It was nice to see Greg Smith back on the basketball court in Fresno last night.
The 6-foot-10 Fresno State freshman out of Edison High had no trouble fitting into a team that likes to run and gun. Twice he beat his Fresno Pacific defender downcourt for dunks, wasn't shy about catching and shooting and played some solid defense.
Coach Steve Cleveland said afterward that Smith (12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block) has a bright a future here.
Mychal Ladd's 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting (5 for 6 behind the arc) broke open the 78-67 win early. Of course, the Bulldogs can't rely on that kind of shooting every game, but it he got open and hit shots, a credit to his teammates getting the ball in the hot hand.
One of the highlights was the hustle play turned in by Sylvester Seay in the first half that the Bulldogs lead by 20 points.
On a loose ball outside the lane near Fresno Pacific's basket, Seay drove to the court, got tangled with a Sunbirds player and managed to tip the ball to teammate Paul George, who took one giant step and slammed in a windmill dunk.
The point guard position is still a worry spot for Cleveland. Brandon Sperling (7 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers) had trouble at times against presssure. Steven Shepp (5 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 5 steals) appeared to run the team a little better and made better decisions.
Cleveland was disappointed that his 'Dogs let Fresno Pacific back in the game in the second half. That was a habit last season, too. With more fresh bodies available, that shouldn't happen. Fresno State has to learn how to finish and, when it does, will be a hard team to beat in the WAC.
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