Young Bulldogs seem to have hit their stride

For the first time, in their still young season, it seems the Bulldogs may have found their stride.

After beating Pacific the other night on a buzzer beater, the Bulldogs used their height to their advantage as they dominated Cal State Bakersfield 66-51 in a game that wasn't even that close. The Bulldogs were led by young freshman Paul George who finished with a game high 17 points including a career high five three-pointers to go along with eight rebounds. That wasn't even their highlight, the 'Dogs had their best defensive effort of the season, holding Bakersfield to 30.6% shooting from the field for the entire game, 29.7% in the second half alone.

Is this team starting to click as a team after eight games already in the books? After having a few off games, Jr. transfer Sylvester Seay had a good turnaround, finishing the game with 15 points in just 19 minutes in the game. It's going to take guys like that to perform on a consistant basis, along with George, Sr. guard Dwight O'Neil and Freshman guard Mychal Ladd. The one thing I noticed about this team against Bakersfield is, even though Ladd (23 minutes - 2/4 - 8 points) and O'Neil (31 minutes - 4/11 - 9 points) had off nights, George and Seay were there to pick them up. It's also going to take same kind of defensive effort as well, especially if they want to compete with teams like Boise State and Nevada who were picked towards the top of the WAC in the preseason coaches poll.

In his 100th game as the Bulldogs' head coach, Steve Cleveland has a chance to really make this team his own. His recruits, his players, his record. If he can bring this young team together and mold them into a cohesive group, the WAC better watch out or they're going to be surprised by this young team.

I'm not saying that this team is going to win the WAC, I don't think they're nearly that good...yet. Give them another season or two and this could be the team to beat.

Seay, George lead Bulldogs past Seattle

After a disappointing 2 points against San Diego State, Freshman guard Paul George showed what he could do when he stays out of foul trouble as he and Jr transfer Sylvester Seay led the Bulldogs to a 79-58 win over Seattle University last night.


Seay, a transfer from Arizona State, led the Bulldogs with a career high 22-points (6-of-9) while George added his 2nd career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Mychal Ladd also had a career high night as he dropped in 15 points as well as grabbing six rebounds while Sr guard Dwight O'Neil came up just short of a triple-double. O'Neil would finish the night with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, 8 rebounds and 9 assists.

Up next for Fresno State (2-2) will be a matchup with Pac-10 opponent Oregon State on Sunday. Tip off is scheduled for 2pm at the Save Mart Center.

Bulldogs open 2008-2009 season with victory

The Fresno State men's basketball team got their 2008-2009 season off on the right foot, getting 17 points from Jr. transfer Sylvester Seay and used a quick second half surge to defeat Sacramento State 77-65 on Friday night.

Seay transfered to Fresno State last season from Arizona State and had to site out the 2007-2008 campaign before making his debut last night. The Bulldogs also got 14 points from Freshman Paul George and 10 points from Sr. Dwight O'Neil as well as seven rebounds and a career high seven assists in the victory. The Bulldogs led by as many as 26 at one point, 71-45, before Sacramento State closed the game with a 20-6 run thanks to the hot hand of Loren Leath who finished with a game high 21 points.

Bulldogs head coach Steve Cleveland, "We played aggressively on defense tonight and this team continues to get better. This is a very unselfish team and I like how we attacked the ball."

Up next for Fresno State, they will travel to Moraga, CA on Monday to take on St. Mary's as part of ESPN's 24 hours straight of NCAA basketball coverage. That game is not slated to start until 11pm PST. The Bulldogs will then be in San Diego, CA on Saturday the 22nd to take on San Diego State at Cox Arena, that game is scheduled to get underway at 2pm PST.

As for Sacramento State and first year head coach Brian Katz, they will play three straight games on the road to close out the first month of their season. They will be in Riverside, CA to take on UC Riverside on Tuesday, to Pullman, WA on Friday the 21st against Washington State, then finish out their three-game road trip in Bakersfield, CA on Tuesday the 25th against Cal State Bakersfield before they return home on December 1st against Idaho.

Bulldogs tip off 2009 season with annual Red/White Scrimmage

The Fresno State Men's Basketball team will tip off their 2008-2009 season with the annual Red/White Scrimmage, which will take place October 29th at the Save Mart Center. The doors will open to the public at 6:30pm with the festivities getting underway at 7pm, admission is free.

The events will not only feature a slam dunk contest between freshman high-flyer Paul George as well as fellow freshman Mychal Ladd, but also a shooting skills competition featuring sophomore forward Nedeljko Golubovic, junior forward Sylvester Seay, sophomore guard Myles Green and freshman guard Taylor Kelly.

With just over a week left before Fresno State opens its exhibition schedule on November 5th against Fresno Pacific, this will give fans a chance to see this young team in action and see the players they can look forward to for years to come. So, get out to the Save Mart Center tomorrow night, it doesn't cost you anything to get in, bring the kids out and let them enjoy the dunk contest and maybe teach them a little about the game of basketball. This event usually isn't sold out, so this might be the best opportunity to see these players close up.

This Fresno State team is a young squad, they may need a year or two to learn from each other, but watch out for them in 2011. In two years, with the talent this team has at this point, this is going to be a very dangerous Bulldog team to deal with. Maybe you can look back and say, "I saw these kids when they were just starting out," it might be a memory you might enjoy.