Men's Basketball Returns To Walter Pyramid Friday Hosting Fresno Pacific

Friday, November 22

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Fresno Pacific

Men's Basketball Returns To Walter Pyramid Friday Hosting Fresno Pacific

11/20/2019 10:23:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes - Fresno Pacific

The Beach looks to remain unbeaten at home in 2019-20.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State returns home where the Beach is unbeaten this season and will host Fresno Pacific this Friday at 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.

Game:.......................... Long Beach State vs. Fresno Pacific
Date:........................................... Friday, November 22, 2019
Time:............................................................................ 7 p.m.
Location:.................................................. Long Beach, Calif.
Arena:............................................... Walter Pyramid (4,200)
TV:................................................................................... N/A
TV Talent:........................................................................ N/A
Radio:.................................... 22 West Radio, HD FM 88.1-3
Radio Talent:.............................................. Jason Schwartz
Webcast:........................................................... Beach Vision
Live Stats:.............................................. beachlivestats.com

We're back home this Friday! You're not sleeping on @Toomany_chances are you? Come check out Chance Hunter and the rest of @LBSUhoops in the Walter Pyramid against Fresno Pacific! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/Dr0DgPSxev — LBSU Mens Basketball (@LBSUhoops) November 18, 2019

RIGHT AWAY
• The Beach is a perfect 19-0 against Non-Division I competition under Dan Monson; Long Beach State picked up two wins a season ago and will play two games this season as well, starting with the Sunbirds Friday and then hosting Cal State Los Angeles just after the new year.

• Fresno Pacific enters Friday's game with an 0-4 record. The Sunbirds lost three of those four by less than five points, and will face their first Division I opponent in LBSU. Aamondae Coleman leads Fresno Pacific with 16.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore Chance Hunter has wasted no time getting adjusted to life at the Beach. A transfer from Cerritos College, Hunter scored 19 points on the road at UCLA before leading the team with 21 points against San Diego to go with a team-high nine rebounds. Hunter leads the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game, and is second on the squad with 4.0 rebounds per game.

• Others off to quicks starts for Long Beach State include Michael Carter III, who is averaging 11.0 points per game and leads the team in assists, Colin Slater who has twice scored in double-figures for the Beach including at #18 Saint Mayr's, and freshman Joshua Morgan who is averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds through three games.

LONG BEACH STATE
• Long Beach State has officially changed the nickname for all sports other than baseball to Beach with the NCAA. Please do not refer to LBSU basketball as the 49ers.

• Long Beach State will be "playing the kids" this season, as the Beach turns to nine newcomers to the program in three transfers and six incoming freshman. Additionally, three redshirts also return to the program, giving the Beach just four returning letterwinners entering the season to go with 12 players returning for their first full year.

• Long Beach State has turned over nearly the entire roster in 2018-19.The Beach returns just 15.2 points per game from last season, a total of 20.2%, the lowest since Dan Monson's first year with the program with the team returned 5.9 points per game, just 7.2 percent of the total coming back from the 2006-07 season. That rates as among the lowest points returning in the nation; fifth lowest as total points and sixth lowest in total percentage.

• With 11 players making their debut this season for Long Beach State, that also ranks among the most in the nation. Only TCU (15), Nebraska (15), East Carolina (13) and Utah (12) will have more in 2019-20.

PLAYER NOTES
• LBSU's lone senior, Jordan Griffin continues to have an affinity for playing against Stanford. Scoring in double-figures twice, Griffin set his career high against the Cardinal in 2017 in a home win, and after scoring over his career average on the road last season, added 12 points in Tuesday's defeat. Griffin made a pair of threes in that game, and is closing in on becoming the 16th player in school history to make 100 3-pointers. He enters Friday shooting 41.7 percent from three and 63.2 percent from the field.

• Jordan Roberts is one of the key returners for Long Beach State. A 6-9 junior, Roberts averaged 8.4 points per game in Big West play last season, and scored over 15 points in five of the team's last eight games a year ago, including a career-high on the road at UC Davis.

• LBSU returns one other starter in junior Drew Cobb. Earning a scholarship as a defensive stopper, Cobb started 17 of the final 19 games of the season, and generally drew the job of guarding the opposing team's best perimeter player. In particular, Cobb shined in Long Beach State's win on the road at UC Irvine, holding All-Big West guard and future Arizona transfer Max Hazzard to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting.

• Junior Colin Slater has been in the starting lineup for the Beach in every game this season. A transfer from Tulane, Slater played in 60 games with the green wave before joining the Beach as a redshirt last season. His best performance so far came in the team's home win over San Diego, scoring a career-high 19 points.

• Another option at the point guard is another Division I transfer in combo guard Michael Carter III. Carter III played 17 games while limited by injuries at Washington as a freshman during the 2017-18 season. After sitting out last year, Carter III is eligible immediately for the Beach and has led the team in assists in the early part of the year.

• Long Beach State's first 7-footer since Mike Vantrimpont in the 2011-12 season, Trever Irish is also looking to make a statement after returning from injury. Despite missing most of the 2018-19 campaign, Irish was a star at Central Arizona College, averaging 14.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a true freshman in 2017-18. While still rounding into game shape, Irish has contributed with 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

• Breyon Jackson is back with the program after receiving a medical waiver following the 2018-19 campaign. Jackson played in the first eight games of the season, including scoring four points in a season-high 17 minutes against Mississippi State. Ultimately, Jackson was sidelined at the start of December, and did not return last year after transfering from Cloud County CC.

• In one of the largest incoming high school classes in program history, Long Beach State welcomes six newcomers for their first season in collegiate athletics. The Beach is excited to add Max De Geest, Shaden Knight, Romelle Mansel, Joshua Morgan, Justin Rene and RJ Rhoden.

• The two bigs in that group have made the largest impact through the first part of the season. Starting together against Saint Mary's in the last game, Mansel scored eight points with three boards and two blocks against the Gaels, and Morgan has been the most consistent post player this season so far for the Beach, making 9 blocks already and averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on spectacular 81.8 percent shooting.

• Among the four freshman guards, Max De Geest has the most international experience, having played on multiple youth teams for New Zealand. A strong outside shooter, De Geest debuted against San Diego and then led the Beach in scoring at Stanford, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 13 points.