Soon after the first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament and dismissal of former head coach Dan Monson, five members of the Long Beach State men’s basketball team announced they would be entering the transfer portal.
“I think anytime there’s a coaching transition, you should anticipate that the entire team likely will enter the portal,” Athletic Director Bobby Smitheran said. “These days it’s a way for them to identify where their opportunities are, what’s their value, what’s their worth?”
Forwards Aboubacar and Lassina Traore as well as guards AJ George, Jadon Jones and Maddox Monson entered the portal in late March and have since committed to new schools. Breaking up one of the best nucleases in the conference coming off of a Big West title.
Long Beach State will be met with the challenge of reconstructing a roster that lost five graduating seniors to go along with the five latest departures that made up for 70 points per game in the 2023-24 campaign.
Amongst the two 1,000 career point scorers leaving The Beach this offseason will be Aboubacar Traore, whose energy and effort on the court earned him Big West Hustle Player of the Year and All-Big West First Team honors.
The junior forward seemingly added a new dimension to his game this past season by serving as a facilitator and offensive generator.
He became the first LBSU player since 1990 to record a triple-double in a Big West Tournament win over UCR on his way to being named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.
Aboubacar will be taking his talents to the ACC and joining the Louisville Cardinals this upcoming year. The Beach loses one of their most versatile threats who showed throughout the season his capabilities of rebounding, scoring and distributing the ball.
Fellow Ivory Coast countryman Lassina Traore announced via Instagram this past weekend that he had also committed elsewhere, landing at Xavier.
The forward put in serious work at LBSU putting up monster numbers during his tenure with The Beach.
As a transfer from Saint Louis, Traore compiled numerous awards including 2022-23 Big West Newcomer of the Year and an All-Big West First Team selection all while finishing top 10 in the country in double-doubles.
The defining moment of his Long Beach State career came in the Big West Championship game against UC Davis, where he tallied a career-high 25 points to seal the first conference championship since 2012.
The Beach lost an athletic slashing wing in AJ George committing to another future ACC school, SMU. George as both a starter and coming off the bench was a solid contributor on both ends of the floor.
His offensive game grew significantly as he shot 54% from the field and took over as the primary scorer in several games throughout the year, including a career-high 28 points versus CSU Bakersfield.
The latest commitment came from Long Beach’s very own Jadon Jones as he announced he would be transferring to Oklahoma. The guard has been a staple in LBSU backcourt over the past four seasons and has solidified himself as an elite 3-and-D player.
Jones shot a career-best 38% from beyond the arch this season and joined the 1,000-point club at LBSU. He won Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and will forever be remembered for his clutch shot to beat UCSB at the buzzer to advance in the tournament.
Maddox Monson also announced he would be following his father Dan Monson and continue to play under him at Eastern Washington. The sophomore guard appeared in 12 games off the bench for The Beach this past season.
The reconstruction of the roster has already begun with several players reportedly committing to playing next season at Long Beach State where the new faces will look to build off the newfound momentum of the program.