UCSB vs LBSU Game Preview, by gauchodan

Game 23 (BW Game 12)
UCSB at Long Beach State
Thursday, February 9, 2023, 8:00 pm PST
Long Beach, Calif.
 
Quick Bite
While that wasn't the first time the Gauchos (18-4, 9-2) have been zoned this season, it was certainly the worst they played against one.  One thing I noticed was the lack of flashes into the high post...perhaps CSUN's type of zone was preventing that but, regardless, that's been the way UCSB has defeated zones in the past.  Hopefully the loss wakes the Gauchos up, because it's go time.  UCSB is done with, arguably, the bottom 3 teams of the conference.  The Gauchos have just one game remaining vs. a team with an overall losing record.  UCSB had a chance to be two games clear of the field; instead, they are just 2 games ahead of 6th-place UC Davis.

No question about it.  The Beach (14-10, 8-4) are the hottest team in the conference.  Long Beach State has won 6 straight games, including an overtime win at home vs. UC Irvine and a sweep of Cal State Fullerton.  As Sparky mentioned above, Marcus Tsohonis has emerged as their go-to scorer.  They are plus plus in rebounding with the Toures and still play with that slightly out-of-control feel.  Andre Kelly will likely need to shut down Lassina on the inside while Miles Norris will need to contend with the more rangy Aboubacar.  This would be the perfect team to zone since they don't shoot well from outside, but we'll have to settle for the Gauchos playing some pack-line defense and liberally switching.

UCSB-Long Beach State History
Long Beach State leads the series 71-64.
Recent games
March 11, 2022: L 64-67 at BWT, Henderson, NV
February 19, 2022: W 84-71 at Santa Barbara
January 13, 2022: L 58-65 at Long Beach
March 11, 2021: W 95-87 at BWT, Paradise, NV
February 1, 2020: W 87-62 at Long Beach
January 11, 2020: L 52-55 at Santa Barbara
February 28, 2019: L 64-69 at Santa Barbara
January 26, 2019: W 82-71 at Long Beach
March 1, 2018: L 69-70 at Santa Barbara
February 15, 2018: W 80-70 at Long Beach

The Arena
Walter Pyramid
Capacity: 4,000
It is one of just four true pyramid-shaped buildings in the U.S.  Joe Pasternack is 3-1 in visits to Long Beach.

Head Coach
Dan Monson
overall: 421-375 (.529)
Long Beach State: 251-252 (.499)
Monson is in his 16th season at Long Beach.  He has 4 Big West regular-season titles and 1 Big West Tournament title.  He famously took Gonzaga to the Elite Eight in his 2nd and final season in Spokane in 1998-99, parlaying that run into a job at Minnesota.  The Gophers only made the NCAA Tournament once under Monson's tutelage and he resigned seven games into the 2006-07 season.  Monson's father is Don Monson, who coached men's basketball at Idaho when Monson was there playing football.

Long Beach State Roster
Marcus Tsohonis #0 JR G, 6-3 185, Portland, OR -- 15.7 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Lassina Traore #23 SO F, 6-9 215, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire -- 11.8 Pts, 11.0 Reb, 1.1 Ast
Joel Murray #11 SR G, 6-0 170, Rowlett, TX -- 15.7 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 3.8 Ast
Aboubacar Traore #25 SO G, 6-5 190, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire -- 9.9 Pts, 8.9 Reb, 2.9 Ast
AJ George #10 FR F, 6-6 190, Fresno, CA -- 7.6 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Tone Hunter #21 SO G, 6-1 160, Las Vegas, NV -- 7.3 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 2.8 Ast
Jadon Jones #12 SO G, 6-5 190, Cerritos, CA -- 7.9 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Amari Stroud #1 JR F, 6-10 210, Fresno, CA -- 4.8 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 0.6 Ast
Tobias Rotegaard #33 SO F, 6-7 200, Kongsberg, Norway -- 3.7 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Chayce Polynice #13 JR C, 6-11 230, Van Nuys, CA -- 3.7 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 0.4 Ast
Maddox Monson #3 FR G, 6-2 180, Los Alamitos, CA -- 1.0 Pts, 0.1 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Jeffrey Yan #40 JR C, 6-9 275, Shanghai, China -- 1.1 Pts, 0.6 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Jason Hart #5 FR G, 6-2 175, Granada Hills, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.2 Reb, 0.2 Ast

UCSB Roster
Ajay Mitchell #13 SO G, 6-4 180, Sainte Marie Namur (Belgium) -- 15.5 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 4.7 Ast
Miles Norris #5 SR F, 6-10 220, San Diego, CA -- 13.8 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Andre Kelly #2 SR F, 6-8 255, Stockton, CA -- 9.1 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Josh Pierre-Louis #1 SR G, 6-4 185, Plainfield, NJ -- 9.3 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 2.1 Ast
Cole Anderson #4 SO G, 6-4 185, Fresno, CA -- 7.2 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Ajare Sanni #3 SR G, 6-3 170, Houston, TX -- 6.7 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Calvin Wishart #10 SR G, 6-1 180, Delano, MN -- 6.3 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 2.6 Ast
Koat Keat Tong #00 FR F, 6-9 215, Bentiu, South Sudan -- 1.6 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Jakov Kukic #14 JR F, 6-10 230, Split, Croatia -- 1.5 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Evans Kipruto #12 JR F, 6-8 250, Nairobi, Kenya -- 1.0 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Matija Belic #32 FR G, 6-7 205, Belgrade, Serbia -- 0.5 Pts, 0.9 Reb, 0.3 Ast
David Pickles #40 SO F, 6-10 235, Seattle, WA -- 1.5 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Gage Gomez #50 JR G, 6-3 190, Arroyo Grande, CA -- 0.4 Pts, 0.4 Reb, 0.4 Ast
Ariel Bland #23 SO F, 6-7 215, Eden Prairie, MN -- 0.0 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Henry Hartwell #51 FR G, 6-5 180, Oceanside, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Max Sheldon #53 SO G, 5-11 180, Santa Barbara, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast
 
Long Beach State National Ranking Outliers
Team

• Assists per game: 73 (14.9)
• Effective FG percentage: 290 (.483)
• Fastbreak Points: 22 (14.17)
• Field Goal percentage Defense: 52 (.410)
• Free Throw Attempts per game: 64 (20.4)
• Free Throw percentage: 206 (.665)
• Rebound Margin: 13 (+7.4)
• Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 8 (28.79)
• Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 3 (13.96)
• Rebounds per game: 2 (42.75)
• Scoring Defense: 284 (73.7)
• Scoring Offense: 58 (77.0)
• Three Point Attempts per game: 345 (15.3)
• Three Point percentage: 345 (.285)
• Three Pointers per game: 348 (4.4)
• Turnovers per game: 280 (13.8)

