Long Beach State women’s basketball head coach Jody Wynn is still uncertain of who she’ll see in her starting lineup this season, and you can expect more of the same for Friday’s home opener against Utah Valley.
The 49ers, who were picked to finish last in the Big West Conference preseason media poll, will enter the 2011-12 season with an injury-depleted roster that features nine members who have yet to play in an LBSU uniform and just four returners.
LBSU, which finished 8-23 overall and 6-10 in its nine-team conference last season, has dealt with injuries to eight of its 13 players since the team held its first official practice on Oct. 2. Three of The Beach’s players — sophomore forward Sendy Valles, freshman center Devin Hudson and senior shooting guard Sarah Lottinville — still haven’t been cleared to play.
We’ve got some kids who are injured, so they’re in and out of practice on a daily basis,” Wynn said. “The continuity has been a little rocky and that’s why a starting lineup has not been solidified. … We’re not caught up in what the media ranks us. I really could care less about preseason rankings when you have nine newcomers.”
Despite the setbacks and inexperience, Wynn said she plans to eventually determine a set lineup based on which players combine effort with performance during practices and games.
“These kids are going to get thrown into the fire right away,” Wynn said. “We don’t have a lot of experience returning, so they’re going to get their chance, so why not start early?”
Searching for a floor general
This season, Wynn has four potential candidates to fill the starting job at point guard — a position reserved for someone who can be an extension of a head coach on the floor and take care of the basketball.
Last year, the 49ers lacked a true point guard and ranked last in the Big West in turnovers per game (21.3).
Not to mention, none of the 49ers’ four point guards this season have ever played in a game for LBSU. Three of them redshirted for The Beach last year due to various injuries, while the other is a sophomore junior college transfer.
Vying for the position will be redshirt freshmen Alex Sanchez and Chantel Dooley, redshirt junior Jhakia McDonald and sophomore transfer Hallie Meneses.
Sanchez, who was named co-captain, sat out her freshman year with a foot injury, but has since been cleared to play this season. She was a two-time first-team all-state and All-CIF selection at Troy High School in Fullerton.
“[Sanchez] is a great communicator on the floor,” Wynn said. “She’s enjoyable to play with and she’s a natural born floor leader. She can shoot the 3 and is a really good passer. … She’ll play both the point and the off-guard.”
Dooley has been cleared to play after having multiple surgeries during her freshman campaign. She was a two-time first-team All-CIF and first-team All-Olympic League selection at Montclair Prep.
“[Dooley] is extremely athletic,” Wynn said. “She’s a defensive presence for us, she’s a great rebounder and she’s a strong guard.”
McDonald, who broke her right ankle twice in the last two years, also redshirted last season after transferring to LBSU from Fullerton College before playing a year for Arizona.
“[McDonald] is very heady and she understands the game,” Wynn said. “She’s a great communicator and she’s been out for almost two years now, so it’s just about getting her court experience and confidence back again.”
Meneses, however, was healthy last year and played in one season at the City College of San Francisco where she earned All-Coast Conference honors and was named to the All-State Women’s Tournament Team after guiding the Rams to the finals.
“Hallie is a pure point guard,” Wynn said. “She can shoot the ball, but she is a pass-first kid who loves to distribute. She changes her speed really well and has the ability to see things progressing on the court.”
Fresh faces at the off-guard
Apart from the injured walk-on Lottinville, Wynn has three true freshmen — Bianka Balthazar, Lauren Spargo and Sigrid Skorpen — to choose from for the starting job at shooting guard.
Balthazar lettered two years at Desert Vista High School in Arizona before moving to Los Angeles where she attended Santa Monica High School as a senior.
“Bianka is our utility player who can play all five positions for us,” Wynn said. “She can do a little bit of everything and we are looking for big things from her.”
Last season, the ‘Niners struggled with their outside game as they shot a dismal 28.2 percent from the 3-point line (last in the Big West).
Spargo, who Wynn expects to be a threat from 3-point range, comes to the 49ers from Valencia High School where she garnered first-team All-Foothill League and All-Santa Clarita Valley honors. She averaged 14.7 points per game in 2010-11.
Skorpen hails from Norway where she has been a member of the national program since 2008. She also played four years for Asker High School where she averaged 11.6 points per game and shot 40 percent from 3-point range.
“Sigrid runs the floor very well and she can get to the basket,” Wynn said. “She is a strong off-guard who plays with a lot of power.”
Forward leadership
The good news is for LBSU is that it has valuable experience at the forward position with the return of senior co-captain Tipesa Moorer and sophomores Ella Clark and Sendy Valles.
Moorer is the 49ers’ top returning scorer after averaging 7.7 points per game last year. She reached double figures in scoring 10 times with a season-high 15 points against Prairie View A&M.
“[Moorer] brings a sense of calm to the team especially for our younger kids,” Wynn said. “She’s somebody who has been there. … I just hope she can bring more consistent play as an individual.”
Clark is also expected to bring some experience to the court as a returning starter. The London native established an LBSU freshman record with 55 blocks last year, while also averaging 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.
She also proved to be a 3-point threat last season as she shot a team-high average of .367 from beyond the arc during Big West play.
“Ella was probably our most improved player last year,” Wynn said. “She also had a fantastic summer playing internationally and has reported back to us with more confidence. She has embraced a leadership role and we are all very excited to see how she progresses this year.”
Wynn also said sophomore Valles, who is sidelined with an injury to her lower back, is another forward who is expected to see significant playing time at the wing once she returns. Valles averaged 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and registered a career-high 24 points in a win over UC Irvine last season.
Potential presence in the post
One of the biggest question marks this season will be the development of Devin Hudson, a 6-3 post player who was an all
-league and all-valley selection at Colony High School in Ontario, Calif. As a high school senior, she ranked second in the Mt. Baldy League in scoring, averaging with 17.6 points while leading the league in rebounding with 7.6 boards per outing.
Hudson can help an LBSU roster that lacked a true center last year and ranked last in the Big West in rebounds allowed (42 per game) and second to last in field goal percentage (37.2 percent)
“We certainly hope so,” Wynn said when asked if Hudson could be the team’s post presence solution. “[Hudson] has been out for seven weeks [with a sprain in her knee], and today was the first time she’s gotten out on the court.
“She’s been doing all her rehab and doing really well with it so we’re hoping to get her back once she starts getting some more court experience [in practice].”
The long road ahead
After facing Utah Valley in their season opener at the Walter Pyramid on Friday, LBSU will then hit the road for eight of its next nine games, with trips to Big East contender Syracuse and Pac-12 opponents Washington and Arizona.
The 49ers will then return home on Dec. 8 to face Dartmouth before hosting the second annual Beach Classic.
From there, the ‘Niners then open conference action with three consecutive home contests, beginning with UC Riverside on Dec. 29.
“We are very young, and I just hope after our first home game when we go on these road trips that we grow and become more mature as a team,” Wynn said, “so that the next time we come back to the Pyramid on Dec. 8, you might see a team that’s a little bit more seasoned.”
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