Injury to Hopkins puts Bulldogs on the defensive at Air Force
With Fresno State point guard Jaron Hopkins unlikely to play on Monday at Air Force, the Bulldogs are in a quandary and coach Rodney Terry could have different answers on how best to play it if Hopkins is to miss one game, two games or will be out through the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
When Hopkins went down with a right foot injury in the first half of a 78-68 loss to Wyoming, Jahmel Taylor moved to the point and in the second half the Bulldogs did hit 11 of their first 15 shots, finishing the half 14 of 28.
Taylor also ended up with a Hopkins-like stat line: 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and only one turnover in 36 minutes.
He was there, too, when Hopkins was sidelined for four games at the start of December with two transverse process fractures in his back.
The bigger consideration is at the defensive end of the floor, and there is a best fit in there somewhere. Hopkins averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in a five-game winning streak, but also is one of the Bulldogs? best perimeter defenders and that run that was ended by the Cowboys was built on defense.
Fresno State held five consecutive conference opponents to 65 points or less.
?You miss him defensively because of his size and what he?s able to do from that point of view,? Terry said.
Terry also could use Deshon Taylor at the point.
He could play bigger with the emergence of Nate Grimes, the versatility of Bryson Williams or Sam Bittner and outsized presence of Terrell Carter II.
The Bulldogs do have some experience playing without Hopkins on the floor, obviously a plus. But it is a bit dubious given what is ahead of the Bulldogs (20-9, 10-6 in the MW).
Hopkins injured his back in a Dec. 5 victory over Bakersfield and the Bulldogs went 3-1 while he was out, but the wins came against Cal Poly, Arkansas Pine Bluff and Cal State Monterey Bay, which are No. 302 and No. 309 in the RPI and a Division II team and not close to what they will face in road games at Air Force, at New Mexico to close the regular season and in the Mountain West Tournament.
The Bulldogs ripped them, all three.
They hit 51.0 percent of their shots in a 83-63 victory at Cal Poly, while allowing the Mustangs were just 22 of 60, 36.7 percent.
They hit 54.9 percent of their shots in a 78-52 victory over Arkansas Pine Bluff at the Save Mart Center, while the Golden Lions were going 21 of 53, 39.6 percent.
They hit 58.2 percent of their shots in a 93-56 victory over Cal State Monterey, while the overmatched Otters were 23 of 59, 39.0 percent.
The loss in there was to Oregon, which is one of the Bulldogs? most inefficient games at the offensive end this season.
Fresno State hit a season-low 36.0 percent of its shots in that game, scoring at only .897 points per possession. In the second half, the Bulldogs were only 6 of 25 (24 percent) missing 15 shots in a row at one point and turned over the ball 10 times.
With Fresno State point guard Jaron Hopkins unlikely to play on Monday at Air Force, the Bulldogs are in a quandary and coach Rodney Terry could have different answers on how best to play it if Hopkins is to miss one game, two games or will be out through the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
When Hopkins went down with a right foot injury in the first half of a 78-68 loss to Wyoming, Jahmel Taylor moved to the point and in the second half the Bulldogs did hit 11 of their first 15 shots, finishing the half 14 of 28.
Taylor also ended up with a Hopkins-like stat line: 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and only one turnover in 36 minutes.
He was there, too, when Hopkins was sidelined for four games at the start of December with two transverse process fractures in his back.
The bigger consideration is at the defensive end of the floor, and there is a best fit in there somewhere. Hopkins averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in a five-game winning streak, but also is one of the Bulldogs? best perimeter defenders and that run that was ended by the Cowboys was built on defense.
Fresno State held five consecutive conference opponents to 65 points or less.
?You miss him defensively because of his size and what he?s able to do from that point of view,? Terry said.
Terry also could use Deshon Taylor at the point.
He could play bigger with the emergence of Nate Grimes, the versatility of Bryson Williams or Sam Bittner and outsized presence of Terrell Carter II.
The Bulldogs do have some experience playing without Hopkins on the floor, obviously a plus. But it is a bit dubious given what is ahead of the Bulldogs (20-9, 10-6 in the MW).
Hopkins injured his back in a Dec. 5 victory over Bakersfield and the Bulldogs went 3-1 while he was out, but the wins came against Cal Poly, Arkansas Pine Bluff and Cal State Monterey Bay, which are No. 302 and No. 309 in the RPI and a Division II team and not close to what they will face in road games at Air Force, at New Mexico to close the regular season and in the Mountain West Tournament.
The Bulldogs ripped them, all three.
They hit 51.0 percent of their shots in a 83-63 victory at Cal Poly, while allowing the Mustangs were just 22 of 60, 36.7 percent.
They hit 54.9 percent of their shots in a 78-52 victory over Arkansas Pine Bluff at the Save Mart Center, while the Golden Lions were going 21 of 53, 39.6 percent.
They hit 58.2 percent of their shots in a 93-56 victory over Cal State Monterey, while the overmatched Otters were 23 of 59, 39.0 percent.
The loss in there was to Oregon, which is one of the Bulldogs? most inefficient games at the offensive end this season.
Fresno State hit a season-low 36.0 percent of its shots in that game, scoring at only .897 points per possession. In the second half, the Bulldogs were only 6 of 25 (24 percent) missing 15 shots in a row at one point and turned over the ball 10 times.
