Invansion of the Mini Laptop

They are reffered to by many names. Netbook, Mini Notebook, UMPC, whatever you want to call it, these little laptops are becoming all the rage.

Asus was first on the scene with their Eee PC. It was only available with a 7" screen, sporting Linux. Soon there will be a 8.9" version as well as a 10" version, with the option for Windows XP.
MSI has joined the game with their Wind, which will only be available with 10" screen for now in the US.
Acer just recently announced their Aspire One, which look to be healthy competition.
And last but no least, Dell is getting into the game with a Mini Inspiron.

I bought my 17" Vaio several years ago, and at the time had there been mini laptops like these I would definately have thought twice about my decision. Some of them can get over 5 hours of battery life, all while being small enough to fit into a womans purse, or a man's purse, a murse if you will.

They aren't powerhouses, but my Vaio was intended to be a desktop replacement when I purchased it, and some of these laptops half its size are rocking nearly the same processor speed. For portability, and ease of use, I can see alot more people buying these.

Will they take over the world? Well, the Eee PC had quite a bit of success using only Linux, and with the low entry price to these the modding community may also find them to be fun as well.

What's New

When nobody has made a post in 3 months, where does one begin with a post?

Well, there was recently a Harris Opinion Survey released showing pictures of a CTS Wagon, one only seen in spy shots thus far. The car looked how you would expect a CTS wagon to look, with tall rear tailights, plenty of curves. GM has since asked everyone to take the pictures down.

Many months back, I mentioned the Cadillac Provoq Concept. Something very close to the concept is coming to market, but it may not be called BRX like many had believed. People are now speculating that the SRX name will live on, and Cadillac will share a FWD platform with Saab for this new smaller SRX.

With gas prices above $4 a gallon, GM has to rethink their strategy as far as future production on vehicles is going. It makes you wonder what will happen to the DTS/STS replacement, or if a car like the XLR can survive with a redesigned Corvette (C7).

Tough times with not only GM, but all car manufacturers.

Dogs' Host Talented Aggies

Where have you gone Hector? 37 minutes, 0 points...

The Fresno State Bulldogs will play host to the New Mexico State Aggies Saturday night, and will follow that by traveling to Logan to face the Utah State Aggies Monday night. NMSU comes in with a 16-12 overall record (9-3 WAC). The Bulldogs now have a 13-15 overall record (5-8 WAC). This will be a very difficult matchup as has been over the past 3 seasons for the Dogs due to NMSUs size advantage inside. The Aggies are the most talented WAC team right now.



NMSU entering:

The Aggies dropped Thursday nights game in Reno versus Nevada 88-75, but their last victory came in the Bracketbusters over Long Beach State, an 80-48 drubbing of the 49ers. The Aggies played 12 players, all played 30 minutes or less. This is a great asset this late in the season to be able to rest players and not be forced to play key players 40 minutes a night.

Freshman Herb Pope led the way with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Justin Hawkins added 13 points and 10 rebounds while Wendell McKines had 10 points and 8 boards including 5 offensive.



Key Aggie Stats:

-78.2 points per game
-48% field goal shooting
-Justin Hawkins (17 pts, 7.2 rebs)
-Jonathan Gibson (12.6 pts, 42.7% 3 pt fgs)
-Herb Pope (10.9 pts, 6.7 rebs) since joining team
-+8.8 rebounding margin
-16.4 turnovers per game



Fresno State entering:

The Bulldogs are coming in with the confidence of 2 straight victories, their first since Dec 20th and 22nd. They beat Hawaii after overcoming a 2nd half deficit and had timely free throw shooting, then they were able to defeat Cal Poly Saturday in the Bracketbusters 76-70. Eddie Miller finished with 25 points on 6 three pointers. His biggest was a 30 footer with the shot clock winding with 2:28 remaining that broke a tie and put the Dogs up for good.

The heartbeat of the Dogs Kevin Bell had 19 points and 9 assists, Bell has been playing well of late. Tyson Parker added 8 off the bench and provided some valuable slashing and penetrating into the Poly zone. Dwight O’Neil added 15, but looked fatigued and bothered by his wrist during a subpar 2nd half. Hector Hernandez continues to have issues and was not able to score a point in 37 minutes of play.



Key Bulldog Stats:

-Kevin Bell (18.1 pts, 6 assts)
-Eddie Miller (15.1 pts, 99 made 3pt FGs)
-69.6 points per game
-8.4 made 3 point field goals per game
-Rebounding deficit of -4.7
-Turnover marin +1.7
-5.8 steals per game



MBs Take:

This is a tough matchup for the Dogs. They have had plenty of rest while NMSU played Thursday and was beat easily by Nevada. Will the Aggies come in a bit down or hungry to bounce back? That will be the key to FSUs chances along with Bell and Miller combining for a minimum of 40.

In the end, too many offensive boards for NMSU, they turn it over 17 times and the Dogs keep it close, but the Aggies win this one 75-71.

The Last Stand-FSU v. Hawaii Preview

This is your time KB, clocks winding...

The Fresno State Bulldogs returned home for a Wednesday night matchup versus the Hawaii Warriors. This will finish the season series for the two teams, the first was in Hawaii where the Dogs dropped the contest 75-62. The Warriors come in winning 6 of their last 8 and are playing their best Basketball of the season right now after starting the season 4-9.

