Tag: jordan ford

2020 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final update ranking Top 100 prospects

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

Originally scheduled for June, the ongoing pandemic pushed the big night back by five months. While this may cause some teams to overthink their decisions, it gave analysts plenty of time to study all of the top prospects eligible in this class.

This year, players had to participate in a mostly virtual pre-draft process. On the bright side, this meant that teams had the opportunity to interview more candidates than ever before.

However, the number of in-person visits were incredibly limited due to the restrictive parameters set by the league. Similarly, the NBA draft combine was conducted without the typical scrimmages where players can separate themselves from the others with impressive on-court performances.

Overall, the players that stood out in this pre-draft process had a different path to recognition than any other year. College basketball players did not have the opportunity to showcase themselves during March Madness. The nation’s top seniors did not get to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

As such, executives will rely mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intel they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We also depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews with more than three dozen prospects and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.

This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the Top 100 players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA.

Relevant statistics were pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik, KenPom, Open Look Analytics and RealGM. Note that the age listed for each player references how old they will be on the night of the draft.

Everything to know about NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process

Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.

Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many draft-eligible prospects not invited to the NBA combine have had trouble getting all of their information to team-decision makers in advance of the 2020 NBA Draft. To combat this, the NBA G League is offering a greater opportunity to be evaluated by team decision-makers.

This information included below was shared with USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire on the condition of anonymity because the person who shared the details was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

While the G League Elite Camp was canceled this year, a “select number” of participants were given the chance to share virtual evaluations through both shooting drills and an NBA pro day.

Prospects who agreed to participate will use HomeCourt, a mobile basketball training application, to record on-court workouts. The results will be shared with NBA team staffers through the app.

Players were encouraged to have two staffers with them in the gym to assist with the process. The coaches and trainers were required to wear a face mask and gloves during the workout.

NBA Evaluation: 8 Shooting Drills (based on previous editions of the Draft Combine)

  • Warm-Up/free-throws (50 shots)
  • Spot-Up shooting (50 shots)
  • Shooting off dribble/pull-up jumpers (30 shots)
  • Mid-Range/off the catch (20 shots)
  • 3-point drill /3-pointers off the catch (20 shots)
  • Side-mid-side/3-point jumpers on the move (2 minutes)
  • 3-point endurance/catch-and-shoot at game speed (5 minutes)
  • Cool down/free-throws (50 shots)

Each shooting drill can be completed a max of three times. Only the best score is uploaded into the NBA Player Evaluation platform for all NBA teams to access the data and video.

This is how the results look, as obtained by Babcock Hoops’ Derek Murray:

NBA Pro Day: 45-Minute Open Workout

  • This workout allows the draft prospect to share the unique
    aspects of his game through a 45-minute open workout.
  • Players are prohibited from partaking in live competition against any other draft-eligible and/or other players, including: informal scrimmages, pick-up games (e.g., 2-on-2), defensive drills (e.g., pick-and-roll coverage, post defense, etc.), offensive drills (e.g., Pick-and-Roll / Pop situations)
  • Pro Day must be a half-court workout.
  • Pro Day is an open workout for up to 45 minutes. If a player does NOT use the full 45 minutes, that is OK.
  • Must be completed on the same date as shooting drills. The player is allowed a 10-minute break in between.

KNOWN INVITATIONS

USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire was able to obtain a list of prospects invited to participate in this process. Note that others may have been included as well, though these were the names we can confirm at this time. 

Tres Tinkle, Oregon State

Malik Fitts, Saint Mary’s

Trevelin Queen, New Mexico State

Freddie Gillespie, Baylor

Jordan Ford, Saint Mary’s

Rayshaun Hammonds, Georgia

Jon Teske, Michigan

Emmitt Williams, LSU

Anthony Lamb, Vermont

Austin Wiley, Auburn

Isiaha Mike, SMU

Nate Darling, Delaware

Kamar Baldwin, Butler

Caleb Homesley, Liberty

Anthony Cowan, Maryland

Dwayne Sutton, Louisville

Steven Enoch, Louisville

Osasumwen Osaghae, Florida International

Kylor Kelley, Oregon State

John Mooney, Notre Dame

Xavier Sneed, Kansas State

EJ Montgomery, Kentucky

Quinton Rose, Temple

Jordan Bowden, Tennessee

Jake Toolson, BYU

Samir Doughty, Auburn

Terry Armstrong, South East Melbourne

Eli Pemberton, Hofstra

Kouat Noi, Cairns

Sacar Anim, Marquette

Jeff Dowtin, Rhode Island

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Ranking the top NCAA seniors in the country based on NBA draft stock

For the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft, seniors may have an advantage because they have the largest sample size of game film to show front offices.

