For the first time in five years the Fresno State men̢۪s basketball team received a postseason bid.
The Bulldogs were one of 32 teams to receive a bid to play in the 2007 National Invitational Tournament.
Fresno State was given a five-seed in the West region bracket. The Bulldogs will travel to SEC country to play the fourth-seeded University of Georgia on Wednesday. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. EST.
Cleveland said the NIT bid was very satisfying and a great reward for the team̢۪s effort and perseverance all season.
A postseason bid seemed unlikely one month ago when the Bulldogs found themselves with a disappointing 5-6 conference record and 16-8 record overall. Fresno State regrouped and closed out the regular season with six-straight wins, five of which were WAC games, before losing to Boise State in the WAC tournament.
“The last month or so we’ve had great chemistry and a great work ethic,” Cleveland said. “Our backs were against the wall and we were playing for our postseason lives.”
Preparation for the trip to Georgia will be a quick turnaround for the Bulldogs. After selections for the NIT were announced Sunday evening, Fresno State had a late evening practice. The Bulldogs will practice again Monday morning and the team will leave for Georgia Monday afternoon.
“The preparation isn’t what it normally would be but that’s the same for both teams,” Cleveland said.
Cleveland also said while he hasn̢۪t seen much of Georgia this season, the two teams will exchange three game tapes to help prepare for Wednesday̢۪s game.
Although both teams have little time to prepare, Georgia will have the advantage of playing at home.
“It will be a challenge,” Cleveland said. “They are very physical, but I’m confident our guys will compete at a very high level.”
FSDogs1 • Mar 13, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Yes, just FS, Iowa and Dallas Baptist…I was extremely saddened and disappointed too. But sources say it’ll be back to normal next year…
FSDogs1 • Mar 14, 2007 at 6:38 am
Yes, just FS, Iowa and Dallas Baptist…I was extremely saddened and disappointed too. But sources say it’ll be back to normal next year…
JD • Mar 13, 2007 at 6:03 pm
fsdogs1, don’t be such a homer. here’s his real (though buried) point: three teams in the pepsi/johnny quick classic??
that’s beyond disgrace. if true, that tournament has really gone down the tubes.
JD • Mar 14, 2007 at 1:03 am
fsdogs1, don’t be such a homer. here’s his real (though buried) point: three teams in the pepsi/johnny quick classic??
that’s beyond disgrace. if true, that tournament has really gone down the tubes.
FSDogs1 • Mar 13, 2007 at 9:50 am
So, I’m a little confused here, is your argument that we shouldn’t care so much about men’s basketball, football and baseball (the three sports that make enough money to support ALL the others) or was it simply that men’s soccer and wrestling shouldn’t have been eliminated?
Don’t get me wrong, I support all the teams and was upset to see a soccer team that was once ranked No. 5 in the country and a wrestling team that had been top 10 cut lose from the athletic dept….but, without men’s basketball and football producing all the revenue, none of the sports would be there.
GO ‘DOGS!!!
BEAT GEORGIA!!!
FSDogs1 • Mar 13, 2007 at 4:50 pm
So, I’m a little confused here, is your argument that we shouldn’t care so much about men’s basketball, football and baseball (the three sports that make enough money to support ALL the others) or was it simply that men’s soccer and wrestling shouldn’t have been eliminated?
Don’t get me wrong, I support all the teams and was upset to see a soccer team that was once ranked No. 5 in the country and a wrestling team that had been top 10 cut lose from the athletic dept….but, without men’s basketball and football producing all the revenue, none of the sports would be there.
GO ‘DOGS!!!
BEAT GEORGIA!!!
Hitenda Nadds • Mar 13, 2007 at 9:29 am
Who gives a darn? This city is so quick to get a half-chub when the football and men’s hoops teams show a little success. We average 12,000 a game for men’s hoops and can’t win the conference title? Where was all that support when the men’s futbol team was playing in the PAC-10 against the likes of Stanford, UCLA, and Washington? Ohhh, sorry, they were in the stands. We were actually top 20 nationally in attendance for men’s soccer and drew a whopping 9,000 for NCAA wrestling in the SMC, but our administration wouldn’t let those programs survive. The city has come from far and wide to watch Bulldog athletics in droves and the powers that be can’t even maintain the various FS sports program. A full three teams in the P- J. Quik Classic baseball tourney? That’s shameful. Fresno deserves better.
Hitenda Nadds • Mar 13, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Who gives a darn? This city is so quick to get a half-chub when the football and men’s hoops teams show a little success. We average 12,000 a game for men’s hoops and can’t win the conference title? Where was all that support when the men’s futbol team was playing in the PAC-10 against the likes of Stanford, UCLA, and Washington? Ohhh, sorry, they were in the stands. We were actually top 20 nationally in attendance for men’s soccer and drew a whopping 9,000 for NCAA wrestling in the SMC, but our administration wouldn’t let those programs survive. The city has come from far and wide to watch Bulldog athletics in droves and the powers that be can’t even maintain the various FS sports program. A full three teams in the P- J. Quik Classic baseball tourney? That’s shameful. Fresno deserves better.