The Dogs entering:

The Bulldogs limp home after a road loss in Boise at the hands of the Broncos 84-72. Kevin Bell had 21 points and Eddie Miller had 16. The Bulldogs were plagued by 16 turnovers and were unable to defend the inside presence of Reggie Larry and Matt Nelson.

The Broncos shot 53.8% from the field and dominated in the paint. BSU had frequent easy buckets and were not challenged around the rim. FSU was able to cut the lead late in the 2nd half but it was too little to late as they were again overpowered and unable to get the necessary stops.

Kevin Bell continues to lead the way with his 17.7 points and 6 assists per game. He has been turnover plagued over the last few games as opposing defenses have collapsed on his penetration and keyed to stopping him every possession. Eddie Miller has made 91 threes to this point and is looking to climb the WAC record books in this category. He is averaging 15 points per contest.

Hawaii coming in:

The Warriors enter after a big home victory versus Utah State and continue on their recent tear. They rode an extremely balanced attack on the way to victory with 5 players in double figure scoring, led by Matt Gibson’s and Riley Luettgerodt’s 16 each. They also combined for 8 assists and 9 steals. The Warriors were able to force USU into 20 turnovers.

Key Warrior Stats:

-Matt Gibson (16.9 ppg, 5 apg)
-Bobby Nash (14.5 ppg, 35.8% 3pt fg, 86.7% fts)
-44.8% Field Goals
-33.8% from three
-73.9% Free throws
-Rebounding margin of -3
-70.8 Points per versus 70.9 opponents
-Outscored opponents in the 2nd half

What to expect:

This is a pivotal game for the Dogs and one that may be their last chance to lay the foundation and build the confidence necessary to make a run in the WAC tournament. A loss here could be the final setback that does the Dogs in.

FSU must come out with energy, especially on the defensive end. Defending he flex cuts of the Warriors will be the key to holding their own tonight. Eddie Miller will need to be on, and Kevin Bell will need to be his rock solid self and put his last 2 games in the past.

MBs take:

I don’t like Matt Gibson, the guy is an asshole. That’s my first take. My second is that he is this WAC generations version of Chris Herren.

The Dogs will find a way because they are at home. Miller and Bell will lead the way with 40 combined. The crowd will not respond well to the Hawaii players acting out and jawing with them. It should b a good time.

FSU wins 75-68.

'Dogs limp into Boise after embarrasing loss

The Fresno State Bulldogs will have to dig deep and bring maximum effort to the table Saturday night as they take on the Boise State Broncos. This will be a very difficult game for the Dogs to compete and win, the biggest factor will be how quickly the Dogs can get over their loss Thursday night to Idaho.

The Broncos coming in:

The Broncos last outing was a big win over perennial WAC force Nevada 77-68. Reggie Larry scored 20 and Matt Nelson added 19. The Broncos, already leading the nation in Field Goal Percentage, shot a blistering 62% from the field en route to a big victory. Matt Bauscher had a career high 10 rebounds to go with his 7 points and 2 steals. The big key was the Broncos quick start in which they got out to an 11-0 start.

The Broncos frustrated the Wolfpack and held them to 36% shooting, well below Nevada’s average coming in. It was a big win for the Broncos and will cause the visiting Dogs more issues because they have gained confidence from the win.

The Bulldogs coming in:

Fresno State stumbles into Boise after a deflating and confidence breaking overtime loss to the Idaho Vandals. The Bulldogs built a 19 point first half lead and were cruising, unfortunately they surrendered 9 points of their lead with lackluster play and only led by 10 at the break. Although a nice lead, allowing the Vandals back in it gave them confidence in the fact they could play with the Dogs on that night.

Dwight O’Neil finished with 18 points which was his best output of the year in only his 3^rd game back from his wrist injury. He scored his 18 on 7-10 from the field which is very surprising considering how out of shape he is at this point. Hector Hernandez had a career high 14 rebounds, but he could not find his way offensively and finished with 5 points. Eddie Miller added 13 while flu-ridden and Alex Blair a season high 12, but the real story was the Vandals Jordan Brooks scoring 25 and grabbing 16 rebounds.

What to look for:

Is a lackluster effort in the cards for the Dogs? Boise will get out to a quick start at home and if that isn’t minimized the Dogs will be in big trouble it would seem. Kevin Bell will need a big bounce back game from what was his worst outing of the year at Idaho.

Dogs in Moscow to face Kiwi-less Vandals

2 great outings in a row? A definite possibility.

The Fresno State Bulldogs will play the Idaho Vandals at the Cowan Spectrum Thursday at 7pm. The Bulldogs come in with an 11-13 record (4-6 WAC), while the Vandals hold a 5-17 overall record (2-9 WAC). Neither team has fared well on the road, the Vandals are winless at 0-12, and the Bulldogs haven’t fared much better at 2-8.

The Vandals entering:

Idaho returns home after a tough road loss at previously winless in WAC play Louisiana Tech 72-64. With Jordan Brooks in foul trouble, the Vandals struggled to replace his scoring and he finished with 9 points and 13 rebounds.

