'Dogs to face Gauchos in Santa Cruz

Game 2: Fresno State vs. UC Santa Barbara
Nov. 11, 2022 • Santa Cruz, Calif. • Kaiser Permanente Arena
ONLINE: FloSports (Trey Bender)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (Matt Norville & Marc Q. Jones)
SERIES HISTORY: UCSB leads 50-49 (overall) • Fresno State leads 2-0 (neutral)
LAST MEETING: UCSB 69, Fresno State 54 (Nov. 20, 2010 • Santa Barbara, Calif. • Thunderdome)

THE BREAKDOWN

Fresno State enters the 2022-23 season bringing back eight returners which includes four seniors in Jemarl Baker, Jordan Campbell, Anthony Holland and Isaiah Hill along with juniors Destin Whitaker, Donavan Yap and Leo Colimerio and sophomore Steven Vasquez.
Hill is the Bulldogs' leading returning scorer (10.1 PPG) and Holland is the top returning rebounder (6.2 RPG).
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is in his fifth season back home in the Central Valley and sports a 70-53 overall record, which includes two 23-win seasons (2018-19 and 2021-22).
The Bulldogs are coming off a 23-win campaign in 2021-22 and a postseason title after winning The Basketball Classic in April.
Fresno State has won five straight games, which is the third longest active streak in the country.
Seven new players have joined the program: guards Jordan Brinson (Salt Lake CC), Alexander Gorton (Palm Beach Atlantic), Joseph Hunter (San Joaquin Memorial HS) and Jeff Sims (Santa Rosa Academy) joining forward Isaih Moore (Southern Miss) and centers Chuks Isitua (IUPUI) and Eduardo Andre (Nebraska).

OPENING TIP

Fresno State will play UC Santa Barbara on Friday at 2 p.m. PT in a neutral site game at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, Calif. The game will be on FloSports (web) and the Bulldog Sports Network (radio).
Fresno State was 4-2 in neutral site regular season contests in Hutson's first four seasons.
Fresno State is seeking its first win over UCSB since a 79-76 home win over the Gauchos on Feb. 23, 2005.
UCSB has won five of the last six meetings in the all-time series, which the Gauchos lead 50-49 overall.
Each of Fresno State's six next nonconference opponents are currently KenPom Top 150 teams in 2022-23 and also finished in the NET Top 150 teams at the end of last season.
Former Fresno State head coach (1986-90) and assistant coach (1980-86) Ron Adams is currently an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors - the NBA affiliate of the G-League's Santa Cruz Warriors.

NATIONAL RESPECT IN COMPUTER RANKINGS, PROJECTIONS

Fresno State is currently ranked No. 65 in the nation in the 20223 T-Rank College Basketball Projections, which accounts for roster makeup and scheduling in performance projection analytics.
The T-Rank projections feature eight Mountain West teams in the Top 106, including six in the Top 100.
Through games played on Nov. 8, 2022, Fresno State is the fourth-highest rated MW program in the T-Rank projections (San Diego State [13], Utah State [45], Wyoming [47], Fresno State [65]).
Fresno State is currently ranked No. 108 in the 2023 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings.

MOORE PRODUCES DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN BULLDOG DEBUT

Fresno State senior forward Isaih Moore, who is from Columbia, S.C., scored 19 points (5-for-5 FT) and added 10 rebounds (four offensive) in the Bulldogs' season-opening 69-56 win over Fresno Pacific on Nov. 9.
Moore's double-double was the first in a Bulldog debut since Torren Jones had 13 points and 14 rebounds in a thrilling 69-66 win over Pepperdine back on Nov. 13, 2015.
This was also the first time a Bulldog has scored at least 19 points in a debut since Braxton Huggins scored 23 points in a season-opening win in 2018.

DIALING UP THE HEAT ON D

Fresno State's defense limited Fresno Pacific to 56 points in Monday's opener.
Last season, Fresno State ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense (59.4 ppg allowed)).
Fresno State has limited its opponents to fewer than 70 points in 31 of its last 37 games, including the opener.
Fresno State limited its opponents to fewer than 70 points in 31 of its 36 games during the 2021-22 season.
Fresno State limited five of its opponents to 43 points or less during the 2021-22 season.

NEW ADDITIONS ON HUTSON'S STAFF
For the first time since being hired in 2018, Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson had to hire new assistant coaches to his staff after a season. Vonn Webb and Nelson Hernandez were hired as assistant coaches this summer to fill the positions vacated by Tarvish Felton (New Mexico) and TIm Shelton (Oregon State). Hutson also added former Sacramento State head coach Jerome Jenkins as Special Assistant to the Head Coach and promoted Jazmin Pulido to Assistant Director of Basketball Operations.

Fresno State Athletics - For The V: The Central Valley" - Bulldog student-athletes, coaches, and staff proudly wear the "Green V" to show their pride in representing the Central Valley. Stories of why the Bulldogs play for the "Green V" will be shared throughout the next year with #ForTheV. To become a Bulldog Foundation member or join "The Green V Society," please call 559-278-7160 or visit bulldogfoundation.org.

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'Dogs to face Gauchos in Santa Cruz

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