Players

• Aboubacar Traore -- Assists: 341 (70), Double Doubles: 41 (8), Rebounds: 37 (214), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 109 (5.46), Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 18 (3.46), Rebounds per game: 44 (8.9)
• Jadon Jones -- Blocks per game: 279 (0.89), Steals: 343 (30), Steals per game: 166 (1.58)
• Lassina Traore -- Double Doubles: 3 (14), Field Goal percentage: 85 (.519), Field Goals: 260 (121), Rebounds: 4 (265), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 12 (7.46), Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 14 (3.58), Rebounds per game: 5 (11.0)
• Marcus Tsohonis -- Field Goal Attempts: 258 (268), Field Goal percentage: 304 (.410), Free Throw percentage: 344 (.722), Points per game: 192 (15.7)

UCSB National Ranking Outliers
Team

• Effective FG percentage: 49 (.539)
• Field Goal percentage: 15 (.487)
• Rebound Margin: 43 (+4.9)
• Scoring Defense: 22 (62.4)
• Scoring Margin: 66 (+8.0)
• Three Point Attempts per game: 339 (16.3)
• Three Pointers per game: 327 (5.5)
• Winning percentage: 14 (.818)

Players

• Ajay Mitchell -- Assist/Turnover ratio: 104 (1.98), Assists: 91 (103), Assists per game: 70 (4.7), Field Goal percentage: 103 (.506), Field Goals: 305 (118), Free Throw attempts: 113 (116), Free Throw percentage: 198 (.793), Free Throws: 89 (92), Minutes per game: 289 (32:22), Points: 275 (341), Points per game: 206 (15.5), Steals: 234 (33), Steals per game: 195 (1.50)
• Miles Norris -- Blocks: 230 (22), Blocks per game: 212 (1.00), Double Doubles: 136 (4), Field Goal percentage: 106 (.505), Minutes per game: 291 (32:20), Rebounds: 312 (141), Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 224 (2.18), Rebounds per game: 255 (6.4)
• Andre Kelly -- Blocks: 276 (20), Blocks per game: 269 (0.91), Double Doubles: 206 (3), Rebounds: 312 (141), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 154 (5.09), Rebounds per game: 255 (6.4)
• Josh Pierre-Louis -- Steals: 304 (31), Steals per game: 171 (1.55)

Prediction
Lots of question marks surrounding the Gauchos right now.  Will they bounce back from a shocking loss?  Will they play up to their competition?  Is JPL going to play?  Long Beach State 74, UCSB 70

Official Site:  https://longbeachstate.com/sports/mens-basketball
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How to Watch:  (ESPNU) https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/ ... 039ae28c2d
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UCSB's Hot Shooting Night Not Enough, LBSU Ends Gaucho Win Streak

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2021-22/releases/2022011419p66q

LBSU vs. UCSB Men's Basketball Game Preview, by GauchoDan

Well, surprise, surprise, we draw the one team we haven't played this season in Long Beach State. The 49ers, er, the Sharks, er, Elbee??, oh yes, The Beach made news last week by taking UC Irvine to overtime in the first game of their season-closing series, dismissing their leading scorer (Michael Carter III, 14.6 ppg) and then getting stomped by the Anteaters in their season finale. While CSUN wasn't exactly a ball of fire, you figured yesterday's first-round game between the 9 seed and the 8 seed would be close. Instead, Long Beach State posted its 2nd-largest BWT margin ever with an 85-63 demolishment of CSUN. The Beach held the Matadors to 19% shooting in racing out to a 46-26 halftime lead. CSUN trailed by as many as 30 points in the 2nd half, allowing Long Beach to clear its bench and save its key players some minutes played.

Freshman Jadon Jones scored 10 points in the first to lead LBSU, finishing the contest with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and a block in 34 minutes for his first collegiate double-double. Chance Hunter, Joe Hampton and RJ Rhoden also all scored in double-figures for the Beach, who finished the evening shooting 51.6 percent from the floor.

Hunter and Isaiah Washington were named to the 2020-21 All-Big West Conference team as Honorable Mention. For Hunter, it is his second honorable mention selection in as many seasons at Long Beach State. Hunter averaged 12.2 points per game in Big West play, and led Long Beach State in rebounding at 6.0 boards per game. He recorded a pair of double-doubles in the regular season, and set a season-high with 23 points on the road at Hawai'i. Washington, a transfer from Iona, also received all-league honors in his first season at Long Beach State. Washington was the team's 2nd-leading scorer, and also led Long Beach State in assists at 4.4 per game. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Washington led the Big West in average minutes played, and finished in the conference's Top 10 in both scoring and assists.

Inside, the Beach starts Jordan Roberts, a 6'9" senior and Joe Hampton, a 6/8" junior. For Roberts, when I say start...well, he started Tuesday for his first start of the season. He's only shooting 39% from the field, but he was 2-for-2 and scored 8 points in 24 minutes vs. CSUN. I saw Hampton play vs. Irvine last week and was impressed with his interior post moves. He has reached double figures in 4 straight games, but has pulled down just one rebound in his last 37 minutes of play. He leads the team with 15 blocks.

They'll bring Trever Irish and Romelle Mansel off the bench to spell the big men. Irish is a goofy looking 7-footer who hasn't broken double digits in minutes in the last five games. He does have the highest FG% on the team (56.5) and is serviceable on the boards (8.9 rebounds per 40 minutes). He has 14 blocks. Mansel shoots just 43% from the field but has hit 9 of his last 16 shots over a 4-game stretch.

As for the guards, Jones is the club's best three-point shooter at 40%...and he takes 66% of his shots from beyond the arc. Washington appears to be the point guard as he has 33% of all Long Beach assists while still managing to take 11 shots a game. Hunter also takes a lot of shots but makes them less frequently and is the one you want to put on the free throw line if the game is close (53%). Colin Slater comes off the bench and has fabulous hair, but not much else.

Dan Monson is at the end of another season of turmoil in Long Beach, and is far removed from his heyday as the leader of the Big West's most feared program. The Beach is currently 6-11, but 11 of its 17 games ended with margins of 5 points or less, so they can hang most of the time. The Gauchos would be best served by jumping on this team so that they may rest some players in anticipation of needing to play 3 games in 3 days. If you let them hang around, they can bite you.

UCSB vs. LBSU Men's Basketball Game Preview, by Gaucho Dan

UCSB at Long Beach State
Saturday, February 1, 2020, 4 pm PST, ESPN3
 
Quick Bite
I just got my new driver's license the other day. Different images pop out as you hold the card and move it around in different orientations to the light. One image is a 49er. Racist California. Saturday, the Gauchos meet a school that has moved beyond its racist origins to embrace new identities. Lots of them.

