After one look at the Big West Conference Tournament bracket, it appears that the only reward for the regular-season champion Long Beach State men’s basketball team is the No. 1 seed in front of its name.
Here’s the possible road ahead for the 49ers (20-10, 14-2 Big West): No. 8-seeded UC Irvine in the first round, No. 4 University of the Pacific or No. 5 UC Santa Barbara in the semifinals, and maybe No. 2 Cal Poly in the championship game.
Now, nothing is certain because should LBSU advance, then it would play the lowest remaining seed in the second round. So the opponent could be No. 6 Cal State Fullerton or No. 7 UC Riverside should one of them pull off an upset.
UC Irvine
The Anteaters (13-18, 6-10 Big West) are one of only two teams in the conference, along with the rival Titans, to defeat the 49ers this season.
Following an 86-76 loss in Irvine on Jan. 22, fourth-year LBSU head coach Dan Monson called UCI “the best offensive team in the league” after the trio of Darren Moore, Mike Wilder and Eric Wise combined for 66 points.
“[The Anteaters] really spread the court because everybody can shoot the ball from the perimeter,” Monson said after practice on Monday. “And then [Wise] gives them a presence that is hard to guard man-on-man.”
Second-round exit?
At the start of the season, Pacific (16-14, 8-8 Big West) and UCSB (15-13, 8-8 Big West) were a pair of schools that many could have pictured playing in the tournament’s championship game on Saturday. Instead, a puzzling season for the defending tournament champion Gauchos resulted in the fifth seed and a first-round date with the Tigers.
And both have the talent — and recent history — to send the ‘Niners home early.
“It’s all about match-ups,” said 49ers junior point guard and Big West Player of the Year Casper Ware. “We’re going to have to go through somebody to win it.”
UOP, which was eliminated by LBSU in last season’s semifinals, lost both meetings this year by a combined two points. Ware and Larry Anderson each propelled the 49ers with game-winning baskets in the final 10 seconds.
Oh, and by the way, The Beach was swept in last season’s regular-season series before knocking off the Tigers in the conference tournament semifinals.
Meanwhile, the Gauchos were tabbed as the heavy preseason favorite by 20 of 23 media members who selected them to win the Big West. UCSB returned all five starters — including last season’s player of the year, Orlando Johnson — from a team that defeated the 49ers to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
The Gauchos, who haven’t won three consecutive games since December, will have to do so to return to the Big Dance. UCSB was last seen losing three consecutive games before a 49-43 victory over Cal Poly last Saturday to close the regular season.
Maybe the Gauchos found “the switch” heading into the conference tournament. Maybe Charlie Sheen was right, and winning is in the Tigers’ blood.
Or, maybe the 49ers are ready to hit the music and exchange their basketball shoes for dancing shoes.
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