Fresno State at UC Santa Barbara, preview, prediction, odds
Who: Fresno State Bulldogs (1-0) Vs Uc Santa Barbara Gauchos (1-0)
When: Friday, November 11th, 2:00 PM PT
Where: Santa Cruz, CA
Stream: FloHoops
Series Record: 50-49 USCB Leads
Players to Watch/ Keys to the Game
F/C Isaiah Moore – Fresno State
The 6-10 graduate transfer from Southern Mississippi made his presence felt in game one. With 19 points and 10 rebounds. Moore is replacing big man Orlando Robinson who currently plays for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Moore also had two blocks and a steal. Having Moore in the pick-and-roll game really helped the Bulldogs get going on offense. Look for the Dogs to get him involved early in this one.
The Junior Guard was impressive in game one. Yap finished with 12 points, and five assists and also added two steals. Yap looked more aggressive offensively trying to attack the basket and also at times running the offense. When the Bulldogs needed a basket in the first half against Fresno Pacific, Yap gave the Dogs one. Uc Santa Barbara has great guard play and this will be a good early test to see how much Donavan Yap has improved over this offseason.
Keys to the Game
Offensively:
It’s pretty simple for the Bulldogs: you have to make shots and space out the floor. This was a big area that Bulldogs lacked last season and that was shooting from behind the arc. Now a lot of teams have to shake off the rust in game one and let’s hope that is the case for the Bulldogs here. Second, getting off to an early start. Fresno State scored 12 points in the first 13 minutes of the game. Have to do a better job turning defense into offense and pushing the ball in transition. Now if the Bulldogs get off to a slow start against UCSB it could be a long day for the Bulldogs.
Defensively:
Defense is the heart and soul of this team. This team was one of the best-scoring defenses in the nation last year. The Dogs will have their hands full with G Cole Anderson who is a valley kid. Anderson had 25 points and shot 64% from the field in their season opener. The Bulldogs also have to watch for F Miles Norris who had 21 points and shot 81% from the field in game one. The Bulldogs have to take away the three-point shots and rebound. USCB has a lot of shooters and with a team like this, you can’t let them have second chances. Lastly, make USCB beat you without Anderson and Norris controlling the offense.
Predictions
College Hoops is back and this will be a fun one. Do the Dogs have enough offense to keep them in this one? Can the Gauchos get past this feisty Bulldogs defense? This will be a close one.
Bulldogs- 55 – 62 Gauchos
