Long Beach State Beach men's basketball

Last updated
Long Beach State Beach
men's basketball
Basketball current event.svg 2024–25 Long Beach State Beach men's basketball team
Long Beach State Athletics logo.svg
UniversityCalifornia State University, Long Beach
Head coach Chris Acker (1st season)
Conference Big West
Location Long Beach, California
Arena Walter Pyramid
(capacity: 4,200)
Nickname Beach
ColorsBlack and gold [1]
   
Uniforms
Kit body bb blacktrimnumbers.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts blackside.png
Kit shorts.svg
Home
Kit body bb whitetrimnumbers.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts thinwhitesides.png
Kit shorts.svg
Away
Kit body bb blacktrimnumbers.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts blackside.png
Kit shorts.svg
Alternate
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1971, 1972
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1961†, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
NCAA tournament round of 32
1961†
NCAA tournament appearances
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1993, 1995, 2007, 2012, 2024
at Division II level
Conference tournament champions
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1993, 1995, 2007, 2012, 2024
Conference regular season champions
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1996, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022

The Long Beach State Beach men's basketball team represents California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California. The school's team competes in the Big West Conference. Because they won the 2024 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament, the team received an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament; the last time Long Beach State competed in this tournament was 2012. The Beach is currently coached by Chris Acker. [2] Long Beach State officially changed their nickname with the NCAA to "Beach" from "49ers" prior to the 2019–20 season. [3]

Contents

In the 2006–07 season, the 49ers finished with a 24–8 (12–2) record, the Big West conference championship, and the school's first trip to the NCAA tournament in 12 years. Star guard Aaron Nixon was named Big West player of the year, as well as being selected as an AP Honorable Mention All-American.

In 2008, the team began a three-year probation term, vacated 18 victories from their 2005–2006 season, and reduced scholarships and recruiting in order to keep eligibility for postseason play. [4]

Postseason results

NCAA Division I

Long Beach State has appeared in nine NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 7–11.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1970 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional third place Game
Weber State
UCLA
Santa Clara
W 9373
L 6588
L 8689
1971 *First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Weber State
Pacific
UCLA
W 7768
W 7865
L 5557
1972 *First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
BYU
San Francisco
UCLA
W 9590OT
W 7555
L 5773
1973 *First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional third place Game
Weber State
San Francisco
Arizona State
W 8875
L 6777
W 8480
1977 First Round Idaho State L 7283
1993 11First Round(6) Illinois L 7275
1995 13First Round(4) Utah L 6476
2007 12First Round(5) Tennessee L 86121
2012 12First Round(5) New Mexico L 6875
2024 15First Round(2) Arizona L 6585

NCAA Division II

The 49ers appeared in one NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament. Their combined record was 1–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1961 Regional Semifinals
Sweet Sixteen
Chapman
UC Santa Barbara
W 70–66
L 54–58

NIT results

Long Beach State has appeared in nine National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 2–9.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1980 First Round
Second Round
Pepperdine
UNLV
W 104–87
L 81–90
1988 First RoundStanfordL 77–80
1990 First Round
Second Round
Arizona State
Hawaiʻi
W 86–71
L 79–84
1992 First RoundTCUL 61–73
2000 First RoundCaliforniaL 66–70
2011 First Round Washington State L 74–85
2013 First Round Baylor L 66–112
2016 First Round Washington L 102–107
2022 First Round BYU L 72–93

Beach in the NBA

Bob Gross, of Long Beach State, whose number was retired by the Portland Trail Blazers Bob Gross.jpg
Bob Gross, of Long Beach State, whose number was retired by the Portland Trail Blazers

The following former Long Beach State players have played professionally for the National Basketball Association: [5]

