June 23, 2006

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head men's basketball coach Steve Cleveland announced the signing of 6-5, 210-pound wing player Bryan Harvey (Compton, Calif.), a Division I transfer from Louisville.

Sitting out the upcoming 2006-07 season, Harvey will have three years of eligibility remaining after playing for the Cardinals, who went 21-13 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the 2006 National Invitation Tournament.

At U of L, Harvey played in 18 games and averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in just over nine minutes of action as a freshman. Shooting 72.7% from the free throw line, he played a season-high 20 minutes versus Syracuse and tallied five points and six rebounds. In his collegiate debut at home against Akron, Harvey scored six points and had two rebounds and a pair of assists.

In Big East Conference action, Harvey played in 11 of the 16 league contests and averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in nearly nine minutes of play. Last season, the Big East alone had a dozen schools advance to postseason play, including a record eight in the NCAA Tournament; Louisville was one of four teams selected to play in the NIT.

Coming into the college ranks out of Dominguez High School, Harvey was a highly ranked recruit who was wooed by the likes of Arizona, Connecticut, Louisville, Kentucky, Washington and UCLA.

During his senior campaign, Harvey averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while helping DHS post a 26-6 overall record and a semifinal appearance at the CIF Division II state championship. As a junior, he averaged 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while directing his squad to the 2004 Division II CIF title.

A Street & Smith All-American and a top 100 finalist for the McDonald's All-American game, Harvey wrapped up his final year by being selected as the 2005 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year (CIF Division II).

With that honor came numerous publication rankings for Harvey as he was rated No. 32 nationally by The Hoop Scoop and 62nd by Prep Basketball Magazine. He also was listed among The Sporting News Top 100 players as well as a member of the College Basketball News Top 62 high school seniors. Still further, Harvey was rated as the tenth-best shooting guard and 37th top player overall by RivalsHoops.

"Brian's (Harvey) signing represents the commitment to the future of Fresno State basketball," Cleveland said. "A player who can play shooting guard and small forward, he will be an integral part of our program for the next four years. He had a distinguished high school career and has the potential to be an outstanding player in the Western Athletic Conference. Brian is a quality young man who understands the value of a strong work ethic on the court and in the classroom."