiple positions.
"AG is extremely athletic," Fresno State guard New Williams said of Agau.  "He's long, he's lengthy. He can be a great defender with all the length that he has. Coach Hut calls it recoverability—being able to recover from mistakes. He has that."
With a year of growth under his belt, Agau has his sights set on winning even more games.
"I'm going to come in every day and compete."
Schedule update
The Bulldogs' 2019-20 complete schedule is still being finalized and Fresno State's current 16-man roster is on campus for the fall semester. Fresno State will open MW play against UNLV on Dec. 4 at home at the Save Mart Center.
2019-20 Fresno State men's basketball season tickets are on sale now by calling 559-278-3647, visiting the Bulldog Ticket Office and online at www.GoBulldogs.com.
"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.
Â
"I'm a competitor. I love playing basketball," Agau said. "That's the reason I came to Fresno State."
Agau, who was one of the first two signees by head coach Justin Hutson in 2018, has a versatile skillset on both ends of the floor and developed an even more relentless work ethic throughout his freshman campaign.
One of the key mentors for Agau last season was hard-working veteran Sam Bittner, who took the 6-foot-7 freshman under his wing.
"Sam would literally come in every single day and compete and he would never take it easy on me, even though I was a freshman," Agau said of his Academic All-American teammate from a year ago. "I feel like that's why I got so much better, because Sam was that mentor for me my freshman year. He was one of the most fundamental guys on the team, and I tried to follow his basics and that helped me a lot my first year."
That preparation and commitment led to a breakout performance in the Mountain West quarterfinals, which saw Agau score a season-high 16 points while making four 3-pointers in the 26-point victory over the Air Force Falcons. Fresno State finished the 2018-19 season with 23 wins, including seven on the road in conference play, and ranked in the top 25 nationally in 3-point offense and defense.
"Locking people up—that's what I like about him," Fresno State senior guard Noah Blackwell said of Agau. "His length, defense and athleticism is off the charts."
Mastering both ends of the court
This offseason, Agau has been focused on taking an enhanced and consistent advantage of his seven-foot wingspan and elevating his fitness through regular vigorous training.
"I wanted to be in game shape by the time I got back for school in August," Agau said. "Quicker, faster, stronger and a better shooter. My goal is to play out on the perimeter. So I have been working on my handles, my dribbling, taking care of the ball, pick and roll, and shooting a lot off of the dribble."
Defensively, Agau has been focusing on catching the first move, closing out, and guarding multiple positions.
"AG is extremely athletic," Fresno State guard New Williams said of Agau.  "He's long, he's lengthy. He can be a great defender with all the length that he has. Coach Hut calls it recoverability—being able to recover from mistakes. He has that."
With a year of growth under his belt, Agau has his sights set on winning even more games.
"I'm going to come in every day and compete."
Schedule update
The Bulldogs' 2019-20 complete schedule is still being finalized and Fresno State's current 16-man roster is on campus for the fall semester. Fresno State will open MW play against UNLV on Dec. 4 at home at the Save Mart Center.
2019-20 Fresno State men's basketball season tickets are on sale now by calling 559-278-3647, visiting the Bulldog Ticket Office and online at www.GoBulldogs.com.
"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.
Â
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball2025-26 MBB Season Recap
Wednesday, March 18
MBB Pregame Interview: 2026 Mountain West Tournament
Wednesday, March 11
Return to Selland: Press Conference
Friday, October 17
MBB: Highlight vs. San Diego [12/14/24]
Tuesday, December 17