Men's Basketball Hosts Cal Poly On Senior Night In A Critical Late-Season Matchup

Thursday, March 5

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Cal Poly

Photo by: John Fajardo

Men's Basketball Hosts Cal Poly On Senior Night In A Critical Late-Season Matchup

3/2/2020 2:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes - Cal Poly

The Beach will recognize their lone senior, Jordan Griffin, at Thursday night's game.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Final week of the season and Thursday's game is critical, pitting together two teams fighting for the opportunity to take their chance to reach the NCAA Tournament. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. between Cal Poly, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

RIGHT AWAY
• It's senior night as Long Beach State will recognize their lone senior Thursday, Jordan Griffin. With the program for four years, Griffin is just one of 16 players in school history to make 100 3-pointers, and he ranks tied for 15th all-time in 3-pointers made at the Beach.

• Defense has led the way for the Beach in Big West wins this season. In LBSU's five wins, the Beach has held teams to an average of 56.5 points.

• Freshman Joshua Morgan continues to dominate the Long Beach State blocks record books. Setting the single-game record with 8 blocks against Cal State Fullerton, Morgan is continuing to pad his single-season record with 70 blocks, and now is 8th in career blocks at the Beach in just one season. The dynamic paint protector is averaging 2.4 blocks per game, best in the Big West and 22nd nationally.

• For the second game in a row, Morgan comes in with more blocks than the opposing team combined, and ranks fourth nationally in blocks among freshman, behind only Manny Bates of NC State, Onyeka Okongwu on USC and Akok Akok from UConn.

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 has had balanced scoring on the season, with nine different players reaching double-figures on the year with seven reaching ten points on multiple occasions, led by leading scorers Chance Hunter, Michael Carter III, Colin Slater and Joshua Morgan.

• 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, two redshirts also return to the program, as the Beach is currently playing just three returning letterwinners to go with 8 players suiting up for their first full year while four players sit out 2019-20 on redshirt seasons.

• Long Beach State has turned over nearly the entire roster in 2019-20.The Beach returns just 15.2 points per game from the 2018-19 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 (13), Nebraska (12), East Carolina (12) and Utah (12) will have more in 2019-20.

PLAYER NOTES
• 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 14.3 points per game, and is second on the team in rebounding at 5.0 boards per game while scoring 20 or more points seven times, including a new career high with 28 points against UC Davis.

• Michael Carter III has been a key player for the Beach. A Division I transfer from Washington, Carter III leads the team in assists at 2.6 per game and is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game. Carter III set a career-high with 15 rebounds against CSULA, recording his first career double-double.

• Junior Colin Slater all but one game for the Beach this season. A transfer from Tulane, Slater played in 60 games with the Green Wave before joining the Beach as a redshirt last season. Scoring a career-high 20 points against Pacific, Slater also added 19 against San Diego and is third on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game while also leading the team in minutes played.

• Freshman Joshua Morgan has been a bright spot among the young players this season. A regular starter as a true freshman, Morgan is averaging 8.4 points per game on 62.1% shooting and is leading the team in rebounds at 5.9 per game while making 73 blocks, best in the Big West.

• Both freshman bigs have started regularly together as Romelle Mansel has also made 21 starts and is averaging 19.4 minutes per game. Averaging 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, the 6-9 Mansel has been a strong complement to Morgan inside, and has been active defensively with 24 steals. The freshman set a new career-high with 11 points at CSUN.

• LBSU returns one other junior in Drew Cobb. Earning a scholarship as a defensive stopper, Cobb started 17 of the final 19 games of the season a year ago, and generally drew the job of guarding the opposing team's best perimeter player. This year Cobb started the season on the bench, but has now been starting the majority of Big West play and is averaging 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

• Max De Geest has been another freshman who has made an impact. A strong outside shooter from New Zealand, the freshman guard is averaging 3.4 points per game and has made 23 3-pointers so far in 2019-20.

• 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 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game and had his best game so far with eight points in the UCI win.

• Jordan Roberts is one of four 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. Roberts is averaging 6.3 points per game in Big West action and set a season high with 18 points Feb. 1 against UCSB.

• Long Beach State's freshman class is one of the largest high school groups in program history, featuring Joshua Morgan, Romelle Mansel, Max De Geest, RJ Rhoden, Justin Rene and Shaden Knight.