Both basketball teams set for 2009-10 runs

The Fresno State men’s and women’s basketball teams schedules have been released and each team will face tough competition as they try to win Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Titles.

On the men’s side, the team’s schedule has the Bulldogs playing games against old WAC foes, a Pac-10 up-and-comer, and a return to Sellend Arena for a game against a longtime rival.

The women’s team has a schedule that starts the season on a three-game road trip. They play against teams that are perennial powerhouses and 12 teams that finished inside the Top 100 in the RPI last season.

The Fresno State women’s basketball team hopes that a tough non-conference schedule will help propel them to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight year.

Eight different conferences make appearances on the ’Dogs’ schedule. They open with three-straight road games against UC Santa Barbara, USC, and TCU.

UC Santa Barbara made the NCAA Tournament last year. They also will travel to West Virginia to play a Mountaineer team that made the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) in 2009.

The biggest game of the season will take place on Dec. 30 when the Stanford Cardinal come to the Save Mart Center. Stanford has made the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons.

Head Coach Adrian Wiggins has not shied away from playing big competition throughout his career.

“We have a great schedule that will test us early,” Wiggins said in a press release. “This is a schedule that will challenge us as we prepare to defend our WAC Championship. We want to grow and play the kind of competition that will give us a chance to get better. This year’s schedule does just that.”

In all, the Bulldogs will play 12 teams that made the postseason last year.

The men’s team has a rigorous schedule as well. They will open their season at home against San Francisco State before going on the road for two games as part of the West Coast Classic, hosted by Santa Clara University. In the Classic they have away games at Northern Arizona and Seattle University. They then return home for a game against San Diego State and go on the road to Santa Clara.

The last game of the West Coast Classic has the ’Dogs returning to Sellend Arena as they host the Pacific Tigers.

It will be the 152nd meeting between the two teams. The game, which is being played at Sellend Area due to a scheduling conflict, will be a chance for the Bulldog faithful to reminisce on good times.

Head coach Steve Cleveland says the game will bring back a lot of memories for him as well.

“I played there as a freshman at Fresno State, coached there when I was at Clovis west and have watched games as a fan at Sellend Arena. It will be a very nostalgic night,” Cleveland said.

Also on the Bulldogs schedule are games with BYU, Oregon State, Montana, San Diego, Colorado St, UC Davis, Cal State Bakersfield, and Pepperdine. The BYU game will be the first time that coach Cleveland will play against his former team.

“BYU is the favorite to win the Mountain West and I will have different emotions, but I am committed to Fresno State and confident with our young players,” said Cleveland
Possibly taking a play from head coach Pat Hill’s football scheduling playbook, Cleveland is bulding a schedule that will be noticed outside of the Valley,
The Bulldogs hope that this will prepare them for the rigors of the WAC season, which begins Jan. 1 against Boise State.

“We have a balanced schedule. Wins versus those type of teams can create a postseason run,” Cleveland said