Terrence Simmons had 12 points and 6 assists while Michael Crowell added 13 points and 6 rebounds while playing the whole 40 minutes.

Idaho dropped the road game versus La Tech due to an inability to take care of the ball. The Vandals finished with an unacceptable 27 turnovers in Ruston. They also put Tech on the line 41 times and brought the game with a grinding halt with the multitude of fouls.

The Bulldogs entering:

The Dogs have dropped 3 of their last 4 games, the latest a tough home loss to conference leading Utah State 77-72. The Dogs got out of the gates slow as has been the case most of the season, even falling behind 24-7 midway through the 1st.

The Dogs were down 39-25 at the half, but made a second half run and cut the lead to 73-70 with just under a minute left. They had an opportunity to tie but Eddie Miller’s 3 was off the mark.

Fresno State was led by Hector Hernandez, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds in what many consider his best outing of the season. Guards Kevin Bell and Eddie Miller both finished with 20 points, Bell added 5 assists and 5 steals while Miller shot 5-11 from 3.

Dwight O’Neil, in his 2nd game back from a wrist injury, played 24 minutes and finished with a made 3 point field goal and a crucial steal to set up the opportunity to tie. He is obviously out of shape and will need the remainder of the WAC schedule to return to a version closer to his original form.

What to look for:

Idaho is a formidable team at home and the Bulldogs are a bad road team. Mix those 2 issues together and you have difficult sledding ahead for Coach Cleveland and his squad. They will need to put the clamps on all-everything Vandal Jordan Brooks, make sure Mike Hall’s 3 point attempts are contested, and keep the turnovers to a minimum. On the flip side, the Dogs need to keep the pressure up on the turnover prone Vandals to create some easy opportunities for themselves.

MBs take:

Its close, the Dogs stay in it, Idaho turns the ball over to much down the stretch and Bell, Miller, and Hernandez all go for 18+ points. Its up to the rest of the guys to make up the difference.

Dogs Host WAC leaders Sizzling USU

What do you have in store to combat Mr. Carroll?

The Fresno State Bulldogs will play their second consecutive home game as the host the WACs best team right now in the Utah State Aggies. The Aggies have a 16-6 overall record and have a 6-1 conference mark. Their lone conference loss came on the road at the hands of New Mexico State 100-70. Aggies coach Stew Morril had disciplined 3 players for that game and did not allow them to play which added much to the outcome in Las Cruces.

The Dogs swept the season series last season, they were the only team on the Utah State schedule to win in Logan. Since the Aggies joined the WAC the Dogs have also had the best record against them, only one loss. The Aggies have won 11 of their last 12 games this season.

The Utah State Aggies coming in:

The Aggies enter off of 77-63 home victory over Nevada. Jaycee Carrol had 24 points and Gary Wilkinson had 23 points and 10 rebounds on 9 of 11 shooting from the field.

Senior Guard Jaycee Carroll leads the WAC with a 21.2 per game average, he leads in free throw shooting at 92.3%, and three point shooting at 50.4%. He also is eighth in overall shooting at 52.9% and averages 5.8 rebounds per game. One can surmise from this stat line that Carroll carries his team and if you want to slow the Aggies you must slow Carroll somehow.

Key Aggie Stats:

-49-18 in the month of February under Stew Morrill
-USU is 14-0 when the opponent is under 70 points
-leads WAC in free throw shooting at 78.6% (2nd in nation)
-leads WAC in 3 point shooting at 39.9%
-Shoots 50.5% from the field
-18.8 assists per game
-72.5 points per game
-+2.8 rebounding margin
-opponents have outscored Aggies 804-781 in the second half

The Dogs entering:

The Bulldogs stayed home in Fresno after their 70-58 win over Louisiana Tech. Junior Guard Dwight O’Neill returned to the court after a dislocated wrist he suffered in game 4 against CS-Bakersfield. It could help the Dogs in time but he will need to get back into playing shape and work off the rust in the coming weeks.

Against La Tech the Dogs were led by Kevin Bell who had 18 points and handed out 6 assists. Eddie Miller finished with 17 points on 5-10 3 point shooting, Miller has been spectacular from 3 at home in WAC play thus far.

Key Dog Stats:

-Kevin Bell (17.9 pts, 6 assists)
-Eddie Miller (14.8 pts, 40.4% 3 point shooting)
-Hector Hernandez (10.1 pts, 6.8 rebs)
-69 points per game
-33.5% 3 point shooting
-70% free throws
-rebounding margin of -4.5
-+2 turnover margin

What to look for:

Utah State is playing great basketball right now and it will be a huge task for the Dogs to win Thursday night. Expect the Aggies to get off to a great start and for Coach Cleveland to have to take a quick time out. If the Dogs can weather the early storm and feed off the home crowd they can stay in it.

Defense will be the key as the Aggie offense is finally clicking and they are running it to greater precision right now. It will take 40 points combined from Miller and Bell for the Dogs to have a shot, possibly 45. Two players need to be in the 6-8 point range and a few more key contributions off the bench will be necessary.

MBs take:

The Aggies are on a roll, although they have had a tough time in Fresno in the past. I say they jump out early, the Dogs reel them back in, Carroll takes over and the Dogs drop a tough one 73-71.

