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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 19-15;
9-9 in WAC (Tied 5th)
Postseason: Lost to Temple 81-75 in first round of NIT.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Jackson 11.6
Rebs: Fuller 5.6
Assists: Sandy 5.8
FG: Felix 49.6%
3pt: Sandy 35.7%
FT: Fresno State | WAC
KEY LOSSES
Melvin Ely | 23.2 ppg
Chris Jefferies | 17.3 ppg
Matt Mitchell | 4.5 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Tra. DeManby | Senior
G | Da. Jackson | Senior
F | Hiram Fuller | Junior
F | Noel Felix | Senior
F | Renaldo Major | Junior
Player to Watch
Damon Jackson
Senior Guard
Needs to play like a senior, which means show leadership.
DATE TO REMEMBER
The second conference game for the Bulldogs is a chance to upset the league favorite when Tulsa comes to Fresno.
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FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS
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Jerry Tarkanian is gone and former Oklahoma assistant Ray Lopes has arrived and the Bulldogs are being picked to finish anywhere between fifth and seventh. This is what happens when you lose first-round NBA draft picks in center Melvin Ely and forward Chris Jefferies. Lopes will begin the rebuilding process with a backcourt of a returning starter in point guard Travis DeManby (6.4 ppg, 33 percent on threes last season). Damon Jackson is a senior guard who averaged 16.2 points over the last 10 games in 2001-02, when Jefferies was out with a knee injury. One of Lopes' top recruits is junior-college transfer guard Rolando Todd (5-10, 185). There is no star up front as in previous seasons, and Lopes must hope returners in seniors Noel Felix (7.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Hiram Fuller (5.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) increase their numbers. Chemistry might be difficult to find early, and improving on last year's 19-15 record and NIT berth won't be easy. The non-conference schedule -- which includes trips to Washington State and Oklahoma State -- is soft enough in places to help Fresno State gain confidence.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
DeManby -- the only players to start all 34 games last year -- needs to carry this team, especially early. He and Felix are the only Bulldogs beginning their fourth seasons in the program. DeManby has proven he can control a game defensively, nabbing a school-record 11 assists against Oklahoma State last season. As new faces attempt to blend with old ones, DeManby needs to be certain all are on the same page.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Ely was such a force at both ends, able to set tempo with a big dunk or block. It's more a center-by-committee now. Felix and Fuller can both play center, and Mustapha Al-Sayyad played 29 games last year as a sophomore. There are also newcomer transfers in Renaldo Major (6-7, 200) and Jonathan Woods (6-7, 215). Suddenly, though, the Bulldogs don't think inside-outside first. To contend, FSU's inside must have a presence.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Seventh place seems much too low and yet it's hard to think the Bulldogs can climb above fourth. Lopes has a beautiful new arena (Save Mart Center) set to open the 2003-04 season and shouldn't face many problems recruiting capable athletes. But for now, the talent-level isn't on par with the likes of conference foes Tulsa and Hawaii. An NIT berth should be considered a good season for this group.
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