Game 12: Wyoming (5-7, 0-0 MW) at Fresno State (4-7, 0-0 MW)
Dec. 28, 2022 • 8 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. • Save Mart Center
TV/ONLINE: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn & Pete Gillen)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler & Marc Q. Jones)
SERIES HISTORY: Fresno State leads 21-14 (overall) & 14-4 (in Fresno, CA)
LAST MEETING: Wyoming 68, Fresno State 64 [OT] (3/5/22 • Laramie, WY)
UP NEXT: at Utah State (Dec. 31); vs. New Mexico (Jan. 3)
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.
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is in his fifth season back home in the Central Valley.
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 - two 23-win seasons (2018-19 and 2021-22).
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) along with forward Isaih Moore (Southern Miss) and centers Chuks Isitua (IUPUI) and Eduardo Andre (Nebraska).
Two Bulldogs - Moore (11.7 PPG) and Baker (10.1 PPG) - are averaging double-digits in scoring this season.
OPENING TIP
Fresno State will host the Wyoming Cowboys on Wednesday at 8 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center.
The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network (television) and the Bulldog Sports Network (radio).
Since joining the league in 2012, Fresno State is 4-6 in MW home openers and 2-8 all-time in MW openers.
In Hutson's tenure, Fresno State is 2-2 in MW home openers and 1-3 in MW openers, which have been three road games and a home game [a 73-53 win at San Jose State (1/2/19), an 81-80 home loss vs. UNLV (12/24/19), a 75-53 loss at Colorado State (12/28/20), and a 65-55 loss at Boise State (12/28/21].
Fresno State's first six Division I nonconference opponents were all in the Top 125 KenPom teams.
Fresno State's strength of schedule ranks as the fourth-toughest (115th in the nation) in the MW, per KenPom.com.
Fresno State is playing its 20th season at the Save Mart Center (first game was back on Dec. 5, 2003).
SERIES HISTORY: FRESNO STATE VS. WYOMING
Fresno State leads its all-time series with Wyoming 21-14 (overall), which includes a 14-4 record against the Cowboys in Fresno (7-4 at the Save Mart Center).
While Fresno State has lost three of the last four games in the series, each of those games were decided by four or fewer points, including both games last seasons.
In Hutson's tenure, Fresno State is 5-3 against Wyoming (3-2 in home games).
Since the Bulldogs joined the MW in 2012, Fresno State and Wyoming have played four overtime games with the Cowboys winning all four of those games (three in Laramie, one in Fresno), which include a triple overtime game in 2015 and a quadruple overtime game in 2017.
TWO HARD-FOUGHT BATTLES BETWEEN THE BULLDOGS AND COWBOYS A SEASON AGO
In the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Cowboys last season on Feb. 6, Fresno State committed a program record single-game low two turnovers in falling 61-59 to Wyoming on a short turnaround (second game in three days) in a game rescheduled from earlier in the season due to health and safety concerns.
In that Feb. 6 game, Isaiah Hill scored a game-high 25 points on 10-for-17 from the field (3-for-9 3FGA) with four rebounds and two assists while playing all 40 minutes of the contest.
In the second game, Fresno State also faced Wyoming on March 5 in a quick turnaround (second game in three days) - this time two days after taking San Diego State to double overtime on the road before flying to Laramie. The 'Dogs and Cowboys would battle into overtime with Wyoming edging Fresno State 68-64 after 45 minutes.
NOTHING BUT NET
Fresno State ranked No. 77 in the final 2021-22 NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings (April 4, 2022), but the Bulldogs were No. 73 on Selection Sunday, which made their all of their home games count as Quad 1 contests, and neutral site and road games as Quad 2 for their opponents.
Last season, the Bulldogs ranked as high No. 45 nationally in the NET entering MW play (Dec. 27, 2021).
Fresno State had checked in at No. 93 in the first release of the 2021-22 season (Dec. 5, 2021).
In 2022-23, Fresno State has played three nonconference games against teams ranked in the Top 75 of the NET at the end of last season (San Francisco [26], North Texas [55] and Vanderbilt [62]).
Fresno State checked in at No. 196 in the first release of the 2022-23 season (Dec. 5, 2022).
The NCAA's NET rankings assist the NCAA Tournament selection committee seed and select at-large bids.
DEFENSE SHINING IN MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY
Long known as one of the best defensive coaches in the country, Justin Hutson brought has installed defensive principles, which helped the Bulldogs rank fifth nationally in scoring defense in 2021-22. Last season, the Bulldogs also ranked second in the MW behind San Diego State in both season and conference-only game scoring defense.
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 10 seasons in the Mountain West, which includes six first round byes in the MW Tournament. In the last seven MW campaigns, the 'Dogs won an average of 10.3 MW contests per year -- twice going 13-5 against MW opponents, including Hutson's first season at Fresno State during the 2018-19 season. Fresno State averaged nearly 10 conference victories per season (9.7) in Hutson's first four seasons as the Bulldogs' head coach.
"Fresno State Athletics - For The V: The Central Valley" –