For the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft, seniors may have an advantage because they have the largest sample size of game film to show front offices.

Most other years, prospects have opportunities to boost their draft stock in the NCAA Tournament or during team workouts and the NBA Combine. But with at least some and potentially even all of those scouting events canceled this year due to the coronavirus, upperclassmen are arguably more valuable than usual due to increased exposure.

With that in mind, we broke the top prospects who have elapsed their college basketball eligibility and as such are thus automatically eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft.

1. Cassius Winston, Michigan State

(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Guard, 6-foot-1, 21 years old

During his four seasons at Michigan State, Cassius Winston averaged 13.0 assists per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, his career assist rate (43.1%) ranked as sixth-best among all NCAA players since 2009-10. While a bit undersized, he had always been incredibly productive in college and is arguably the most NBA-ready of the seniors who will be in this draft class. Winston is already an incredibly capable finisher and distributor out of the pick-and-roll, which will help his game translate to the next level. He has also been productive as a shooter off the catch, off the dribble and off screens. In fact, he shot above 40.0 percent from 3-point range on each of those attempts. Winston became the second consensus All-American in Michigan State history, also earning All-American honors back-to-back seasons.

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Future Hoops Foes: Week Six Recap of Week Seven’s Opponents

Taking a Look At Week Seven’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Six Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 7 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week. …

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Taking a Look At Week Seven’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Six

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 7

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week.

Future Foes Week Six Recap:

Air Force Falcons (5-6, 1-1)

Tues, Dec. 17th

Johnson and Wales Wildcats:

The Wildcats are 6-4 on the season and currently compete in NCAA division three. Through those ten games they are led by senior guard Brian Hogan-Gary who is averaging 22.3 PPG and 10.6 RPG. He has help though, and that is junior guard Justin Bullock who is contributing 17.7 PPG so far. Looks like a nice game to get the Falcons back to .500 on the season.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Drake Bulldogs:

The Bulldogs are 8-3 on the season and have nice wins against Murray State and Lehigh so far. Second year head coach Darian DeVries posted an impressive twenty-four win season and regular season championship in his first year in Des Moines and isn’t looking for any stoppage in momentum.

Drake isn’t shooting the lights out of the gym and leading scorer Roman Penn is only averaging 10.7 PPG just ahead of senior guard Anthony Murphy at 10.5 PPG and 7-foot sophomore Liam Robbins at 10.2 PPG. They have multiples guys that can get it done and are a part of a defense that is holding opponents to just 62.3 PPG on the season, good for 53rd in the nation.

Boise State Broncos (6-4, 1-1)

Sun, Dec. 22nd

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:

Josh Pastner’s Yellow Jackets are 4-4 on the season so far, and aside from a 34 point loss to Syracuse at home the other three losses all to SEC teams were a lot closer. Georgia Tech has formiddable athletes and length which could provide issues for a Bronco team that has a shallow front court presence to begin with. Their second and third leading scorers are both 6-9 big men in junior Moses Wright (12.3 PPG) and senior James Banks III (10.6 PPG). But their most dangerous asset is sophomore guard Michael Devoe who is averaging 19.4 PPG and 3.5 APG which includes a 34 point performance at Georgia where he also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Colorado State Rams (7-6, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 21st

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes:

Tulsa is a tough team, and if you are unsure ask Boise State. The Golden Hurricanes have found a formula that works with junior college transfer Brandon Rachal leading the pack and three players averaging nine points or more right behind him. Tulsa was able to come out with a win at home last week against the Broncos by completely taking Alston Jr. and Jessup out of the game.

They have long athletic forwards who can guard the perimeter and give three point shooters a hard time while clogging the lanes with that same length and athletic ability. Tulsa is a good team and they were tested against an even better Eric Musselman led Arkansas team and came away with a loss last week to make them 8-3 on the year.

