49ers Hit The Road To Begin Season
Friday at UNLV, Monday at Cal
November 14, 2005
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OVERALL RECORD: 0-0 / BIG WEST RECORD: 0-0 | Friday, Nov. 18 at Nevada-Las Vegas, 7:35 pm, Thomas & Mack Arena
Internet Radio: www.longbeachstate.com | Monday, Nov. 21 at California, 7:35 pm, Haas Pavilion
Internet Radio: www.longbeachstate.com | Home Opener on Sunday, Nov. 27 vs. San Francisco State, 2:05 pm |
PROBABLE STARTERS | | LONG BEACH STATE (0-0) | | F-3-Shawn Hawkins (6-6, 225, Sr., 11.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg) | | C-0-Onye Ibekwe (6-8, 240, Jr., 6.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) | | G-1-Jibril Hodges (6-2, 175, Sr., 12.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg) | | G-20-Kevin Houston (5-10, 175, Jr., 6.7 ppg, 3.3 apg) | | G-55-Aaron Nixon (6-1, 218, Jr., San Bernardino Valley JC) | | | | NEVADA-LAS VEGAS (0-0) | | F-22-Louis Amundson (6-9, 225, Sr., 7.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg) | | F-41-Dustin Villepique (6-9, 230, Sr., 3.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg) | | G-3-Michael Umeh (6-2, 205, Jr., 9.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg) | | G-1-Ricky Morgan (6-0, 200, Sr., 4.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg) | | G-13-Jason Petrimoulx (6-4, 195, Jr., Dixie State) | | | | CALIFORNIA (0-0) | | F-44-Leon Powe (6-8, 240, So., 15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg) | | C-35-DeVon Hardin (6-11, 235, So., 4.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) | | G-1-Ayinde Ubaka (6-3, 200, Jr., 6.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg) | | G-2-Omar Wilkes (6-4, 185, So., Transfer-Kansas) | | G-15-Richard Midgley (6-3, 195, Sr., 12.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg) |
THE RECORDS
•Beach coming off a 10-20 record in 2004-05
Long Beach State kicks off its 2005-06 campaign on the road, traveling to Nevada-Las Vegas on Friday and California on Monday. The Beach won its lone exhibition game, 96-83 over Cal State Los Angeles on November 11. Long Beach State was 10-20 last year and won seven of its final eight regular season games to finish sixth (7-11) in the Big West Conference. UNLV was 7-14 last season and finished fourth (7-7) in the Mountain West Conference. The Rebels advanced to the NIT, where they lost to South Carolina in the second round. Cal was 13-16 last season and tied for eighth place (6-12) in the Pacific-10 Conference.
THE COACHES
•Larry Reynolds is in his fourth year at LBSU
Larry Reynolds (UC Riverside, 1976) is 21-63 (.250) in three years as the head coach at Long Beach State. Overall, Reynolds is 131-98 (.572) entering his ninth year as a collegiate head coach. Lon Kruger is 17-14 in his second year at UNLV and Ben Braun is 166-110 in his tenth season at Cal.
THE SERIES
•UNLV leads series, 33-10
•Cal leads series, 1-0
The 49ers trail in their series with UNLV by a 33-10 count. The last time the two met was February 5, 1996 in The Walter Pyramid, an 84-65 49er triumph. UNLV was a member of the PCAA/Big West from the 1982-83 season until the 1995-96 year. The last meeting in Las Vegas was on January 13, 1996, an 85-72 UNLV win. Long Beach is 1-18 all-time in Las Vegas, having lost the last eight meetings at the Thomas & Mack. Long Beach and Cal have met just once in men's basketball and that came on March 15, 2000 in the first round of the NIT in Berkeley. The Bears escaped with a 70-66 victory over the 49ers.
SEASON OPENERS
•The 49ers are 31-24 in season-opening games
The 49ers are a cumulative 31-24 in season opening games in 55 years of men's basketball competition. The 49ers have dropped their regular season opener the past three seasons. The last season opening win was Nov. 15, 2001, a 71-64 win over Western Michigan at the America's Youth Classic in Eugene, OR. This will be the seventh consecutive year that the 49ers have opened up the season on the road. The last home opener was Nov. 14, 1998 when the 49ers lost at home to Cal State Northridge.