By the Numbers                                                              
 

Quadrant 4 Game
Record (D1)	13-8	8-15
Away/Home (D1)	5-5 (A)	5-4 (H)
Big West Conference	2-4	2-4
Composite National Rankings
NET, kpi, sor, bpi, pom, sag	193	282
DCI	229	290
DC2	189	309
RPI	227	269
NET	186	285
SOS (NET)	339	129
Efficiency Rankings (Pomeroy)
Offense	101	294
Defense	267	255
Tempo	337	37
Team Statistics (Overall/BWC)
Scoring	71.5 (175)  /  64.2 (9)	68.0 (271)  /  68.0 (8)
2Pt %	54.0 (38)  /  51.4 (3)	46.9 (289)  /  46.7 (7)
3Pt %	33.8 (147)  /  35.1 (6)	36.3 (51)  /  40.2 (2)
FT%	75.2 (47)  /  74.8 (1)	68.5 (235)  /  67.5 (6)
Scoring Defense	67.1 (118)  /  65.8 (2)	76.6 (324)  /  71.8 (5)
2Pt % Defense	50.9 (257)  /  53.7 (9)	52.2 (295)  /  51.3 (7)
3Pt % Defense	36.3 (315)  /  35.5 (6)	34.4 (253)  /  32.2 (1)
Off. Rebounds	10.3 (157)  /  8.0 (8)	9.0 (219)  /  8.3 (6)
Def. Rebounds allowed	21.2 (21)  /  21.3 (1)	25.7 (269)  /  25.5 (4)
Def. Rebounds	24.2 (261)  /  21.5 (9)	24.7 (179)  /  24.2 (6)
Off. Rebounds allowed	7.6 (19)  /  6.7 (2)	11.9 (336)  /  10.7 (7)
Total Rebounds	34.5 (231)  /  29.5 (9)	33.7 (205)  /  32.5 (6)
Total Rebounds allowed	28.8 (14)  /  28.0 (2)	37.6 (320)  /  36.2 (6)
Assists	13.2 (181)  /  10.5 (6)	11.0 (280)  /  9.0 (9)
Steals	4.6 (335)  /  5.3 (6)	6.2 (164)  /  4.7 (8)
Blocks	2.5 (256)  /  1.7 (7)	3.9 (72)  /  5.0 (1)
Best win (NET)	@ UT Arlington (114)	vs. Providence (78)
Worst loss (NET)	vs. LB State (285)	vs. CSUF (246)
Trend (D1 only)	Lost 4 of 5	Lost 3 of 4

UCSB - Long Beach State History
UCSB and Long Beach State have played 129 times dating back to 1952. The Gauchos have played Long Beach, which has a 69-60 all-time edge, more than any other opponent. The teams have split their match-ups each of the last two seasons with the road team winning every game and on Jan. 11 in the first meeting this year, Long Beach won 55-52 at the Thunderdome.

Head Coach
The winningest coach in LBSU history, Dan Monson has piled up 200 wins at LBSU and led Long Beach State to three Big West Championships, six top three finishes, three NIT appearances as well as a trip to the 2011-12 NCAA Tournament.  Monson’s success at Long Beach State has been rewarded with three Big West Coach of the Year awards, as well as back-to-back NABC All-District Coach recognition from 2010-11 and 2011-12. The conference coaching award following the 2011-12 season marked the fourth time that Monson has been recognized as a league’s top coach, previously winning the honor as the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 1998 following his first season at Gonzaga.

Roster 
Probable Starters

• G (14) Colin Slater, 6'1", 190 lbs, Junior, 11.5 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 2.0 Ast. A transfer from Tulane, he is 2nd-best 3-point % at .406 (4.1 attempts per game). Only 43% from two. Defensively below average. Scored just 2 points in 23 minutes at UCSB. Scored 12 pts Thursday at Riverside and had a career-high 28 vs. UC Davis.
• G (31) Chance Hunter, 6'6", 190 lbs, Sophomore, 14.9 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 0.9 Ast. A transfer from Cerritos JC, he is LB's leading scorer and is also their best 3-point shooter at .434 (6.7 attempts per game). Has the highest usage on the team at 29.1%. Scored 16 points at UCSB and 20 points at Riverside.
• G (3) Drew Cobb, 6'4", 205 lbs, Junior, 4.7 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 1.2 Ast. Just broke into the starting lineup. Not a threat offensively, he is considered to be a defensive stopper. The splits don't exactly bear that out. Expect him to guard Heidegger. Had 2 points in 18 minutes at UCSB, and 7 points at Riverside.
• F (13) Romelle Mansel, 6'9", 230 lbs, Freshman, 4.1 Pts, 3.3 Reb, 0.7 Ast. A good compliment to Morgan (see below), although not one of the primary options offensively (usage 15.6%). Scored 6 with 4 rebounds at UCSB, and 8 and 5 at UC Riverside. Has 20 steals.
• C (24) Joshua Morgan, 6'11", 195 lbs, Freshman, 8.2 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 1.1 Ast. Tops in the Big West in blocks at 52. Scored 10 points with 7 rebounds at UCSB, and 8 and 2 at Riverside. Leads team in effective FG% (.612), Player Efficiency Rating (19.4), Defensive Rebounding (17.0% of available def. rebs.), Total Rebounding (13.1% of available rebs.), Blocks (10.1% of all 2-point attempts), Win Shares (1.8), Win Shares per 40 minutes (.123), Defensive Box Plus/Minus (+4.4) and overall Box Plus/Minus (+4.8).

Key Reserves

• G (1) Michael Carter III, 6'5", 190 lbs, Sophomore, 12.2 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 2.8 Ast. A transfer from Washington, he leads the team in assists and is 2nd on the team in scoring. Grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds vs. CSULA. Takes a lot of threes (4.1 attempts per game), but makes just 31% of them. Just 43.2 from two. Gets to the free throw line (4.1 attempts per game) and makes them (.839). Assist percentage is highest on team (22.7% of all baskets while on floor). Lost his starting job to Cobb, but still got 14 points in just 18 minutes at UCR.
• C (32) Trever Irish, 7'0", 230 lbs, Sophomore, 2.0 Pts, 1.9 Reb, 0.4 Ast. The school's first 7-footer in 8 seasons. Averages 9 minutes per game. Has made just 43.5% of his shots.
• G (2) Jordan Roberts, 6'8", 195 lbs, Junior, 4.2 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 0.9 Ast. Had 7 points in 20 minutes at UCSB, but earned just 9 minutes at Riverside. Averaged 8.4 ppg last season, but has lost time to the newcomers. Has the worst offensive box plus/minus (-5.8) of major players on the team.  Effective FG% is just .366, again the worst numbers among key LB players.
• G (10) Max de Geest, 6'3", 185 lbs, Freshman, 3.8 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 1.2 Ast. From New Zealand, tends to shoot from three (18 attempts from two vs. 54 attempts from three). Only hitting .315 from three.
• G (11) Jordan Griffin, 6'3", 165 lbs, Senior, 3.7 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.3 Ast. The lone senior, he is a strong outside shooter who is 16th on the school's career three-pointer list. He is 16-of-40 from three this season. Has the second-best effective FG% (.565) on the team. He is a very bad -4.5 in Defensive Box Plus/Minus. Was held scoreless at UCSB, and didn't score his last time out at Riverside.

