Saturday's game in Irvine will be the sixth game in a six-game stretch of the Bulldogs exclusively playing KenPom Top 125 teams, who also all finished in the NET Top 150 at the end of last season.
Game 7: Fresno State (1-5) vs. UC Irvine (6-2)
Dec. 3, 2022 • 6 p.m. PT • Irvine, Calif. • Bren Events Center'
TV/ONLINE: ESPN+
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (Randy Rosenbloom & Marc Q. Jones)
SERIES HISTORY: Fresno State leads 29-10 (overall) & 9-8 (road games at UCI)
LAST MEETING: Fresno State 63, UC Irvine 55 (12/11/21 • Fresno, Calif.)
LAST TIME @ UCI: Fresno State 98, UC Irvine 97 [OT] (11/8/13 • Irvine, Calif.)
THE BREAKDOWN
Fresno State entered 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 70-56 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, presented by ERACISM, in April.
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 visit the UC Irvine Anteaters on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT at Bren Events Center.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (web/digital) and the Bulldog Sports Network (radio).
This is the sixth game in a six-game stretch of the Bulldogs exclusively playing KenPom Top 125 teams, who also all finished in the NET Top 150 at the end of last season.
This will be the fourth straight game Fresno State has played away from home.
SERIES HISTORY: FRESNO STATE VS. UC IRVINE
Fresno State leads the all-time series 29-10 (overall), which includes a 9-8 record in road games at UCI.
Fresno State has won the last three meetings, including a thrilling 98-97 overtime road victory over the Anteaters at Bren Events Center on Nov. 8, 2013.
Allen Huddleston hit a 40-foot buzzer beater, which was the fifth lead change in the final minute of overtime, for the win on the opening day of the 2013-14 season.
MOORE EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS AT 2022 PAYCOM WOODEN LEGACY
Fresno State senior forward Isaih Moore, who is from Columbia, S.C., produced two double-doubles for the Bulldogs in the 2022 Paycom Wooden Legacy at Anaheim Arena during Feast Week (Nov. 23-24, 2022).
Moore averaged 12.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game while battling the Pac-12's Washington Huskies and the SEC's Vanderbilt Commodores.
This season, Moore has recorded a total of three double-doubles in his first season playing at Fresno State.
Moore is leading the Bulldogs in scoring (12.7 PPG), rebounding (8.7 RPG) and blocked shots (1.0 BPG).
BAKER GOES FOR 22 ON THANKSGIVING DAY IN BATTLE WITH VANDERBILT
With Fresno State playing its first SEC opponent in more than five years, Fresno State senior guard Jemarl Baker, Jr., delivered 22 points on 8-for-20 shooting with seven assists against Vanderbilt on Thanksgiving.
Baker has started all six games this season after being limited to just five games a year ago due to injury.
Baker returned home to the Golden State after playing at Kentucky and Arizona earlier in his college career.
DIALING UP THE HEAT ON D
Fresno State has limited 18 straight opponents in regular season games, including every game this season, to fewer than 70 points.
Fresno State has limited 10 straight nonconference opponents in regular season games, including every game this season, to fewer than 70 points.
Fresno State has limited its opponents to fewer than 70 points in 36 of its last 42 games, including every game this season.
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.
Fresno State ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense (59.4 ppg allowed) during the 2021-22 season.