New-Look Long Beach State Opens Season Wednesday At UCLA

Wednesday, November 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

8 p.m.

Long Beach State University

UCLA

Photo by: John Fajardo

11/4/2019 10:07:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes - UCLA

The Beach features nine new players in 2019-20.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State Men's Basketball will open the season this Wednesday on the road, traveling to Pauley Pavilion to face UCLA at 8 p.m. on a game televised live on Pac-12 Network.

Game:......................................... Long Beach State at UCLA
Date:.................................... Wednesday, November 9, 2019
Time:....................................................................... 8:00 p.m.
Location:................................................. Los Angeles, Calif.
Arena:............................................. Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
TV:............................................................. Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent:................................... JB Long, Casey Jacobsen
Radio:.................................... 22 West Radio, HD FM 88.1-3
Radio Talent:.............................................. Jason Schwartz
Webcast:...................................................... pac-12.com/live
Live Stats:.............................................. beachlivestats.com

RIGHT AWAY
• 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.

• 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, including a career-high on the road at UC Davis.

• Roberts had one of the big shots of the season in 2018-19 for the Beach, elevating for the game-winning shot in the closing seconds of Long Beach State's 68-66 win over Hawai'i in the quarterfinals of the Big West Tournament. Roberts was second on the team in that game in scoring with 18 points.

• 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.

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

• 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.

• The Beach has a tremendous record producing point guards, with LBSU's primary ball-handler earning either first or second-team All-Big West in nine of the last ten seasons, with six total first-team selections including Deishuan Booker last season in 2018-19. Long Beach State will turn to a pair of new, yet experienced players at the position in 2019-20 in Colin Slater and Michael Carter III.

PLAYER NOTES
• Just one senior returns for Long Beach State in Jordan Griffin. Long Beach State's active leader in 3-pointers made with 84 over the last three seasons, the sharpshooter from Corona, Calif. will look to return to his 2017-18 form that saw him shoot 38.4 percent from three, averaging over five points per game.

• Junior Colin Slater will get the nod at the point guard position to start the year. A transfer from Tulane, Slater played in 60 games with the green wave before joining the Beach as a redshirt last season.

• Another option at the position 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 the ability to be an impact player for the Beach at either guard position.

• 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.

• Chance Hunter is one of two new junior college transfers that the Beach is hoping will make an immediate impact. Coming to Long Beach State with three seasons of eligibility remaining, Hunter starred in his only season down the road at Cerritos College, averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Falcons. With the ability to play and defend multiple positions, Hunter will likely play a key role for the Beach this 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. LBSU will be relying on the big man to be a solid post presence in the upcoming season.

• 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.

• That group includes two forwards in Joshua Morgan and Romelle Mansel. The 6-11 Morgan is the tallest freshman to matriculate at the Beach since the aforementioned Vantrimponnt, and is a dynamic presence in the paint. He'll be joined by Mansel, a Southern California product from St. Bernard HS, and the pair will compete for time immediately.

• 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 most recently represented New Zealand in the 2018 FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup.

• Justin Rene is the first Long Beach Poly product to stay in the city since Roschon Prince. The Moore League Player of the Year, Rene is also the first Moore League freshman to join the squad since Javonntie Jackson in 2017-18.

• Shaden Knight is a quick guard from Rancho Cucamonga who will provide depth at the point guard position, while RJ Rhoden comes to the West Coast from Daytona Beach, Fla., where he averaged over 16 points per game at Mainland High School to round out the freshman class.

• Long Beach State's fourth returner, Milos Apic, will likely miss the season due to injury.

THIS AND THAT
• Long Beach State continues to have an outstanding record in the Walter Pyramid. In the last ten years, the Beach has piled up a 99-28 record at home, winning nearly 80% of their games in the iconic building.

• Head Coach Dan Monson is the winningest coach at Long Beach State, with more victories than basketball luminaries such as Jerry Tarkanian, Tex Winter, and Seth Greenberg who have also coached at the Beach. Monson is the conference's active coaching leader in wins, ranking sixth all-time. The Beach now has over 1,000 wins in program history, with Monson having won 200 entering the 2019-20 season.

• Monson is the 14th coach in Long Beach State history to win 200 games, and is the first in Men's Basketball.