GAME 17: FRESNO STATE (7-9, 1-4 MW) vs. COLORADO STATE (11-5, 2-3 MW)
January 13, 2026 | 6 p.m. PT | Fresno, Calif. | Save Mart Center
MEDIA COVERAGE
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Watch: Mountain West Network
Listen: Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Play by Play: Paul Loeffler | Analyst: Marc Q. Jones | Sideline:Taylor Martinez
FOLLOW ALONG ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateMBB
Instagram: @FresnoStateMBB
TikTok: @FresnoStateMBBall
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State men's basketball team returns to the Save Mart Center on Tuesday evening to face Colorado State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. PT.
The Bulldogs are coming off a tough loss to San Diego State last week. Colorado State is 2-3 in conference play this season (11-5 overall) with wins over UNLV and Grand Canyon and losses to Utah State, Nevada and New Mexico.
BULLDOG BONES
Head Coach Vance Walberg is in his second season at the helm of the Bulldog Basketball program and his fourth season as a head coach overall.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 6-26 season going into 2025-26, with a total of two conference wins, against Air Force and Wyoming.
Fresno State started the 2025-26 campaign with seven straight home games; all played at the Save Mart Center.
This is the first time in program history that the Bulldogs have a seven-game home stand to start the season.
The Fresno State men's basketball team looks a little different this season, with 73% of the roster being newcomers to the squad.
Fresno State returns only four athletes this season: Troy Jenkins, Makhan Diouf, Zaon Collins and David "DJ" Douglas, Jr.
Of the four, Collins is the Bulldogs' only returning starter and letterwinner.
DJ Douglas, a transfer from Green Bay, played in six games for the Bulldogs in 2024-25 before his season was cut short due to injury.
Troy Jenkins and Makhan Diouf both redshirted for the 2024-25 season and did not see game action.
A BRIEF HISTORY WITH THE RAMS
The Bulldogs and the Rams have a long-running history, dating back to 1964.
Fresno State will face Colorado State in its 48th overall meeting on Tuesday.
Colorado State leads 30-17 all-time over Fresno State, but Fresno State owns a 13-6 record over the Rams at home.
Fresno State has the opportunity to snap a 13-game losing streak with a win over the Rams.
LAST TIME ON THE FLOOR
Fresno State fell on the road Saturday night, dropping a 71–52 decision to San Diego State in Mountain West action at Viejas Arena.
The Bulldogs (7-9, 1-4 MW) kept pace early behind perimeter shooting but were unable to overcome San Diego State's interior scoring and rebounding edge. The Aztecs (11-4, 5-0 MW) built a 36–21 halftime lead and maintained control throughout the second half.
Fresno State shot 9-of-32 (.281) from three-point range.
Jake Heidbreder added 11 points, all coming on three-pointers, while David Douglas Jr. chipped in nine points off the bench.
DeShawn Gory recorded his second straight double-double (16 points, 14 rebounds).
The Bulldogs forced nine steals but were outscored 13–6 in points off turnovers.
San Diego State improved to 5-0 in Mountain West play.
BEST IN THE BUSINESS
Assistant coach Ray Barefield has been selected to the 2026 Top 100 Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistants list by Silver Waves Media.
Established in 2020, Silver Waves Media is dedicated to helping sports professionals and athletes advance their careers to the next stage.
Ray Barefield returned to his hometown and joined Fresno State's men's basketball program as an assistant coach in April 2024, where he played a vital role in recruiting two Mountain West Freshmen of the Week honorees in Brian Amukeke and Elijah Price.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Barefield was invited to the prestigious NXT Up Rising Star Power Lunch, presented by Silver Waves Media Final 4 Weekend.
Barefield played at San Diego State before playing professionally overseas. He returns to Fresno, where he starred at Hoover High School and was recently inducted into the school's Hall of Fame (2023).
Barefield is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), a professional development and advocacy organization serving over 5,000 members in collegiate, scholastic, and youth basketball, and actively participates in community events.
NBA CONNECTION
Three members of the Fresno State men's basketball staff have experience in the NBA, as both coaches and athletes.