Bulldogs host namesake La Tech

An opportunity to bounce back?

The Fresno State Bulldogs play their second Monday night game in a row tonight when they host the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech. Fresno State was able to open WAC play with a 61-44 win over Tech in Ruston and will look to sweep the season series and are looking to accomplish that feat for the second straight season.

La Tech entering:

The Bulldogs come into Fresno off a loss at Hawaii 71-57. Tech enters with an 0-7 WAC record and a 3-16 overall record. This has been a difficult season thus far, the Bulldogs do not have the depth to compete with most teams and are lacking the amount of talent necessary to stay in most games. The real bright spot for Tech has most definitely been guard Kyle Gibson. Gibson is averaging 15.5 points per game (only Bulldog in double figures) along with 5.6 rebounds. He is also shooting 35% from three.

Tech Team Stats:

-58.2 points per game (70.2 opp)
-39.4% field goals (48.2% opp)
-28.6 rebounds per game (38.1 opp)
-8.1 assists per game (13.5 opp)
-13.1 turnovers per game (13.8 opp)

Fresno State entering:

The Dogs come back home after the loss in Reno 79-67 and have dropped two straight, the first was the overtime heartbreaker at the hands of Boise State. Kevin Bell had 22 points and 5 rebounds in leading the Bulldogs. Eddie Miller added 17 points and 4 assists and the big surprise was freshman Brandon Webster who had career highs with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs once again fell behind early on the road, and against a team like Nevada that isn’t going to be an easy hole to dig out of. Marcellus Kemp dominated and couldn’t be stopped by the Dogs, he finished with 28 points. There were too many easy baskets for the Wolfpack while the Bulldogs missed a few too many easy opportunities. The Pack finished on 50% shooting from the field, 61% from three. Those numbers are difficult to overcome for any team, especially a shorthanded Bulldog squad.

What to look for:

Look for the Dogs to play well in the friendly confines of the Save Mart Center, guard Eddie Miller is averaging 28 points per game in WAC contests at home. They need to use this opportunity to get minutes for Webster and gain some confidence as a team. The key will be holding Tech swingman Kyle Gibson under wraps cause he is the key to the Tech’s success. Tyson Parker will get the start and will be matching up with Gibson.

MBs take:

Dogs shoot it well and break the losing streak, Miller with 24, Bell with 19 and 7 assists, Dogs win 74-61.

Blog Post 134

Many vehicles were shown at the Los Angeles Auto show a couple of months back. Early last month in the Detroit, the North American International Auto Show was home to several more reveals.

Yes, I am a month late. Sad huh? I only have 3 vehicles to highlight, one already going into production, one that needs to be in production, and one that probably will end up in production in one form or another.

#1 is the CTS Coupe Concept.
The front end isn't a huge departure from the sedan, obviously the car is much lower, bigger wheels, and a few of other options that would never make production. I wonder what it will look like in production trim? Will there be a CTC-V?
The interior also doesn't stray too far from the production sedan, albeit with a little more dress up as far as the seats and dash go. Hopefully the V-series comes with some flavor of the Carbon Fiber pictured above, man it looks sweet.
Really a bad angle for the Concept. The rear quarter panel is odd, and the rear bumper looks very high up in the air. Not bad, just odd proportions.

#2 The Hummer HX Concept.
A baby Hummer. Not a Mini-Me H2 like the H3 ended up looking(which isn't necessarily a bad thing).. This Concept is what Hummer has needed to build for a long time. How many years have we heard about them competing directly with the Jeep Wrangler?
The concept seats 4, has a removeable glass hatch cover(not picture obviously) and has some pretty cool other options. Slap an H4 badge on this bitch and release it GM.

#3 The Cadillac Provoq Concept.
This concept is built on the E-Flex Fuel cell platform. A platform showing off Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles usually means said vehicles would probably not be released. Never you mind, Cadillac merely used this to show the versatility of the platform, while showing off what very well may be their mini SUV. They have said they need an SUV smaller than the SRX(which is in need of a redesign).
Supposedly inside and out this concept will look very similar when it comes to production for Cadillac, just don't expect a fuel cell.

A near impossible task

As usual, its on your shoulder KB

The Fresno State Bulldogs will take on the Nevada Wolfpack Thursday night at 7pm at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno. Nevada brings a 12-7 record into the contest while the Bulldogs enter with a 10-11 overall record. The Wolfpack have won the last 3 matchups between the two schools. Nevada has won 31 of its last 34 games at home.

The Wolfpack entering:

Nevada last played on Saturday where they were in Ruston to defeat Louisiana Tech 83-70. Senior David Ellis had a career high 14 points on 7-7 shooting. The Pack were able to hit a season high 61% from the field while holding Tech to 38% field goal shooting. Sophmore JaVale McGee had 12 points along with freshman Armon Johnson. Standout Marcellus Kemp added 11.