Match-up overview:
The 49ers, I mean LBC, I mean The Beach has gone with the kids in 2019-20, and combine that with Long Beach's usual tough non-conference schedule the results have been poor. Still, Long Beach is very capable of beating anyone. In their opener, they lost by just 4 at UCLA. They took down Providence at the Wooden Legacy, and lost at USC by just 11. But Southern Utah won by 21 in the Pyramid, they lost by 22 at Seattle and by 18 at CSUN. Their two Big West wins: at UCSB and vs. conference leader UC Irvine. You really don't know which Long Beach team is going to show up from game to game.

Lately, the same Gaucho squad has been showing up. UCSB has allowed the opponents to shoot 50% or better in five straight games. Weaknesses have been exposed, and exploited, on most players on the team. The offense has been sloppy, suffering 17 turnovers at CSUN...many of the moving screen/charging variety. Max Heidegger has been sublime, but the rest of the team has struggled. JaQuori McLaughlin is still recovering from a groin injury that caused him to miss the home CSUN game, and the jury is still out on whether the re-integration of Heidegger into the lineup has disrupted what was working in December. Amadou Sow came on in the 2nd half at CSUN, but he's been prone to 1st-half foul trouble and struggles to recognize double teams and how to beat them. The starting lineup has been in flux as Coach Pasternack tries to find the right combination.

Keys to the game for the Gauchos 

• Defense. UCSB needs to get back in transition, and needs to hold teams under 50% shooting. That's not a high bar, but it has been lately.
• Stay out of foul trouble. Sow in particular usually picks up a foul in the 1st minute of the game. Goes hand-in-hand with defense, but some of these fouls have been so silly. Pull up for the short jumper rather than take a charging call. Set the screen before rolling (guards need to be patient, too).
• Balanced scoring. Heidegger scored 30 of UCSB's 67 points at CSUN. The bench got just 8.

Prediction
DC2 trends: UCSB is a horrible 28.78 in its last five (the worst in the Big West), while Long Beach is 43.28 in its last 5 (overall 33.86). UCSB has failed to cover the spread in 5 straight games, and would have been 0-5 outright if not for a Mad Max Miracle 3 vs. UC Riverside. UCSB struggles with higher-tempo teams. They have been swept by CSUN (Pomeroy adjusted tempo = 70) and beaten by Rice (86), Long Beach (37) and Hawai'i (122). Then there's the 2nd time through the Big West stat: the margin of victory/defeat worsens 71% of the time in the Joe Pasternack era. My eeyore mood continues. Long Beach State wins 74-62.

Official Site:  https://longbeachstate.com/sports/mens-basketball
Hey Guys!:  https://members4.boardhost.com/49erSports/ or https://members5.boardhost.com/49erHoops/
How to Watch:  https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=96 ... c781f10405

LBSU vs. UCSB Men's Basketball Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB vs. Long Beach Preview
Saturday, January 11, 2019, 7 PM PST
 
Quick Bite:  After opening their season on the road against the softest team in the conference, UCSB returns home to face the second softest team in Beach City Beach, or whatever they’re calling themselves this hour.  The 49ers are more dangerous as they have some talent and they defeated Providence & played UCLA tougher than UCSB did, but they have trended downward since and were shellacked by CSUN in their opener.

By the Numbers:                                                  

Quadrant 4
Record (D1 only)	3-11	10-4
BWC	0-1	1-0
Home/Away vs D1	0-8 (A)	5-1 (H)
Composite National Rankings
DCI 1&2, BPI, KP, Massey, NET, RPI, Sagarin	299	124
NET	275	141
SOS (ESPN BPI)	16	331
Preseason Poll Pick	7th	2nd
Efficiency Rankings (Pomeroy)
Offense	292	62
Defense	306	226
Offense:                 Scoring	68.6	73.7
FG%	43%	48%
3 PT Makes/Attempts	6.2/17.7	6.4/18.9
3Pt %	35%	34%
FT Makes/Attempts	12.2/17.9	15/20
FT%	68%	75%
Defense:           PPG Allowed	79.4	66.3
FG % Defense	46%	45%
3Pt % Defense	35%	36%
Steals PG	6.7	4.7
Blocks PG	3.4	3.0
Rebounding Margin	-4.4	+7.1
Assists/Turnovers PG	11.5/17.1	14.1/12
Best win (NET)	Providence (81)	UT Arlington (144)
Worst loss (NET)	Seattle (254)	Rice (235)
Trend (D1 only)	Lost 3	Won 5

LB-UCSB History/Last season summary
This will be the 129^th meeting between the schools with the 49ers holding a 68-60 advantage. UCSB has played LB more than any other school. LB upset the Gauchos in Santa Barbara last season and have a one game winning streak.
 
Head Coach:  Dan Monson, the dean of the Big West, is in his 12th season at Long Beach.  After great success earlier in his LB career, the 49ers won the conference regular season his third through 5^th seasons, his teams have leveled off to 3^rd thru 5^th place finishes.  He has taken the 49ers to one NCAA tournament, in 2012, when as a 12 seed they lost a competitive first round game to New Mexico.  He has lost in the BWT final three times. His record at LB stands at 196-195 overall and 117-69 in BW play.  Dan is the son of long-time college coach Don Monson who took Idaho to the Sweet 16 in 1982 and later coached Oregon.  Dan is most famous for putting Gonzaga on the map in 1999 taking the Zags to the Elite 8 before bolting to Minnesota. With a young roster this year and bad record, no seat is hotter in the Big West than Monson’s with LB fans on a mission to see him fired.

Roster:  Youth is being served in Long Beach as Monson was mandated by AD Andy Fee to stop relying on transfers which had imbued the program with too much instability.  LB actually got off to a decent start with a competitive game against UCLA and victories over Providence and USD before the wheels fell off.