Fresno State Bulldogs (3-7, 0-2)

Fri, Dec. 20th

IUPUI Jaguars:

George Hill’s alma mater is 4-8 on the season with a win against an average South Florida team as the highlight of an otherwise lack luster non-conference slate. Head coach Jason Gardner is in his sixth season in charge of IUPUI with the 2018-19 season being the closest he has come to reaching the .500 mark. He has senior guard Marcus Burk averaging 20.0 PPG through their first twelve games but not much else. Watch out for Burk on Friday Fresno fans.

Nevada Wolf Pack (7-4, 1-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Texas Southern Tigers:

The Tigers are coached by former Nevada assistant Johnny Jones and Jones has the juggernaut of the SWAC known as Texas Southern at 3-6 thus far in the season. The Tigers always have an impressive SOS in non-conference play with a lineup full of high profile buy games. That 3-6 record isn’t too shabby considering those losses are to San Diego State, Arkansas and Gonzaga. And with a nice win over Northern Kentucky, Texas Southern looks to be a power in conference play once again.

Senior guard Tyrik Armstrong is leading this squad with 13.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 3.6 APG. Watch out for him and pretty much everyone else as this squad has some talented newcomers and high major transfers getting minutes off of the bench.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Saint Mary’s Gaels:

We knew heading into the season that Mountain West fans would see the Gaels quite a bit, and they haven’t disappointed. They gave Utah State their first loss of the season and beat Fresno State in a neutral site game. Next up is the Nevada Wolf Pack in a neutral site game in San Francisco and Steve Alford’s team could make a statement in the Mountain West by doing something no one else has been able to do, beat the Gaels.

Jordan Ford has been Jordan Ford and junior forward Malik Fitts is back at his normal level of play after struggling a bit early on. A loss to #13 ranked Dayton is their only blemish at 10-2, while let’s not forget Winthrop.

New Mexico Lobos (10-2, 2-0)

Tues, Dec. 17th

Grand Canyon Antelopes:

Dan Majerle and crew are having a bit of a down year in Phoenix. The Lopes of Grand Canyon opened the year with a loss to Davenport at home and have gone 4-8 on the season since. The Lopes aren’t lacking talent but are having a hard time putting it all together. Junior big man Alessandro Lever is leading the team with 14.3 PPG but grabbing just 4.8 rebounds in the process.

Carlos Johnson isn’t having the senior jump in production we might have expected, staying steady at 13.0 PPG (1.3 PPG short of last years average) while grabbing a team leading 5.4 boards a game. J.J. Rhymes is out for the season with an injury but the Lopes do get junior guard Mikey Dixon on Tuesday after transferring over from St. John’s last season. GCU can be a tough game on any schedule but a loss to this year’s team would be a bad look for a New Mexico team gaining momentum.

Sun, Dec. 22nd

Houston Baptist Huskies:

The Huskies are currently 0-8 and are one of three remaining winless teams in the country. They are extremely guard heavy and are led by senior guard Jalon Gates at 17.6 PPG and complimented by Junior guard Ian Dubose with 16.9 PPG. The Huskies get up a lot of shots and if these two are both knocking them down the Lobos who sometimes attempt to win games by making more shots then their opponents with little defense may be in for a tough night.

They haven’t played any slouches either, with losses to Tulsa, Texas Tech, Michigan, Houston and Dayton so far. The Lobos need to guard the perimeter and stop any penetration in the lane if they want to win this game, or just knock down more shots.

No. 20 San Diego State Aztecs (10-0, 2-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

San Diego Christian Hawks:

The Hawks are 2-6 on the season as they make their yearly trip into Viejas arena on Wednesday. And although the stats on the San Diego Christian’s basketball site aren’t too accurate it looks like senior guard Bryce Parsons might be leading the Hawks in scoring. 

Sat, Dec. 21st

Utah Utes:

Larry Krystkowiak’s group is 8-2 on the season with a questionable loss to Coastal Carolina and a slightly understandable one to a Tulane team that Ron Hunter has on the up and up. Timmy Allen is a name to watch as the sophomore forward has stepped up as needed for Utah averaging 20.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG. Allen was a part of our top-25 opposing players to watch out for rankings at the beginning of the season and we can see why.

