Here’s what we want to see Tuesday night when Fresno State plays No. 7 San Diego State

The guppies at the Fresno State didn’t lose Saturday night, which is to say they had the night off to be well rested for their next loss.

Too acidic of an intro to the 5-and-11st men’s basketball team in town?

Change our minds, then. Beat No. 7-ranked San Diego State this Tuesday night. Inspire us to rush the court with the school band. Remind us why we used to love Bulldogs basketball.

We are hangry for some rafter-shaking, foot-stomping, body-painting, band-blasting, court-storming Madness, and we don’t want to wait until March, because there can be no March if Tuesday goes to pot.

Give us anything but nine months of counting down the days to college football season, because we have neither the patience nor countable digits for the job.

We want to see you force your way onto late-night SportsCenter. We’re dying for a reason to believe.

Don’t tell us what you’re going to be, some day, eventually. Earn our keep today.

Otherwise, if you’re going to keep giving us excuses for all the loses, we’re going to keep coming up with excuses to wash our hair on game nights.

Stop telling us how hurt Nate Grimes is, because you lost games when he was still in one piece.

Don’t blame this on transfer Jordan Campbell’s delayed clearance to play, because you were never one player away from contending.

Refuse to blame the refs for the foul differential, because overmatched players always foul when they are overmatched.

Refrain from saying this is because you lead the conference in minutes played by freshmen, as if everyone else is playing 19th-year seniors.

And, whatever you do, do not tell us that Orlando Robinson is the next Paul George, because Paul George never won a thing when he was at Fresno State.

Want to make Fresno a basketball town again?

Make your layups, because inexperience is no excuse for lack of full effort. Scribble desperate schemes on the white board when all else fails, so we don’t feel like the coaching staff has given up.

Don’t shovel last year’s 23 wins our way and expect us to grant mulligans when you beat absolutely nobody in particular last year. It’s been 19 years since Fresno State won an NCAA Tournament game. This has been an unending Groundhog Day, starring the Gary Colson Era as the weatherman.

This is your chance to do something special. We wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think you could pull it off. Given the sorry schedule beyond Tuesday, you can count on us not giving this whirl another chance.

We’re talking to you, Justin Hutson. You came here from San Diego State. You helped keep that team booked through March every year. Please tell us you have the know-how to exploit their hidden, fatal flaw. Show us you have the coaching chops to cover your own.

That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To make Fresno State what San Diego State became under Steve Fisher?

We don’t want any more lovable losers. We can stay home and watch the Golden State Warriors for that, less the jacked-up parking cost.

We’ll all show up Tuesday night. Here’s hoping your team arrives at long last.

The columnist can be reached at bydw@sbcglobal.net and on Twitter @bydavidwhite