BEACH DEFEATS CSLA
•Nixon's 19 points leads 49er to win
Junior Aaron Nixon scored 19 points and Dominque Ricks had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead the 49ers to a 96-83 exhibition win over Cal State Los Angeles on November 11 at the Walter Pyramid. The Beach used a 16-1 run in the first half to turn a 6-4 deficit to a 20-7 advantage with 12:29 left. The Golden Eagles kept it close though, pulling to within three points (47-44) at the half. The 49ers scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 10-point lead (54-44), saw CSLA cut the margin to six (57-51), before going on a 22-5 run over the next five minutes to take a commanding 79-56 lead. Kevin Houston added 13 points and five assists in the contest and Sterling Byrd was the fourth 49er in double digits with 14. Long Beach shot .492 (32-65) from the field, but was just 9-26 (.346) from three-point range. The 49ers forced 24 CSLA turnovers in the contest. The game was slowed down due to the fact that there were a total of 53 fouls called and 49 turnovers between the two teams.
MEDIA DAY RESULTS
•49ers picked 5th by the media & 6th by the coaches
The annual Big West Conference Media Day was held on November 2 at the Irvine Hilton. The 49ers were picked to finish in fifth place by the media and in sixth place by the coaches. Senior guard Jibril Hodges was named a pre-season first team all-conference selection. Cal State Fullerton was picked by both the coaches and media to win the 2006 title.
UNLV FACTS
•UNLV defeated Bryant, 81-63, last Friday
•Rebels open season with three straight home games
The Rebels won both of their exhibition games this season defeating Washburn (73-53) and Bryant (81-63). Against Washburn, Dustin Villepique led the way with 12 points and Michael Umeh added 11 as the Rebels shot 10-22 (.455) from three-point range. Against Bryant, Louis Amundson led four UNLV players in double digits with 14 points. UNLV committed just 12 turnovers in the game, but shot just 5-22 (.227) from long-range. UNLV out-rebounded both of its exhibition opponents by an average of 47.0 to 37.0. UNLV returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's 17-14 team. Umeh and Amundson two of the returning starters from last year, averaged 9.7 points and 7.8 points per game respectively. After hosting the 49ers, UNLV will host Hawaii (11/22) and Nevada (11/26) before its first road game on Nov. 30 at Oklahoma State. CALIFORNIA FACTS
•Bears open season Friday at Eastern Michigan
•Cal returns 2004 All-Pac-10 player Leon Powe
The Golden Bears will play host to Humboldt State on Nov. 14 in their lone exhibition game before beginning their season on Nov. 18 at Eastern Michigan. The key returnee for Cal is sophomore Leon Powe. Powe missed last year due to injury after a banner freshman year where he averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, earning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors. Also returning is guard Richard Midgley who averaged 12.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season. A strong long-range threat, Midgley currently ranks No. 6 all-time at Cal with 134 made three-pointers.
RUN AND GUN
•49ers rack up 96 points in win, most in Reynolds' tenure
Fourth-year Head Coach Larry Reynolds said that the 2005-06 49ers would be up-tempo and he showed that last Friday. Long Beach scored 96 points in its exhibition win over Cal State Los Angeles, the most points a 49er team has scored under Reynolds. In his first three seasons the 49ers hit 80 or more points just five times, including exhibition games. The previous high for points scored was 91 in an exhibition game last season against Alaska-Anchorage (91-63). The most points in a regular season game came last year against Sacramento State, an 87-63 49er triumph on November 27 in the Walter Pyramid. Last season the 49ers averaged 60.7 points per game.