Key Wolfpack stats:

-Marcellus Kemp (18.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 34% 3pt fgs, 86.5% fts)
-JaVale McGee (12.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 52% field goals, 58 blocks)
-Armon Johnson (12.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3 apg)
-Brandon Field (12.2 ppg, 38% 3pt fgs, 84% fts)
-74 points per game
-47.4% field goal shooting
-71% free throw shooting
-+4.1 rebounding
--2.5 turnover margin

The Bulldogs entering:

The Dogs enter on the heels of a very difficult home loss Monday night at the hands of Boise State in overtime, 90-89. Reggie Larry led the Broncos with 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Broncos were able to shoot a blistering 50% from the field. Tyler Tiedemann had 23 and Matt Nelson added 15. The Bulldogs trailed by 7 points late in regulation, but Eddie Miller and Hector Hernandez were able to make difficult 3s and the Dogs forced overtime.

Leading the way for the Bulldog was Eddie Miller with a career high 30 points on 11-12 from the line. Senior point guard Kevin Bell had 26 points and 8 assists while fellow Senior Hector Hernandez 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Alex Blair had maybe his best game of the season finishing with 8 points and 12 rebounds on 4-5 shooting. Freshman Brandon Webster was able to log 16 minutes and he contributed 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

What to look for:

Its difficult to say, will the Bulldogs still be dwelling on the missed opportunity at home? Will they be prepared for the onslaught the Pack will throw at them? As with all games from here on out it will take major efforts from guards Kevin Bell and Eddie Miller. Hernandez will need another solid effort, but there must be contributions from the bench and from the other starters. The Dogs need all the help they can get scoring to stay in the game versus Nevada.

MBs take:

Dogs did themselves a hole early, fight back, but there isnt enough firepower to avoid losing 4 straight to Nevada.

Dogs host high scoring Broncos at SMC

Put your heads together to stop the Bronco juggernaut

The Fresno State Bulldogs will host the Boise State Broncos Monday night at the Save Mart Center. The Broncos come in with a 14-5 overrall record and are 2^nd in the WAC at 5-2 while the Bulldogs are 10-10 overrall and 3-3 in the WAC. The Broncos will bring their high scoring attack that averages 83 points per game into the Save Mart Center looking to finish the first half of WAC play 6-2.

The Broncos coming in:

The Broncos were on the island on Saturday where they took care of the Warriors 95-80. Senior guard Matt Bauscher scored 21 points, while Matt Nelson had 21 points and 12 boards. The Broncos hit 14 of 22 from three point range to keep the game out of reach for Hawaii. The Broncos led by 25 at halftime 47-22.

Key Bronco Stats:

-Reggie Larry (18.3 pts, 9.1 rebs)
-Matt Nelson (15.9 pts, 8 rebs, 66% fgs)
-52% field goals (leads nation)
-83 points per game (11^th nation)
-8.4 3 point field goals per game
-40.4% 3 point field goal %
-18.2 assists per game (18^th nation)

The Dogs entering:

The Bulldogs were able to avenge their loss in San Jose with a win over the Spartans Saturday night 75-58. Senior guards Eddie Miller and Kevin Bell combined for 42 points, with Miller hitting 7 threes on his way to tying his career high of 27 points. Bell added 15 points and 8 assists.

Freshman Ned Golubovic set his career high with 14 points and also added 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Golubovic has averaged 9.3 points per game, hit 55% from the field, and 44% from three in WAC play. His minutes have steadily increased as has his contributions as the season has gone on. Consider that Golubovic was a redshirt candidate to start the season.

Key Bulldog stats:

-169 made 3 point field goals on the season
-lead the WAC in defense at 66.3 points per game
-lead the WAC in turnover margin at +2.80
-Eddie Miller 3.4 made 3 points field goals per contest
-Dogs at a -5.6 rebounding margin
-68 points per game
-69.4 % free throws
-33.5% 3 point field goal percentage
-Kevin Bell (17.1 ppg, 6 assists, 3 rebs)

MBs Take:

This will be tough for a Bulldogs team that gets dominated inside and gets beaten up on the offensive glass by everyone. Add to the fact that the Broncos can knock down the three and we have ourselves some issues.

Dogs play inspired at home but lose 85-80.

Dogs looking for a win vs. SJSU

Time to get back on track E Miller, five 3s at minimum!

The Fresno State Bulldogs return home Saturday night to take on rival San Jose State, the game will begin a home stand that will have 4 of the next 5 WAC games being played at the Save Mart Center. In the first meeting of the 2 teams this season the Spartans edged the Dogs in San Jose 69-65.

The Bulldogs football team will be honored at halftime with both players and coaches will be in attendance to be recognized for the 9-4 campaign that was capped off with a Humanitarian Bowl victory over Georgia Tech.

In the first meeting between the two teams SJSU was lead by Jamon Hill and his career high 14 points. The Spartans were able to keep the Dogs behind throughout the second half and the Dogs were not able to hit from three point range finishing 5-27.

The Spartans will also be without the services of guard Justin Graham for the rest of the season with an elbow injury.

The Spartans coming in:

The Spartans enter with a 9-9 record (2-4 conference) which is already 4 more wins than they were able to amass last season. Last outing the Spartans were beat in Moscow by Idaho 74-63. Idaho guard Mike Hall set a school record by making 9 three pointers. After SJSU was able to cut the lead to 4, Hall was able to knock out the Spartans by sinking back to back threes.

