Fresno State men’s basketball head coach Vance Walberg is set to make his Bulldogs debut at the Save Mart Center in the season opener against Sacramento State on Friday. The Red Wave will also see his trademark dribble-drive offense.

Much anticipation has built since his hiring on April 6, replacing Justin Hutson, who led the Bulldogs to a 12-21 record (4-14 in conference) in his final season. With his familiarity with the community from his championship stints coaching at Clovis West and Fresno City College, Walberg’s charge is to revitalize the program and do it quickly.

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Walberg’s Approach to the New Season

“Defensively we got some work to do. Offensively, we’ve gotten better moving the ball. The players have done a great job,” said Walberg.

This team is made up of newbies from the transfer portal. The roster has 14 new players with only two returners — senior guard Jalen Weaver and junior forward Pierre Geneste Jr.

Walberg loaded up at the guard positions to help kickstart the offense. There are the 2024 NJCAA DI Player of the Year junior Amar Augillard from Triton College in Illinois and junior Jasir Tremble, a NJCAA Division III Second Team All-American from Prince George’s Community College.

Walberg has been praising redshirt freshman forward Elijah Price. He can be deployed as a hybrid guard/forward to bring the coach’s offensive philosophy to life.

“That’s how I play, that’s what I can do. I’m thankful that coach Walberg can let me do my thing, playing inside and outside,” said Price.

Team Building and Transition

They had several months in the offseason to come together and build camaraderie. Walberg was impressed by how quickly the team formed a bond.

“During the summer they got a chance to be with one another. They’ve been with each other and they’re ready to go,” said Walberg.

Building unity is important, but learning to adapt to a whole new playbook and style with different teammates is a challenge. It was even tougher on Weaver and Geneste Jr. to do all that while transitioning from one coach’s structure to the next.

According to Geneste Jr., the transition was a good one. “I think we responded pretty well. Everybody came with the right mindset, and everybody really can play,” said Geneste Jr.

Community Engagement and Challenges Ahead

The Red Wave had a taste of the dribble-drive offense at the Red & White Scrimmage last Sunday. There wasn’t much defense but the fanbase saw the speed and up-tempo style they’ll be taking to the court against the Hornets.

It was a fun event for the fans. Coffee and pastries were available, they tossed shirts into the stands, a DJ played music, and the players signed autographs afterward. This was one of many events and interactions the program has held to build a connection to the community to help pack the stands. They held camps and clinics for kids all over the Central Valley.

Attendance has been an issue for the Bulldogs. It’s been up and down the last few years — about 3,500 a game this past season. Tickets will have to sell because it can generate NIL opportunities to keep the players around.

The Mountain West media is skeptical of the Bulldogs’ prospects, pegging them to finish 10th this season. Looking at it another way, the Bulldogs have nowhere to go but up.

New coach, new team, it’ll be interesting to see how the season plays out. Magic more than likely won’t happen initially, but with a fresh crop of talent with a coach who has local roots, it’ll be a foundation that can lead to a good run in the Walberg era.