After falling in the first round of the Big West Tournament last year, the  Long Beach State women want back in the Championship match to avenge their 2012 63-54 loss to UC Santa Barbara.  Looking to claim their first title since 1991, four starters and seven letterwinners return to the court for the Beach including Alex Sanchez who averages 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists.  The 49ers also add five newcomers including Raven Benton, the highly touted recruit from Federal Way, Wash to the squad looking to improve upon its 16-16 campaign last season.

Undefeated at home in conference matches last season, Long Beach State has not lost a game at Walter Pyramid in over three years. The 49ers made it to the semifinals in the Big West Tournament in 2012-2013 before falling to UC Irvine 67-60 and have played in the Championship game in the last three of four seasons. With the graduation of Big West Player of the Year James Ennis, the Beach looks to junior guard Mike Caffey for leadership. A leader by example, Caffey averaged 12.0 points in 33 starts while ranking seventh in league with 3.8 assists per game. Long Beach gears up to tackle one of the nation’s most challenging non-conference schedules including games against Michigan, Creighton, Arizona, Kansas State, North Carolina State and Missouri.

JADE WILSON

The Mesa Community College transfer made 11 starts in her inaugural season with Long Beach State and averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per outing. With five freshmen stepping onto the scene this season, Jade Wilson, the lone senior, is ready to step into her role as a leader. As Wilson shares, confidence is key and her team’s aggressiveness is going to make the difference this season.

Q: As the lone senior on your squad this season, what is your role on the court? What is the best piece of advice an older player has given you and how are you passing that onto your teammates?

A: My role on the court is to be physical, bring leadership and be vocal. We have five freshmen so it's going to be really important that I talk to them and make sure we're all on the same page. The best advice an older player has given me is to play with confidence. If you make a mistake you have to learn from it and put it behind you. It does no good to let it linger and affect your play. Make the next play. I'm really trying to make an effort this year not to think too much, and just play and have fun.

Q: What new skills or capabilities have you and your team developed this offseason?

A: Our team defense has really improved. I feel like the freshmen are picking it up fairly quickly and the returners are building on last year and proving to be more aggressive. On the offensive end, we have also taken a notice at improving our shooting mechanics and I think when the most important time of the year comes around we will be lights out.

Q: What are your team’s priorities this season?

A: Our ultimate goal is to win the Big West. Anything else, I think, would be a disappointment. Some smaller goals would be to cut down on our turnovers and become a better rebounding team. Also, staying healthy and taking care of our bodies is always a priority.

Q: What is the best thing about playing in front of your home crowd?

A: The best thing about playing in the Pyramid is all of our loyal fans, of course. I feel like we have the best fans in the conference. They come out and push us to play with a little extra intensity.

Q: How will your team fare this season?

A: Win the Big West or Bust!!!


DAN JENNINGS

Dan Jennings is out to shock the world. After his obligatory 2011-2012 redshirt season after transferring from West Virginia, the senior forward averaged 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game in his first year on the court for Long Beach State. The forward recorded a career-high 27 points on 13-of-15 field goal attempts at UCLA on Dec. 18, 2012 and led the 49ers in scoring on three occasions with 20 points at Syracuse, 16 points at Ohio State and 27 points at UCLA. Now entering his senior season, Jennings used the offseason to elevate his leadership skills and is determined to be the player and the person that his team needs both on and off the court.

Q: As a senior, what are you looking forward to going into your final season?

A: I want to win, I want to go to the dance. I want to play better than I did last year. That’s one of my biggest goals. I worked hard this offseason to get in shape and get better. I’m still working on my game, but I just want to shock the world this upcoming season.

Q: What would you say are some of your team’s weapons this season?

A: I love this team. This team’s chemistry, it all started in the summertime. This team’s chemistry, it’s great. The guys on the team, we all get along, there aren’t any cliques, and everybody listens. We might not have the talent that we had last year, but what makes up for that, is that we have guys that are good at one thing, and they stick to that. They don’t do other things to try and get outside of their game, and everyone is executing the plays.

Q: What will be your greatest contribution this season?

A: I’m an energy player, and I’m working towards becoming a better leader on the court. I want to bring defense, blocking shots, rebounding, running the floor, and just being a great teammate. I want to help motivate these guys play at their best level. I went to the Final Four as a freshman with great leaders, I know what they did, and I changed myself during this offseason to become a better leader.

Q: What matchup are you most looking forward to this season and why?

A: Michigan is one, for sure. I want to go against all of those good power forwards that are All-Americans. Doug McDermott from Creighton, I saw him play against us two years ago, and he had a great game. I like his game, and I want to show the world that I can guard him. Arizona, Kaleb Tarczewski, he’s a big 7-footer, I want to play against him. I want to show everyone that I’ve been playing against players like that my whole career, and I can hold my own.

Q: What is it that’s going to make your team rise to the top this season?

A: Banding together. As long as we stay together, and stay in our system, and everybody gets along and we distribute the ball, we’re going to be a good team. Everybody has to trust each other on and off the court. Once we keep that trust, we’re going to go far and win some games.