Long Beach State University Athletics
Beach Hosts BYU
11/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
49ers Open Season Against BYU
Beach Beats SFSU In Exhibtion Contest
November 5, 2007
PDF Version Of Release
OVERALL RECORD: 0-0 BIG WEST RECORD: 0-0 |
GAME NO. 1 Brigham Young at Long Beach State Saturday, November 10, 2:05 pm Walter Pyramid (4,200), Long Beach, Calif. Internet: www.longbeachstate.com GAME NO. 2 Long Beach State at Montana State Tuesday, November 13, 6 pm (Pacific) Worthington Arena (7,250), Bozeman, Mont. Internet: www.longbeachstate.com |
PROBABLE STARTERS |
| LONG BEACH STATE (0-0 / 0-0 Big West) |
| F-14-Darnell Porter (6-4, RSFr., Millikan HS) |
| C-50-Andrew Fleming (7-0, So., 0.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg) |
| G-3-Greg Plater (6-1, Fr., McKay HS, Salem, Ore.) |
| G-4-Donovan Morris (6-3, Jr., Fresno State) |
| G-11-Artis Gant (6-3, jr., 1.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg) |
| BRIGHAM YOUNG (0-0 / 0-0 Mountain West) |
| F-30-Lee Cummard (6-6, Jr., 9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) |
| F-45-Jonathan Tavernari (6-6, So., 6.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg) |
| C-44-Trent Plaisted (6-11, Jr., 12.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) |
| G-20-Sam Burgess (6-3, Sr., 3.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg) |
| G-24-Ken Murdock (6-2, Sr., 1.5 ppg, 1.0 apg) |
THE RECORDS
·49ers Are Defending Big West Champions
·Beach Begins 58th Season Of Basketball
Long Beach State opens its 58th season of men's basketball on Saturday as they play host to Brigham Young University at 2 pm in the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers then travel to Montana State for a game on November 13. The 49ers were 24-8 last season and won the Big West regular season and tournament titles. Long Beach won its lone exhibition game, downing San Francisco State 72-58 on Saturday. BYU was 25-9 last season and won the Mountain West regular season title at 13-3. Montana State was 11-19 last year and tied for fifth place in the Big Sky at 8-8.
THE COACH
·Dan Monson Enters First Year At Long Beach
·Career Record Of 170-123 In 10 Years
Dan Monson (Idaho, 1985) enters his first season as the head coach at Long Beach State. Monson has compiled a 170-123 (.580) in 10 years as a Division I head coach. He was 52-17 (.754) in two years at Gonzaga, leading the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight in 1999. In eight years at Minnesota he compiled a 118-106 (.527) mark with five post-season appearances.
THE SERIES'
·LBSU leads BYU, 4-3
·LBSU leads Montana State, 2-0
The 49ers lead their all-time series with Brigham Young by a 4-3 margin. The last meeting came on December 13, 1985 in Provo, Utah, a 94-75 BYU triumph. The 49ers last beat BYU on December 10, 1982, winning 81-77 in overtime in Provo. The 49ers are 2-0 vs. Montana State. The last meeting came on December 28, 1965 in Long Beach as the 49ers won 100-84.
49ERS BEAT THE GATORS
·Five Players Hit Double Digits
·Freeman Leads Way With 13 Points
The 49ers shot .481 from the field and had five players hit double digits in scoring in Saturday's 72-58 exhibition win over visiting San Francisco State. Junior Brian Freeman had 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks to lead the way. Redshirt freshman Darnell Porter added 12 points and five rebounds, Artis Gant and Greg Plater each tallied 11 points and junior Donovan Morris was the fifth player in double digits with 10 points. Long Beach out-rebounded the Gators 43-to-28 and forced 18 turnovers. After leading 34-27 at the half, and 43-35 with 15:07 left, Long Beach went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to take it biggest lead of the game, 54-37 at 11:03.
BIG WEST MEDIA DAY
·Beach Picked Eighth By The Coaches
The annual Big West Conference Media Day was held on October 24 at the Irvine Marriott. Long Beach State was picked to finished in seventh place by media members and in eighth place by the coaches. UC Santa Barbara was the consensus to win the 2008 title.
