The latest installment of our #BWCWarmUp series features Long Beach State basketball. We caught up with Dan Monson and Jody Wynn to get an overview of the upcoming 2014-15 season.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN 2014-15
Monson Four Away From Wins Record: Head coach Dan Monson enters his eighth season at Long Beach State in sight of a career milestone. With 119 victories, he’s only four away from overtaking Jerry Tarkanian (1970-73) for the distinction for all-time winningest coach at the university. Monson has followed in the company of some highly recognizable names in the LBSU coaching pantheon – Tarkanian, Lute Olsen, Tex Winter and Seth Greenberg to name a few.
Another Doozy Of A Schedule: At what point Monson breaks the school’s wins record is anyone’s guess because, by most accounts, his team is playing the most aggressive nonconference schedule in the entire nation. Nine schools who advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament – BYU, Xavier, Kansas State, UCLA, Stephen F. Austin, San Diego State, Texas, Syracuse and Louisville – fill the 49er slate. Four of those opponents are ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll Preseason Top-25, and two others are receiving votes.
Senior Leadership: At the same time, excitement abounds because this looks to be Monson’s most talented squad since the senior-laden NCAA Tournament edition of 2011-12. It all starts with the senior backcourt of Mike Caffey and Tyler Lamb. Caffey twice has earned All-Big West First Team accolades, and ranks high on the 49er career points and assists lists. Lamb injected new life into a struggling 49er squad that had begun last season at 1-9. Beginning with a one-point win against USC in Lamb’s season debut on Dec. 19, the 49ers went 14-8 down the stretch with him in the lineup. Add to the mix 6-9 senior transfer Eric McKnight, who started on the “Dunk City” team at Florida Gulf Coast that reached the Sweet 16 in 2012-13. Is there a more talented trio in the Big West?
The Reinforcements Are Here: Monson pointed to the freshman crop of 2008 –Casper Ware, Larry Anderson, T.J. Robinson and Eugene Phelps – as a group that came on board following a six-win season, the first of Monson’s tenure at Long Beach. Those four got immediate playing time, and improved year-by-year to help the program eventually reach the Big Dance. Coming off of a 15-17 campaign and third place finish in the Big West, ending a three-year string of regular season championships, the program is much further ahead now than back then. But Monson is excited for his most current group of freshman reinforcements. Justin Bibbins, Deontae North, Temidayo Yussuf and Jack Williams all helped their teams to the California state finals, with three winning state championships in March. How much this group pushes for playing time will be something to observe.
The Next Step: During the course of the Monson era, the 49ers have played anybody and everybody, and have knocked off some formidable teams along with way. The 49ers have defeated USC, UCLA, Iowa, Auburn, Xavier and Pittsburgh among the high-major fraternity, and Monson’s goal continues to be to build a program that’s deserving of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament every year. While that hasn’t happened yet, Monson hopes that is where the program is heading.
QUOTABLES – DAN MONSON
(On being four wins away from all-time leader at Long Beach State): “There has been a lot of success and good coaches to go through there, and to think that I could have the most wins of all those at Long Beach State would be something that I’d be proud of.”
(On the nation’s toughest nonconference schedule): “The one thing that I’ve learned about players is that confidence is something in society right now that isn’t lacking. What is really lacking in young people is reality, and think that schedule every year prepares us for the Big West because we get reality in the preseason.”
(On Mike Caffey): “He’s a cornerstone right now, no question, as Casper Ware was when he got here as a freshman. I told him ‘this is your legacy year’ as I told Casper his year. This is a big year for Mike, but he’s ready for it.”
(On the team’s chemistry): “I think our chemistry is good, but it’s early. We haven’t gotten hit in the mouth as Mike Tyson would say. Everybody is tough until they get hit in the mouth, and we’ll see how this team responds when that happens.”
(On a highly touted four member freshman class): “I like all four of them, I think they all bring something different to the table, and this team needs that because we did not have the success last year that we’re accustomed to.”
BY THE NUMBERS
2 – Appearances on the all-conference first team by senior Mike Caffey, and the number of former 49ers recognized as such on three separate occasions (Ed Ratleff, 1971-73 & Larry Anderson, 2009, 2011-12).
