8:00am | The last time I was really interested in streaking was during my college days when you didn’t care what color uniform the participants displayed as long as they had no uniform.  That won’t be the case this week when the 49er men’s basketball team goes behind the Orange Curtain to play Wednesday night at Fullerton and Saturday night at Irvine.

In the LBSU-CSF contest the Beach wants to resolve a two-game losing streak from last year when CSUF won 85-75 in Historic Titan Gym and then scrambled to an 81-75 overtime win in Long Beach. The 49ers visits UC Irvine Saturday and will look for a season sweep of the Anteaters.  The Beach collected a fairly easy 86-78 win on Jan. 8 in the Pyramid but lost in Irvine last season.  During the 2008-09 season LB struggled but beat the Eaters in the Bren 67-63.

The streaking reference is about the current six-game Niner run which leads to dreams of 2007 when the Beach beat Cal Poly in the championship game of the Big West Tournament and made the NCAA tourney. More history.  The current run is their longest since beginning the 1999-2000 conference season when the home boys had nine straight wins. The 1999-2000 LBSU team finished Big West Conference play with a 15-1 record before losing in overtime to New Mexico State in the Big West Tournament. LB got into the NIT but couldn’t survive a 70-66 loss at California.

Women’s hoops were again left with faint statements like “the game was closer than the final score indicated”.  True, down by just three late, the final ended up 76-65 Pacific when LB just kept fouling until the buzzer.  Not a great plan.  The game got ugly in the end – in the last two minutes LB was behind 64-56 and started intentionally fouling to try to stop the clock and get some points. UOP didn’t flinch – they went 12-for-12 from the line to seal the game.  Coming up next for Jody Wynn and troops is Fullerton in the Mid Wednesday night.  The Niners need something to get ahead of CSUN and avoid the cellar for the final spot in the Big West tourney.

Chopped Dust
 
If your relish the iconic image of Jerry Tarkanian with his chompers grinding on a wet towel, you might get to see it again.  ESPN is considering more of the impressive “30 for 30” series with a look at the coach who had success on both the basketball and legal courts, all the way up to the US Supreme Court. The NCAA even once attempted to pressure UNLV into suspending Tarkanian for two seasons in a case that went all the way to Washington. Tarkanian was a shark and he collected NCAA violations at each stop he made (Long Beach State, UNLV, and Fresno State).  Better luck or lawyering outside of basketball where he went 5-1 in court battles with the NCAA.

On the Niner budget front and athletics.  This conjecture from a former 49er coach who himself is also a budget expert.  “I am still in the belief …that the amount and the prioritization are as important as actually getting the fee. I still predict tuition will go up at least $1,000 a year to cover LB’s share of Brown’s cuts (a CSU-knowledgeable person predicts that will be at least $40M campus-wide). “

“The good news is if athletics gets the proceeds from even a $300 per year fee that is over $9 M to athletics! Even if it costs $3M to get scholarships to where they should be after a tuition spike, and you add $1M for desperately needed out-of-state schollies, you still have in excess of $4M to augment recruiting, salaries and travel, and then you can actually start some directed marketing and a long range plan to enhance facilities.”   End quote and conjecture.  PS, National debt clock is now over 14 trillion so just chill.

Big hit in the Mid last week was should-be Niner Hall of Famer Craig Hodges.  So how did he make those 19 threes in a row for the NBA all star party?  “I just imagined I was in a real game, and when you get in a rhythm, well…”  Well said too.

Our Closing Quote from web blogger Peter1 on the football fuss about the student in student athletics and digging on national champion Auburn.  “You are correct about the academics in the SEC vs. the Big 10. Another thing is the quality of HS Football in the regions. Other then in Ohio, Midwest High School Football is pretty poor. In the Southeast it’s probably better then what’s played anywhere in the country (including California)….they will give up Math and English before they give up their Football.