BYU COUGAR FACTS
·Won Mountain West Regular Season Title
·Lost to Xavier in NCAA First Round Last Year
Brigham Young was 25-9 last year, winning the Mountain West regular season title with a 13-3 mark. The Cougars received an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament, falling to Xavier 79-77 in the first round. They ended up the season ranked No. 24 in the country in the final AP Poll. BYU returns two starters and eight letterwinners. The two starters are good ones though in Trent Plaisted (6-11, Jr.) and Lee Cummard (6-6, Jr.). Plaisted averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season while Cummard checked in at 9.4 points and 5.6 boards per outing. The Cougars have six newcomers on their roster, four of which are true freshmen. In their first exhibition game, BYU defeated Laval University (91-60). Plaisted led the way with 18 points and six rebounds while Sam Burgess and Jonathan Tavernari both added 15 points. BYU shot .500 (36-72) from the field for the game. They host Bryant University on Wednesday.
MONTANA STATE BOBCAT FACTS
·11-19 Last Season
·Return Seven Letterwinners/Two Starters
Montana State was 11-19 last year and tied for fifth place in the Big Sky at 8-8. The Bobcats return two starters and seven letterwinners of last season's squad for second year head coach Brad Huse. The top returnees for the Bobcats are guards Casey Durham and Mecklen Davis. Durham, a senior, averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists per outing. Davis, also a senior, averaged 7.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Gone is last year's leading scorer Nick Dissly, who averaged 14.3 points per game. MSU opens its regular season on November 9 at UNLV. The Bobcats played two exhibition games this fall. On November 1 they defeated UC Colorado Springs 67-61. Phil Friesen and Bobby Howard led the Bobcats with 17 points apiece. Friesen (6-3) is a JC transfer from Citrus JC, while Howard (6-7) is a true freshman out of Great Falls, Montana. Last Saturday the Bobcats downed Walla Walla College 82-60. Carlos Taylor tallied 19 points and center Divaldo Mbunga added 15 points and six boards.
TRAVELING FAR AND WIDE
·Beach To Fly Over 14,000 Miles
The 49ers will hit the road for some big trips this season. After opening at home against BYU, Long Beach takes its first plane flight of the year, to Bozeman, Montana, to take on Montana State. The 49ers also take to the air when they travel to Seattle, Washington; St. Louis, Missouri; Honolulu, Hawai'i; and Berkeley, California. Plus, there could be another trip in February once the ESPNU Bracket Buster games are announced. Two years ago the 49ers got sent to New York City to play Manhattan College. In the non-conference portion of the schedule (November & December), the 49ers will travel over 14,000 miles.
TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
·213-191 Record Last Year
The 49ers will have numerous tough tests in the non-conference portion of its schedule, with outings at Washington, California, Hawai'i and Saint Louis on the docket. The 13 non-conference opponents had a combined record of 213-191 (.527) last season, with four of those teams winning 20 or more games (BYU 25, Bucknell 22, St. Louis 20, North Dakota State 20) and seven recorded winning seasons. Of the 13 games, eight will be on the road. Plus, the 49ers will be on the road with a ninth non-league game when they find out in early February where they will be playing in the 2008 ESPNU Bracket Buster game on February 23rd.
2007-08 ROSTER
·Nine Newcomers on Squad
·Four Returning Letterwinners
The 49ers will have many new looks in 2007-08, mainly the nine newcomers on the roster. Toss in two players who redshirted last year, and 11 of the 15 players have not seen playing time on the Walter Pyramid Court. The four returnees (Fleming, Gant, Lazdauskas and Peys), totaled 400 minutes and 66 appearances between them.
#20 Maurice Clady
Junior · G · 5-8 · 147
San Diego, California · Grossmont JC/Crawford HS
2007-08 Notes
·Had 5 points, two steals and 3 rebounds vs. San Francisco State.
·Played 17 minutes off the bench.