Head Coach Vance Walberg was an assistant coach for three different NBA teams: the Denver Nuggets (2012-13), Philadelphia 76ers (2013-15) and Sacramento Kings (2015-16).
Associate Head Coach John Welch served as an assistant coach in the NBA for nearly 20 years, with stops with the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, and Memphis Grizzlies.
During his tenure in the NBA, Welch was a part of a staff that advanced to the NBA Playoffs 15 times, including a stretch of 12 consecutive seasons.
Assistant coach Tyler Johnson spent nine seasons in the NBA after a four-year collegiate career with the Bulldogs.
Over his NBA tenure, Johnson suited up for the Heat, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs, appearing in more than 350 NBA games with career averages of 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE KING
Freshman Wilson Jacques leads the Bulldogs in double-doubles this season, recording six so far.
Against Long Beach State, Jacques scored 12 points with 13 rebounds on November 8th.
He just closed a five-game double-double streak against CSU Bakersfield (11 points, 11 rebounds), Arkansas (12 points, 14 rebounds), CSUN (10 points, 10 rebounds), UNLV (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Utah State (15 points, 12 rebounds).
Jacques sits in 28th place in the country in double-doubles and leads the Mountain West.
1,000 POINT CLUB
With 18 points scored against Utah Valley on November 15, the senior Jake Heidbreder surpassed 1,000 career points.
So far, the guard has scored 283 points in a Bulldog uniform and owns a .425 shooting percentage, .320 from three, and averages over 37 minutes per game.
Heidbreder is making an impact on a national scale as well, sitting at 54th in the country in field goal attempts (226), 58th in free throw percentage (88.1), 5th in minutes per game (37:01), and 63rd in three-point attempts (122).
WITH THE ASSIST
Zaon Collins, one of Fresno State's only returners on the 2025-26 roster, has led the Bulldogs in assists in all 15 games so far this season.
He tied a career high with nine assists against Pepperdine.
Currently, the junior guard ranks 60th in the country and first in the Mountain West in the category with 79 total.
He is also second in the conference and 52nd in the country in assists per game with 5.3.
"V" IS FOR VALLEY
Fresno State prides itself on being the "Valley's team."
This pride can be seen in the form of a green V on the Bulldogs' uniforms, as a symbol to the agricultural community of the Central Valley of California.
The San Joaquin Valley is the world's richest agricultural valley in export dollars.
FRESH START
Fresno State welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster this season: three transfers and 8 eight freshmen.
Cameron Faas, Jake Heidbreder and Jac Mani all transferred from NCAA DI basketball programs.
Of the eight freshmen, seven are international students.
GOING GLOBAL
The 2025-26 Bulldog squad boasts international talent, featuring seven international athletes on
the roster.
Fresno State has athletes representing six different countries: France, Italy, Mexico, Senegal,
Slovenia and the United States.
In addition, the student-athletes from the US claim five different states as home: Indiana, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois and California.
WELCOME (BACK) TO THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Transfer Jake Heidbreder is on his third stop in his college career.
Heidbreder started his career at Air Force, where he spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
He then transferred to Clemson after his second year at Air Force, redshirted for the 2023-24 season, and returned to the court for the 2024-25 season.
Heidbreder returns to the Mountain West for his final year of eligibility at Fresno State.
VALLEY ROOTS RUN DEEP
When Vance Walberg was named the Bulldogs' head coach, he emphasized the community, doing things for the Central Valley because Fresno State is the Central Valley's team. That message resonates with not just Walberg but also with his staff. Of the program's six coaches, five have previously lived in the Central Valley.
Walberg has spent more than 20 years coaching in the Valley at Clovis West HS and Fresno City College.
John Welch was a member of Jerry Tarkanian's staff at Fresno State from 1995 to 2002.
Ray Barefield grew up in Fresno and prepped down the street from campus at Hoover HS, graduating in 1989. He is in the school's Hall of Fame.
Chris Stahowski played for and coached alongside Walberg. He also graduated from Fresno State in 2007.
Tory Stamps grew up in Fresno and played at Central HS, graduating in 2012.
