As the preseason favorite to win the Big West Conference championship, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team has high hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.
With its season opening on Saturday, The Beach will return 10 lettermen, including four of its five starters who are looking to take the next step and claim the Big West Tournament title after falling to rival UC Santa Barbara in the conference championship two years in a row.
The 49ers, who finished 22-12 overall and 14-2 in the nine-team conference last season, were defeated by the Gauchos, 64-56, in the conference championship game. Despite defeating the Gauchos by double-digits in both regular-season meetings, the loss denied the ‘Niners a trip to March Madness.
For the Beach, nothing short of a conference title and a run to the 64-team Tournament would be considered a success this season. LBSU head coach Dan Monson said the experience of the group should be its biggest advantage over the rest of the Big West.
“I do not think there is any ducking the fact that if we do not defend our (regular season) Big West championship and have a run in the NCAA Tournament, it has not been a successful year,” Monson said. “These kids just need to finish what they started. They have really taken the program to another level, but basketball team are measured by the NCAA Tournament and we have got to get ourselves in that position.”
Monson added: “I really like them (the team), but I should. We have had them for a long time and we are further ahead than we have been because we have a lot of seniors and guys that have been through it.”
Before Long Beach can focus on a Big West title, it will have to play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. The ‘Niners have 13 non-conference contests, five of which will come against teams ranked in the top 14 of the preseason AP poll.
All five of the matchups will be on the road, including trips to Pittsburgh, Louisville, Kansas, and the mecca of college basketball: the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC for a showdown with the Tar Heels.
“I think it is really good for these guys,” Monson said of the daunting schedule. “I think if they can have some success it would put them in the conversation to have an at-large bid, which would be a goal of ours to not leave it to the last game of the year.”
Monson also added that the 49ers’ past experience against powerhouse opponents will help them this season.
“Some of those venues they (the returning starters) have already been to have been pretty intimidating,” Monson said. “I don’t think we are going to go in to play the schedule. Hopefully we will go in to have success with that schedule.”
Senior forward Edis Dervisevic, who is expected to be a spark off the bench this year, said he is looking forward to making one last run to the NCAA Tournament.
“It is an honor to be with the core four,” said Dervisevic, who averaged 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15 minutes per game last season. “The expectations for this year are to do whatever it takes to win. We are going to be fun to watch.”
At 73.2 points per game last season, the Beach was second in the Big West, only behind UC Irvine. Defensively, Long Beach was fifth in the nine-team conference, allowing 70.5 points per contest.
The team shot a respectable 44.6 percent from the field, good for fourth in the conference, but shot a dreadful 67.2 percent from the free throw line, putting them in eighth.
The ‘Niners will open up the regular season Saturday against Idaho at the Walter Pyramid. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
Breaking down the starting five
Casper Ware, senior point guard (5-10, 175 pounds) Ware was named to the preseason Wooden Watch list, which picks the 50 best overall players in all of NCAA Division I basketball. Last season, Ware led the Beach, averaging 17.2 points and 4.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. His 17.2 points were good for second in the Big West, behind Orlando Johnson of UCSB. He also became an honorable mention All-American and the first Big West player in history to be selected both player of the year and defensive player of the year in the conference.
Larry Anderson, senior shooting guard (6-5, 210 pounds) Anderson is a much bigger guard than Ware, but the combination of the two has been effective. Anderson finished last year’s campaign second on the team and 14th in the Big West in scoring, averaging 14.3 per contest. He also averaged 6.3 rebounds per outing, good for seventh in the conference. A two-time first-team All-Big West selection, Anderson ranks among the Big West’s active career leaders in eight of nine different categories.
T.J. Robinson, senior forward (6-8, 205 pounds) Robinson anchored the paint for LBSU last season averaging 10.1 rebounds a game, just behind Sam Willard (10.6 rpg) of the University of the Pacific for top Big West honors. Robinson was also third on the team in scoring with 13.6 points a game. Robinson, a first-team All-Big West pick in 2010 and a second-team selection last year, can also become the first player in Big West history to average double-digit rebounds in three straight seasons.
Eugene Phelps, senior forward (6-7, 225 pounds) Phelps is the fourth returning starter for The Beach and another force down low. He averaged 9.7 points per game and 6.8 rebounds, which pitted him sixth in the conference. Phelps is also among the Big West’s active career leaders in rebounds, blocks and scoring.
James Ennis, junior guard/forward (6-6, 190 pounds) Ennis is expected to be the fifth starter in his first year with the team after transferring from Ventura College. He was named first-team All-California Community College Athletic Association and first-team All-Western State Conference at as a sophomore after averaging 20.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Monson’s thoughts on Ennis: “James has come from junior college with that experience and really adapted well. He has been a good learner and he just gives as a dimension we do not have, he is a 6-6 wing. His overall game just compliments those other four.”
A look at the reserves
Mike Caffey, freshman point guard (6-0, 170 pounds) According to Monson, Caffey should provide a quality backup for Ware and at times allow the senior to move to the shooting guard position. Caffey earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section accolades as a senior at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., last season and has looked impressive in preseason workouts. Monson also hopes the addition of Caffey will allow junior Jerramy King (5-11, 170 pounds), who played in 22 games last season, to redshirt.
Shaquille Hunter, freshman point guard (6-2, 165 pounds) Hunter is a good athlete who can make shots according to Monson. Hunter earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section 2AA honors as a senior after averaging 23.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The Bleacher Report also named him one of the top five newcomers at point guard among mid-major schools.
Kris Gulley, sophomore guard/forward (6-7, 175 pounds) Gulley spent one season at Independence Community College in Kansas where he averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while leading his team to a 23-9 record. Monson said he has “great length and a good skill set.”
Peter Pappageorge, junior guard (6-0, 175 pounds) Pappageorge came to LBSU as a proven scorer, averaging 19.5 points per game while being named first-team all-state at Canada College.
Edis Dervisevic, senior forward (6-8, 250 pounds) Dervisevic will serve as a backup to both Robinson and Phelps for the second consecutive season. Last season, Dervisevic battled an early-season foot injury and struggled to return to form. Monson said Dervisevic, who was voted as one of three team captains by his teammates, “is ready to contribute more with a year under his belt.”
Nick Shepherd, redshirt freshman forward (6-9, 218 pounds) Shepherd is expected to add athleticism to the front line that the 49ers haven’t seen during the Monson Era. The Texas native will look to block shots and help LBSU in transition. “I feel good about his progress,” Monson said. “Nick adds something defensively and runs the court well.”
Kyle Richardson, redshirt junior forward (6-7, 225 pounds) Monson said Richardson “is in the best shape of his life.” The junior forward has played in 42 games in his first two seasons at LBSU, but has only seen limited playing time.
Mike Vantrimpont, junior center (7-0, 220 pounds) Vantrimpont, will look to make a push for playing time after appearing five games last season.
Dan Jennings, redshirt junior forward (6-9, 255 pounds) Jennings, who transferred from West Virginia, will sit out the season due to NCAA rules. Last summer, he played alongside teammates Ware and Dervisevic in the Pro-Am Drew League.
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