Grossmont College
·Averaged 15 points and six assists per game in 2006-07
·First team All-Pacific Coast Conference last season
·Second team all-league as a freshman
·Prepped at Crawford High School where he wasa first team All-CIF Division III selection
·Led team to a league title and a CIF runner-up finish
#50 Andrew Fleming
Sophomore · C · 7-0 · 255
Cypress, California · Cypress HS
2007-08 Notes
·Started vs. San Francisco State, playing 11 minutes.
·Had 4 points and 3 rebounds in the win.
·Two of his three boards were on the offensive glass.
2006-07 Notes
·Appeared in 12 games, averaging 0.6 points and 0.3 rebounds per game
·Scored two points against Pacific, UCSB and Manhattan
·Lone block of season came vs. UCSB at home
·Shot 3-5 (.600) from the free throw line
·Redshirted in 2005-06
·Prepped at Cypress High School, as he averaged eight points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior
#24 Brian Freeman
Junior · C · 6-10 · 225
Albany, Oregon · Clackamas CC/West Albany HS
2007-08 Notes
·Led 49ers in win over San Francisco State with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
·Shot 5-10 from the field and 3-4 at the line.
·Had a team-high five offensive rebounds and did not have a turnover in the contest.
Clackamas CC
·Averaged 18.1 points and 14.4 rebounds per game last season at Clackamas CC
·Named MVP of the NWAACC Tournament, leading Clackamas to the title
·Team went 29-4 on the year and he was named MVP of the Southern Region
·Averaged 23.3 points and 15.5 rebounds per game during the NWAACC Tournament
·Averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 reboundsper game as freshman, earning second team all-league honors
#1 Brice Gallow
Junior · G · 6-1 · 182
Redondo Beach, California · Antelope Valley/Redondo Union HS
2007-08 Notes
·Played one minute in the exhibition game vs. San Francisco State and did not score.
Antelope Valley College
·Played in 35 games, averaging 8.4 points, 2.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game
·Antelope Valley went 31-7 and advanced to the California State JC title game
·Career-high 19 points vs. San Bernardino Valley College
·Scored in double figures 13 times on the season
·Played in three games (7 minutes) at Long Beach State in 2005-06 as a walk-on
#11 Artis Gant
Junior · G · 6-3 · 217
Pasadena, California · Pasadena HS
2007-08 Notes
·Played 31 minutes as a starter against San Francisco State.
·Scored 11 points and added 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
·Was 3-5 from the field and 5-9 at the line.
2006-07 Notes
·Appeared in 26 games, averaging 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game
·Shot .842 (16-19) at the free throw line
·Season-high six points vs. Air Force
·Five points in home win over UC Davis
·Five points and a career-high eight rebounds vs. CS Bakersfield
#2 Lauren Heard
Freshman · G · 6-2 · 171
Long Beach, California · Jordan HS
2007-08 Notes
·Played one minute off the bench in the exhibition win over San Francisco State.
·Scored two points, hitting two free throws with 0:20 left in the contest.
2006-07 Notes
·Prepped at Jordan High School in Long Beach
·Averaged 11.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior
·Scored in double figures 18 times
·Earned All-Moore League honors and was named the team's "Best Offensive Player"
·Career-high 26 points vs. Centennial in the first round of the CIF playoffs last season
#22 Brandon Johnson
Junnior · F · 6-8 · 220
Vancouver, Washington · Lamar CC/Mountain View HS
2007-08 Notes
·Played 14 minutes off the bench vs. San Francisco State.
·Finished with 4 points and 3 rebounds (2 offensive).
·Missed the first two weeks of practice due to a hip flexor, but returned to the court on October 29.
2006-07 Notes
·Averaged 16.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season at Lamar CC
·Shot .405 (51-126) from three-point range and .750 (90-120) at the free throw line
·Selected first team All-Region IX and was team captain
·Was the NJCAA Division I Player of the Week in mid-November last season
·A first team Academic All-Region IX selection
·Redshirted at Boise State in 2004-05 before transferring to Lamar
#10 Arturas Lazdauskas
Sophomore · F · 6-7 · 215
Kaunas, Lithuania · Hollywood HS
2007-08 Notes
·Did not suit up against San Francisco State (Coaches decision).
