Dan Monson has found a solution to the graduation of his core four from last year in a trio of transfers: Dan Jennings, Keala King and Tony Freeland.
A year after losing four seniors that had been starters for at least three years each, Monson has gotten the 49ers into first place in the Big West Conference once again. The men’s basketball head coach has done it with the help of three transfers who were once highly-touted recruits coming out of high school.
Jennings, a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred from West Virginia, has been eligible from the start of the season and is currently second on the team in rebounds and third in points. He and James Ennis, a junior college transfer who joined the 49ers last year, have successfully replaced last year’s rebound leader, T.J. Robinson.
King, an Arizona State transfer at guard, has taken a significant load off the shoulders of point guard Mike Caffey.
The former Santa Ana Mater Dei High School standout and four-star recruit subs in for Caffey and draws attention away from him when they’re in the game at the same time. He has contributed 10.1 points per game and averages 3.7 assists per game, second on the team only to Caffey.
King’s impact on LBSU can be seen in Caffey’s stats as much as his own. Before King became eligible play in the 49ers’ conference opener against Pacific, Caffey was shooting under 30 percent from the field. Since then, he has made 50.6 percent of his shots, an improvement that can largely be credited to the new talents around him.
The final transfer to start games this year is forward Tony Freeland, formerly of DePaul. Freeland made an immediate impact, as he led the 49ers in points in his first game. He has averaged 10.1 points per game and currently leads the team in shooting percentage.
Jennings, King and Freeland have provided a solid supporting cast to Ennis and Caffey, the only remaining 49ers to make significant minutes in last season’s NCAA tournament run. Unfortunately for Monson, they only have one more year of eligibility remaining. It also took time for the transfers to develop chemistry; something Los Angeles Lakers fans know can take a while and is essential to winning.
As Monson rebuilds through recruiting, his transfers are keeping The Beach relevant in the Big West and NCAA tournament pictures. LBSU scored another star transfer just two weeks ago in former UCLA guard Tyler Lamb.
What will ultimately make LBSU a mainstay in March will be good recruiting classes similar to the one Monson introduced in 2008. That class that included Casper Ware, Larry Anderson, Eugene Phelps and Robinson.
This year’s freshmen are promising as well and may be the next wave of homegrown LBSU stars. Guard Deng Deng has proven to be a huge asset behind the 3-point line, and point guard Branford Jones performed well in the season opener against North Alabama before leaving the game with an injury. He had scored eight points in 15 minutes before suffering the ankle injury that has sidelined him for every other game this year.
For now though, Monson’s trio of transfers are plugging the holes left by star seniors. Whether or not they can match the success of last year’s senior class remains to be seen.