THE BEACH ON TV
•49ers on television five times
The 49ers will be on television five times this year during the regular season, with the possibility of three more games being added in February and March. The Nov. 30 game vs. LMU will be televised live on FOX Sports West. The Dec. 17 game at Pepperdine will be live on FOX Sports West 2, as will the Jan. 21 game at UC Riverside and Feb. 4 contest at Pacific. The Feb. 2 game at CS Northridge will be aired live on KVMD. Other possible television games are: Feb. 18 Bracket Buster game (ESPN), Mar. 2 vs. UC Riverside (KVMD), Mar. 4 at UC Irvine (FOX West 2). The Big West Tournament will also see its fair share of television exposure as Thursday's quarterfinals will be aired on KVMD, Friday's semifinals on ESPNU and Saturday's championship game will be live on ESPN.
FAVORABLE SCHEDULE
•49ers were 8-5 at home last season, winning final six
After opening the season on the road at UNLV and Cal, the 49ers will then be at home in The Walter Pyramid for six of its next nine games. The 49ers went 8-5 last year at home, winning their final six in a row. The home opener on Nov. 27 vs. San Francisco State is followed by a Nov. 30 televised game vs. Loyola Marymount. After a trip to Portland and Sacramento State, The Beach will be home for four of five games over the last half of December.
FOUR DOUBLEHEADERS
•First doubleheader with women set for December 30
The 49er men will play four doubleheaders with its women's team this season. The first will be on December 30 as the women host South Dakota State (5 pm) and the men Cornell (7:30 pm). On January 28 both teams will tangle with UC Irvine in The Walter Pyramid (2 & 5 pm). February 11 will be Homecoming on the 49er campus and the women will take on Pacific (3 pm) while the men tangle with UCSB (5:30 pm). The final doubleheader will be on March 4 at UC Irvine (4 & 7 pm).
#1-JIBRIL HODGES
•2nd on 49er career 3-point chart (165-447)
•Leading returning scorer from last year (12.7 ppg)
The senior out of Park Forest, IL heads into this final campaign as one of the most prolific long-range shooters in school history. Hodges is currently second on the 49ers career chart in three-pointers made (165) and three-pointers attempted (447). He needs just 47 more three's to pass Lucious Harris' (1989-93) career mark of 211 made three's. Hodges is also 11th all-time with a .369 three-point field goal percentage. An honorable mention All-Big West pick last year, Hodges averaged a team-high 12.7 points per game. In league outings he stepped that up to 13.6 points per outing. A team captain this season, Hodges can also move into the Big West Conference career Top 10 for three-point shooting. He needs to reach 218 made three's to take over the No. 10 spot in Big West history. In 2004-05 Hodges connected on a personal-best 74 three's, a mark which ranks second on the 49er single season chart.
#3-SHAWN HAWKINS
•20 double-figure scoring games last year
•Grabbed a team-high 62 offensive rebounds last season
A co-captain this year, Shawn Hawkins enters his second year as a 49er ready to lead the 49ers to a league title. Hawkins had a solid first year, averaging 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He hit double figures in scoring 20 times, including a career-best 24 points at Cal Poly, but is looking for more consistency in his shooting. Hawkins shot just .270 (33-122) from three-point range on the season and .385 overall from the field. Hawkins has the all-around package as he can shoot from long-distance or put the ball on the floor and drive to the bucket. Last season he was third on the team with 43 assists and garnered a team-high 62 offensive rebounds.
#2-LOUIS DARBY
•Missed 15 games due to a broken bone in his left foot
•Averaged 6.7 points per game in 2004-05
Darby was one of several 49ers who missed games last season due to injury. Darby broke a bone in his left foot on Dec. 22 vs. Georgetown, and proceeded to miss the next 15 games. He began the year with a bang, scoring in double digits in the first three games of the season (15 at Charlotte, 12 vs. Pepperdine, 14 vs. Sacramento State), but didn't hit double digits again until the final game of the year as he tallied 11 points vs. UCSB at the Big West Tournament. He concluded the year averaging 6.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Probably the most athletic and explosive player on the team, a healthy Darby promises great things for the 49ers this season.
