FRESNO STATE vs. FRESNO PACIFIC
Nov. 6, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. PT | MWN | Save Mart Center | Fresno, Calif.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Mountain West Network / Radio - Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Play-by-Play - Paul Loeffler
Analyst - Marc Q. Jones
Sideline - Taylor Martinez
Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Bulldogslive.com
X (Twitter): @FresnoStateMBB
FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno State will host Fresno Pacific on Monday night in a men's and women's doubleheader. The women will tip-off at 5 p.m. PT with the men's game scheduled for 7:30 at the Save Mart Center. Both games can be found followed on the Mountain West Network (video) and Bulldog Sports Network (radio). Tickets start at $5 and fans who show their ticket from Saturday's football game versus Boise State will get in free.
This is the fourth straight season that Fresno State and Fresno Pacific have played. Fresno State leads the official all-time series 3-0 in regular season countable games. The Bulldogs also have a 9-0 record all-time in exhibition games against the Sunbirds.
THREE STARTERS RETURN
With three returning starters - Isaiah Hill (12.6 PPG), Eduardo Andre (8.3 PPG) and Leo Colimerio (5.3 PPG), Fresno State returned most of its core from last season.
In addition to the three returning starters, Justin Hutson also brought back Donavan Yap Jr. (6.1 PPG), Steven Vazquez Jr., Chuks Isitua and redshirt freshman Jeff Sims Jr. for 2023-24 season.
WE HAVE MORE TIME
While it may look like the Bulldogs have six players who will be out of eligibility after this season, four of their seniors will have an extra year available as their first year in college was 2020-21 allowing them to receive the covid year. Those seniors are Eduardo Andre, Leo Colimerio, Xavier DuSell and Donovan Yap Jr, key pieces to what the 'Dogs are building.
The two fifth-year seniors who will be out of eligibility are Isaiah Hill and newcomer Isaiah Pope.
AN INFLUX OF TALENT
During the offseason, Fresno State made plenty of changes to its roster. The Bulldogs hit the recruiting trail hard bringing in eight new additions for the 2023-24 season.
Fresno State found four players in the portal in D-I transfers Xavier DuSell (Wyoming), Isaiah Pope (Utah Tech), Enoch Boakye (Arizona State) and Pierre Geneste Jr. (La Tech).
The 'Dogs added two players from the junior college ranks in Jalen Weaver (Salt Lake CC) and Chase Courtney (San Diego City College) who each have experience at the D-I level.
The last two additions were freshman Isaac Taveras (North Florida Educational Institute from Santo Domingo, DR) and Zaylon Thomas, a former track and field athlete from UCLA.
VETERAN LADEN
With all of the changes to the Fresno State roster, it's easy to think that the Bulldogs are young. Twelve of the 15 players on the roster through are upperclassmen.
Ten players have at least two years of college basketball experience at the D-I level.
The Bulldogs have two fifth-year seniors in Isaiah Hill and Isaiah Pope.
The underclassmen on the roster include true freshman Isaac Taveras, redshirt freshman Jeff Sims Jr. and sophomore transfer Pierre Geneste Jr.
GOING INTERNATIONAL
With three internationals already on the roster in Eduardo Andre (England), Leo Colimerio (Brazil) and Chuks Isitua (Nigeria), the Bulldogs added three more players with passports to its roster during the offseason. The 'Dogs brought in transfers Enoch Boakye (Canada) and Pierre Geneste Jr. (Haiti) along with freshman Isaac Taveras (Dominican Republic).
When they make their debuts, the three additions will be the 29th, 30th and 31st international players to play for Fresno State.
Boakye will be the fourth Canadian to play for the Bulldogs while Geneste Jr. and Taveras will be the first from their countries.
Colimerio was the Bulldogs' fourth player from Brazil while Andre and Isitua were the first to play for Fresno State from England and Nigeria.
SIX 2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS ON THE SCHEDULE
Among Fresno State's opponents during the 2023-24 season, six were in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The first of the six comes in the Bulldogs' second game of the season in a trip to Kent State (Nov. 11). The second, UCSB, comes to the Save Mart Center on Nov. 27.
Fresno State will see the other four during Mountain West action. The 'Dogs will play home and away games against Boise State, Nevada, San Diego State and Utah State in 2024.
EXPOSURE FOR THE BULLDOGS
Fresno State will see 11 of its games on national television this season with its first two coming ahead of Thanksgiving. During the Cancun Challenge, the Bulldogs will face New Mexico State in its first game and either JMU or Southern Illinois in their second. Both games will air on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN). During the last two seasons, Fresno State featured in the Wooden Legacy and the Southern California Challenge during Feast Week.
Fresno State will also have nine of its MW games broadcast on either CBSSN or FS1, with the other nine conference games streaming on the Mountain West Network this season.