The projected number for your 2013-2014 Long Beach State 49er basketball teams is in fact “4.”
But that is not necessarily a good number since the 4 comes from the tabulation of voters in the Big West Conference pre-season polls as released by the conference office Thursday. Both the Niner men and women are picked to finish in the fourth spot projecting that both programs should end up at least in the semi-final game at the BWC tourney in Anaheim’s Honda Center.
The highest prized Beach boy is junior guard Mike Caffey, one of six players recognized on the Big West Pre-season Media All-Conference Team. Another junior guard, Alex Sanchez, got the same recognition for the women’s BWC team joined by Brittany Crain of UCR, Sydnee Fipps (UC Davis), Ashlee Guay (Cal State Northridge), Kamilah Jackson (Hawai’i) and Molly Schlemer (Cal Poly). Sanchez, who looks in the best physical condition of her career, is a two-time All-Big West honorable mention pick. Last year she averaged a team-best 10.6 points and 4.1 assists per game.
Working on a team with the high-flying James Ennis distracting opponents, Caffey averaged 12 points and 3.8 assists per game a season ago, efforts which led to an impressive 26-game home winning streak in home conference games.
Others on the men’s BWC preseason team were Will Davis II of UC Irvine, Chris Eversley of Cal Poly, Corey Hawkings of UC Davis, Christian Standhardinger of Hawai’i, and Alan Williams of UC Santa Barbara. The shocking news from the men’s media poll was the nine first place votes going to UC Irvine who led the pack followed by UC Santa Barbara (6 first-place votes), and Cal Poly (3 first-place votes). After the top four the pre-season pickers liked UC Davis (114 points) with Hawai’i picked to finish in sixth place with 110 points. Rounding out the list, Cal State Northridge was picked to finish in seventh, while Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside brought up the rear. LBSU begins the 2013-14 campaign on Saturday, November 9, hosting Hawaii Pacific in the Walter Pyramid in a 3PM homecoming game.
On the ladies side the 49ers received a total of 120 points, one point behind third-place Cal State Northridge. Cal Poly was tabbed as the preseason favorite, earning 17 first-place votes and 177 points, while Hawai’i claimed the remaining three first-place nods and collected 159 points to come in second. The rest of the WBB list was UC Santa Barbara (100 points), UC Davis (72), Cal State Fullerton (59), UC Irvine (54) and UCR. The Beach ladies will have seven letter winners, including four starters, from a 2012-13 squad that went 16-16 and earned an invitation to the WNIT. It was the program’s first postseason appearance in 13 years.
The team this year has a lot of experience, including junior center Devin Hudson (9.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest) and BWC honorable mention recognition plus being named to the Big West All-Tournament Team last year. The rest of the cast includes senior Jade Wilson (3.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg), and juniors Bianka Balthazar (9.0 ppg), Lauren Spargo (7.6 ppg), Ella Clark (7.6 ppg), Chantel Dooley (5.8 ppg) and Hallie Meneses. Coach Jody Wynn will also work in a bunch of talented freshmen – Madison Montgomery, Raven Benton, Anna Kim, Jewelyn Sawyer and Bree Throop. The ladies of the Beach officially open the season at 2013 NCAA Final Four participant Cal on Friday, Nov. 8. The 49ers will host Loyola Marymount in their home opener on Nov. 23