#20-KEVIN HOUSTON
•Averaged 11.9 points and 4.8 assists in final eight games
•Career-high 18 points in home win over Cal Poly (3/3)
Houston really stepped up his game over the final eight games of the year. As he played well, so did the 49ers, who won seven of those eight games. Houston averaged 11.9 points and 4.8 assists per game in the final eight games of the regular season. Overall, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He scored in double digits in six consecutive games, including scoring a career-high 18 points in the home win over Cal Poly. For his efforts, Houston was voted "Most Improved" at the 49er Awards Banquet at the end of the year.
#0-ONYE IBEKWE
•Leading rebounder last year at 6.3 boards per game
•Averaged 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in league games
The leading rebounder last year for the 49ers at 6.3 rebounds per game, Onye Ibekwe returns for his junior season. Ibekwe played in 24 games last season after becoming eligible in December after his mid-semester transfer from Oklahoma State in 2003. Ibekwe improved as the season progressed, averaging 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He accounted for two double-double's on the year and had a season-high 13 points at CS Fullerton.
#55-AARON NIXON
•First team All-State last year averaging 23.5 points per game
•Third team All-American in 2003-04 at Columbus State
One of the most heralded recruits in 49er history, Nixon was a first team All-State selection last year at San Bernardino Valley College where he averaged 23.5 points and 3.6 assists per game. He helped lead the Wolverines to a 27-5 mark, a Foothill League championship and an appearance in the California State JC Championship game. SBVC fell to Fresno City College in the title game, but Nixon had an outstanding game finishing with 36 points in the 83-68 loss. Nixon shot an impressive .563 from the field last year. In 2003-04 he was a third team JC All-American at Columbus State after averaging 23.4 points and 5.1 assists per game in leading Columbus State to a 29-2 mark.
#15-STERLING BYRD
•Averaged 17.4 points per game last year at Yavapai College
•Shot .572 from the field last year
At 6-6, Sterling Byrd can shoot the three-pointer and take the ball to the hoop. Last year at Yavapai College, Byrd averaged 17.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive .572 from the field. He also connected on 41-109 (.376) of his three-point attempts. He was named second team All-Region I last season, leading Yavapai to a 17-14 mark. Byrd originally is from Compton and prepped at Centennial High School where he averaged 18.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game his senior season.
#30-KEJUAN JOHNSON
•First team All-State at Long Beach City College last year
•Averaged 20.3 points per game last season
Junior Kejuan Johnson comes from a great lineage as he is the nephew of former 49er great Lucious Harris. Johnson had a stellar year at Long Beach City College last season, averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while being named first team All-State and MVP of the South Coast Conference South Division. Johnson led LBCC to a 19-9 mark and a South Division title. A great scorer who can pass the ball as well, Johnson ranked No. 28 in the state in scoring and No. 13 in the state in assists last year. Originally out of Artesia High School, Johnson attended Humboldt State for one year before transferring to LBCC.
#21-MARK DAWSON
•Second in state in 2003-04 at 12.5 rebounds per game
•Did not play during the 2004-05 season
A versatile, quick post out of Pasadena City College, Dawson should make an immediate impact for the 49ers. Dawson finished second in the state in rebounding in 2003-04 at 12.5 rebounds per game, while chipping in 13.1 points and 2.0 blocks per outing. He shot .491 from the field that season and had a season-high of 30 points. He led Pasadena CC to a 26-9 mark.
#4-JAZZ HENDERSON
•Averaged 20.3 points per game at Eastfield JC in 2003-04
•Did not play during the 2004-05 season
One of the quickest recruits in recent memory, Jazz Henderson can do it all. A prolific scorer in JC, Henderson can get up and down the court in a hurry. As a sophomore at Eastfield College he averaged 20.3 points per game, as well as 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He led Eastfield to a 25-10 mark, a Region V NJCAA Tournament title and an appearance in the 2004 NJCAA Division III National Tournament championship game. Henderson was also a two-time first team All-Region selection.
