Fresno State Basketball Gets Some Love from ESPN

Fresno State men’s basketball is getting some love from ESPN. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 25 in the latest ESPN poll.

ESPN releases their “Way Too Early” Top 25

Fresno State’s basketball team is getting some love from ESPN. The network has released their “Way Too Early” Top 25 for next season, and the Bulldogs are ranked at No. 23.

This is the highest ranking Fresno State has ever received in the ESPN poll. The previous best was No. 24, which they achieved in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

The Bulldogs are coming off a season in which they went 21-10 overall and 12-6 in conference play They narrowly missed out on an NCAA tournament berth, losing to San Diego State in the Mountain West conference tournament Championship game

Despite losing leading scorer Marvelle Harris to graduation, Fresno State is still expected to be one of the top teams in the conference next season. They’ll be led by senior guard Paul Watson who averaged 13.9 points per game last season.

Fresno State comes in at #24

On Wednesday, Fresno State received some good news when ESPN released their college basketball power rankings and the Bulldogs came in at #24.

This is the first time Fresno State has been ranked in the ESPN Power Rankings since the 2015-16 season.

The Bulldogs are off to a hot start this season with a 10-1 record, including wins over Iowa State and UCLA.

ESPN’s college basketball Power Rankings are updated every week and can be found here.

The Bulldogs are the only Mountain West team in the Top 25

Fresno State is the only team from the Mountain West Conference in the ESPN Top 25 men’s basketball poll, ranked at No. 24.

The Bulldogs (22-4, 12-2 MW) enter this week’s poll after winning four straight games, including a road victory over then-No. 14 BYU on Saturday. Fresno State is one of five MW teams to receive votes in this week’s poll.

Other ranked teams from the West include No. 5 Gonzaga (26-2), No. 11 Saint Mary’s (25-3) and No. 16 Arizona (21-6).

ESPN analysts are high on Fresno State

ESPN’s College Basketball analysts are high on Fresno State this season. Jay Bilas and Seth Greenberg both have the Bulldogs in their updated NCAA Tournament projections released this week.

Fresno State is 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference heading into Thursday’s game against New Mexico. The Bulldogs are coming off a road win at UNLV on Saturday.

Bilas has Fresno State as a No. 10 seed in his latest bracket projection, while Greenberg has the Bulldogs as a No. 11 seed.

The Bulldogs are expected to contend for the Mountain West title

Fresno State basketball is expected to contend for the Mountain West title this season, and ESPN seems to think they have a shot.

The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 23 in ESPN’s latest power rankings which is up four spots from last week.

Fresno State is coming off an impressive victory over then-No. 23 Marquette, and ESPN’s Jeff Borzello expects the Bulldogs to “continue to climb” the rankings.

The Bulldogs are currently 14-3 on the season and sit atop the Mountain West standings with a 5-1 record.

Fresno State has a talented roster

Fresno State has a talented roster led by 6’8″ forward Nate Grimes, who is averaging a double-double with 13.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game The Bulldogs also have a solid backcourt, led by seniors Jaron Hopkins and Terrell Carter II. Fresno State is currently 17-5 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West Conference which is good for second place behind Nevada.

ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla recently took to Twitter to laud Fresno State’s roster, calling it “one of the more talented” he’s seen this season:

The Bulldogs have a tough schedule

The Fresno State Bulldogs have a tough schedule ahead of them, but ESPN is giving them some love. The ESPN College Basketball analysts have the Bulldogs pegged as the team to beat in the Mountain West Conference this season.

The Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing loss to UNLV in the conference tournament Championship game but they have a lot of experience returning this season. They will be led by junior guard Deshon Taylor, who averaged 16.8 points per game last season.

ESPN is not the only one high on Fresno State this season. The Bulldogs are also receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll and are ranked No. 28 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

ESPN’s Top 25 is sure to change throughout the season

The ESPN Top 25 Basketball Rankings for the 2019-2020 Season were released on Wednesday, and Fresno State found themselves at number 22.

This is the first time the Bulldogs have been ranked in the ESPN Top 25 since the 2015-2016 season, when they were ranked 23rd.

The Bulldogs are coming off a season where they went 21-12 and reached the NCAA tournament where they lost to eventual National Champion Virginia in the first round.

Fresno State’s non-Conference Schedule this season includes games against Iowa State Oregon, and Saint Mary’s.

Fresno State could be a dark horse in the NCAA Tournament

Fresno State could be a dark horse in the NCAA tournament according to ESPN.

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 21 in ESPN’s latest bracketology, which was released on Monday.

Fresno State is one of four Mountain West teams that are currently projected to make the NCAA tournament

The Bulldogs are 22-4 overall and 11-2 in conference play They have won eight games in a row and are currently tied for first place in the Mountain West with Nevada.

Fresno State will have a chance to improve its NCAA Tournament resume this week with games against UNLV (Wednesday) and New Mexico (Saturday).

The Bulldogs are a team to watch this season

The Fresno State Bulldogs are a team to Watch This Season according to ESPN. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 23 in the ESPN preseason poll and are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in last year’s NCAA Tournament

“Fresno State is a team on the rise,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas “The Bulldogs have a lot of talent and they’re well-coached. I think they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Mountain West ”

The Bulldogs are led by junior guardDestiny Slocum, who was named the preseason Mountain West Player of the Year. Slocum averaged 17.4 points and 5.9 assists per game last season and was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.

“Slocum is one of the best guards in the country,” Bilas said. “She can really score and she makes her teammates better.”

Fresno State opens the season on November 5 against Pepperdine.