He and fellow sophomore Both Gach have stepped up big time and a win over this Utah team will only benefit the Aztecs. But they also have to be careful as this team full of freshmen and sophomores is beginning to figure things out and could ruin an unblemished resume for Aztecs come this weekend.

San Jose State Spartans (3-8, 0-2)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Santa Clara Broncos:

The Broncos continue to impress as they are looking to extend a 12-game winning streak at home against the Spartans on Wednesday. Santa Clara is 10-2 on the season and are currently led by sophomore big man Guglielmo Caruso with 11.2 PPG and a team high 5.5 RPG. The leading scorer role has been an interchangeable one for the Broncos this season as it has been shared by fellow sophomore Trey Wertz and junior forward Donovan Mitchell throughout the season.

Mitchell and San Jose State Guard Richard Washington were teammates back in Winston-Salem, and a win for the Spartans could go a long way as they are looking for their fourth win of the season which would tie last years overall win total in just December.

Sun, Dec. 22nd

UC-Riverside Highlanders:

This years Highlanders team looks much improved, and like San Jose State are attempting to surpass last seasons win total of ten games by garnering their 8th win on Sunday. They are led by 7-1 275 lb sophomore center Callum McRae with 10.7 PPG and 7.6 RPG. UC-Riverside has a power five win against an improving Nebraska team to boast about but not much else. This is a very winnable game for San Jose State, but if things aren’t firing on all cylinders they could give UC-Riverside that eighth win on Sunday.

Nevada-Las Vegas Running Rebels (4-7, 1-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Pacific Tigers:

The Tigers are 10-3 on the season including a triple overtime battle with Boise State in late November. Damon Stoudamire’s squad plays tough defense keeping their opponents to 58.8 PPG which is 19th in the country. Senior forward Jahlil Tripp has emerged as the leader on this Tigers team with 13.0 PPG and a team high 7.1 RPG. But he has a versatile supporting cast filled with efficient big men and tall guards. UNLV needs a solid win in the middle of December in preparation for conference play and this could be it.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Robert Morris Colonials:

The once mighty Colonials look to be in a down year, picked 5th in the NEC preseason poll. Stuck behind what looks like a four team race in the NEC, Robert Morris is 3-8 on the year with an okay win against Florida Gulf Coast on the road. Senior guard Josh Williams leads the team in scoring with 11.4 PPG. The Colonials have a hard time scoring the basketball ranking 287th in the nation, UNLV should come out with a win on Saturday as long as their big men are the difference in this one.

Utah State Aggies (10-2, 2-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

South Florida Bulls:

Brian Gregory’s squad is 6-4 on the year but has been all over the place in terms of production. With a bad loss at home to IUPUI followed by a solid win against Wofford the following week. Junior guard David Collins leads this Bulls squad with 15.3 PPG, supported by senior guard Laquincy Rideau with 13.4 PPG and a team high 3.7 APG. South Florida should be a nice test for Utah State after coming off of a loss to BYU in a neutral site match up right before their next biggest test of the season in Florida in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Florida Gators:

Mike White’s Gators are 6-3 on the year, with losses to Florida State, UCONN and Butler. Florida just hasn’t figured out how to put a lot of talented pieces together, and graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. whose leading the team in points (13.3) and rebounds (8.4) hasn’t taken the Gators to that next level as expected. Another disappointing fixture has been freshman Scottie Lewis, who is averaging just 7.9 PPG (5th on the team) after coming to Gainesville as the 3rd best overall recruit all time and bringing the 8th ranked 2019 recruiting class with him.

This was a heavily anticipated match up in the preseason and even though Neemias Queta isn’t at full strength, he will still be scouted based on his match up with Blackshear Jr. down low.

