LBSU Favorited In Big West Conference Preseason Basketball Poll • Long Beach Post Sports

MEN’S POLL

Long Beach State earned 13 first-place votes and 194 points to emerge the favorite for the 2012-13 Big West men’s basketball title, according to the annual preseason media poll released today. LBSU’s James Ennis was named to the Preseason Media All-Conference Team.

The 49ers outdistanced Cal State Fullerton, which accumulated 164 points with six first-place votes, and third place UC Irvine’s 153 points and one first-place vote. The 21-member media panel tabbed new Big West member Hawaii for fourth place with 132 points, followed by UC Santa Barbara in fifth (129). Picking up the lone remaining first-place nod was Pacific, which tallied 113 points for sixth place in the poll.

LBSU brings back one starter, Ennis, from the 2011-12 club that finished 25-9 overall, won the Big West regular-season championship with a 15-1 record, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Ennis earned All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition last season after averaging 10.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The 6-7 guard/forward also ranked No. 2 in the conference in steals (1.6 spg).

The 49ers also welcome back sophomore Mike Caffey, who played significant minutes off the bench on last year’s senior-laden roster and is expected to assume the starting point guard reins. LBSU returns four other players who have lettered as 49ers. Juniors Kyle Richardson and Jerramy King return to the rotation after redshirting last season, while senior Peter Pappageorge and sophomore Nick Shepherd helped the 49ers advance to last year’s NCAA Tournament. A host of Division I transfers are also being counted on to provide key production, including 6-9 forward Dan Jennings (West Virginia), 6-5 guard Keala King (Arizona State), 6-7 forward Tony Freeland (DePaul) and 6-10 forward Edgar Garibay (Loyola Marymount).

Long Beach State heads into the 2012-13 Big West Conference season with the second-best winning percentage in the country in league games over the last two years. The 49ers are 29-3 during that time, boasting a 90.6 winning percentage. LBSU trails only Belmont (92.1 percent), which has gone 35-3 during the same stretch.

Media Poll Results

1. Long Beach State (13) 194
2. Cal State Fullerton (6) 164
3. UC Irvine (1) 153
4. Hawaii 132
5. UC Santa Barbara 129
6. Pacific (1) 113
7. Cal Poly 100
8. Cal State Northridge 83
9. UC Davis 44
10. UC Riverside 43

( ) First-place votes

Preseason Media All-Conference Team

WOMEN’S POLL

The Long Beach State women’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2012-13 Big West preseason poll as voted on by a panel of media members the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon. The 49ers received one first-place vote and totaled 116 points.

Cal State Northridge was tabbed as this year’s favorite, compiling 161 points (six first-place votes), while Pacific was a close second with five first-place nods and 159 points. Reigning Big West Tournament champion UC Santa Barbara was selected to finish third (153 points), and two-time defending Big West regular season champion Cal Poly was fourth (127 points).

Newcomer Hawaii came in sixth behind Long Beach State with 81 points, and was followed by UC Davis (80), UC Riverside (74), UC Irvine (65) and Cal State Fullerton (29).

The media also voted on a six-player preseason all-conference team that included Kayla Griffin (Cal Poly), Ashlee Guay (Cal State Northridge), Kamilah Martin (Hawaii), Tre’Shonti Nottingham (UC Riverside), Kendall Rodriguez (Pacific) and Janae Sharpe (Cal State Northridge).

The 49ers welcome back eight letter winners from a 2011-12 squad that went 14-18 and advanced to the Big West Tournament championship game. Sophomore Alex Sanchez leads the group as the team’s top returning scorer after averaging 9.2 points per game last year. Sanchez garnered All-Big West honorable mention recognition and was named to the conference’s all-freshman team.

Sophomore Devin Hudson, who was a 2012 Big West All-Tournament Team pick, is also coming off a strong finish to last season as she registered 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. She notched her third double-double of the season in the Big West championship game with a career-high 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Also returning for LBSU is senior Mary Ochiltree, junior Hallie Meneses, and sophomores Bianka Balthazar, Chantel Dooley, Sigrid Skorpen and Lauren Spargo. Both sophomores Ella Clark and Sendy Valles are coming off a redshirt year.

Entering the mix in 2012-13 is junior Jade Wilson and freshmen Yana Dellavedova and Gabby Kaiser. Long Beach State officially opens the season on Friday, Nov. 9, when it hosts Sacramento State at 7 p.m. Fans can get an early look at the team this Saturday (Oct. 27) as the 49ers will be hosting an open practice from 8-10 a.m. at the Walter Pyramid.

Media Poll Results

1. Cal State Northridge (6) 161
2. Pacific (5) 159
3. UC Santa Barbara (3) 153
4. Cal Poly (1) 127
5. Long Beach State (1) 116
6. Hawaii 81
7. UC Davis 80
8. UC Riverside 74
9. UC Irvine 65
10. Cal State Fullerton 29

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