Schoonover Keeps Valley Roots, Joins Fresno State

Clovis West girls basketball has won the Central Section championship for 14 consecutive years. Ryleigh Schoonover is bringing that streak of success to Fresno State as she begins her first season with the Bulldogs.

Schoonover chose to stay in the Central Valley rather than play out of state. She said the decision was personal. "To wear that valley 'V' on your chest, it's something different," she said, noting that people outside the area often do not understand that connection.

Fresno State head coach Ryan McCarthy identified Schoonover as the top talent in her high school class. "In my opinion, Riley was the best player in the area for her class of 2026," McCarthy said. "Riley came in and proved that right away."

The former Golden Eagles player credits her high school coach, Craig Campbell, for preparing her for the college level. Campbell said his program expects to compete for a title every year, even if they do not always win. "We want to be good every year," Campbell said. "We're not going to win it every year, but we want to be knocking on the door every year."

Schoonover said the standard for performance is consistent across both programs. "Everything is the standard," she said. McCarthy agreed, noting that her background in a winning environment sets the expectation for her play. "She played with a very good high school basketball program here, and all they did was win," he said.

Schoonover will make her Fresno State debut in less than two weeks. The Bulldogs open their season against UC Merced, and her first game will be played at the Save Mart Center. Campbell believes Schoonover has more growth ahead. "I think that's one of the things that's so exciting for Coach McCarthy and the staff is she's just scratching the surface on what a gifted player she could be for them," he said.