Possible Starters
Guard Colin Slater #14  6’1”, 190 Junior.  11.2 ppg, 1.8 apg, 30 mpg. 
Solid 3 point shooter (40%) and shoots over 80% from the line. Transfer from Tulane
Guard Michael Carter  #1  6’5”, 175 lb, Sophomore. 12.9 ppg, 3 apg, 27 mpg.
Transfer from Washington. Excellent in getting to the line where he makes 86% of his attempts Leads team in assists, steals and FT attempts.  Also leads in 3 point attempts but is shooting just 29% from deep. Turns the ball over a lot, 3.7 per game.
Wing Chance Hunter #31   6’6”, 200 lb, Sophomore, 13.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 41% from deep and 45% overall, 26 mpg.  Transfer from Cerritos JC.  Team’s leading scorer and top three point shooter.  Second on team in getting to the line but shooting just 58% from the stripe.
Forward Romelle Mansel #13  6’9”, 230 lb, Freshman   4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 17 mpg
Center Joshua Morgan  #24  611”, 195lb, Freshman  8.3 ppg, 63% from the field, 5.8 rpg, 25 mpg
Is a candidate for BW FOY award, leads team in rebounding and is an excellent shot blocker with 33 on the season.  Has good hands.
 
Key Reserves
Guard Drew Cobb #3  6’4” 205 lbs, Junior 5.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 21 mpg
Excellent defender. Missed several games due to injury.
Wing Jordan Roberts  #2   6’9”, 200 lb, Junior  3.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 19 mpg
Guard Max De Geest  #10 6’3”, 185 Freshman, 4.7 ppg, 18 mpg, 33% from deep
From New Zealand.  Has started 5 games
Guard Jordan Griffin #11 6’3”, 165 Senior  4.6 ppg, 44% from deep, 11 mpg
Center Trever Irish  #32  7’0”, 230 lb, Sophomore (JC Transfer)   9 mpg
Has dealt with injuries last couple years

Injured:  None

Match-up & Prediction:  I was able to watch parts of a couple of Long Beach’s games early in the season and at that time thought they might contend for the BW title this year. Lots of talented newcomers playing well together.  But they have regressed mightily and lack fundamentals.  The talent is still there of course but their defense is porous and the offense unstructured.  As with Poly, if UCSB plays to their standard potential, it is an easy victory for the Gauchos.

Keys to the game for the Gauchos: 
·        Take advantage of LB’s defensive breakdowns; good perimeter passing & screens will open up the defense more readily than with other opponents.  Lots of mid-range and next to the bucket looks should be available.
·        LB has two solid wings in Michael Carter and Chance Hunter.  Cyrus, JRoq and Toure have been excellent with their defense for the past 10+ games and they will need to keep that going.  As with Poly, LB can be dangerous from deep so protecting the perimeter is key.
·        Attack Morgan in the post. He is skilled and a great shot blocker but Sow & Idehen are much stronger.  They should be able to body their way down on the block but need to avoid offensive fouls.  How much they can take advantage here will depend how the refs call the game.

Prediction:  UCSB 81  LB 63

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UCSB Outplays LBSU Down the Stretch, Hands 49ers First Big West Loss

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2018-19/releases/201901200ey189

LBSU vs. UCSB Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB @ Long Beach Preview

Thursday, March 1, 2018, 8:00pm PST
****ESPN GAME—ESPNU****

After a few games atop the Big West, UCSB hosts Long Beach tied for second with Davis after losing successive games to the top two defensive teams in the Big West in Davis and Irvine.  The Gauchos got their mojo back in putting up undersized Northridge to stop the losing streak at two.  The 49ers, losers of 5 of their last 6, are struggling against the top end of the conference.  The Guchos have played Long Beach State 125 times, more than they have played any opponent. The 49ers hold a 66-59 all-time advantage but UCSB easily defeated Long Beach in the Pyramid a month ago.

By the Numbers                                                              

	Beach	UCSB
OOC Record, all games	13-17	21-7
BWC Record	7-7	10-4
Home/away vs D1	5-10 (away)	9-1 (home)
National Team Rankings
Composite (DC2, RPI, Pomeroy, Massey, Sagarin)	211	112
DC2	233	104
RPI	206	100
Pomeroy	200	116
Massey	202	93
Sagarin	216	149
RPI SOS	148	296
Preseason Poll Pick	4th	6th
Efficiency Rankings (Pomeroy)
Offense	145	56
Defense	266	235
Scoring (conference only)	75.6 (77.1)	76.3 (73.8)
PPG Allowed (conference only)	79.4 (76.3)	70.2 (69.1)

Beach:
Best win: Stanford (home,116 DC2)
Worst Loss: S. Utah (away, 301 DC2)
Trend:  In Big West play Long Beach has taken care of business against the bottom half of the conference but has only win (Fullerton) against the top four teams (Davis, Fullerton, Irvine, UCSB) that they have faced. They are the second worst defensive team in the conference, ahead of only Cal Poly. 

Head Coach:
With Bob Williams no longer at UCSB, Dan Monson is the dean of the Big West,  in his 11th season at Long Beach.  After great success early in his time at Long Beach, the 49ers won the conference regular season his third through 5^th seasons, his teams have leveled off to 3^rd and 4^th place finishes.  He has taken the 49ers to one NCAA tournament, in 2012 where as a 12 seed they lost a competitive first round game to New Mexico.  He has lost in the BWT final three times. His record stands at 183-173 overall and 112-61 in BW play. 
Dan is the son of long time college coach Don Monson who took Idaho to the Sweet 16 in 1982 and later coached Oregon.  Dan is most famous for putting Gonzaga on the map in 1999 taking the Zags to the Elite 8 before bolting to Minnesota. 

Roster
Unlike some of the other teams that have given UCSB problems, Long Beach does not possess a super speedy back court.  Instead, the strength of 49er roster lies in Senior forward Gabe Levin and a highly efficient offense, shooting at a 45% clip and leading the conference in scoring at 77 ppg. Monson has been tweaking the line up with a couple of freshmen, Edon Maxhuni and Jordan Roberts, taking on bigger roles.   Both Mason Riggins and former starting guard Barry Ogalue are both active again after extended absences, giving Long Beach a full roster.  

Starters
Guard Deishuan Booker 6’’3” 170lbs, Junior, JC Transfer, #15  Booker has been solid for the 49ers, leading the conference in steals (1.9 per game) and leading the team in assists.  He is shooting an impressive 49.5% from the field, 35% from three in 30 minutes per game, scoring 10 ppg. He pulls down 3.5 boards per game but does turn the ball over three times per game.   

