On the brink of a new college basketball season, head coach Dan Monson will be ushering in the 2015-2016 campaign with “The State Of Beach Basketball” this Thursday.
Monson and Seth Greenberg, a current ESPN analyst and former LBSU coach, will co-host the event.
The event will feature a luncheon and an opportunity for 49er fans to hear Monson and Greenberg discuss and preview the upcoming LBSU 2015-2016 basketball season, which features marquee opponents like Duke, Arizona and UCLA.
“This luncheon will give those interested in Beach Basketball a unique chance to engage with two of the architects of the program,” said Long Beach State Athletics Director Vic Cegles. “Additionally, we hope that the event will engage members of the business community, leading to season ticket sales and even more excitement throughout the city as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
Greenberg served as an assistant coach for LBSU from 1987-1990 and a head coach from 1990-1996, which he lead the 49ers to their first Top 25 national ranking in 14 years and two NCAA tournament appearances.
LBSU endured a 16-17 season in 2015 and will seek to replace the production of leading scorer Mike Caffey with a trio of transfer newcomers and two rotational players from last season. Among those that transferred that are expected to contribute immediately are Maryland transfer Nick Faust (9.4 ppg), USC transfer Roschon Prince (4.2 ppg) and Loyola Marymount transfer Gabe Levin (11.1 ppg).
“I think Seth Greenberg and Dan Monson together are going to bring a lot of fun and energy,” said LBSU Assistant Athletics Director Roger Kirk. “Seth Greenberg is a big personality, so I think the give and take between those two guys will be really interesting and give fans a different perspective on what Long Beach State basketball is all about than we’ve ever had before.”
“Both coaches will be available at the event and both will speak and bounce off of each other,” Kirk said. “But there will definitely be an opportunity for us to reach out to the new fans that we haven’t had before.”
The State of Beach Basketball” is set for this Thursday October 15, 2015, and will be held downtown at the Pacific Gallery in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. General tickets cost $75 per person, $125 per person for VIP access or $600 for a table of eight. All money will go towards men’s basketball scholarships.