Men's Basketball, Men's Sports

From senior to freshman: a legacy to continue

After several team drills practicing different in-game situations, Long Beach State men’s basketball coach Dan Monson instructs his team to start doing sprints from one end of the court to the other. Most of the players are hunched over, clutching their shorts and gasping for air as exhaustion from a three-hour practice sets in.

Two players move off to the side as the rest of the team starts running. They sit next to each other, place their feet under a small part of the bleachers and start doing crunches.

They finish their sets, help each other up, then begin sprinting up and down the court together. There are others running, but they only see each other. Their competitiveness begins to take over, and in the final sprint, they give whatever they have left to beat each other.

The sprint ends, and the players look at each other, trying to hold back smiles. They slap hands and join the rest of the team in the last portion of practice.

Senior point guard Mike Caffey and freshman point guard Justin Bibbins have established a veteran and rookie mentorship, as the latter prepares to take control of a team that the former has run for the past three years.

Caffey – a two-time, All-Big West selection – is by no means in danger of losing his starting spot to Bibbins. But as the leader of what head coach Dan Monson has called the deepest team in school history, part of his responsibility is to mentor incoming freshmen like Bibbins.

Bibbins, a highly-touted recruit out of Bishop Montgomery in nearby Carson, said he’s adjusting well to college life. He credits Monson and the coaching staff for making it an easy transition, and singles out senior guards Caffey, Tyler Lamb and McKay LaSalle for being great leaders.

“Those three do a great job of talking to me and mentoring me,” Bibbins said. “When I have questions, they’ll explain it. They tell me the ins and outs of college basketball.”

Bibbins’ small stature – he’s listed at five-foot-eight-inches and 150 pounds – has been the biggest thing he’s had to overcome as he gets accustomed to the strength of Division I athletes.

“Guys are bigger, faster and longer,” Bibbins said. “That’s just the biggest adjustment. It’s about figuring out what I can do out there at my height and size.”

Caffey isn’t concerned with Bibbins being able to handle the physical demands of college basketball; what Bibbins lacks in size, he makes up with athleticism and tenacity.

“He just has a knack for the ball on the defensive end,” Caffey said. “He plays hard, and he’s not afraid to play with the big guys inside the paint.”

Bibbins said he sees himself coming off the bench as a sixth man, bringing defense and energy to the court. Monson thinks his presence will allow Caffey to play off the ball; this way, Caffey won’t always have to be responsible for setting up the offense.

“Coach always emphasizes defense, and being a pest out there,” Bibbins said. “To just come off the bench, try and get some steals and speed up the game.”

As for Bibbins’ prospects of eventually leading the team once Caffey graduates, he said he’s up for the challenge.

“I expect to come in and learn from him, and do what he did as a sophomore and even as a senior,” Bibbins said. “I’m just learning from this year as much as I can, while I can.”

With practice about to wrap up, Caffey hangs around Bibbins’ ear, his arm sitting on top of Bibbins’ shoulder. He’s going over the last play, pointing out where Bibbins should have been positioned defensively. Bibbins is silent the entire time, his eyes pointed straight ahead, moving only where Caffey’s hand moves.

“Just listen,” Caffey said. “Don’t have that entitlement that you [think you] deserve stuff. Just come in and do what the coaches say. Freshman year, that’s what I did, and it kind of helped me out throughout my career.”

For now, though, as they run sprints and individual drills in practice, Bibbins is enjoying the relationship he and Caffey have built.

“I look up to him,” Bibbins said. “He’s like a big brother to me. He’s the best point guard in the Big West; so, just guarding him everyday makes me better.”

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