SJSU Players to watch for:

-Dashawn Wright (10.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 43.8% 3pt)
-Tim Pierce (10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 79.4% fts
-CJ Webster (10.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 47.6% fgs)
-Chris Oakes (9.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 54.4% fgs)

The Bulldogs coming in:

Fresno State enters after back to back losses on the road, the last being a 75-62 loss to Hawaii in Honolulu. Kevin Bell led the way with 21 points and 5 assists, and Ned Golubovic had a career high 13 points and added 5 rebounds. It was another very tough shooting night for Eddie Miller, he finished 0-5 from three. For the Dogs to get back in the win column they will need Eddie Miller to get back to his normal.

The starters will be forced to log big minutes the rest of the season, its how they can handle that adversity that will make the difference in the duration of the season. Can the Dogs find any consistency on the defensive end out of their post players? The Spartans were able to score many easy buckets around the rim in the first meeting which has to be minimized this time around.

The best thing the Dogs have going for them is the homecourt which is undoubtedly worth 10-12 points a game as has been the case over the first half of last season and the duration of this season.

MBs take:

Dogs win, they are at home.

Highlight of the night=announcing the football team at halftime. Only 7 months till UCLA

A consistent roster please! (FSU-SJSU preview)

Are we all up on our classwork this semester?

FSU heads to San Jose to begin road swing:

The Fresno State Bulldogs will play rival San Jose State Thursday night and avoid losing back to back games in San Jose for the first time in 17 years. This will be the first game of the two game road swing. On Saturday, the Dogs will be in Hawaii to take on the Warriors. At the end of the road trip the Bulldogs will have begun WAC play with four of their first five on the road.

Also, the Dogs were dealt another blow to an already difficult season when sophomore guard Bryan Harvey became academically ineligible for the spring semester. Harvey was averaging 10.6 points per game, and although he never became a consistent offensive force, he had been a big help on the boards and stepped up his game on defense. He joins Rekalin Sims and Dwight O’ Neil as would-be starters missing parts or all of the season.

The Dogs coming in:

The Bulldogs enter the SJSU game off of a 69-53 home victory over Idaho. Eddie Miller matched a career high with 27 points, including 7 three pointers. Kevin Bell added 17 points and 7 assists, continuing his stellar season. The Dogs only turned the ball over a season low 4 times. That ties them for the lowest in school history.

Ned Golubovic had 8 points, making three of the last four games in which he has scored 8 points, including 3 WAC games in a row. The victory came despite the fact that Idaho was able to corral 16 offensive rebounds to the Dogs 7.

Getting to know San Jose State:

The Spartan are maybe the most improved team in the WAC, although Idaho has made major strides, the Spartan cemented themselves on January 10 with a home victory over Nevada, their first in 7 years. Guard Justin Graham is the Spartans leading scorer at 12.7 points per, unfortunately he went down with an elbow injury that will keep him out the rest of the season.

The Spartans are led by former Porterville JC head Coach George Nessman who is in his third season in San Jose. Nessman has done a very nice job mixing D1 transfers, JC transfers, and overlooked High School talent.

What to looks for:

This will be a very difficult game for the Dogs, San Jose will be confident as they split the series last season, and they have defeated Nevada at home this season. With the loss of Harvey on top of the already thin bench and difficult matchup and personnel issues, the Dogs have a tough road ahead in WAC play. The difficulty begins Thursday against SJSU.

MBs Take:

No, Harvey, a thinner bench, on the road against a team that beat Nevada, I say Dogs win 73-71.

Dogs' host Vandals in epic battle at SMC

You still on the team? Lets get it going if you are.

FSU-Idaho Preview:

The Fresno State Bulldogs will try to get back on the right foot in WAC play tonight at the Save Mart Center as they host an improved Idaho squad that comes in at 4-10. The 8-8 Bulldogs will try to begin the WAC season protecting their homecourt which is of the utmost importance. The Dogs swept the Vandals last season and lead the overall series 5-2.

The Vandals coming in:

The Vandals were able to snap a 13 game WAC losing streak at home a week ago in Moscow 85-78 over La Tech that moved them to 1-2 in conference. Mike Hall and Jordan Brooks led the Vandals with 21 points apiece. Brooks added 10 rebounds and also posted an 11-14 from the free throw line. Clyde Johnson added a career high 19 points in his first career start.

On the season Jordan Brooks is the only double figure scorer at 11.2 points per contest. Michael Crowell comes in right under that at 9.8 points per. The Vandals feature a roster breakdown of 3 seniors, 9 juniors, no sophmores, and 2 freshman.

Vandal Team Stats:

-43.1% from the field
-36.2% from three
-60% free throws
-31.7 rebounds per game -2.6
-assist/turnover ration of 0.7
-7.3 steals per game

The Bulldogs prior:

The Bulldogs come into Saturday’s game off of a disappointing Tuesday night loss at the hands of a very good Saint Mary’s team. The Dogs squandered guard Bryan Harvey’s best effort in a Bulldog uniform, he had 20 points on 6-10 three-point shooting and added 5 rebounds. Kevin Bell added 14 points and 8 assists and Eddie Miller had 12 although he couldn’t find it from three point range going 0-6.

The Dogs were able to ride Harvey’s three point shooting to cut the deficit to 6 at the under 8 media timeout. Saint Marys answered out of the timeout with back to back threes by Ian O’ Leary and Patrick Mills and a Diamon Simpson layup to balloon the lead up to 14 in less than a minute. That stretch proved to be the difference. The Bulldogs had used a lot of energy to cut into the lead and did not have enough in the tank to do it twice.

