Tickets for Tuesday night's game start at $8.
Game 17: Utah State (10-7, 1-3 MW) at Fresno State (12-4, 2-1 MW)
Jan. 18, 2022 • 8 p.m. PT • Fresno , Calif. • Save Mart Center
TV/ONLINE: CBS Sports Network (Dave Ryan & Mike O'Donnell)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loefller & Marc Q. Jones)
SERIES HISTORY: Utah State leads 41-25 (overall) & 16-13 (games in Fresno)
LAST MEETING: Utah State 57, Fresno State 51 [3/6/21 • Save Mart Center]
NEXT UP: at Nevada (1/21); at New Mexico (1/25); vs. Boise State (1/28)
THE BREAKDOWN
Fresno State Athletics is celebrating its centennial year and the 2021-22 men's basketball season is the 100th season of competition in program history.
Fresno State head coach Juston Hutson is now in his fourth season back home in the San Joaquin Valley.
Fresno State (12-4) and Utah State (10-7) will face off on Tuesday night at the Save Mart Center.
As of Jan. 17, the Bulldogs are ranked third nationally in scoring defense (56.6 PPG).
OPENING TIP
The Fresno State men's basketball team hosts the Utah State Aggies on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center on CBS Sports Network (television) and the Bulldog Sports Network (radio).
Fresno State leads the MW and ranks third in the nation in scoring defense (56.6 ppg allowed).
Fresno State also leads the MW in rebounding defense (29.0/avg) and turnover margin (+3.00).
As of Jan. 17, Fresno State ranked 24th in the nation in turnovers committed per game (10.6).
Fresno State has limited its opponents to fewer than 70 points in 15 of its 16 games this season.
ROBINSON'S PRODUCTION COMPARES TO THE BEST IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Through games played on Jan. 15, Fresno State junior forward Orlando Robinson was ranked fifth in KenPom's 2022 Player of the Year Standings with a 1.404 kPOY rating.
With 1,032 career points, Orlando Robinson (19.8 ppg/8.4 rpg) enters the game tied for 31st on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list - one point away from climbing into the Top 30 all-time in program history.
Robinson was named to the Mid-Season Watch List for the 2021-22 Lute Olson National Player of the Year.
Fresno State junior forward Orlando Robinson has never been shy about his ambitions and goals. And before the start of the 2021-22 season, Robinson shared that one of those is to earn Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors. While his offense continues to shine, Robinson has also elevated his defensive production. Robinson, a Las Vegas native, is a 2021-22 preseason All-MW selection and earned 2020-21 second-team All-MW and NABC All-District honors, along with 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-District and MW Scholar Athlete honors.
ROBINSON EARNS LUTE OLSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK & MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Fresno State's Orlando Robinson was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week and the MW Player of the Week on Jan. 17, 2022. Last week, Robinson averaged 27.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while leading the Bulldogs to a 2-0 record, which included a 79-59 win over San Jose State on Tuesday and a 73-68 road win at UNLV on Friday. In the 20-point win over SJSU, Robinson scored a season-high 31 points with 12 rebounds and followed up that dominant performance with another one – going for 24 points and 11 rebounds for a second straight double-double to power Fresno State past UNLV in his hometown of Las Vegas.
NOTHING BUT NET
Through games played on Jan. 16, Fresno State was No. 54 in the NCAA's NET rankings.
Fresno State entered conference play as high as No. 50 in the NET (through games played on Dec. 27) and has been as high as No. 48 overall (through games played on Jan. 14).
Fresno State checked in at No. 93 in the NCAA's first NET rankings release of the 2021-22 season on Dec. 5.
Fresno State has two Quad 2 wins: vs. Santa Clara (59-52, neutral); at UNLV (73-68, away)
Six Mountain West teams are currently in the Top 64 of the NCAA's NET rankings (five in Top 60).
The NCAA's NET rankings assist the NCAA Tournament selection committee seed and select at-large bids.
BULLDOGS HOST AGGIES IN TUESDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN
Fresno State trails the all-time series with Utah State, 41-25 (overall) and 16-13 (in Fresno).
Fresno State has won just one time in its last 10 games played against Utah State - a thrilling 78-77 road win at Utah State on Jan. 9, 2019. The Bulldogs' last home win over the Aggies is a 75-68 win on Feb. 20, 2016.
The last four games played between Fresno State and UNLV have been decided by a single possession.
This is the second of four straight Tuesday nights that the Bulldogs currently have MW games scheduled.
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 nine seasons in the Mountain West, which includes four top four finishes in the past six seasons. In those last six MW campaigns, the 'Dogs won an average of 10.8 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 in Hutson's first three seasons as the Bulldogs' head coach.