Fresno State announced Wednesday that former men’s basketball star Rod Higgins will have his No. 22 jersey retired.
The jersey retirement ceremony will take place on Feb. 24 at the Save Mart Center when the Bulldogs host San Diego State.
The big picture: Higgins played for the Bulldogs from 1978-1982 and was recognized as an AP All-American in 1981 and 1982, the only player in program history to be honored twice.
- Higgins was selected with the No. 31 pick in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, which started his 13-year career in the NBA that also saw him play for the Seattle Supersonics, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- During his time at Fresno State, the Bulldogs made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA tournament, including the 1983 season where the ‘Dogs finished with a 27-3 record and reached the Sweet 16. They ranked No. 11 in the AP’s final poll.
- He played 104 games for the Bulldogs and averaged 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest, totalling 1,402 points – No. 15 all-time for Fresno State – and 603 rebounds.
- Higgins joins Paul George and Jerry Tarkanian as the only other Bulldogs to have their jerseys retired by Fresno State.
What they’re saying: “Rod Higgins’ tremendous contributions to Fresno State and the game of basketball make him more than deserving of this honor,” said Director of Athletics Terry Tumey. “As a student-athlete, Rod led our program to arguably the most profound era in Bulldog Basketball history and at the professional level, Rod achieved a long and successful career as both a player and an executive. We are proud that Rod Higgins’ name will forever hang from the rafters of the Save Mart Center.”
