'Dogs open MW play in Fort Collins

Mountain West Series: Fresno State at Colorado State
Dec. 28, 2020 (5 p.m. PT) & Dec. 30, 2020 (1 p.m. PT) • Fort Collins, Colo. (Moby Arena)

Online: Mountain West Network (Brian Roth/Adam Nigon)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: Colorado State leads 20-18 (overall) & 15-3 (games played in Fort Collins)
Last Meeting: Colorado State 80, Fresno State 70 (2/4/20 • Fresno, Calif. • Save Mart Center)
Next up: vs. Wyoming (Jan. 2 & 4); vs. San Jose State (Jan. 8 & 10)

Opening Tip

All-Mountain West candidate Orlando Robinson recorded two straight double-doubles in his first two games of the season (15 ppg/10.5 rpg).
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is in his third season back home in the San Joaquin Valley.
Since joining the MW in 2012, Fresno State has won the 2016 MW tournament championship to earn the league's automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA Tournament and finished as high as second and no lower than seventh in the conference standings.

Bulldog Breakdown • Situational Notes to Watch

Fresno State is seeking its first 3-0 overall start since the 2015-16 season.
Fresno State is 10-0 in Hutson's tenure when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
Fresno State is 15-2 in Hutson's tenure when scoring at least 80 points.
Fresno State is 11-0 in Hutson's tenure when allowing under 60 points.

Fresno State opens MW play in Fort Collins
Fresno State (2-0) begins Mountain West play with a two-game series at Colorado State (3-1), starting Monday at 5 p.m. PT and concluding Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT. Both games will be at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo., on the Mountain West Network (GoBulldogs.com/mwn) and 940 AM ESPN Radio. This is the 39th meeting in the all-time series between Fresno State and Colorado State with the Rams owning a 20-18 edge in the first 38 contests. Since joining the MW in 2012, Fresno State is 7-11 against CSU (1-3 record in Hutson's tenure). The Bulldogs' last road win over the Rams was an 82-79 overtime victory over the Rams back on Jan. 6, 2018.

A look back at the Bulldogs' MW starts
For the sixth time in the last seven seasons, Fresno State is opening MW play on the road. In Hutson's tenure, the Bulldogs are 1-1 in MW openers -- both road games (a 73-53 win at San Jose State on Jan. 2, 2019 and a 61-52 loss at San Diego State on Jan. 1, 2020). Since joining the league in 2012, Fresno State is 2-6 all-time in MW openers and 2-6 in MW road openers.

Bulldogs open with pair of double-digit wins
Fresno State opened the 2020-21 season with an 87-47 win over the William Jessup Warriors on Thanksgiving Eve at the Save Mart Center. Fresno State sophomore forward Orlando Robinson had 16 points with 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Isaiah Hill also had 16 points and Deon Stroud added 13 points in their Bulldog debut. 24 days later, Fresno State defeated Fresno Pacific 78-65 on Dec. 19. Junior Ballard scored a team-best 17 points in his return home to the Valley and first game of the season. Robinson had another double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds in the win over FPU.

Fresno State contending in the Mountain West
Since joining the Mountain West in 2012, Fresno State has won the 2016 conference tournament championship and finished as high as second in the regular season. The Bulldogs have finished no lower than seventh in league play in its first eight seasons in the Mountain West, which includes four top four finishes in the past five seasons. Fresno State is one of four MW programs to win 65 or more MW games in the last six seasons. In the last five MW campaigns, the 'Dogs have won an average of 11 MW contests per year, including twice going 13-5 against MW opponents, including Hutson's first season at Fresno State during the 2018-19 season.

Transfers make immediate impact
In the Bulldogs' season-opening 40-point victory, four Division I transfers and two junior college transfers combined for 64 of Fresno State's 87 points. Isaiah Hill (Tulsa) had 16 points, while Deon Stroud (UTEP) added 13 points. Jordan Campbell (Oregon State) scored 10 points, Kyle Harding (Allan Hancock College) tallied nine points and Christian Gray (Salt Lake CC) recorded eight points. Hill, Stroud and Harding went a combined 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line in the Thanksgiving Eve win.

Fresno State producing NBA Draft Lottery picks, pros
In the last 21 seasons, Fresno State has produced three NBA Lottery picks - Paul George (No. 10 overall in 2010), Melvin Ely (No. 12 overall in 2002) and Courtney Alexander (No. 13 overall in 2000) - while UNLV has two and San Diego State has one in that same 21-season span. Overall, Fresno State has had 31 players go on to play in the NBA, including 21 being selected in the NBA Draft with five first-round picks (four since 2000).

Most NBA Lottery Picks (Last 21 Seasons • 2000-20)

Fresno State: 3
UNLV: 2
San Diego State: 1

REFERENCE: "Fresno State"
(Never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno")

ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS

Fresno State Athletics

'Dogs open MW play in Fort Collins

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