Newcomer James Ennis adding to 49er firepower, courtesy of Long Beach State Media Relations
11:00am | The Geritol bottles had hardly been swept out of the Big Brown Music Machine section in the Pyramid when the Dust readership demanded that I begin ‘splaining the past and future in 49erville. Of course an assignment of that magnitude virtually screams out for a jumbo edition of Notes on My Napkin. The BBMM is the talented and spirited alumni band that management brings out special occasions especially when the visiting coach, is an old timer like Bob Thomason. Coach has been battling the Beach for 24 years and remembers when “Superstar” brought shivers to his timbers and his Tigers.
So much for the segue stuff, let’s get to the chaos on the keyboard that empties the in-basket and actually recycles some real napkins with real notes.
From men’s hoops we salute T.J. Robinson for his career-high 19 rebounds Saturday afternoon (“I really like to rebound…I always find my way where the ball is going…” .) Next target is just 68 Rebs away, the Big West all time mark he could snatch from, drum roll please, Fullerton’s Tony Neal with 1,115.
More Titan smacking, this from the CSUF Dance Team boosters who are gloating over taking the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship. The 2012 Championship was held last weekend at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The problem is that the UCA is a business and has more categories and divisions, regulations and sub sections than the IRS.
Next up is the backyard, or ball yard, brawl between Fullerton and Irvine. The Anteater idea was to make Titan fans buy tickets to ALL of Irvine’s games if you wanted the Fullerton series ahead of time. The only way to buy tickets for the Fullerton series prior to the week of the series in April is to buy Irvine season tickets. No problem at Blair since it is slightly largely at 3000 than the 900 seats on plastic and grass at UCI.
And our last add—jab—at CSUF is the widely circulated idea that their new president will not have much of an athletic background or experience. Mildred García is currently the president of CSU Dominguez Hills. Her bio says, “the first Latina president in the California State University system. Leading one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse universities in the western United States, García has a commitment to multicultural alliances and a belief that these coalitions strengthen institutions and communities as well as students’ self-development and opportunities.” I don’t believe I saw the words baseball, basketball or wrestling.
The next napkin is the one with the pizza and/or Greek food on it, from the lavish media meal that is served behind the big sign on the second floor of the Pyramid. You can’t see out of the windows but you can hear the buzzers that alert you to men’s basketball. The Davis game was uneventful unless your were sitting with somebody who wanted to cover the Las Vegas spread of twenty something. James Ennis who will be the next big star for LBSU had a great dunk.
Saturday afternoon the TV cameras were there, with a 2600 or so crowd, It was eventful since the conference win streak was in jeopardy from a clever Bob Thomason offense. If you were sitting with somebody who wanted to cover the Las Vegas spread the game was eventful. The plus ten final margin was an illusion and maybe those many made free throws down the stretch were as well. See what happens this weekend in the not so friendly confines of Mott Gym at SLO and the tortilla tossers of the Thunderdome.
My MVP vote was split between trainer Mark Pocinich who at least got Mike Caffey back on the court, TY and those rebounds, Casper and that four-point play (which ” according to Coach Dan Monson “let us play from ahead instead of behind”) and celebrity sighting of Tark-era Niner Tap Nixon.
Asked about that game saving three pointer, “It felt good,” Ware said of the shot when it left his hands. “A lot of them felt good today, but some just weren’t falling.” So more about this career high scoring by Gene Phelps. From his coach Dan Monson. “when Gene plays well we don’t lose.” And the Future, “Nick Shepherd is our future.” And the most frequently asked about player for the Beach Future? Dan Jennings.
The immediate future starts when Edis D will be back on the court for the upcoming Saturday night showdown with Santa Barbara. Before that the Niners will have to solve the slowdown showdown with Cal Poly on Thursday without the big New Yorker.
On the ladies side Freshman Devin Hudson the 6-3 youngster finally got on the court and registered her first career double-double but it wasn’t enough as the Long Beach State women’s basketball team fell at UC Davis, 78-62. The Beach also took it on the chin against Pacific. So next Devin and whomever gets out of the training room comes back home to the Walter Pyramid this week when it plays host to UC Santa Barbara Thursday and then takes on Cal Poly Saturday..
Next note is about ladies volleyball where insiders say that Puerto Rican setter Ashley Vazquez has decided to transfer to Arizona in search of playing time. Ashley put the scoop up herself on her Facebook page and may have also shut down her Twitter page. According to her Mom she “loves Long Beach”. The booster bunch is generally sorry to see her go.
Then there is talk about a transfer in, possibly Los Al star Halli Amaro who sat out with Arizona this year. And lastly, in the rampant rumor dept., another local gal, Taylor Hollins (2008 Lakewood), may leave Miami.
For men’s volleyball the numbers are sort of uneven as they often are this early in the season, Long Beach State (2-3, 0-2 MPSF) lost twice last week at USC and then in a better effort at Pepperdine. The best game was when they used a late rally to run away with the 25-14 victory at Pepp. But that was the highlight. LBSU returns to action this Friday when it heads to Cal State Northridge in search of its first MPSF win. Courtside seats are available for the rest of the MVB season for $100 per ticket for any donor at the $2,500 annual giving level or higher. To purchase these seats, please contact the Long Beach State Ticket Office at the Walter Pyramid at 562-985-7449.
Where are they—sports medicine dept. Omar Uribe rejoins the Cedar Rapids Kernels staff as the team’s athletic trainer. Born and raised in northeast Los Angeles, Omar graduated from Long Beach State with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Kinesiology. He served as an intern for both the Atlanta Braves and the Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball.
Where are they—basketball transfers. — Brandi Henton got plenty of minutes during her true freshman season at Long Beach State — third most on the team, in fact. She started 24 of the 49ers’ 31 games but she is now at Yakima Valley Community College
Henton was a stat star at the Beach, averaging 12.5 points. “Things didn’t go as planned,” she says of the 2010-11 season, “We all got along really well off the court, but not so much on it.” But Yakima? Okay, but don’t buy a game ticket right now she hurt her knee back in December when Henton injured her right knee during the championship game of the Clackamas Crossover Tournament. The MRI was inconclusive. Reconstruction would end Henton’s season.
No. 14 Murray State will not play a ranked MBB team the rest of the regular season but they would like to welcome former Murray President and now LB leader King Alexander to Kentucky for a BracketBusters game on either Feb. 17, 18 or 19. The Beach would provide valuable RPI points but they may have over looked what happens if the Niners win .
LAST ADD—WHERE ARE THEY–So when a loose ball rolled over near the UC Davis bench Thursday night the athletic usher who picked it up was none other than Donavan Morris the 6-3 guard who last laced ‘em up for Noerdlingen (Germany) in 2010. On the 49er Single Season Chart Mr. Morris was 2nd in free throw percentage (.847); 2nd in made free throws (177); 4th in free throws attempted (209); and 4th in points scored (656). He was a transfer from Fresno State but is back in school to complete his degree via a special program that lets almost-there folks do some athletic assignments to pay for part of a degree completion program. –DR. DAN