PositionNameHeightWeight (lbs.)HometownDraft YearPickDraft TeamMost Recent TeamYears Active
G James Cotton 6'5" Bellflower, California 1997 32nd Seattle SuperSonics Chicago Bulls 1997–1999
F Craig Dykema 6'8"190 Lakewood, California 1981 66th Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns 1981–1982
SF James Ennis III 6'6"215 Ventura, California 2013 50th Atlanta Hawks Denver Nuggets 2015–2022
F Leonard Gray 6'8"240 Kansas City, Kansas 1974 26th Seattle SuperSonics Washington Bullets 1974–1977
F Bob Gross 6'6"200 San Pedro, California 1975 25th Portland Trail Blazers San Diego Clippers 1975–1983
G Lucious Harris 6'5"190 Los Angeles 1993 28th Dallas Mavericks Cleveland Cavaliers 1993–2007
F Juaquin Hawkins 6'7"205 Lynwood, California 1996 UD Los Angeles Lakers Houston Rockets 1996–2003
G Craig Hodges 6'2"190 Park Forest, Illinois 1982 48th San Diego Clippers Chicago Bulls 1982–1992
G / F Glenn McDonald 6'6"190 Los Angeles 1974 17th Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks 1974–1977
F Eric McWilliams 6'8"200 Denver 1972 37th Houston Rockets Houston Rockets 1972–1973
F/C Cliff Pondexter 6'9"233 Fresno, California 1974 16th Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls 1974–1978
G / F Ed Ratleff 6'6"195 Columbus, Ohio 1973 6th Houston Rockets Houston Rockets 1973–1978
F Sam Robinson 6'7"190 Los Angeles 1970 91st Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics 1970–1972
F Bryon Russell 6'7"225 San Bernardino, California 1993 45th Utah Jazz Denver Nuggets 1993–2006
F Chuck Terry 6'6"215 Long Beach, California 1972 29th Milwaukee Bucks New York Nets 1972–1977
F/C George Trapp 6'8"205 Highland Park, Michigan 1971 5th Atlanta Hawks Detroit Pistons 1971–1976
G Casper Ware 5'10"175 Cerritos, California 2012UD Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia 76ers 2014
F Michael Wiley 6'9"200 Long Beach, California 1980 39th San Antonio Spurs San Diego Clippers 1980–1982
G Morlon Wiley 6'4"185 Long Beach, California 1988 46th Dallas Mavericks Atlanta Hawks 1988–1995
G Rickey Williams 6'1"175 Buffalo, New York 1978 190th New Orleans Jazz Utah Jazz 1982–1983

Retired numbers

Ratleff was twice a consensus first-team All-American. Ed Ratleff Long Beach.jpg
Ratleff was twice a consensus first-team All-American.

Four numbers have been retired in Long Beach State basketball history:

Long Beach State Beach retired numbers
No.PlayerPositionCareerNo. ret.Ref.
20 Glenn McDonald SF 1971–19742018 [6]
30 Lucious Harris SG 1989–19932007 [7]
32 Bryon Russell SF 1990–19932010 [7]
42 Ed Ratleff SG/SF 1970–19731991 [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lute Olson</span> American basketball player and coach (1934–2020)

Robert Luther "Lute" Olson was an American basketball coach, who was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats men's team for 25 years. He was also head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes for nine years and Long Beach State 49ers for one season. Known for player development and great recruiting, many of his former players have gone on to have impressive careers in the NBA. On October 23, 2008, Olson announced his retirement from coaching. Olson died on August 27, 2020, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 85 years old.

The University of Wyoming men's basketball program, which competes in the Mountain West Conference, with the schools first recorded game dating back to 1905. Wyoming won the 1943 NCAA championship under Hall of Fame coach Everett Shelton and behind star guard Ken Sailors, who pioneered the jump shot that is now the standard in basketball. Wyoming has made a total of 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament. Since the Mountain West was formed in 1999, Wyoming has won two conference titles, including an outright championship in 2002. Prior to that, Wyoming won five championships in the Western Athletic Conference, eight championships in the Skyline Conference, and one championship in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball</span> College sports team

The New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team represents New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1904, the Aggies compete in Conference USA after spending 18 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference from 2005 through 2023. The Aggies, who last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2022, are one of 34 college basketball teams with multiple NBA retired jerseys from former players and a team that reached the NCAA Final Four. The team plays home games in the Pan American Center.

The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The head coach is Jerome Tang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charleston Cougars men's basketball</span> NCAA Division I college basketball team

The Charleston Cougars men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. The Cougars compete in the Coastal Athletic Association. Home games are played at TD Arena, located on College of Charleston's campus. While a member of the NAIA, they were National Champions in 1983. The Cougars have appeared seven times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball</span> College baseball program

The Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball team is the college baseball program that represents California State University, Long Beach. Although all Long Beach State sports teams are officially known as the Beach, the baseball team is typically referred to as the "Dirtbags". Their colors are black and gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UC Davis Aggies</span> Sports teams of University of California, Davis

The UC Davis Aggies are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach State athletics</span> Collegiate athletic teams of California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach State athletics, or simply Beach athletics, are the athletic teams that represent California State University, Long Beach. Teams compete in 19 sports at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. Long Beach State is a founding member of the Big West Conference, and also competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Golden Coast Conference for sports not sponsored by the Big West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball</span> College mens basketball team

The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Viejas Arena.

