Men's Basketball, Men's Sports, Sports, Uncategorized

BASKETBALL GUIDE: David Samuels standing out among newcomers

Last season Long Beach State men’s head basketball coach Dan Monson led his team to the Big West regular season title but fell short in the Big West Tournament. Monson’s team will try and improve on last season with a completely different roster.

The roster changes include four junior college transfers and one freshman that will have significant playing time this season.

“They all need to step in and help us. We’ve had a lot of turnover in the program,” Monson said. “We went to junior college [to recruit] because they have a lot of experience and they are guys that I think could step in and help us right away.”

David Samuels, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Collin College in Plano, Texas, is expected to have significant playing time at power forward for the 49ers.

Samuels was a two-time first-team all-conference selection during his junior college career and is looking to be a huge factor for the new-look 49ers.

“I want to lead the team in free throw percentage, field goal percentage, and I want to lead the team in assists for bigs,” Samuels said.

Samuels is from the Bronx, where he was an All-American nominee at Phelps Prep High School. He said he is currently adjusting to the new system and his teammates.

“I’m just excited for a new level of basketball, and I’m ready to duke it out with my guys and get some wins,” said Samuels. “We got some well-rounded, strong-minded guys, so we are doing pretty good.”

New Players
Monson provides a look at each of LBSU’s freshmen and transfers:

A.J Spencer | Junior | Guard | 6-3 | Hutchinson Community College
Monson: “A.J. [Spencer] is a jack-of-all-trades. He is a kid that can bounce it, rebound and make open shots. We really like his versatility.”

McKay LaSalle | Junior | Guard | 6-3 | Saddleback Community College
Monson: “McKay [LaSalle] is probably the best shooter in the program. He stretches the defense with his jump shot and he can make a couple threes in a row to break the game open.”

David Samuels | Junior | Forward | 6-7 | Collin Community College
Monson: “David [Samuels] gives us a versatile forward that can go inside and out, he has post moves and he can also hit a three and stretch a defense that way.”

Christian Griggs-Williams | Junior | Forward | 6-7 | Mesa Community College
Monson: “Christian [Griggs-Williams] is more of a back-to-the-basket and gives us another guy besides Dan Jennings that can score down in the post.”

Desmond Ross | Freshman | Guard | 6-3 | Kellis High School
Monson: “We are really high on [Ross] as a freshman. I think that he is a freshman that can help us this year, and he is really our future; he can defend, he is a good athlete, and he is a good offensive player.”

Monson said he hopes that this year’s team plays more as a team. He said he will utilize most of the new players in the rotation, and they will play in every game this season.

“This team will have to rely on what they are together, not what they are individually,” said Monson. “For us to have success it’s going to have to be in the mass and not in the individual.”

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