No. 25 SDSU vs. Fresno State: Series Preview, How to Watch and Prediction
The Bulldogs swept Air Force. Now they face No. 25 San Diego State.
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The Aztecs have won their last six games by an average margin of 30 points.
Fresno, CA- The No. 25 Aztecs (15-4, 9-3 MWC) come to Save Mart Arena to face the Bulldogs (9-7, 7-7 MWC). Both teams swept their previous opponents in their respective series; Fresno State against Air Force and SDSU against San Jose State.
SERIES DETAILS
WHO: SDSU (15-4, 9-3 MWC) at Fresno State (9-7, 7-7 MWC)
GAME 1: Thursday, February 18th, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. PST | 10:00 p.m. EST
GAME 2: Saturday, February 20th, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. PST | 7:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Save Mart Arena – Fresno, CA
WATCH: CBS Sports Network
STREAM: FuboTV – get a seven-day free trial
LISTEN: 1360-AM, 101.5-FM
ALL-TIME RECORD: This is the 121st game in the series. SDSU leads the series 64-56, and the Aztecs are on a 2-game win streak. In Fresno, the Bulldogs lead the series 33-22.
ODDS: San Diego State -14
SERIES PREVIEW
Here come the red hot Aztecs! AP No. 25 San Diego State has major momentum with a firing-on-all-cylinders offense to complement its elite defense. At least five players are flirting with or above 40% accuracy from the arc, and the Aztecs bench has bottomless depth.
Among their many three-point shooters, SDSU hosts two elite arc assassins. Senior Jordan Schakel and grad transfer “don’t call me spark plug” Terrell Gomez are dynamic three-point aces with face-melting skills. Schakel has arguably THE BEST catch-and-shoot ability in the NCAA, and if the mood catches him he’s good for 5, 6 even 8 tre’s. Gomez has 30-foot range with a unique rapid-fire release that augments his modest stature. When he’s hot he can make most, or all of his tre’s. Bring an umbrella.
San Diego State’s Matt Mitchell has bounced back from a knee hyper-extension, and looks healthy for the series. Mitchell’s ability to fire from the arc, shoot mid-range jumpers, and score at will in paint, all while notching nearly all of his free throws, makes him a top Mountain West player and an NBA prospect.
The Fresno State Bulldogs have been embattled for most of this year, but a two-game series sweep against Air Force at high altitude makes coming home for their next series close to sea level a bit easier. Fresno State defeated Air Force 69-63 on Thursday and 67-64 on Saturday.
COVID issues that have forced them to miss a number of games nonetheless.
Against Air Force, Orlando Robinson posted 21 points and eleven rebounds, with three other players scoring in double digits, while keeping Air Force’s Junior Ballard scoreless.
The Bulldogs have the momentum of a series sweep and home court advantage as they host visiting San Diego State.
One x-factor for Fresno State is Bulldogs head coach Justin Hutson, and assistant coach Tim Shelton. Both are former long-time Aztecs coaches under Steve Fisher and initially under head coach Brian Dutcher. Hutson and Shelton think like Aztecs, but one must question the logic of any person who moves from San Diego to Fresno…
In this matchup Fresno State will put up a good fight. Nonetheless, they are the next program to find themselves significantly outclassed by the powerful Aztecs who will win each game by 20+ points.
GAME PREDICTION
Game 1: Aztecs 86, Bulldogs 62
Game 2: Aztecs 81, Bulldogs 58