Nixon: Season of Truth Part I and II
by Ryan ZumMalen, www.lbunion.com
November 15, 2006 Aaron Nixon is noticeably slimmer this year, a combination of his dedication to improving his stamina, and having his jaw wired shut after breaking it in a pickup game.
"That came from not being able to eat," he says. "I still ran while my mouth was wired shut. I tried to benefit from it a little bit. Everything happens for a reason."
After a solid season and a breakout Big West tournament last year, all eyes will be on Nixon in 2006-07. No more flying under the radar. He lost that luxury after nailing a fallaway three-pointer to beat the buzzer against UC Irvine, sending the 49ers to the Big West Championship Game.
"That was crazy," he says. At this point in Nixon's career, that infamous shot ranks as his number one highlight. "It had to be number one. You make a lot of shots, but you dream of being on ESPN. Then, when I made it on ESPN and it was #1, it was a good feeling."
Nixon proceeded to light up the three games CSULB played in the conference tournament, averaging 25.3 points per contest and positioning himself squarely in the spotlight this year. With the 49ers losing their two top scorers to graduation, all eyes will be focused on the scoring machine. Nixon is ready for the challenge.
"Gamewise, I think I've got a lot to prove. I guess you should always play with a chip on your shoulder." The man who won't keep quiet on the court speaks softly, like the upcoming season is going to be a matter of life and death. "I go out every day like it's the last day I got to hoop."
A lot rests on Nixon's shoulders this season. He'll have to prove that he can carry this team to reach it's championship aspirations. "We can't lay off for one game. One game could kill our dreams of making it to the [NCAA] tournament. We gotta take every game seriously."
He'll have to prove the team is worthy of its #1 preseason Big West Conference ranking. "Now the target is on our back," Nixon says. "Our coach always stresses to us that we have four starters coming back and 8 seniors, so [our ranking] could just be based off of that. We've got to go and prove ourselves." He's not getting overly excited about the ranking, though.
"I think that's how people get caught up in the hype and lose."
He'll have to prove that last season's CSULB that led the nation in scoring was no fluke. "We plan on being #1 in the nation again. That's one of our team goals, scoring. We got enough people to do it."
It is that scoring ability that makes this CSULB the most legitimate threat this campus has seen in years. With high-profile early season games at USC and UCLA, Nixon and the 49ers enter a season that could reap unprecedented benefits for the program.
"Every game is a must win. If we beat USC and lose to San Jose St., that game meant nothing," he says. "People will say, ‘They just had a good day. Now they're back to normal Long Beach.' We gotta win every game. At least try to."
While CSULB is no secret in the Big West Conference, they'll definitely have a chance to surprise some teams on a national scale. For one, 5th ranked UCLA on November 28.
"UCLA is just another game, they can lose on any given day just like we can. I don't see Michael Jordan on their team right now."
Nixon may not be too psyched about any one game in particular, but you won't find anyone more ready for the season's opening tipoff.
"Tuesday can't come soon enough," he says. PART II I've come a long way,' Aaron Nixon wants you to know. He means it, figuratively and literally. The 6'2 shooting guard from Cleveland, Ohio recently began his second and final season in a CSULB uniform. He'll leave campus with professional aspirations.
'I wouldn't have started playing ten years ago if I didn't want to do anything with basketball,' Nixon says. 'I could've just gone to school. But that's what its about, playing pro basketball somewhere.'
After two stellar seasons at the Division-II level, Nixon passed on offers from bigger programs like Ohio State and Nebraska to come to CSULB. 'I trusted the coaches,' he explains. 'Other people were recruiting me, but I would hear from them one week then in two weeks I wouldn't hear from them. Long Beach called me every week.'
Though the transition from the Midwest to the West Coast can be difficult, there are plenty of positives to be found. 'Right now its snowing in Cleveland, I can wear shorts out here though,' he says. 'I feel more comfortable now, I know more people.'
Nixon will need to feel comfortable in Long Beach, because his team will rely on him as the primary scoring option in 2006-07. Last year's 49ers led the nation in scoring, but through five games this year the offense has struggled to find its stride. Nixon is the one that will be expected to put points on the board during a drought.
'If I have a bad game, its on me,' he says. 'I don't think I'll ever be stopped. Not to sound cocky or anything, but its mental, the whole game is mental. There are a million ways to score.' Nixon's attitude should not be confused with conceit. The 49ers will rely on the swagger that he carries himself with. It's his gunslinger mentality that allowed him to put up 25.3 points in three Big West tournament games last season. Long Beach's chances of success may depend on whether Nixon plays with a conscience or not.
And any success the team has this year will certainly influence Nixon's individual success in the future, a lesson he learned from conversations with former 49ers and NBA players Ed Ratleff and Glen McDonald. 'They gave me a lot of advice, because they've already been there,' Nixon says. 'If your team wins, it makes it look better for you. If you score 30 and ya'll are 5-25, then it means nothing.'
Nixon relies on his team's success just as his team relies on his individual success. It is a make or break year for both of them. The team will graduate eight seniors this year, and head coach Larry Reynolds' contract is up at the end of the season. If there is one year for CSULB to bring home a Big West Conference championship, this is it. After a rough start, both Nixon and his team need a big turnaround to keep their future aspirations alive.
Nixon knows it. He continues to chase the dream that consumes the soul of every kid big enough to hold a basketball. Everything he has done in his career has led him to this point, the one season that will determine whether or not a professional career is in his future. 'I could be working a 9-to-5 or I could be playing basketball somewhere. That's the ultimate goal,' he says. 'Somewhere, as long as I'm playing basketball, its cool.'
To do that, he'll need to have a stellar individual season and help his team realize its championship potential. Again and again Nixon repeats the phrase that seems to be echoing in his mind, and perhaps should become CSULB's mantra.
'Go out there like every day is your last,' he says. |