The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team represents the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in NCAA Division I basketball. Charlotte is a member of the American Athletic Conference, which they joined in 2023 after 10 seasons in Conference USA. Charlotte, which had been a charter C-USA member from 1995, returned to that conference in 2013 after leaving in 2005 to join the Atlantic 10 Conference. The 49ers have also played in the Sun Belt Conference and were a member of the Metro Conference, which merged with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA.

The South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represents the University of South Florida in NCAA Division I basketball competition, where they are currently a member of the American Athletic Conference. Ben Fletcher is the interim head coach after Amir Abdur-Rahim died unexpectedly. The Bulls play their home games at the 10,500 seat Yuengling Center on USF's campus in Tampa, Florida. USF has won two conference championships and has reached the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 3 times in their history, with their best finish coming in 2012 when they made the round of 32.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball</span> University of Carolina mens basketball team

The UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents the University of California, Irvine. The team currently competes in the Big West Conference, NCAA Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball</span> Basketball team, California State University

The Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents California State University, Fullerton in Fullerton, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball</span> Mens college basketball team

The Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball team represents California Polytechnic State University, located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference. The Cal Poly men's basketball team's first season was 1907 and its first season as a four-year institution was 1941–42. The Mustangs are coached by Mike DeGeorge and play their home games at Robert A. Mott Athletics Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011–12 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2011–12 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team represented California State University, Long Beach during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 49ers, led by fifth year head coach Dan Monson, played their home games at Walter Pyramid and are members of the Big West Conference. They finished the season 25–9, 15–1 in Big West play to be crowned regular season champions. They were also champions of the Big West Basketball tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to New Mexico. The 49ers were the only Los Angeles-area college basketball team to make the tournament that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2015–16 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team represented California State University, Long Beach during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 49ers were led by ninth year head coach Dan Monson and played their home games at Walter Pyramid. They were members of the Big West Conference. They finished the season 20–15, 12–4 in Big West play to finish in third place. They defeated UC Riverside and UC Irvine to advance to the championship game of the Big West tournament where they lost to Hawaii. They were invited to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach State Beach women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Long Beach State Beach women's basketball team represents California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2018–19 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team represented California State University, Long Beach in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 49ers, led by twelfth-year head coach Dan Monson, competed in the Walter Pyramid. Long Beach State was a member of the Big West Conference, and participated in their 50th consecutive season in that league.

The 1992–93 Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball team represented California State University, Long Beach during the 1992–93 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 49ers, led by third-year head coach Seth Greenberg, played their home games at Walter Pyramid and are members of the Big West Conference. They finished the season 22–10, 11–7 in Big West play, to finish in fourth place. They were champions of the Big West Basketball tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid into the 1993 NCAA tournament where they lost in the opening round to No. 6 seed Illinois, 75–72.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 Long Beach State Beach men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2024–25 Long Beach State Beach men's basketball team represents California State University, Long Beach during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Beach, led by 1st-year head coach Chris Acker, play their home games at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California as a member of the Big West Conference.

References

  1. "Long Beach Athletics Style Guide" (PDF). June 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  2. Kirk, Roger (April 2, 2024). "Chris Acker Selected As The New Head Men's Basketball Coach At Long Beach State" (Press release). Long Beach State Athletics. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  3. Athletics, Long Beach State University (2019-11-04). "New-Look Long Beach State Opens Season Wednesday At UCLA". Long Beach State University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  4. "NCAA penalizes Long Beach State men's basketball program". The Sporting News. Associated Press. March 6, 2008. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  5. "NBA & ABA Players Who Played For Cal State Long Beach". Basketball-Reference.com. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  6. Long Beach State basketball alumnus Glenn McDonald has his jersey retired By HUNTER LEE at Press Telegram - November 10, 2018
  7. 1 2 3 Long Beach State All-Time Honors at Basketball Record Book, p. 91 (archived)