Wyoming Cowboys (3-8, 0-2)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Utah Valley Wolverines:

Utah Valley is a dangerous match up and it’s hard to gauge which caliber of Wolverines team you might get on any given night. With junior guard Isaiah White returning from injury recently first year head coach Mark Madsen now has five players averaging double figures going into Wednesdays game. Even though they have some bigger than average guards, they still display a guard heavy rotation led by senior TJ Washington alongside White. If the Cowboys can utilize their size advantage in the front court, this could be a nice win at home.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Denver Pioneers:

The Cowboys will be the fourth Mountain West team the Pioneers have faced this season, and they could be their lone Mountain West win at home on Saturday night if things go well. Wyoming has had some ups and downs and if they aren’t careful could head back home with a loss at the hands of Rodney Billup’s squad in Denver.

Senior guard Ade Murkey (14.7 PPG) and sophomore guard Jase Townsend (14.0 PPG) lead a struggling Denver team in scoring, but the difference maker could be freshman big man Robert Jones in the post. Jones is a former top-200 recruit and could take advantage of a Wyoming frontcourt that has had a hard time on the glass this season.

Side Note:

Revisit our Top-25 opposing players ranking with multiple players that made the list player your favorite Mountain West teams this week.

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Vols offer JUCO running back Jordan Ford

Vols offer JUCO running back Jordan Ford.

 

Tennessee has offered Garden City Community College running back Jordan Ford.

Ford played in nine games for Garden City in 2019 and totaled 213 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on 39 attempts. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound back also recorded one reception for 20 yards.

Ford played at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, Tenn. for one season before arriving at Garden City Community College. The JUCO prospect played at Marietta High School in Atlanta, Ga. for three seasons before his time at Notre Dame. 2020 Tennessee quarterback commit Harrison Bailey also played at Marietta.

2020 recruiting class signing dates

The 2019 Early Signing Period will take place Dec. 18-20 and National Signing Day will be held on Feb. 5.

The Vols’ 2020 commitment tracker can be followed below.

University of Tennessee’s 2020 football recruiting class tracker

Hyder Scores 20 as Bulldogs Fall 68-58 to Saint Mary’s

Game Recap: Saint Mary’s 68, Fresno State 58 Fresno State falls to 2-3 in loss to Gaels Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Hyder continues to impress It was another tough loss for Fresno State on Wednesday night in what felt, at times, like …

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Game Recap: Saint Mary’s 68, Fresno State 58

Fresno State falls to 2-3 in loss to Gaels

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Hyder continues to impress

It was another tough loss for Fresno State on Wednesday night in what felt, at times, like a winnable game for the Bulldogs. But Saint Mary’s pulled away late in the second half at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, defeating Fresno State, 68-58.

Fresno State continued their struggles to produce offense outside of breakout freshman Jarred Hyder. The first-year guard scored 20 points and only missed two shots, while the rest of the team was 34.1% from the field. Bulldogs big man Nate Grimes finished with eight points, nine rebounds, and a block.

While Fresno State (2-3, 0-0 MWC) was cold from inside the arc, they were effective from deep. The Bulldogs hit nine triples and hit 40% from deep for the first time all season. That shooting is what allowed Justin Hutson’s club to hang with the Gaels throughout the game, but they ultimately fell short.

Saint Mary’s was led by its formidable duo of Jordan Ford and Malik Fitts, with Tanner Krebs and Tommy Kuhse playing a big role in the win, as well. Ford scored a game-high 24 points while playing 40 minutes for head coach Randy Bennett. Fitts and Krebs combined for 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Kuhse filled up the stat sheet with nine points, six assists, and five steals.

The Gaels (4-1, 0-0 WCC) played a tight game overall, shooting over 50% from the field and committing just six turnovers. Their performance in Sacramento could help vault them back into the national polls. Saint Mary’s dropped out of the Top 25 after losing to Winthrop last week.

Fresno State is struggling to find a consistent recipe for success. It seems at this point that Plan A, which was seemingly to have Noah Blackwell and New Williams take on big roles, has backfired calamitously.

Neither guard has been able to find their form in the early going. After Blackwell missed the first two games due to a suspension, New Williams was conspicuously absent from the lineup against Saint Mary’s. Blackwell did play, but scored just three points and saw his field goal percentage drop to 22.7% on the season.