What to expect:

Expect an Improved Vandal squad with experience to come in with confidence after taking care of La Tech at home. They will play with energy and if the Bulldogs are not over Tuesdays loss they may find themselves in a fight with Idaho. They cannot let them hang around too long as the Vandals will have their confidence grow with each minute.

The Dogs will look for more transition baskets and slashing by Kevin Bell as he was held in check by the Gaels on Tuesday. Eddie Miller will look to return to his 3 point shooting ways, and everyone is hoping that Bryan Harvey will play more like he did against Saint Mary’s than he has all season.

MBs Take:

Dogs win by 12 as they make 10 threes as a team, 77-65.

#24 Saint Mary's rolls into the SMC

Need you back at form-5 threes would help alot

Dogs vs. #24 Saint Marys at SMC

The Fresno State Bulldogs return home Tuesday to the friendly confines of the Save Mart Center to take on the #24 ranked Saint Marys Gaels. This is the first nationally ranked team to appear in Fresno this season. The Gaels have had a very successful non-conference run going 12-2 while defeating the likes of Oregon, San Diego State, Seton Hall, and Tulane. Their two losses came against Southern Illinois and #14 Texas.

The Bulldogs enter off of a split on the two game road swing to open conference play, winning in Ruston over Louisiana Tech but coming up short in Las Cruces versus the Aggies of New Mexico State. The last meeting between the Dogs and Gaels was 2002, which the Bulldogs won 67-65.

The Gaels entering:

The Gaels will come into Tuesdays matchup after a tough loss at #14 Texas 81-62. They were the first team to catch the Longhorns at full strength as Texas welcomed freshman Gary Johnson to the lineup after he missed the first 13 games. The Gaels were led by Omar Samhan who finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Patty Mills had 12 and Diamond Simpson 11. Simpson was named WCC player of the month in which he averaged a double-double at 12 points and 10.1 rebounds.

Who to watch for on Saint Marys:

-Freshman guard Patty Mills (15.9 pts, 3.9 assts, 2.3 rpg, 20 stls, 82.5% fts)
-Sophmore Center Omar Samhan (12.2 pts, 7.1 rpg, 22 blks, 54.5% fgs)
-Junior Guard Diamon Simpson (12.1 pts, 9.4 rpg, 28 blks, 55.1% fgs)
-Senior Guard Todd Golden (6.1 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.2 rpg, 92.3% fts)

Key Gael Stats:

-78 points per game +12 per over opponent
-46.5% field goals
-7.9 made three point field goals per
-38.2 rebounds per game +2.2 rebounding margin
-14.8 assists per game a/t ratio at 1
-6.8 steals per game

The Bulldogs coming in:

Fresno State comes back home after Saturdays loss to the New Mexico State Aggies. The game in Las Cruces was a great opportunity to get a leg up on the conference and come out of the first week 2-0 with both wins coming on the road. The Bulldogs led by 10 early at 15-5, but a scoring drought and defensive lapses put them down at the half 38-28.

They were then able to fight there way back into the game behind Kevin Bell and cut the lead to 59-57 with 6 minutes to go. Bryan Harveys three to take the lead was off, and the Aggies answered quickly with three consecutive three pointers by NMSU guard Jonathan Gibson in 2 minutes. The game was opened up from there and the Aggies cruised to a 77-67 victory.

Kevin Bell led the way with 19 points, Eddie Miller chipped in 11, and Hector Hernandez added 10. Miller and fellow guard Bryan Harvey combined for 6-26 from the field which prove to be the difference, a few more jumpers made buy that tandem and the Dogs steal one on the road. Off the bench, Ned Golubovic had 8 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes, but he fouled out with a minute remaining.

What to expect:

Expect a very skilled Saint Marys club to jump out early if the Dogs aren’t ready to play. Both teams enter off of losses so it remains to see what kind of factor that will play. The Bulldogs will need to feed off the energy of the crowd and Eddie Miller and Bryan Harvey to improve their shooting efforts from the NMSU game to compete with the Gaels.

It will be tough going versus a very good Saint Marys team Tuesday night. If a focused and energetic Dogs team shows up they have an opportunity to pick up their best non-conference win for the season.

MBs take:

The Bulldogs show up and play better than expected, but I have a hard time seeing them handle Freshman guard Patty Mills and the size and versatility of Diamon Simpson. It will take and improved shooting effort from the guards and a Pacific like effort from Kevin Bell to knock off the #24 Gaels. At the final buzzer, it Gaels 74 and the Dogs 68.

Lookin for a leg up in Las Cruces

Maybe a chance if this guy comes back Saturday

‘Dogs try to set the tone vs. Aggies:

The Fresno State Bulldogs traveled from Ruston to Las Cruces for a Saturday night WAC matchup with defending champion New Mexico State. Tip is set for 6pm Pacific and the game will be televised on the CW59, with Ralph Wood on play by play and the “Coach” Bob Dunawald with analysis. This is an important game for both teams as the Aggies (7-9) must defend their home court and the Dogs (8-6) are looking to steal one away from Fresno.

