Bulldogs start homestand with Lobos

Thursday, January 28

Fresno, Calif.

8 p.m. PT

Fresno State

New Mexico

Isaiah Hill driving on William Jessup (11/25/20)

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

Bulldogs start homestand with Lobos

1/27/2021 9:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes: New Mexico at Fresno State (PDF)

Thursday night's game between Fresno State and New Mexico will tip off at 8 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

Mountain West Series: New Mexico at Fresno State
Jan. 28, 2021 (8 p.m. PT) & Jan. 30, 2021 (4 p.m. PT) • Fresno, CA (Save Mart Center)
TV [Game 1]: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn/Avery Johnson)
Online [Game 2]: Mountain West Network (Ralph Wood/Matt Norville)
Radio [Both Games]: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: New Mexico leads 17-15 (overall) • Fresno State leads 11-4 (in Fresno)
Last Meeting: Fresno State 82, New Mexico 77 (2/1/20 • Fresno, Calif.)
Next up: vs. Utah State (Feb. 4 & 6); at Air Force (Feb. 11 & 13)

Fresno State hosts New Mexico for two-game series
Fresno State (5-6, 3-6 Mountain West) opens a four-game homestand by hosting New Mexico (5-9, 1-9 MW) in a two-game series, which starts on Thursday at 8 p.m. PT (CBSSN) and wraps up Saturday at 4 p.m. PT (MWN). Both games will also be on 940 AM ESPN Radio.

Series history: Fresno State vs. New Mexico
This will be the 33rd and 34th meetings in the all-time series between Fresno State and New Mexico with the Lobos owning a 17-15 edge entering the series. Fresno State has won four straight contests against the Lobos played at the Save Mart Center and six of the last eight overall in the series. Since joining the MW in 2012, Fresno State is 8-9 against New Mexico, which includes a 3-1 record in Hutson's tenure.

Opening Tip

Fresno State enters a two-game home series with New Mexico on a three-game home winning streak. The Bulldogs are 5-1 at home this season.
All-Mountain West candidate Orlando Robinson has six double-doubles this season (17.5 ppg/9.8 rpg).
Three Bulldogs are averaging double-figures in scoring per game: Orlando Robinson (17.5 ppg), Deon Stroud (13.1 ppg) and Isaiah Hill (10.8 ppg).
From Jan. 4-10, Fresno State won three consecutive MW games by at least 15 points or more for the second time since joining the conference in 2012.
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., 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

During MW play, Fresno State is averaging 4.3 more offensive rebounds per game than its opponent (107 offensive rebounds to 68 allowed), including a +7.5 offensive rebounding/game edge at home in MW games (59 to 29).
Fresno State is 45th in the nation in offensive rebounding (12.3/game) and 70th in rebounding margin (+4/game).
Fresno State is 11-0 in Hutson's tenure when shooting 50 percent or better from the field (2-0 this season).
Fresno State is 21-7 in Hutson's tenure when holding its opponent to under 40 percent from the field (4-1 this season).
Fresno State is 17-2 in Hutson's tenure when scoring at least 80 points (3-0 this season).
Fresno State is 28-8 in Hutson's tenure when allowing under 70 points (5-0 this season).
Fresno State is 11-0 in Hutson's tenure when allowing under 60 points.
Through games played on Jan. 26, Fresno State's Orlando Robinson was one of 24 players in the nation with six double-doubles and tied for the 16th-most in the nation.

Protecting the yard

Fresno State enters the week with a 5-1 record at home this season.
The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by +16.5 points per home game with a +11.8 rebounding margin at the Save Mart Center this season.
Fresno State is seeking its first four-game home win streak in MW play since winning its first five MW home games in 2017, the final five wins of a 13-game MW home streak spanning from Jan. 6, 2016 to Feb. 1, 2017.
Fresno State is 193-86 (69.2 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.

Robinson: A Double-Double Machine
Fresno State 7-foot sophomore forward Orlando Robinson has drawn inspiration from one of his former teammates - Nate Grimes - with a focus to also becoming a "double-double machine." Grimes, who is now playing professionally overseas for Kobrat (Finland), produced 25 career double-doubles (11 last season) over the course of four seasons playing for the Bulldogs (2015-20) and finished his collegiate career as the fourth-leading rebounding in MW history for most rebounds (445) in conference games.Entering the series, Robinson has recorded six double-double this season (11 in his Bulldog career). Robinson was the first Bulldog to have a double-double in four straight games since Dominic McGuire did so during the 2006-07 season (all four in March 2007). Robinson's last double-double came in a Jan. 8 win over SJSU.

Hill loving being back home in the valley
Fresno State sophomore point guard Isaiah Hill, who is originally from Hutson's hometown of Bakersfield, has averaged 10.8 points and 3.5 assists per game in his first season back home in the Valley after starting his collegiate career at Tulsa. He ranks sixth in the MW in assists per game.

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. In the last five MW campaigns, the 'Dogs 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.

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

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