Art of the Game

For Bulldogs big man Eduardo Andre, there is artistry in the story of his basketball journey

By Eddie Hughes (’05)

Eduardo Andre never shies away from a blank canvas. From country to country, state to state, he’s kept his faith, embraced fresh starts and created works of art – whether it was with a paintbrush or a basketball in his hands.

“I come from a family of athletes and artists,” Andre says in his British accent, a small hint at his journey.

Standing 6-foot-11, Andre had a breakout junior season last year as the center on the Fresno State basketball team. In his first year with the Bulldogs, he led the team with 44 blocked shots, was second in rebounding (5.9 per game) and fourth in scoring with 8.3 points per game.

Andre didn’t start playing basketball until he was about 15 years old, but throughout childhood he recalls playing soccer, running track, playing cricket and even boxing.

Always one of the tallest people in his class, Andre showed great potential on the basketball court. As a sophomore in high school, he came to the United States and attended Woodrow Wilson High in Dallas for two years. During his senior year, he transferred to Arizona Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona and became a top 200 recruit nationally.

Andre landed a college basketball scholarship to Nebraska, and spent his freshman and sophomore seasons as one of the first big men off the bench for the Huskers, before transferring to play for coach Justin Hutson at Fresno State. In search of a center after losing Orlando Robinson to the NBA’s Miami Heat, Hutson saw Andre’s potential and envisioned a larger role for him.

“Coach likes playing defense, I like playing defense, so to me it was a match made in heaven,” Andre says.

Off the court, Andre is majoring in media, communications and journalism, with an emphasis in advertising and public relations. He says he is intrigued with studying what motivates people to buy things and how advertising can influence those motivations. To complement his major, he is minoring in art.

“Art is definitely one of my hobbies,” Andre says. “I like design, whether it’s the design of products, whether it’s paintings, drawings, fashion.

I’ve always been into art my whole life. When I was a kid, I used to be scribbling and painting, and art was a class I did really well at in high school.”

In his free time – which isn’t much as a major college basketball student- athlete – Andre makes time for his art. His latest project, which he’s worked on for numerous days in the living room of his Clovis apartment, is a large canvas painting of three hot air balloons drifting in open air. Andre says the hot air balloons represent the frequent childhood dreams he had about flying – though he’s afraid of heights – and the various shades of blue on the balloons represent the sky.

He says he gets his artistic ability from his father, Kiesse Andre. “My dad, he’s really smart,” Andre says. “When I was [young], my dad got a master’s degree in civil engineering. He’s always been artistic in that way, making buildings and things like that.”

When his dad was studying at University of East London, Andre recalls tagging along with him to the library at night. “He’d be in there studying, and I’d be messing around looking at books.” Andre’s mother, Candida, worked numerous jobs to help support the family.

In his free time, Fresno State basketball standout Eduardo Andre enjoys painting. His latest project, which he worked on in his Clovis apartment, is a large canvas painting of three hot air balloons representing the childhood dreams he had about flying — though he’s afraid of heights.

Art and sports are common bonds in the family. Andre’s older brother, also named Kiesse, is an architect and also used to play basketball. His older sister, Elisa, is in marketing and used to run track. His younger sister, Joyce, is also into art, and his younger brother, Melchi, might be the next basketball star in the family. “He’s tall as well, so I’m trying to get him over to America playing basketball,” Andre says.

All four of Andre’s siblings are back home in London, where he spent most of his childhood.

Andre was born in Luanda, Angola, a port city on the west coast of Africa, and moved to London with his family when he was 4 years old. His parents are back in Angola now, helping to build a church.

“My whole family is really faithful,” Andre says. “I try to pray every day. My mom is always telling me, ‘Make sure you’re reading your Bible, make sure you’re praying.’ Keeping faith has helped me a lot in life.”

Andre’s family has not yet been able to make the trip to the U.S. to see him play a college basketball game, but he’s hoping that will soon change. “With COVID and everything, it was hard, but hopefully this season they can come over and catch a game. I know my older sister and older brother should be able to come for my Senior Day.”

Fresno State closes the regular season at home March 9 against Wyoming, in what could be Andre’s final game as a Bulldog. Because of the extra year the NCAA grants student-athletes who missed out on a full season due to COVID, Andre could potentially return for the 2024- 25 season, but he also aspires to play professionally if he has the opportunity.

When he first started playing basketball, Andre recalls watching old NBA games and studying different superstars from various eras.

“I don’t emulate my game after anybody, really, but I like picking things out from every player I like,” Andre says. “Like Kevin Garnett, his ferocity; Hakeem Olajuwon, the way he’s skillful; Kobe Bryant, his mentality; and Michael Jordan, the way he finishes games.”

This summer, Andre and his Bulldogs teammates got to spend two days with Fresno State alumnus and eight-time NBA All-Star Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers. George came to campus and worked out with the team, gave some pointers and just spent time getting to know every player on the roster. He even name dropped Andre and several other Bulldogs on “Podcast P,” his first-year podcast that has exploded in popularity.

“That was really cool,” Andre says. “He’s a cool guy, a humble guy, down to Earth. I think everybody on the team really enjoyed having him here. It gives us confidence to know that if we have goals of trying to make it pro, it’s achievable.”

George shared his phone number with everyone on the team and started a group chat. “He always shoots us texts saying, ‘you guys keep focused up there.”

The Bulldogs are focused on improving after some growing pains last season with a young team that finished 11-20 (6-12 in the Mountain West). They showed flashes of their potential in a win over No. 21 New Mexico and a two-game sweep of UNLV.

This season, under the leadership of Andre and senior guard Isaiah Hill, and with new pieces like transfers Xavier DuSell and Enoch Boakeye (Arizona), Fresno State could be a team to watch in the Mountain West.

“As a team, at the end of the day, we’re here to win,” Andre says. “Our big goal here is to win. Individually, I felt like I should have been up for [Mountain West] Defensive Player of the Year, so that’s definitely something I’m trying to achieve. I don’t look too much at individual accolades — if it comes it comes — but my goal is to do whatever I need for my team to win.”

The Bulldogs start conference play in January with another blank canvas. Andre — along with his teammates — will do everything he can to turn it into a masterpiece.

Valley of opportunity

Eduardo Andre is one of nearly 500 student-athletes at Fresno State, and this is where his Bulldog story began. With continued support from the community, Fresno State is committed to providing the resources and pathways for student-athletes to excel on and off the court or field, creating a Valley of opportunities for students and alumni alike. Your support today will ensure that Fresno State athletics continues to elevate the university’s brand on a national stage for generations to come.