FRESNO STATE (11-15, 4-9 MW) vs. No. 19/19 SAN DIEGO STATE (20-7, 9-5 MW)
Feb. 24, 2024 | 7 p.m. PT | CBSSN | Save Mart Center | Fresno, Calif.
MEDIA COVERAGE
TV: CBS Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Rich Waltz • Analyst: Dan Dickau
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Play-by-Play: Paul Loeffler • Analyst: Marc Q. Jones
Listen: Bulldog Sports Network
Live Stats: Bulldogslive.com
X (Twitter): @FresnoStateMBB
Tickets: Bulldog Ticket Office
FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno State returns to the court on Saturday, hosting No. 19/19 San Diego State at the Save Mart Center. The Bulldogs are coming off their final bye of the conference season.
During halftime, Fresno State will retire Rod Higgins' #22 jersey. He will be the third Bulldog to have their jersey retired.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and will air on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz and Dan Dickau on the call.
QUICK LOOK
Isaiah Hill continues to lead Fresno State in scoring (12.2 ppg) and assists (6.6 apg) on the year. The point guard is averaging 8.4 assists per game over his last 10 outings, and ranks No. 8 nationally in assists per game, second in the MW.
Transfer Xavier DuSell is second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game. The senior leads the 'Dogs in 3-point percentage, connecting at 42.2 percent clip (73-of-173), 17th nationally. He sits second in the MW in 3-pointers made per game (2.81).
In his last game, DuSell scored the 1,000th point of his career. He is the second Bulldog transfer to reach that mark, joining Isaiah Pope.
With seven newcomers to the squad, that group has stepped in quickly to help complement the returners in the scoring column. Newcomers have accounted for 54.1 percent of the scoring thus far.
Fresno State ranks third in the Mountain West in field goal percentage (47.4%) and fourth in fast break points (10.0).
Despite a shortage of depth in recent weeks, the Bulldogs' bench is averaging 20.5 points per game, still tops in the MW. Last Saturday, Fresno State had just seven available scholarship players at Boise State.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Since joining the Mountain West, Fresno State is 8-19 against San Diego State.
The Bulldogs defeated the Aztecs in Justin Hutson's first two games against SDSU (2019 - 66-62 on 1/22/19, 76-74 on 3/6/19).
Two of the last four contests have been separated by one possession.
With the Aztecs heading into last year's game in Fresno ranked in the national polls, it went down to the wire with SDSU winning 45-43 in a defensive battle.
1,000-POINT TRANSFERS
With 14 points at Boise State, Xavier DuSell surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career. He is the second Bulldog transfer to do that this year, joining Isaiah Pope who scored his 1,000th point on Dec. 18, 2023.
DuSell came to Fresno State from Wyoming where he had scored 714 points in 86 games.
He has 1,008 points in his career in 112 games.
Pope is playing in his fifth collegiate season, and first at Fresno State he has 1,156 points in 129 games.
Pope began his career at D-II Humboldt State before transferring to Utah Tech where he totaled 711 points in three seasons, scoring 432 during the 2022-23 season.
CONNECTING FROM DEEP
Shoot from outside. That's what was expected and what Wyoming transfer Xavier DuSell has brought to Fresno State. With a team-high 73 made 3-pointers through 26 games, DuSell is above the 2.0 per game he made in his 86 games at Wyoming.
DuSell is shooting a team-high 42.2 percent, 17th in the NCAA while ranking No. 2 in the MW in made 3's per game (2.8).
DuSell has made at least five 3-pointers in four games, including a career high seven (7-of-8) at Air Force.
DuSell has shot at least 50 percent from beyond the arc in 11 of 26 games.
THE FLOOR GENERAL
In 25 games, Isaiah Hill has dished out 164 assists. He has dished out at least eight assists in eight games this season, including a season-high 10 three times.
Nine of Hill's seven-plus assist performances have come in his last 12 games.
In his last 27 games, Hill has recorded 186 assists.
Hill has 30 games at Fresno State with at least six assists.
In 113 games as a Bulldog, Hill ranks third in career assists, moving up eight spots this season.
Hill sits No. 2 in the Mountain West, and No. 8 in the NCAA, this season with 6.6 assists per game.
In conference play, Hill is second, averaging 7.1 per game. In just the last 10 games, Hill's average is up to 8.4 per outing.
STEPPING IN
With Eduardo Andre out due to injury, Fresno State has opted to go with a four-guard lineup. Jalen Weaver moved into the vacant starting spot and has since averaged 11.3 points per game in the last four.
The Colorado native, posted a career-high 16 points at Air Force on 6-of-11 shooting.