Long Beach State University Athletics
Four From Beach Basketball Garner All-Big West Honors
3/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Long Beach, Calif. -
Four Beach Basketball players garnered league honors as announced by the Big West Conference on Monday. Senior Nick Faust was a double winner, earning first-team All-Big West honors as well as being named the Newcomer of the Year, while Travis Hammonds earned Best Sixth Player honors.
Nick Faust made an immediate impact for the Beach in his lone season with the team after transferring to Long Beach State from Maryland. Faust averaged 17.1 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game over the regular season, and upped his scoring to 18.4 points per game in conference play, best in the Big West.
Sophomore Justin Bibbins earned second-team All-Big West honors, fitting for one of the most improved players in the nation. The 5-8 point guard averaged 11.5 points per game while making a team-high 143 assists on the season, and also averaged 3.1 rebounds per game. Bibbins' selection also extends a streak for the 49ers, who have their point guard honored as either first or second-team All-Big West in each of the last seven seasons.
Sophomore Gabe Levin was also recognized, earning honorable mention for his first season at Long Beach State. The 6-7 forward averaged 9.9 points per game and led the Beach in rebounding at 6.0 boards per contest. Levin upped his scoring to 11.0 points per game in Big West play, starting in 15 of 16 games and making 15 blocks, a team high in league action.
Finally, Travis Hammonds won a specialty award, as the junior was named the Big West's Best Sixth Man. Hammonds was fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding while playing in 28 games, and starting just five. Averaging 9.8 points per game, Hammonds was among the top 3-point shooters in the conference, shooting over 40 percent on the season, including a career-high eight threes on the road at Oregon earlier this season.
Long Beach State's trio of starters, bench star, and the rest of the 49ers begin postseason play on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Big West Tournament. The Beach will face UC Riverside at 8:30 p.m. in the Honda Center, with the game shown live on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.
