This might be the actual reality for rosters come next season.
Roster and Depth Chart
F Christian Gray 6-6 240 R-Sr. Moreno Valley, CA-John W. North HS/Salt Lake C.C.
G C.J. Hyder 6-2 190 Sr. San Bernadino, CA-Mt. San Jacinto College
G Alex Hickman 6-4 195 R-Jr. Riverside, CA-Jserra Catholic HS/UC-Riv./East L.A. College
G Jarred Hyder 6-3 180 So. San Bernadino, CA-Damien HS
G Niven Hart 6-5 205 So. Orlando, FL-Oak Ridge HS
G Jordan Campbell 6-3 195 So. Adelanto, CA-Adelanto HS/Oregon State
F Orlando Robinson 6-10 235 So. Las Vegas, NV-Middlebrooks Academy
C Assane Diouf 7-2 275 R-So. Dakar, Senegal-DME Academy
G Anthony Holland 6-5 215 So. Riverside, CA-Notre Dame HS
G Destin Whitaker 6-5 185 Fr. Romeroville, IL-Romeroville HS
F Leonardo Colimerio 6-7 180 Fr. Mount Pleasant, UT-Wasatch Academy
C Braxton Meah 7-0 230 Fr. Fresno, CA-San Joaquin Memorial HS
| Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
| Jarred Hyder So. | Jordan Campbell R-So. | Niven Hart So. | Orlando Robinson So. | Assane Diouf R-So. |
| Alex Hickman R-Jr. | Anthony Holland So. | Leonardo Colimerio Fr. | Chris Seeley R-Jr. | Braxton Meah Fr. |
| C.J. Hyder Sr. | Destin Whitaker Fr. | Christian Gray R-Sr. | ||
Things of Note:
- A couple players listed above were listed as walk-ons this past season but were maybe awaiting scholarships to free up this season, either way this team is at capacity if those players don’t stay walk-ons.
The success Justin Hutson enjoyed in his first season in charge of the Bulldogs program wasn’t replicated in his second. The team went through growing pains that were completely understandable given the production they lost. But there were some upsides, and those upsides were a talented group of freshmen named Orlando Robinson, Jarred Hyder and Niven Hart. Each of those freshmen enjoyed first seasons in the Mountain West with ample playing time and several high scoring games.
The future looks bright at Fresno State but looking ahead to next season there will be an obvious gap in the frontcourt due to Grime’s graduation. Orlando Robinson had a stellar freshman campaign, but even given his size (6-10 235), he didn’t look like a true post player most of the season. As he found himself in one-on-one situations out on the key or stepping away to the three point line to stretch the floor. Either way he will need someone to get down low and do a lot of the dirty work Grimes handled last season, which was rebound, block and score the ball.
In conclusion,
It’s hard to imagine a ruling in favor of extra eligibility for a sport that was let’s say 85% done? I get it, it isn’t college basketball without March Madness but to award a whole extra year of eligibility for players is hard to imagine logistically. Unlike those springs sport athletes who had their season canceled before it even got started, winter sports got to play almost an entire season before theirs was canceled.
For some teams, especially in the Mountain West, their seasons were over. We had our champion. So for everyone else, their season was actually over, barring a postseason invitation to maybe the NIT, CBI or CIT.
Don’t get me wrong I am all in favor of awarding an extra year of eligibility to guys who just didn’t get the closure they deserved. No matter how heartbreaking it may be on a court surrounded by tens of thousands of fans or watched by millions at home. It is tough that hundreds of players didn’t get to experience that.
But there is also a group of players that maybe just wouldn’t return. Some would graduate and move on while others would pursue a professional opportunity. That is their decision and I can’t wait to hear some official news so we can let them do that.
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