While his eligibility for the 2012-13 season is still up in the air, Long Beach State men’s basketball player Keala King has his mind set on one thing: helping this new-look 49er squad reach its full potential.
King, who transferred to LBSU from Arizona State, is still waiting to hear back from the NCAA regarding when head coach Dan Monson can use his multi-faceted talents to help win basketball games.
Despite the question marks surrounding when the 49er faithful can see the versatile 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior wing on the hardwood, King continues to work on his game in practice and already has an idea of what he will bring when his number is called.
“Once I’m eligible, I want to bring leadership,” he said. “I think this team needs a vocal leader. The players here now aren’t as vocal as I am … I think I can bring leadership and a lot of effort to this team.”
King likens himself to former LBSU star Larry Anderson, and rightfully so. Both are similar in stature, and their styles of play are also parallel to one another, especially on the defensive end.
King has been gifted with the rare combination of size, strength, length and quickness. The blend of these traits allows him the ability to be a lockdown defender, something that will be a seamless fit with the hawkish defense that Monson prides his teams on.
When asked about the main element of the game he took away from his time at ASU, King gave a swift response: “Defense.”
“I learned how to close-out properly,” he said. “That’s the primary thing I learned at ASU. With the [aggressive] man-to-man defense we play here, it fits.”
Offensively, not only can King slash through the lane and finish at the rim, he can stroke a smooth left-handed jumper. His ability to spread the floor and act as a playmaker off the dribble will make things even easier for Monson to find a suitable replacement for Anderson.
The recent success of the basketball program has drawn more and more national recognition, but King had different reasons for choosing to play at LBSU.
The Compton, Calif. native said his decision was based on being closer to his mother and joining in on the team’s camaraderie.
“I wanted to come back home,” he said. “Long Beach State was the best chance [for me to succeed], so I said ‘I’m going to Long Beach State.'”
King also had a chance to reunite with fellow Los Angeles native Tony Freeland.
“I heard they were recruiting Tony Freeland, and we go way back to junior high,” he said. “So I thought if [Tony] is going to Long Beach, I’m for sure going. I like the guys here; we all get along.”
This 49er squad may be without Casper Ware, Anderson, T.J. Robinson, and Eugene Phelps, but King feels that this team can assume a comparable identity.
“We have similar players,” he said. “From Casper’s perspective we have [Mike] Caffey, for Larry [Anderson], I’m here. For the big guys, we have James Ennis, Dan Jennings, Kyle [Richardson] … We have a great team and a lot of pieces to get where we want to go for this season.”
King and Freeland are not yet eligible for game action, but Jennings, a transfer from West Virginia, is available to make an immediate impact on the team.
Coming out of high school, the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Jennings was ranked the 60th-best prospect in the country by ESPN. He could be able to fill the scoring and rebounding void left by the departure of Robinson.
King and the other transfers may have the ability to play starring roles, but Monson is looking for them to just help the team in any way they can.
“I just expect them to fit in,” he said. “They just need to learn their role and do their job … We just need to make sure we get them all on the same page. That’s the biggest challenge.”
King might be the new kid on the block, but he’s no stranger to the area or the game. And when the time comes for him to contribute, he’ll be ready.