4 – Incoming 49er freshmen who played in the California state championship game for their respective high schools this past March.
9 – Nonconference opponents on this year’s schedule which played in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
122 – Career wins for Long Beach State all-time leader Jerry Tarkanian, just three more than Dan Monson’s total going into the 2014-15 season.
162 – Assists that Mike Caffey needs this season to become just the second player in LBSU history (Casper Ware) with 1,000 career points and 500 assists.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN 2014-15
Incoming: The 49ers add key elements to their squad this season in transfer Thaddesia Southall and freshmen Jessica Gertz and Cecily Wilson. Coach Wynn said that Gertz can “flat out shoot the ball” while Southall provides needed length and defensive rebounding abilities at 6-4. Wilson comes from Mesquite High School in Arizona, which has a history of competing deep into the state tournament. Watch out for the newcomers as they are expected to contribute early on in the season.
Utility Truck: Fifth-year senior Alex Sanchez returns for the 49ers after averaging 9.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Coach Wynn’s nickname for Sanchez, “utility truck,” emphasizes her ability to step in under any circumstances into any position, having played everything from the one to the five spot. Wynn stressed Sanchez’s leadership and her ability to elevate the team’s game with her intensity and competitiveness.
Senior Strong: Senior Lauren Spargo averaged 10.4 points, second on the team, and 3.7 rebounds in her junior season and returns readier than ever, according to coach Wynn. Wynn described Spargo as one of the most dedicated players she’s ever seen, and one who has trained intensely to prepare for her final go-around as a 49er. The senior brings a strong work ethic and is primed to build upon her success from a season ago.
Sophomore Class: Last season, when injuries left key vacancies on the floor, the freshman class stepped right up and filled some big shoes. Led by Big West Freshman of the Year Raven Benton, the group picked up key minutes and quality playing time. Benton averaged 12.2 points per game to pace the 49ers while posting an average of 5.4 rebounds per game, the second-best mark for the Beach. Freshman Anna Kim (7.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg), Madison Montgomery (6.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Jewelyn Sawyer (4.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) also made contributions. The four freshmen recorded 43 starts and 2,611 minutes last season. Look to the now sophomores to continue to make key contributions for the 49ers in 2014-15.
Back In Action: Devin Hudson, Chantel Dooley and Bianka Balthazar return to the court after redshirting the 2013-14 season that saw the 49ers finish sixth in the Big West and 17-15 overall. Hudson was second on the team with 9.8 points per game and averaged a team-leading 8.8 boards her sophomore year while Balthazar's 9.0 ppg was third-best on the squad. Dooley recorded 5.8 points per game in 2012-13. The trio further enhances LBSU’s experienced arsenal as the three contributed 41 percent of Long Beach’s points in 2012-13.
QUOTABLES – JODY WYNN
(On returners): “No longer are they worried about themselves, their own individual playing time or their own individual stats…they’re all about the team and doing whatever it takes to win.”
(On Raven Benton): “When basketball players begin to just react and play on instinct, it’s a special thing to watch and I think that’s what Raven’s beginning to do now.”
(On focus in offseason): “What we’re trying to accomplish is to advance our knowledge and be able to take advantage of certain opportunities that we might have missed.”
(On Alex Sanchez): “Her leadership and desire to compete in every aspect really bleeds through the team.”
(On this year’s team): “This year’s team is different because you not only have those four sophomores now that were freshmen last year that did those really great things for us but now you add the three that redshirted and you add their experience and their skill set and it’s just a deeper team of versatile players that can play multiple areas of the floor.”
BY THE NUMBERS
.868 – Free throw percentage recorded by Hallie Meneses last season to rank second-best in league.
2 – The number of LBSU honorees named to the 2014 All-Freshman team (Raven Benton, Anna Kim).
7 – The number of returning letterwinners in addition to three redshirt juniors.
9.44 – The average number of steals posted by LBSU last season to lead the conference.
2,611 – The number of minutes recorded by 49er freshmen last season.