Guard Edon Maxhuni  6’2”, 185 lb, Freshman. #23  True freshman from Finland has moved into a starting role of late and has seen his minutes increase and his scoring rise to about  7ppg.  A good three point shooter, making 32-82 (.390)  He scored 20 on the Gauchos in the first game.
 
Wing Jordan Roberts  6’8”, 195lb, Freshman. #3 Another true freshman that has seen his role increase, including now starting.  Averaging 4 ppg, and has 20 steals.  Not a 3 point threat. 

Forward Gabe Levin  6’7”, 230lb, Senior #0  The centerpiece of the 49ers, he leads the team with 18 ppg and 7 rebounds per game and minutes played (30) while adding 1.7 assists and has 30 steals.  He has great moves near the basket, range to outside the arc (18-50) and gets to the line frequently, 7 attempts per game making nearly 80%.  

Forward/Center Temi Yussuf  6’7”, 265 lb, RS Junior. #4   One of the few players in the league that will match Ami in size & strength, Yussuf is averaging 9 ppg and 5.5 rpg in only 18 minutes of play. Effective at drawing fouls, getting to the line 4 times per game, making 63% of them.  Has started only 14 games this season. 

Key Reserves:
Wing Bryan Alberts  6’5”, 200lb, RS Junior. #10 A transfer from Gonzaga, Alberts has dealt with an injury and has been inconsistent for LB.  Has started 15 games.  Second leading scorer at 12.1 ppg and is their biggest three point threat attempting 7 per game while making 38% of them.

Guard Jordan Griffin  6’3”, 165 Sophomore,  #11 Three point specialist, second on the team with 40 makes (.396) in only 16 minutes of play.  Averages 6 ppg

Forward KJ Byers  6’7”, 195 Junior, JC Transfer,  #14 Averages 5.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 21 minutes of play.

Wing Barry Ogalue  6’5”, 195lb, Senior. #13 A JC transfer last year, Ogalue is averaging 7ppg and has started 13 games.  He did not play against UCSB in the first game but scored 11 points on 3-4 shooting in just 16 minutes in his first game back against Hawaii on Saturday.

Forward Mason Riggins  6’8”, 230lb Junior,  #5 Was not present for last game and PT had been diminishing before then.  Averages 4.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg in 20 minutes of play.

View from a 49er Fan:  With credit and thanks to ccman.  This is an update to the preview he provided before the first game.

Long Beach is such a disjointed team.   Monson's lost control of a team once again.  The guy just can't build teamwork over the course of a year - he was lucky the fab four stuck together.  I think it'll end badly, I don't even think they beat Riverside.  They were playing great defense without Levin 1st half vs. Fullerton, and then they all started just standing around when Levin was back in there.  They can't deal with any sort of adversity.  They have to be way ahead or be in a game with a lost cause to play decent.  Players are basically just standing around watching Levin do his thing, & Levin is great, but he's not Faust.  What a waste of a great motor. 
The only other thing I'll add is at least they have Ogalue & Riggins back - and 3 games to get ready for the BWCT with those two.  While for any one game that may not be a big deal, should LB somehow win their first round game, Riggins is huge because he can alter some shots and gives Yussuf/Levin some margin with fouls. Ogalue is the type of guy that can go off for points in a hurry, which for that 2nd and 3rd game in 3 days against some legs that are getting a little tired, he could do some damage.  LB has started to slow things down last couple games, their advantage is pushing the pace (meaning via Booker, not Levin if CDM could get that thru his skull)  and they have to get back to that, they need to win by scoring points, and having those two make that more likely.

Game One Recap
In a game of two completely different halves the Gauchos jumped to a large lead and held on to a 10 point road victory.  The Gauchos had their best half of defense of the season in holding the high powered 49ers to only 17 points in the first half.  In the second half, the 49ers offense roared back, putting up 53 points on 70% shooting from the field, 57% from three.  But King and Vincent kept UCSB’s offense cooking and the Gauchos still won by double digits.

Match-up & prediction:
Game two between the 49ers and the Gauchos will have a different look as UCSB will have Canty back (according to Reynaud) and LB will have Riggins and Ogalue.  I don’t expect UCSB will be able to dominate as they did at the start last game nor do I expect their defense to be as porous as it was in the second half.

Keys for the Gauchos:
1)    Two halves of defense.
2)    Limit the rest of the 49er offense outside of Levin.  Will be interesting to see if Canty gets matched with Levin at times. Levin can get 25 and if our guards and Ami can limit the rest of the team, UCSB should be fine. 
3)    Good perimeter rotations.  Long Beach is the highest scoring offense in the BW (conference games only).  They shoot the three fairly well and the Gauchos need to rotate.  They didn’t do this well in the second half and Maxhuni went for a career high of 20 on 4-7 from three.   
4)    Attack Levin and Temi/Riggins. King did a fantastic job in the first game.  Levin avoids foul trouble and does not play as aggressive D.  Canty is superior to Temi.  UCSB needs to attack in the paint.   Conversely, Levin leads the conference in drawing fouls and King & Blackmon will need to be careful.
5)    Exploit Long Beach’s weakness of perimeter defense.  With Gabe, Max and Marcus, we have three terrific shooters that should be able to take advantage.They did in the first game, with 19, 16 & 12 respectively.
6)    Gabe’s Dad says, “DEFENSE!   Defense Gauchos, DEFENSE!!!”

UCSB is still about 100 points better in the composite computer ranking and at this stage of the season that is significant. With Canty back, UCSB should be highly favored.  That being said, we could not stop LB in the second half and I’m sure JP has been reminding them of this all week long. 
UCSB 86  LB 72

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UCSB vs. LBSU Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB @ Long Beach Preview

Thursday, February 15, 2018, 7:00pm PST

The first place Gauchos, after a week of rest, head down the 101 to take on long-time rival Long Beach State in what should be an exciting, high-scoring affair between the two top scoring teams in the conference. The 49ers are in a three way tie for third along with Fullerton & Davis. This will be the first game of the season between the two teams.   The Gauchos have played Long Beach State 124 times, more than they have played any opponent. The 49ers hold a 66-58 all-time advantage and they have won four straight in the series.