#44-DOMINIQUE RICKS
•Averaged 12.9 points at Saddleback JC last year
•Named co-MVP of Orange Empire Conference
A junior forward out of Saddleback College, Ricks is an extremely versatile player. He averaged 12.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last year and was named the co-MVP of the Orange Empire Conference. Ricks led Saddleback to a 28-3 mark, a league title and an appearance in the California State JC Tournament. Saddleback finished ranked No. 4 in the state and fell in the state semifinals to Fresno CC, 95-82. Ricks hit double digits in scoring 21 times and recorded 12 double-double's. He prepped at Cypress High School where he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds a game as a senior.
#11-ARTIS GANT
•True freshman out of Pasadena High School
•Led Pasadena HS to the CIF-SS II-AA title game
The lone freshman scholarship player this year is guard Artis Gant out of Pasadena High School. Gant averaged 16 points and seven assists per game last year in helping lead Pasadena to a 27-4 mark and an appearance in the CIF-SS Division II-AA championship game, where they fell to Dominguez 57-51.
#32-DOMINIC FREEMAN
•Had 6 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes vs. CSLA
•A walk-on this year from Long Beach City College
Comes to Long Beach State out of Long Beach City College where he lettered two years (2002-03, 2003-04). Freeman was a two-time first team All-South Coast Conference South Division pick after averaging 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game his sophomore season. Freeman, who prepped at Millikan High School in Long Beach, gives all he has on the court. He had six points, five rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes in the exhibition win over CS Los Angeles.
#35-ULRIC PATTILLO
•5 points in 8 minutes in exhibition game win
•Walk-on out of Narbonne High School
After missing last year due to a conflict with his academic schedule (Computer Engineering major), Pattillo rejoins the 49ers for 2005-06. A walk-on, Pattillo played in 11 games in 2003-04, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds. He was 2-5 from three-point range, hitting a three at Pepperdine and at Sacramento State. Pattillo played eight minutes in the exhibition game last Friday, finishing with five points, one assist and one steals in eight minutes.
#5-KEION KINDRED
•Will probably redshirt this year due to arthritic knees
•Missed 11 games due to injury last year
The third senior on the 49er roster, Kindred missed 10 games last year due to injury. He played in 19 games, averaging 0.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He dished out a season-high five assists vs. Loyola Marymount and had five points, four rebounds and three assists vs. Georgetown. Kindred's knees gave out on him early in January and he only played a total of 111 minutes in the final 20 games of the year. An emotional and vocal leader on and off the court, Kindred will be counted on as a defensive stopper and make the smart pass when he hits the court.
#33-TRAVON FREE
•Missed final 11 games due to injury
•Had an MRI done on November 7 (Will not travel this weekend)
Free missed the final 11 games last year due to a torn meniscus in his left knee and hasn't practiced much in the fall. It is yet to be determined if he will have to redshirt this year due to injury. Last year Free appeared in 17 games, averaging 3.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He grabbed a career-best 19 rebounds in the Big West opener at UC Santa Barbara, a mark which is tied for No. 6 all-time on the 49er single game chart. He had 12 points in the home win over Sacramento State and shot .446 from the field while blocking 11 shots.
#45-ANDREW FLEMING
•Walk-on this season out of Cypress HS
Fleming is a walk-on out of Cypress High School. Just in the infancy of his playing career, Fleming played just one year at Cypress, averaging 8.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and two blocks per game. He is in just his third year of competitive basketball. Fleming stands at 6-11 and is still growing.
#24-BRICE GALLOW
•Walk-on this year out of Redondo Union HS
Gallow is the fourth walk-on on the LBSU squad this year. He went through the fall "try-out" session and the coaches liked what they saw and offered him a spot on the team. Gallow prepped at redondo Union High School where he lettered four years in basketball and one year in track. His best statistical year came as a junior when he averaged 15 points and three assists per game.
| 49ER CAREER 3-POINT LEADERS | | 1. Lucious Harris (1989-93), 211-583 | | 2. Jibril Hodges (2002-Present), 165-447 |
2005-06 Season Results
2005-06 Current Statistics
2005-06 Current Roster |