Luckily for the team, the new faces in town—namely Hyder, Orlando Robinson, and Mustapha Lawrence—have been able to pick up some of the slack. But this team is in desperate need of a second scorer behind Hyder. Nate Grimes seems the obvious choice for the role, but he has been unable to establish himself as a truly dominant force so far. Fresno State’s season hinges largely on whether he can become the legitimate second option on offense.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs don’t play again until November 30, when they head down south to take on Cal State Northridge (0-5, 0-0 Big West). The Matadors have struggled mightily after the late news came down that star forward Lamine Diane was ruled ineligible. That said, CSUN has played a raft of solid teams, including Auburn, New Mexico, Oregon State, Richmond, and Pepperdine.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Fresno State vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Live Stream, Odds, More

Fresno State vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Live Streaming, Odds, More Bulldogs out to score first marquee victory of the season Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Can Fresno State contain Jordan Ford? WHO: Fresno State …

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Fresno State vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Live Streaming, Odds, More

Bulldogs out to score first marquee victory of the season

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Can Fresno State contain Jordan Ford?

WHO: Fresno State (2-2, 0-0 MWC) vs. Saint Mary’s (3-1, 0-0 WCC)

WHEN: Wednesday, November 20th — 8:00 P.M. PT / 9:00 P.M. MT

WHERE: Golden 1 Center — Sacramento, Calif.

TV: ESPNU

STREAM: WatchESPN (cable subscription required); Get a free one-week trial of FuboTV.

RADIO: TuneIn

SERIES RECORD: Saint Mary’s leads, 19-17

ODDS: Saint Mary’s -8, per KenPom

PREVIEW: Fresno State heads west to the state capital Wednesday night to take on Saint Mary’s at the Golden 1 Center, home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. As if playing in a professional arena weren’t enough, this game is the Bulldogs’ best chance at a marquee non-conference win.

But it certainly won’t be easy.

The Gaels are coming into this game on a 3-1 start, including a nail-biter overtime win against Wisconsin and a head-scratching loss to Winthrop. But they’ve rebounded well over the past two contests, beating Long Beach State and Cal Poly by 18 and 31 points, respectively.

Those victories weren’t enough to keep Randy Bennett’s team from falling out of the national rankings after last Monday’s loss to the Eagles, though. Despite the setback, the Gaels should still be one of the top mid-major teams in the country and are a good bet to back in the Top 25 sometime soon.

Saint Mary’s senior Jordan Ford, one of the top players in the country, has been as good as expected in the early going. The star guard is averaging 19.8 points per game—though that number is weighed down by a paltry 10-point performance against Long Beach State in which Ford took a backseat on offense. He scored over 20 points in each of the three other games.

Malik Fitts, the second half of the Gaels’ one-two punch, comes in averaging 13 points and six rebounds nightly. Fellow starters Tommy Kuhse, Tanner Krebs, and Matthias Tass have also been serviceable in their respective roles of distributor, shooter, and post presence.

Fresno State, like their opponents, is entering Wednesday’s matchup on the heels of a big win, albeit against Division II school Cal State San Bernadino. Prior to that, the Bulldogs went 1-2 in their first three games. Coincidentally, that win actually came against Winthrop, the only team to best Saint Mary’s so far. The other games didn’t go so well. Oregon proved to be a class above Fresno State in the opener, while WCC foes San Diego scraped out an overtime win.

After scoring just two points against the Ducks, freshman Jarred Hyder exploded onto the scene with a 26-point game against Winthrop. He followed that up with 23 points against the Toreros, before sitting out the game against CSU San Bernadino with a hip flexor injury.

Aside from Hyder, Fresno State has spread the scoring out, with four other players averaging at least eight points per game. Big man Nate Grimes has performed well against preseason expectations, averaging 10.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in the early going.

Aguir Agau is averaging over 10 points off the bench, while starters Orlando Robinson and Mustapha Lawrence have also contributed significantly for head coach Justin Hutson.

But the big issue has the play of Noah Blackwell and New Williams, who were expected to take up the mantel left behind by Deshon Taylor and Braxton Huggins. Blackwell missed two games to a suspension and has shot under 25% in the other two. Williams’ shooting has been even worse, with the guard firing at just a 16.7% clip so far.

With or without Hyder, Fresno State is surely counting on those their returning guards to turn things around. It’s hard to imagine a better opportunity for Blackwell and Williams to finally make a positive impact on this season than Wednesday night’s nationally-televised tilt with one of the nation’s premier mid-major programs.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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