A million thoughts race through my mind as I sit trapped inside the LBPOSTSports.com office that I have accidentally locked myself in:

Do I know anyone who has a key?  Is there anything in this Esquire that I haven’t read yet?  What time do the office cleaners come in?  Who will make up the starting five for Long Beach State this season?

The most important question, of course, being the latter.  Because this 2008-09 season has the potential to be something very special for the 49ers.  I know, I know, they won 6 games last year.  There’s really no reason to think that anything special could come from that group, right?

I grew quite fond of last year’s group.  They worked very hard and were visibly hurt by every loss – many of which could have gone either way.  The team was young and it was obvious that they would need some time to develop, but there was certainly potential hidden in that 25-loss season (feels strange to say that).  They’ll have to show it to us this year – as the 49ers enter a season stacked with tough competition and welcome several fresh faces to the bunch, returners from last year’s team will need to beat out newcomers to earn their spots back.

It was no secret that head coach Dan Monson needed to add another scoring threat on the wing to complement All-Everything two-guard Donovan Morris.  Monson thinks he’s found that player in Larry Anderson, who he says “May be the most athletic player in the Big West.”  The scoring forward made a name for himself locally as a star player at Jordan High until graduating in 2007 and spending a year at a Massachusetts prep school.  He may have returned home to find a new home in the 49er starting five.

But then there’s Stephen Gilling, the Colorado State transfer who sat out last year and is finally ready to don the black and gold.  Gilling stands just 6’2” but Monson praises his shooting stroke, which could serve to stretch defenses from the outside wing.  In that case, Gilling would likely move to shooting guard and Morris would play a modified small forward.  Odds are about even money on whether Gilling or Anderson gets the starting nod, as Gilling’s shooting and D-1 experience battle Anderson’s athleticism and defense – we know how Coach Monson loves defense.

Likely coming off the bench in the athletic forward role is freshman Eugene Phelps, a very talented 6’6” player who scored over 14 ppg last season for 27-4 Taft High.  Phelps also blocked 41 shots and Coach Monson has told everyone about Phelps’ commitment to defense and knack for getting in jumpers in the middle of the night.  With forward Cornel Williams and Brian Freeman likely claiming the team’s post positions, who will line up next to Donovan on the wing?

Monson has touched briefly on this point over the offseason but hasn’t had a real chance to evaluate the talent yet – the 49ers are currently going through conditioning and scrimmaging on their own without coaches.  I would’ve loved to have asked him Wednesday night at the Coaches’ Corner community meeting at O’Malley’s, but, again, I’m locked in my office. Oy.  And here my mind wanders more…

Another three-way logjam is in effect at point guard, where sophomore Greg Plater will try to regain the starting position he lost to senior Maurice Clady around the midpoint of the season last year.  Clady runs on high-octane at all times and had to be reeled in but settled nicely down the stretch, while Plater’s raw talent and athleticism weren’t enough to seal the position for him – although he’ll likely be relied on heavily for outside shooting.  But enter Casper Ware, a 5’9” freshman from Gahr High School, quick as a bug and primed for this penetrate-and-kick offense.  Coach Monson has said that four members of this year’s freshman class will likely be in the top 8 rotation, and Ware looks the best of all of them. 

That’s great news, but Clady probably knows the system best and Plater has so much potential that it would be criminal not to let him develop it during the season.  I would even be tempted to start Clady at the beginning of the season and ease Ware into the starting spot down the road.  At which point Plater could move to the wing to play alongside Morris, who would round out the quick but undersized rotation at small forward.  That’s a lot of available firepower, and Plater would be interchangeable with Gilling at that point.  Clady and Ware battle for the point.

Could Anderson or Phelps then be available at power forward?  Both have springs in their legs and athleticism goes a long way in the Big West.  Cornel Williams is undersized for the four-spot anyway, and could move to the small forward position to accommodate for more size and hops.  Brian Freeman and Andrew Fleming battle for the center position and as long as they just put their hands straight up in the air, the 49ers will be ok.  One reliable source tells me that Fleming has bulked up to finally fill his 7-foot frame with muscle, but I’ll believe it when I see it (fingers crossed).

So according to my formula, the five could look like this to start the season (non-starters below):

PG: Maurice Clady (Greg Plater, Casper Ware)
SG: Donovan Morris (Stephen Gilling, Jesse Woodard)
SF: Larry Anderson (Eugene Phelps, T.J. Robinson)
PF: Cornel Williams (Arturas Lauzdauskas)
C: Brian Freeman (Andrew Fleming, Mike Vantrimpont)

As soon as I find a way out of the office, I’ll be getting out to a few scrimmages and practices to give you a better idea of what to expect from the real “Redemption Team.”  Until then, what are your thoughts?  Anybody know a locksmith?