ANAHEIM — After the coaches prepared their dish, they shifted their focus at Big West Conference Media Day to gearing up for the grueling regular season.
Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson talked about the 49ers’ need for more consistent play this season if the team’s goal of winning the conference is to be met. LBSU came close in the Big West championship game last season but fell short against UC Santa Barbara, the favorite to win the Big West this year with the majority of its core players returning.
He also touched upon the team’s need for better perimeter shooting.
“It’s a main concern I have, we’ve got to develop that (3-point shot),” Monson said Wednesday. “I think Casper (Ware) has gotten a little bit more consistent. We brought in a junior college player Corey Jackson who can help us with that. Guys like Gene Phelps, Larry Anderson and T.J Robinson have worked hard and they won’t be 3-point shooters but hopefully threats.”
Cal State Northridge is looking for someone to fill the void with last season’s leading scorer Kenny Daniels now graduated. Head coach Bobby Braswell said he isn’t looking for one guy to fill up the box score but instead he wants a more balanced attack from his team.
He also expects production from point guard Dathan Lyles, who didn’t get as much playing time last year due to injuries.
The biggest obstacle for UC Riverside will be dealing with the unexpected loss of forward Kyle Austin, who led the Highlanders in points (17.6 ppg) and rebounds (7.4 rpg) last season. Austin left school with a year of eligibility left to go play professional basketball in Europe.
The team is also lacking experience with only one senior on the roster, Javon Borum, and is looking for leaders to step up.
“Javon will be a great leader for us and Kareem Nitoto has Division I experience, he transferred from Hawaii and we think he has great leadership ability,” UCR head Jim Wooldridge said.
UC Irvine has a lot of question marks heading into the season with new head coach Russell Turner. Although Turner has never been a head coach at the college level, he does have plenty of experience as an assistant coach at Stanford and Wake Forest, as well as six years in the NBA as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
“There is clearly an adjustment period to coaching basketball,” Turner said. “Coaching players is pretty much the same everywhere, but in college the rules are different and the game is different.
“It’s not something I’m unfamiliar with. I was in college basketball for a long time. I’m looking forward to the adjustment. I know it’s going to take some time but I’m looking forward to it.”
UCI is returning all its key players from last season except point guard Michael Hunter who graduated.
Cal State Fullerton has the most to replace this year with the loss of last season’s core of Gerard Anderson, Jacques Streeter and Aaron Thompson, who combined for 34.5 ppg and 18.6 rpg. With tough nonconference games against USC and Arizona, head coach Bob Burton envisions a rebuilding year for the Titans.
“I don’t know what to expect with anyone because we are so new. I’m still trying to figure out their names, we might be the only guys out there with name tags on,” Burton joked. “I haven’t put much thought into the games against USC and Arizona.
“I’m focused on our first few games, I know we play Hawaii early. But I know what it’s like to play against those guys, and you’re just trying to hold on and hang in there hoping for a chance to win.”
The 49ers begin official practice on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Goldmine.
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