Long Beach State University (LBSU) founded in 1949 by Gov. Earl Warren as the Los Angeles-Orange County State College in a converted Anaheim apartment bldg to serve the rapidly expanding post-World War II population of OC and LA county. Moved to current 322-acre location in 1950, as Long Beach State College. Long Beach State University has 38,273 students (32,711 undergrad).
Joined California Collegiate Athletic Assn (CCAA) in 1956, Pacific Coast Athletic Assn (PCAA) in1969, founding members of the Big West in 1988.
Nicknamed 49ers, due to origin a century after CA Gold Rush. Mascot was Prospector Pete until cancelled in 2019 (represented an era of genocide of indigenous), replaced by Elbee the shark. Official nickname is Beach Athletics, except for baseball (Dirtbags).
LBSU has 8 NCAA Div I titles, 3 Div II, 16 NCAA individual champions, Olympians in every Olympics since 1952 (18 gold medals, 18 silver, 16 bronze).
Did you know LBSU’s most famous alum is Steven Spielberg, who has a building at SC, an honorary PhD, and is an SC Trustee? The film school rejected him 3 times for poor grades!
LBSU Basketball (1969) has a 874-746, .540 record. SC leads the series 12-6, last loss was 2013, last home loss 1987.
LBSU has 2 Elite Eight appearances (1971, 1972), 4 Sweet Sixteen’s, 9 NCAA’s, 14 conference championships, 9 conf tournament titles, 9 NITs, 5 retired numbers: 20 - Glenn McDonald, 30-Lucious Harris, 32-Byron Russell, 42-Ed Ratleff, 26 NBA draft picks, 4 Big West POY, 5 FOY, 4 Defensive POY - including Josh Morgan (2020).
Coach Dan Monson 17th year (257-261, .496) is 4-time Big West COY, 1998 WCC COY. Also head coach at Minnesota, Gonzaga.
Big West Preseason Poll: 1. UCSB, 2. LBSU, 3. Hawaii, 4. UCI, 5. UC Davis, 6. CSUF, 7. UCR, 8. CS Bakersfield, 9. UCSD, 10. CSUN, 11. Cal Poly. The Traore’s from Ivory Coast are preseason All-Big West.
Beach is 6-4 (Wins: @DePaul, @Michigan, Iona, Montana State, Sacramento State, Life Pacific (is LBSU playing insurance companies now - haha). Losses: Portland, SDSU, Illinois St, Louisiana).
LBSU averages 78.0 ppg (+1.8 margin), 46.6% FG, 29.8% 3FG, 64.4% FT; 37.8 rebs/game (+1.7 margin), 14.7 assists, 9.1 steals, 3.7 blocks, 13.5 TO’s (+2.5 margin)
4 players in double figures: Marcus Tsohonis 17.2 ppg (44.8% FG, 31.6% 3FG), Lassina Traore 11.6 ppg (51,1% FG, 52.2% FT), Jadon Jones 11.2 ppg (39.8% FG, 32.8% 3FG, 84.4% FT), Aboubacar Traore 11.1 ppg (60.6% FG, 0% 3FG (0-8), 59.5% FT)
Rebounding: L.Traore 9.8 rpg, Assists A.Traore 3.8 pg, Steals Jadon Jones 2.4 pg, Blks A.Traore 1.9 pg.
SC averages 78.9 ppg (+7.6 margin), 46.6% FG, 37.1% 3FG, 73.8% FT; 36.9 rebs/g (+0.3 margin), 14.5 assists, 6.4 steals, 5.5 blocks, 13.1 TOs (0.0 margin)
The Big 3: Boogie Ellis 22.4 ppg (leads Pac-12) 49.5% FG, 47.5% 3FG, 79.3% FT, Isaiah Collier 17.3 ppg (7th in Pac-12, 2nd among FR) 52.2% FG, 40% 3FG, 73.5% FT, Kobe Johnson 13.0 ppg (43.5% FG, 34.5% 3FG, 77.8% FT)
Rebs: Josh Morgan 4.9 pg, Assists Collier 4.5 pg (5th in P12), Steals Kobe 2.7 pg (2nd in P12); Blks: Josh 2.8 pg (leads P12)
Pregame
Student line ridiculously long, led by Crash in caution tape headband. How is he first in line EVERY game? If anyone doubts the star power of Bronny James just spy the season’s largest crowd of 9806, most for non-conference since 2007 vs Kansas.
The Founder’s Room is full today.
Chris Capko gives an update on the men’s team, after Gonzaga loss. I wish what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas! Against the Zags, SC started inexplicably slow. Capko insisted was not due to a lack of urgency or prep, rather just poor SC shooting (1-8) to start the game. I’m not buying Capko’s spin. We came out flat, with no urgency, no fire, no passion, no heart! Missing shots was just the symptom of the underlying cause.
Coach promised they worked hard on defense and rebounding all week. Trademark Enfield teams play great defense and hold opponents under 40% FGs and 60 ppg. This year’s team is not measuring up, holding only 1 opponent under 60 and 3 under 40%. SC is living and dying on their 3-pt shooting.
Capko says the team is finally healthy enough to have full 5 on 5 scrimmages. Bronny is back today, Brandon Gardner (foot injury) TBD.
Coach said LBSU was dangerous - won at Michigan and DePaul. “If we don’t play well, we will lose.”
Minutes later, a surprise appearance from Coach Lindsay Gottlieb to a huge ovation.