By the Numbers                                                              

	Beach	UCSB
OOC Record, all games	13-14	19-5
BWC Record	7-4	8-2
Home/away vs D1	5-4 (home)	7-5 (away)
National Team Rankings
Composite (DC2, RPI, Pomeroy, Massey, Sagarin)	198	96
DC2	225	91
RPI	195	84
Pomeroy	190	97
Massey	180	85
Sagarin	198	121
RPI SOS	206	293
Preseason Poll Pick	4th	6th
Efficiency Rankings (Pomeroy)
Offense	126	36
Defense	274	225
Scoring (conference only)	76.3 (79.5)	77.5 (75.3)
PPG Allowed (conference only)	79.5 (75.7)	69.7 (67.0)

Beach:
Best win: Stanford (home,116 DC2)
Worst Loss: S. Utah (away, 299 DC2)
Trend:  In Big West play Long Beach has taken care of business against the bottom half of the conference but has only one win (Fullerton) against the top three teams (Davis, Fullerton, Irvine) that they have faced. They are the second worst defensive team in the conference but are coming off one of their best efforts of the season, holding Cal Poly to just 54 points.
 
Head Coach:
With Bob Williams no longer at UCSB, Dan Monson is now the dean of the Big West, in his 11th season at Long Beach.  After great success early in his LB career, the 49ers won the conference regular season his third through 5^th seasons, his teams have leveled off to 3^rd and 4^th place finishes.  He has taken the 49ers to one NCAA tournament, in 2012 where as a 12 seed they lost a competitive first round game to New Mexico.  He has lost in the BWT final three times. His record stands at 183-173 overall and 112-61 in BW play. 
Dan is the son of long time college coach Don Monson who took Idaho to the Sweet 16 in 1982 and later coached Oregon.  Dan is most famous for putting Gonzaga on the map in 1999 taking the Zags to the Elite 8 before bolting to Minnesota. 

Walter Pyramid 
The unique Pyramid opened in 1994 and seats 5,000.  The 49ers are averaging 2,660 fans per game, second only to Hawaii.  New this season is the Sand Lot where fans can enjoy a beer while still watching the game, it is very nicely done, much more upscale than a regular concession stand.  Alas, a LB fan educated me that the Sand Lot is only available to major donors.  One can still buy a beer at the regular concessions stand.  Aside from Hawaii, this arena is the class of the Big West and UCSB should follow their lead on getting a Sand Lot equivalent (but open to the public) in one of the 2^nd story corner areas of the Thunderdome. 

Roster
Unlike some of the other teams that have given UCSB problems, Long Beach does not possess a super speedy back court.  Instead, the strength of 49er roster lies in Senior forward Gabe Levin and a highly efficient offense, shooting at a 46% clip and leading the conference in scoring at nearly 80 ppg. Monson has been tweaking the line up with a couple of freshmen, Edon Maxhuni and Jordan Roberts, taking on bigger roles.  Mason Riggins and Barry Ogalue are two guys that are missing from play with no explanation at this time.

Starters
Guard Deishuan Booker 6’’3” 170lbs, Junior, JC Transfer, #15  Booker has been terrific for the 49ers, leading the conference in assists (5.1) and is fifth in steals (1.4).  He is shooting an impressive 51% from the field, 36% from three in 30 minutes per game scoring 10 ppg, third on the team. He pulls don 3.5 boards per game but does turn the ball over three times per game.   

Guard Edon Maxhuni  6’2”, 185 lb, Freshman. #23  True freshman from Finland has moved into a starting role of late and his minutes increase.  A good three point shooter, making 28-72 (.389
 
Wing Jordan Roberts  6’8”, 195lb, Freshman. #3 Another true freshman that has seen his role increase, including now starting.  Averaging 4 ppg, and has 20 steals.  Not a 3 point threat. 

Forward Gabe Levin  6’7”, 230lb, Senior #0  The centerpiece of the 49ers, he leads the team with 18 ppg and 7 rebounds per game and minutes played (30) while adding 1.7 assists and has 27 steals.  He has great moves near the basket, range to outside the arc (17-45) and gets to the line frequently, 8 attempts per game making nearly 80%.  

Forward/Center Temi Yussuf  6’7”, 265 lb, RS Junior. #4   One of the few players in the league that will match Ami in size & strength, Yussuf is averaging 9.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg in only 18 minutes of play. Effective at drawing fouls, getting to the line 4.5 times per game, making 65% of them.  as started only 12 games this season. 

Key Reserves:
Wing Bryan Alberts  6’5”, 200lb, RS Junior. #10 A transfer from Gonzaga, Alberts has dealt with an injury and has been inconsistent for LB.  While he has started 14 games, he’s come off the bench the last two.  Second leading scorer at 12.1 ppg and is their biggest three point threat attempting 7 per game while making an excellent 39% of them.

Guard Jordan Griffin  6’3”, 165 Sophomore,  #11 Three point specialist, second on the team with 40 makes (.396) in only 16 minutes of play.  Averages 6 ppg

Forward KJ Byers  6’7”, 195 Junior, JC Transfer,  #14 Averages 5.5 ppg and 4.2 rpg in 21 minutes of play.

Wing Barry Ogalue  6’5”, 195lb, Senior. #13 A JC transfer last year, Ogalue is averaging 7ppg and has started 13 games.  Has not played for several games and was in street clothes for the last game.

Forward Mason Riggins  6’8”, 230lb Junior,  #5 Was not present for last game and PT has diminished.  Averages 4.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg in 20 minutes of play.

View from a 49er Fan.  With thanks and credit to ccman
Long Beach 2018
 (Written after OOC and before BW play started)

LB’s Strength:  A lot of players with unique strengths that can be used to create match-up issues for the opposing defenses.  Levin, Alberts, Griffen, Riggins, Yussuf, Ogalue, Booker, Byers are all guys that can do one thing pretty well.

On the other hand, This is such a unique LB team.  Absent is the one dominant or strong player from most of their squads a complete player that could do many things well (Ware, Anderson, TJ, Ennis, Caffey, Faust, Bibbins) and gave those teams some identity.  LB doesn’t have a ‘complete’ player this year. Levin IMO is good but NOT the guy you want to be the identity of a team  - granted he's a good BIg West player but he's also too mistake prone.

Look at the key players – Levin is energetic, he can create a shot, but then he’s really not a great shooter – his 3 hasn’t developed, he rebounds, but he also forgets to box out a lot and still gets lost defensively and he is a turnover machine at times.  Booker again can create on the drive, and he actually can shoot decently, he probably should look for his shot more, he passes fine, but he also forces bad passes and has yet to learn to play defense the way Ware/Caffey/Bibbins developed. I think he is improving.  Alberts, he can shoot the 3, but that’s about it, doesn’t make passes to lead to buckets, he’s slow on defense.  Griffen, he can really shoot the 3, and he is getting better in the other aspects including defense, but really doesn’t know how to  pass well or to create space off the dribble.  The Centers – Riggins is good for dunks, can alter some shots – but again he’s not as strong with the ball or for boarding as one would think, he’s horrific hedging pick-n-rolls he just is not quick enough to position with his feet– opposing coaches are gonna feast on him.  Yussuf isn’t back to where he left off, he’ll be ok low in the box against Big West bigs, but the book is out on him players flop or partial flop and get rewarded, he’s a foul machine, the one thing is that 12 foot shot, if he can hit that like Big Al, it would really help his game, and he can pass from the inside back out.  Again, he’s not quick with his feet resulting in some poor D and fouls.  LB has bench guys that can help, but overall most of them don’t play good D.  Overall, LB also is not a good passing team - Booker is the only guy I really trust with the ball out there, and he's still learning D1.

