After three years and four college programs, Long Beach State basketball’s Gabe Levin finally feels like he is in the right place.
Before Levin became a familiar face in the 49ers’ starting lineup, he bounced around between three different programs.
“I’m happy for Gabe because he is happy,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said. “He had a long journey for that and it’s fun to see guys appreciate the situation. It’s fun to see him get rewarded by playing well and having some success.”
Coming out of St. Thomas More Academy in 2013, Levin committed to Hofstra University in Long Island, New York.
After Hofstra fired its head coach, Mo Cassara, Levin said he reopened his recruiting options. With Hofstra out of the picture, Levin looked to the west coast and decided to play at Loyola Marymount.
After playing his freshman season at LMU for the 2013-14 season, Levin found himself in a familiar situation. LMU fired Max Goode, its head coach at the time, at the end of Levin’s freshman season.
Levin decided to change scenery and transferred to Marquette, only to find more instability. The Golden Eagles’ head coach Buzz Williams left the school to take a job at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2014 and again Levin didn’t want to stay. Levin’s third disenchantment with a university prompted his move to LBSU.
“The first time through, LMU had a stipulation that former players couldn’t go to any program where a former coach was at,” Monson said. “So when things went bad at Marquette, Myke was one of the first guys he called because he trusted Myke [Scholl].”
The 49ers had struck gold because of the past relationship between Levin and LBSU assistant coach Myke Scholl.
Scholl spent six seasons with the Lions. During that time he recruited Levin and built a relationship that paid dividends for the 49ers.
“It just didn’t work out at Marquette and Long Beach was a place I was looking at before,” Levin said. “I knew coach [Myke Scholl] and he was like a mentor to me. I think that was a big reason why I wanted to come here in the beginning.”
Levin sat out the 2014-15 season as a Division I transfer, making his 49er debut against BYU-Hawaii on Nov. 14, 2015.
Even though the sophomore forward out of Oak Park, Illinois leads the team in rebounds with a 6.1 average and puts up 10.1 points per game, he did not settle in right away. At the beginning of the season, Levin had trouble fitting into the 49ers’ style of play.
“It’s like night and day,” sophomore point guard Justin Bibbins said. “When he first got here he was hesitant on his shot. He was still aggressive and real athletic but I think he was still trying to figure his role on the team.”
Bibbins said when Levin had to sit out three games towards the end of December due to an injury, his misfortune ended up working in his favor. Although he missed the chance of playing against the University of Arizona and Oregon, Bibbins said Levin had some time to reflect on his situation.
“I think when he got injured during the [non-conference play] that really helped him,” Bibbins said. “He saw things from a different perspective and than when he came back he saw what we actually needed and he started fitting in the role.”
Monson said Levin not only brings length, at 6 feet 7 inches tall, but provides a valuable work ethic to LBSU that goes a long way.
“He’s got a good motor and when you play hard you just find ways to be effective,” Monson said. “He is one of those players that gets the extra rebound and finds creases to get to the lane.”
Now Levin is actually showing what he can do and the numbers show he played a pivotal role during the 49ers’ recent six game winning streak.
With Bibbins out of the lineup and the team shooting a dismal 35.7 percent from the field, Levin carried the load when the 49ers beat UC Davis 57-48 on the road on Feb. 13. He scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and wound up winning the Big West Player of the Week award.
“There’s a big difference when he is on the floor and when he is not,” Bibbins said. “He spreads guys out and rebounds like crazy. It’s the spark we need to win the conference tournament.”
Although it was a long and strenuous process to get where Levin is today, he finally feels like he has found a home.
“I think this is where I was meant to be in the first place,” Levin said.