Lindsay spoke of how great this day was and how she hopes to see big crowds like today every game. No. 6 WOT are 7-0. She said (smiling) that we are already 2-0 in the B1G 10, we beat Ohio State and Penn State!
On the women's side the buzz is all about 4 letters J-U-J-U! NBA friends ask "is she really that good?", Lindsay says she believes JuJu is “one of the singularly most impressive players you can watch on a basketball court”. She real-time adjusts on the court to situations in a way Lindsay has only seen in the NBA. She is impressed how JuJu has handled the transition from HS to College with grace.
Starting lineup: JuJu, Rayah and the 3 Nerds! Ivy Leaguers Kayla Padilla (Penn), McKenzie Forbes (Harvard), Kaitlyn Davis (Columbia) - high basketball IQs, shot-making, tough defense. Depth is provided by 8 bench players. She is excited about where they are but says they must get better for a tough Pac-12. They open conference play at No. 2 ucla.
No. 1 2024 class: "5 plus 1 or 2 more, one whose name will be familiar to you" (obviously referring to Vivian Iwuchukwu). A couple of anecdotes:
Rian Forestier’s mom was a big-time recruit, hosted by Cheryl Miller on her SC visit. Lindsay called on Cheryl and she sealed the deal on Rian's official visit!
Laura Williams’ father is famous QB Doug Williams (4th in Heisman (Earl Campbell won), No. 1 pick for Tampa Bay in 1978 draft. First black QB to start and win Super Bowl (Washington Redskins in SB XXII, named Super Bowl MVP.)
In JuJu’s first SC scrimmage (vs male practice players), in 22 mins, scored 31 pts,10 rebs, 5 assists!
The media did not put JuJu on preseason All-Pac-12 team of 15 players! Incredulous, Lindsay told them “with all due respect, I don't think there are 5 players in the COUNTRY who are better than JuJu!” Kaitlyn Clarke leads the nation in scoring 29.5 ppg, JuJu is next 27.3 ppg.
She concluded by saying that SC is both a football AND basketball school and hopes everyone sticks around and watches the WOT’s fun brand of basketball.
Walking into the arena, I see it’s going to be a real butts-in-the-seats sellout, not just in ticket sales.
Lebron enters with 9-year-old daughter Zhuri, rockin’ an SC hoodie. I spy Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and our next PG Trent Perry. I think I see Carol Folt at the end of the courtside seats, fan-girling for a look at Lebron - haha.
Media tables are maxed out. I recognize SC website publishers, writers, columnists, podcasters, a recruiting guru, and beat writers for local newspapers and national mags. More photogs here than usual. Is Keely Eure here looking for some ‘Quick Hits’? Or is this just The Bronny Effect?
Some NBA scouts here. I strike up a conversation with scouts for the Chicago Bulls (tell him we love DeMar and Nikola) and the Memphis Grizzlies (ditto about ex-Grizz De’Anthony Melton and OJ Mayo, because that’s all I got). He chuckled. Asked about Collier and he said “he’s a turnover waiting to happen, but also very talented.” Thinks Boogie is a borderline pick, due to inconsistency.
The Game
Harrison Hornery starts in place of Josh Morgan, neither would make a positive impact in this game.
SC controlled 1st half action, led by 17 pts, the only real drama was the crowd anxiously awaiting Bronny’s entry into the game – it came at the 12:58 mark to a loud roar and many camera flashes, but I don’t recall PA announcer Leland Waters admonishing the crowd - he probably had his camera out too haha. Lebron, like a normal father stands and films his son’s first action, cameras are up throughout the arena to capture Bronny’s first action, first score, rebound, steal, or block – The Bronny Effect is real!
In order, Bronny grabbed a rebound, missed a 3-ptr, made a monster block to stop a fastbreak layup in true Lebron fashion, dealt a pair of assists, one Vince dunked. He looked very comfortable. (His first points as a Trojan would come at 13:10 in the 2nd half on a fastbreak pull-up 3-ptr)
The half ended with SC up 45-30, having played with the defensive intensity and rebounding effort that Capko had hoped for – so far, so good.
During halftime - the first-ever ‘Wave’ in Galen Center, orchestrated by DJ Malski.
Long story short: In 2nd half, SC came out listless like vs Gonzaga and choked away the lead, LBSU outscored SC 44-29 and went up 72-71 at 1:05 on leading scorer Tshonis' bucket (game high 28 pts off the bench). SC had a chance after a Bronny steal and FT put them up 74-72. Tshonis hit a turnaround jumper to tie the game with 3 seconds left. SC had the ball in the hands of the Pac-12’s leading scorer Boogie Ellis and he hurried up court, but instead of firing up the potential game winning 3-ptr, he passed the ball with 1 sec left to Collier, who’s buzzer shot was blocked. Nooo! As captain and the best outside shooter (46.3% 3FG), it was Boogie’s job to take the shot, not defer to a freshman. Boogie didn’t and SC went on to lose 84-79 in OT. You could blame Collier for the loss because of a 5-12 FT’s day, but I put this loss all on Boogie.
SC falls to 5-4 with an uphill climb to get to the Big Dance, Enfield’s record drops to 210-132, still 4 wins shy of Bob Boyd’s (216).
Up next: at Auburn.
This is not a tourney team right now. Please don’t let this be another season like football, where high expectations are not close to being met! The fans, especially me can’t take that!
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