Monson has tried to force-fit a 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone all of non-conference and the team does not play it well. I think they are getting better in their man defense, but it’s as if as soon as they play zone they forget to play man principles in their zone, they just play is an area that is not how to play zone, you have to play the man in your zone, they get out of position real quick leading to easy 3s and giving up lots of rebounds – that may not hurt them against North or Irvine or maybe Poly – but against a lot of the teams it’ll kill them.  The good thing is I think Monson (but you never know) will play more man defense in conference.  The players do not board (or don’t know how to) board well playing their zones.

The best thing LB has going for it is they have a lot of new D1 guys, and I think Maxhuni, Booker, Byers, Griffen in particular are getting better in spite of the beat-downs, and so I think they will develop better depth and defense over the course of the Big West.  The key is foot-work on defense, I’m surprised how bad these guys (even guys multiple years in the program) move their feet and how slow they are to react/help/box-out on defense.  LB has overall length, and if Monson can just get some more fundamental defense footwork/rebounding from these guys each week over the next 6 weeks, LB could contend.  They’ll be able to score some (as well as continue to turn it over), but LB needs a LOT of discipline to be able to deal with SB/Davis/Irvine in particular.  LB’s defensive #s are frightening, good news is they have no where to go but up, the bad news is they have no where to go but up.
 
February 13, 2018 Update
Since the end of the year, a fair amount has changed.

Alberts got injured at the end of non-conference and missed about 6 games, Edon Maxhuni has taken over the starting shooting guard spot and the frosh has come on strong in his outside shooting but still makes frosh mistakes especially when driving to the bucket. The shooting guard position has thus become somewhat of a position by committee with Maxhuni, Alberts, and Jordon Griffen all playing the part, and none of them doing it particularly well on both ends of the court. Maxhuni has probably the best looking shot of the 3 as well as the best 3pt shot selection. Griffen was shooting lights out, but now struggling, and on a quick leash as his 3s seem forced much of the time now.  Alberts has got his shot back but he's not much inside the arc, and IMO a horriblly slow defender who doesn't know how to block out anybody.  All three are sub-standard defensive players.  The good news is they are all capable 3 pt shooters, in fact with Booker (38%) and Levin (shooting the 3 well in conference), LB has a nice array of 3 pt shooters.  The only downside there is wing Byers who for some inexplicable reason keeps shooting 3s and he's horrible at it, and opposing coaches probably have a standing order to let him fire at will.

The other development is LaRond Williams (back-up big) is injured and out for the season, Javonte Jackson is apparently off the team (but who knows the real reason), Barry Ogalue who has lit it up a couple of games has been in street clothes since early conference for what is likely academic or disciplinary reason, and now Riggins was nowhere in sight for the last game vs. Cal Poly.  For any one game, not having Barry & Riggins is something the Beach can overcome, but if those two aren't available for the BWCT that's a big problem for Long Beach, especially with Levin & Yussuf's propensity to pile up quick fouls.  Riggins especially, as he provides a solid 20 minutes a game and situational defense subbing in for Yussuf.   Against Santa Barbara that will only be magnified with the ability of King & Vincent and Canty to go inside.  Additionally, with all the player issues, LB has lost it's depth, so pressing is not as big an option, but it also has made the rotations more predictable which I think has helped a little with the roles for Byers and Roberts (a more about him in a bit), with mainly Jordan Griffen the main player really struggling to contribute.

The other major development is the conference break-out for Frosh Jordan Roberts out of Bakersfield. He looked lost and like he should have red-shirted in non-conference, but with Alberts out and more playing time, he's adjusted rapidly to D1, the frosh mistakes have subsided, he makes nifty inside passes, he can block shots, his footwork on defense is the best I've seen on the team.  If he can hone his mid-range shot over the summer, he'll be a dynamic force next year. For this year, he's a god-send given all the other issues.  Roberts has the ability and at 6'7" to rise above typical Big West defenders and make a shot or pass at will. Roberts & Byers are going to be key vs. Santa Barbara, as their length is something that at least let's Long Beach match up a little better to SB's offensive playmakers.  SB I liken a little to Fresno as a challenge and Fresno just ran over the Beach, but this should be a little more competitive as SB isn't as athletic as Fresno IMO in the backcourt.

Match-up & prediction:
The unknown status of the suspension to Canty does make predicting this more difficult but UCSB has shown they can win without him. Going with the assumption that he will be unavailable.    
Keys for the Gauchos:
1)    Limit the rest of the 49er offense outside of Gabe.  King is not going to become a great defender overnight but I anticipate we’ll see Blackmon get the greatest # of minutes he’s had this season which ought to slow down Gabe a bit.  Still, Levin can get 25 and if our guards and Ami can limit the rest of the team, UCSB should be fine. 
2)    Good perimeter rotations.  Long Beach is the highest scoring offense in the BW (conference games only).  They shoot the three fairly well and the Gauchos need to rotate    
3)    Attack Levin. King is back to his normal self offensively and if he can draw Levin into foul trouble, UCSB will control the game.  Conversely, Levin leads the conference in drawing fouls and King & Blackmon will need to be careful.
4)    Exploit Long Beach’s weakness of perimeter defense.  With Gabe, Max and Marcus, we have three terrific shooters that should be able to take advantage.
5)    Gabe’s Dad says, “DEFENSE!   Defense Gauchos, DEFENSE!!!”

UCSB is 100 points better in the composite computer ranking and at this stage of the season that is significant. Even without Canty, I still favor us.  If Canty comes back rust-free, SB should win comfortably.  Two teams great on offense and poor on defense should make this a fun one. 
No Canty;  UCSB 83  LB 78
With Canty:  UCSB 86  LB 75

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LBSU at UCSB on ESPNU March 1, 8 PM

🚨🃏 @ESPNU WILDCARD SELECTION 🃏🚨

🆚 @LBSUhoops at @UCSBbasketball
🏟 Thunderdome
📅 March 1, 2018
🕖 8:00 p.m. PT
...#GoBeach #GoGauchos #PlayBig

— Big West MBB (@BigWestMBB) February 12, 2018