Fresno State will charter to The Basketball Classic championship thanks to donor help
THE LATEST: Championship game postponed
Fresno State advanced to the championship game of The Basketball Classic with victories over Eastern Washington, Youngstown State and Southern Utah.
All of those games were played at the Save Mart Center.
But for the final, Fresno State will play on the road with a Thursday matchup at Coastal Carolina.
To get to the game in Conway, S.C., the Bulldogs were staring at what would’ve been a gargantuan mix of buses and airplanes during long hours of travel across the country.
But through a combination of sources that was led by donor support, Fresno State’s travel plans became less cumbersome and the Bulldogs men’s basketball team now will get to travel by charter flight to the title game.
Efficient travel planning isn’t just a matter of convenience in college basketball — it’s a significant piece of the puzzle in winning.
“Thanks to the community that donated to our excellence fund,” coach Justin Hutson said. “I want to thank (senior associate athletics director for development Tim Collins) and the donors that donate to our program.”
The Bulldogs (22-13) will get a chance to practice on Wednesday morning before boarding the charter, a stark difference from what the day might have looked like had they been traveling by commercial airline.
As Fresno State advanced deeper into The Basketball Classic, it was looking into travel for a championship game since the Save Mart Center already was booked for another event, Monster Jam 2022.
In one scenario with Fresno State playing South Alabama, the school found enough airline tickets for a traveling party of 25 to Mobile, Ala.
But to get there, Fresno State was looking at a bus ride to the San Francisco International Airport, followed by an overnight red eye flight to New Orleans and a two-hour bus ride from New Orleans to Mobile.
But after Coastal Carolina defeated South Alabama in the semis, Fresno State had to figure out how to get to Conway, S.C.
On short notice, too.
And Coastal Carolina was proving to be even more challenging, with the possibility of splitting up players, coaches and staff on different flights headed for the airport in Myrtle Beach, about 15 miles from the championship venue.
But after Fresno State beat Southern Utah 67-48 — behind 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals from All-Mountain West forward Orlando Robinson — the Bulldogs were able to secure the charter flight.
The cost of travel for the one-way trip to Coastal Carolina will be between $50,000 to $75,000.
The Bulldogs will return to California on a commercial flight.
Bulldogs eliminate travel challenges for title game
“Getting across the country with such a quick turnaround is a difficult task with a travel party of 25 and limited flight options out of Fresno,” said Frank Pucher, senior associate athletics director for external relations.
“But, thankfully, we had multiple generous donors step in and make a charter flight possible so our team can get to Myrtle Beach in an efficient manner, which allows for an improved likelihood of success in the championship game, but also helps our team academically as it significantly reduces their overall travel time.”
Coastal Carolina (19-13), which beat Maryland-Eastern Shore and Florida Gulf Coast at home and won on the road at South Alabama to advance to the championship game, is led by senior guards Vince Cole and Rudi Williams.
Cole is averaging 15.4 points per game and Williams 14.5 for a team that ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring at 69.2 points per game.
The Chanticleers are ranked No. 158 in the NCAA NET ratings and No. 149 by kenpom.com. Fresno State is No. 73 and No. 79, and could win a postseason tournament for the first time since 1983 when Ron Anderson and Bernard Thompson led the Bulldogs to an NIT title.
“It’s exciting for our young men who’ve worked so hard and given so much to this program to finish the season on a high note,” Pucher said. “It’s equally exciting to see the Red Wave rally around men’s basketball again.
“The energy in the arena the last few games has been a difference maker and the outpouring of support in the community and on social media has given our team a real boost.”
Up next: Fresno State at Coastal Carolina
When: Thursday, 4 p.m.
Where: HTC Center, Conway, S.C.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Marc Q. Jones)
Find it fast: Fresno (AM1340), Bakersfield (AM970), Visalia (AM1130), Modesto (FM92.9), Stockton (AM1280), Bulldogs app, iHeartMedia app
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 7:40 PM.