 "Photo: File Photo")
Anticipation has been surrounding the Long Beach State men's basketball team for months, but it is finally coming to a head as the 2009-10 season is just days away.
After going 10-6 (second place) in Big West Conference play last season, the 49ers ended the year on a sour note with a 65-60 loss to Pacific in the conference tournament. This season LBSU is a favorite to win the conference title, but getting to that point could be a tough task as the 'Niners will have a target on their backs.
LBSU was picked to finish first in the Big West media poll, and was the consensus pick by the coaches at media day, although there was no official coaches' poll this season.
One reason for the acclaim is that LBSU will return a wealth of talent this year — eight returners and four starters — from a team that improved its record from 6-25 in 2007-08 to 15-15 just one season ago.
Head coach Dan Monson, who is in his third year at LBSU, is not treating this season any differently despite the high expectations for his squad.
"I think every year is exciting as a coach," Monson said. "Every year brings different challenges, different optimism and different expectations, and this one's no exception. … The expectations for this year are no different internally than they were last year for our basketball team."
LBSU opens its 2009-10 campaign on Saturday against Alaska-Anchorage at 4:05 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.
Nonconference
A major storyline surrounding the 49ers this season is the daunting nonconference schedule that Monson has put together. It could arguably be the most challenging in all of college basketball this season.
LBSU will face at least four teams from the USA Today/ ESPN Top 25 poll in the early part of the schedule, with the possibility of playing seven before all is said and done.
Trips to No. 3 Texas, No. 5 Kentucky and No. 8 Duke highlight the early road tests that the 49ers will face this year. The Beach will also take part in the 76 Classic, which is going to take place at the Anaheim Convention Center on Thanksgiving weekend. LBSU will face No. 9 West Virginia in the first round of the tournament and could play No. 24 Clemson in the second round.
"It's going to give us a great gauge of who we are and what we need to work on," Monson said. "If you can do it at Duke, you can do it in the Big West. … You want your guys to have confidence, but also they have to have reality of what we need to work on.
"As long as our coaching staff realizes the tall task ahead and we just navigate the players through it, then I think it can be very positive to go through a tough preseason schedule."
The 'Niners will not only have challenges in facing top tier teams, but they will also take on some of the top talent that college basketball has to offer. Three Associated Press preseason All-Americans await The Beach this season.
Notre Dame big man Luke Harangody, who backed out of last year's NBA Draft, leads the list of players as he averaged 23.3 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game last season. LBSU will travel to face the Fighting Irish on Nov. 19.
Kentucky's Patrick Patterson and Duke's Kyle Singler are the two other All-Americans that LBSU will have to deal with this season.
The 'Niners know the talent level of the players they will be playing against, and know that stopping them will be no small task.
"You have to be aware of them because they are good players," sophomore point guard Casper Ware said. "Our job is not to stop them, but just to contain them. For us to win we don't have to do anything special, just contain them."
49ers roster
Last season's leading scorer Donovan Morris is gone, but the 49ers have the core of their squad still intact.
A large part of LBSU's expected success this season will depend on the play of its sophomore class. The group is led by Big West first-teamer Larry Anderson, T.J. Robinson and Ware. All three players played big roles last season, and all are expected to maintain that level of play this year.
Anderson, a preseason all-conference selection, averaged 10.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg last season, and has taken to the role of team leader for the 49ers this year. Monson assures that Anderson will not have to be the sole scoring option for the 'Niners this season.
"We rely on Larry to do everything, and scoring is just a small part of that," Monson said. "Larry's strength is his versatility…he can play four spots. …Larry's a hard guy to game plan for because he can hurt you in so many different ways.
Anderson's primary help will come from the 6-foot-7 Robinson. The 49ers' forward returns as the leading scorer with an average of 11.4 ppg, and is the team's leading rebounder with 6.2 rpg. Robinson's consistent play down low for the 'Niners, as well as a new found jump shot, should lead to continued success for the Connecticut native.
Unexpected help could come from junior shooting guard Greg Plater and sophomore big man Eugene Phelps. Both players, along with senior Andrew Fleming, have earned praise from Monson for their work over the offseason.
Phelps may have even played his way into the starting line-up with the progress he made over the summer.
"He has accepted that role," Monson said. "Nobody else has accepted the role of being a guy that's going to be active in there and go pursue every ball. I have been really pleased that he and T.J. have seemed to understand that and have gotten in there and been very active inside."
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