2006-07 Notes
·Appeared in 13 games on the season, averaging 1.0 points and 0.9 rebounds per game
·Scored a season-best four points against Pacific and CS Fullerton at the Walter Pyramid
·Shot .400 (4-10) from the field on the season
·In home win over CS Fullerton, he had four points, three rebounds and an assist
#4 Donovan Morris
Junior · G · 6-3 · 201
San Bernardino, California · Fresno State/Cajon HS
2007-08 Notes
·Started against San Francisco State on Saturday, playing a team-high 36 minutes.
·Scored 10 points, adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
·Was 4-7 form the field for the game.
Fresno State Notes
·Sat out last year (2006-07) after transferring from Fresno State
·Averaged 7.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 2005-06, shooting .392 (40-102) from three-point range
·Averaged 11.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2004-05, starting 24 times
·Shot .425 (62-146) from three-point range in 2004-05
·Led the WAC in three-point shooting in 2004-05 (.425)
·Prepped at Cajon High School and then attended Winchendon Prep (Mass.) before attending Fresno State
#34 Chris Peys
Sophomore · G · 6-5 · 195
Long Beach, California · Long Beach Poly HS
2007-08 Notes
·Played 8 minutes in exhibition win over San Francisco State.
·Did not score, but had one assist.
2006-07 Notes
·Played in 15 games, averaging 1.0 points and 0.6 rebounds per game
·Missed final seven games of season due to illness
·Season-best six points in the home win over UCSB, hitting two three's and adding an assist
·Was 3-9 from three-point rangeon the season
·Three points in home win over Pacific
#15 Redmond Parker
Freshman · F · 6-7 · 210
Calabasas, California · Calabasas HS
2007-08 Notes
·Played 6 minutes in exhibition win vs. San Francisco State.
·Did not score, but had 4 rebounds (all defensive) in his 6 minutes of action.
Calabasas HS
·Lettered two years at Calabasas High School, averaging 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a senio
·Helped lead Calabasas to back-to-back Marmonte League titles
·Attended St. Thomas Moore Prep School in Oakdale, Conn. in 2006-07 where he was rated as one of the Top 30 players in New England
#3 Greg Plater
Freshman · G · 6-1 · 165
Salem, Oregon · McKay HS
2007-08 Notes
·Started at point guard vs. San Francisco State.
·Played 22 minutes, finishing with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
·Was 2-3 from 3-point range vs. the Gators.
McKay HS
·A first team All-Class 6A selection last year at McKay HS
·Averaged 22.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game last season
·Ranked as the No. 1 point guard in Oregon by northwesthoops.com
·Was the 2007 Central Valley Player of the Year and first team all-league
·Led team to the state tournament where he averaged 26.0 points per game
·Participated in the 14th Annual Northwest Shootout, an all-star game featuring the top seniors from the state of Oregon and Washington
#14 Darnell Porter
RS Freshman · G · 6-4 · 182
Long Beach, California · Millikan HS
2007-08 Notes
·Started the exhibition game vs. San Francisco State, playing 29 minutes.
·Scored 12 points, adding 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
·Was 4-8 form the field and 2-4 from 3-point range.
2006-07 Notes
·Redshirted for the 49ers
·Prepped at Millikan High School where he averaged 20.3 points per game his senior year
·Was a first team All-Moore League pick in 2006 and was a member of the Long Beach Press-Telegram's "Dream Team"
·Second team All-CIF as a senior
·Averaged 22 points per game as a junior, earning first team all-league honors
#44 Cornel Williams
Junior · F · 6-4 · 207
San Diego, California · San Diego CC/John Muir Charter
2007-08 Notes
·Did not play in exhibition game vs. San Francisco State due to back spasms.
San Diego CC
·Lettered two years at San Diego City College
·Averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game last season
·Named first team All-Pacific Coast Conference
·Ranked fourth in the conference in league games last season at 16.3 points per game
·Was home schooled through John Muir Charter
