The Fresno State men’s basketball team is in for a new look next season, with key players entering their names into the transfer portal. There are also new additions to the coaching staff and players committing to play for the Bulldogs.

Headlined by sophomore guard Zaon Collins, the Bulldogs have seen a total of 10 players enter the transfer portal since it opened on March 24.

Transferring from Salt Lake Community College in Utah, Collins got a fresh start with the ‘Dogs this season, averaging 12.4 points (team-high), 4.6 assists (team-high), four rebounds and 1.9 steals (team-high) on a team-high 35.4 minutes. 

Redshirt freshman forward Elijah Price also entered his name into the transfer portal. Like Collins, Price was also a main contributor, averaging 10.5 points, 8.2 rebounds (team-high), 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks (team-high).

Price had a successful season, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors three times and etching his name in the Bulldog record books with 11 total double-doubles this season as a freshman, surpassing the previous record holder, Paul George, who had six.

Another important  player who entered the transfer portal was junior forward Alex Crawford. He was a solid contributor to the team, averaging 11.5 points on 49.1% shooting (team-high), 4.3 rebounds and one steal.

Junior guard Jasir Tremble, who saw significant playing time late in the season, averaging 14.5 points in the final four games of the season, and freshman guard Brian Amuneke, who recorded nine double-figure scoring games in the final 14 games of the season, also entered the transfer portal.

The Bulldogs’ center rotation of juniors Mor Seck and Pierre Geneste Jr. also entered the transfer portal. Both players battled injuries throughout the season, with Geneste Jr. playing through a hand injury all season and Seck playing through a knee injury, often donning a knee brace for most of the season. 

Other players entering the transfer portal are freshman forward Pasha Shemirani and freshman guards Rippen Gill and Joshua Bonga.

The Bulldogs will also welcome four new commits to the team.

The first player to announce his commitment was 6-foot-7 guard Deshawn Gory on Oct. 15, 2024. Gory is a three-star recruit from Victorville, Calif., and most recently played for the Diamond Doves of Overtime Elite. With the Diamond Doves, Gory averaged 15.8 points on an efficient 59.1% from the field, five rebounds, three assists and one steal a game during the regular season. 

In the playoffs, Gory’s scoring slightly dipped, averaging 11 points, but bounced back on the defensive end, averaging three blocks and one steal.

The next player to announce his commitment was local 6-foot-3 guard DJ Stickman on Dec. 3, 2024. Stickman played at Clovis West under Fresno State men’s basketball Head Coach Vance Walberg for three years before Walberg’s departure in 2024. This season, Stickman is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 3.1 steals in 31 games played for Clovis West.

From Rome, Italy, 6-foot-7 forward Matteo Porto’s commitment was announced on Dec. 12, 2024. Porto played in the Lega Basket Serie A league, a professional basketball league in Italy, for Germani Brescia and did not get much playing time this season. 

However, Porto did play in the Euroleague Next Generation Tournament, a tournament featuring the best U18 teams in Europe. In 2022-23, Porto played for Orange1 Bassano’s U18 team, averaging 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

The final player to announce his commitment was 6-foot-4 guard Aram Soqui on March 21. Soqui played at Veritas Academy this season. Soqui also has international experience under his belt, playing in both the FIBA U16 and U18 Americas Championship and the Centrobasket U17 Championship for Mexico’s national team. 

In the Centrobasket U17 Championship, Soqui averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. 

Walberg is also getting some new additions to his staff.

Former Bulldog Tyler Johnson, who played at Fresno State from 2010-14, will join Walberg on the sidelines as an assistant coach. Johnson brings 12 years of NBA playing experience to the staff, most notably with the Miami Heat (2014-19) and the Brooklyn Nets (2019-21). With the Nets, Johnson reached the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks. Johnson spent five years with the Heat, averaging 11 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 257 games with the team. 

One year ago, Johnson was back in Fresno at the Save Mart Center to celebrate Rod Higgins jersey retirement.

“Fresno always held a really dear part in my life because I lived here for four years,” said Johnson in an interview during the celebration. “It was a big part of who I became as a person.”

Just a year later, Johnson is joining the program as a coach.

Allen Huddleston, who played at the University of the Pacific from 2009-11 and at Fresno State from 2012-14, will join the Bulldogs as a general manager of the program, a newly-created role.  

Despite no information on what Huddleston’s role will entail, general managers across college basketball are responsible for allocating name, image and likeness funds and transfer mortal management

With everything considered, the roster stands at sophomore guard David Douglas Jr., freshman forward Makhan Diouf, freshman guard Troy Jenkins, Stickman, Gory, Porto and Soqui.