New Mexico State prior:

The Aggies come into Saturdays game with a Wednesday night victory over the University of Idaho in Moscow. NMSU never trailed in the second half but the Vandals were able to knot the game at 61 all with 9 minutes to go. From there the Aggies grinded it out and finished off Idaho 78-68.

Justin Hawkins led the way for the Aggies with 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Jonathan Gibson added 16 points and 5 rebounds. During the final minute NMSU shot 7 of 8 from the free throw line. The Aggies finished the contest with 5 players in double figures.

On the season, senior Justin Hawkins leads the way for NMSU at 18.5 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Next up in the scoring department are sophomore guard Jonathan Gibson at 12.7 points per game and senior guard Fred Peete at 12.1 per.

Key Aggie Stats:

-WAC leading 39.2 rebounds per game
-lead WAC at +6.1 rebounding margin
-WAC leading 13.9 offensive rebounds per game
-3.9 blocks per game
-shoot 48.3% from the field
-34.6% 3 point shooting
-62.3% free throw shooting
-280 turnovers to 212 assists on the season
-average 76.6 points per game (opponents 72.2)

The Bulldogs entering:

Fresno State comes into Saturdays contest versus the Aggies following a WAC opening road victory at Louisiana Tech 61-44. Senior guard Eddie Miller led the way with 17 points on 5-10 3 point shooting. Senior point guard Kevin Bell added 13 points and 6 assists. The Dogs shot 43.6% from the field while holding Tech to an abysmal 26.3% shooting. One issue was unforced errors, the Bulldogs finished with 15 turnovers which cant be matched on Saturday if they expect to leave Las Cruces with a win.

Bulldog stats and facts:

-The Bulldogs have won 5 straight WAC road games dating back to last season.
-Over the last four games have held opponents to a 49 point per game average
-WAC leading 121 made three point field goals
-shooting 35.8% from three
-Eddie Miller leads WAC with 3.43 made 3 point field goals per contest.
-Dogs rebounding at -4 per game margin.
-shoot 69.4% from the free throw line

MBs take:

This is a serious challenge for the Bulldogs and I don’t see them walking out with a victory from the Pan-Am Center Saturday. The offensive rebounding of the Aggies will be extremely difficult to negate, the Dogs may give up too much on the interior to overcome it even with 10 made threes.

The Dogs come back home after a 67-59 loss.

WAC play opens, unfortunately, on the road...

Your final WAC season. Make it count!

Dogs hit the road to open WAC play:

Fresno State travels to Ruston Louisiana to open WAC play against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Tip is set for 5pm Pacific and the game will be televised locally on CW59. The Bulldogs will follow up Thursday’s game with a game in Las Cruces Saturday night versus New Mexico State.

Fresno State entering:

The Bulldogs come into WAC play on the heels of a loss at Stanford 55-48. The Cardinal proved too much on the inside with their size and physical play for the Bulldogs to compete with for the entire 40 minutes. Another large first half scoring drought was a major factor in the Dogs undoing at Maples Pavilion also. Kevin Bell led the way with 16 points and 4 assists while Eddie Miller chipped in 10.

This WAC opener provides an opportunity to get off to a great start in WAC play, first getting a win but more importantly a road victory which is paramount in the conference race.

The WAC race is wide open and the out of conference records indicate there are 5 teams that could win the conference and that wouldn’t be much of a surprise. The WAC is wide open this season and because of early draft entries plus all league players exhausting eligibility it has quickly become what appears to be a conference of parity.

Louisiana Tech coming in:

The Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech come into Thursdays contest off of a 73-63 home victory over McNeese State. That victory broke an 8 game losing streak and provides some momentum leading up to the matchup with FSU. Tech was led by Dwayne Lathan’s 19 points and Kyle Gibson’s 18.

On the season La Tech only has 2 players averaging double figures in Gibson at 13.7 and JC Clark at 10.3. Tech is a team that has glaring issues that have been exposed this season. They manage to shoot 38.5% clip from the field while opponents have shot a blistering 46.1%. They only score 56.2 points per game while yielding 68.5 to opponents. They are also outrebounded by 7 per game and have only handed out 99 assists on the season as a team, which results in an abysmal assist to turnover ratio.

What to expect:

If history is any indication, this game will be close no matter what the records or stats say. Fresno State, although improved last season, have not been good on the road in the WAC over the last few seasons. No matter the opponent, the Dogs have struggled. They score less and shoot worse when they venture from the friendly confines of the Save Mart Center.

Can Steve Cleveland and his staff get this team to show up on the road? Can they instill some confidence in an erratic and seemingly fragile team? As usual, it will be up to Senior Guard Kevin Bell to both direct his team and add scoring punch.

Unfortunately, Bell has been thrust into the role of a scoring point guard this season which may hurt other areas of his game. His defensive effort will be crucial also as his quickness and intensity on that end of the floor could disrupt a Tech offense that comes in with enough issues already.

MBs take:

The Dogs look shoddy. Why? The game is not in Fresno, this is a bad road team against anyone in Division 1 and for that matter Division 1 transition team, hell Division 2 teams at that. They win this game, don’t tell me how, can you say nailbiter? The Dogs win, 64-60.