RAS - NCAA Hoops - 11/27/04
-- NEXT UPDATE will be sent before 5:00am Pacific on SUNDAY, November 28.
RAS Official Plays 5-1, +3.90 UNITS (Recommended as 1 or 2 UNIT plays)
*Two plays Saturday:
First 2 UNIT play of the season, RAS is 16-3 on 2 UNIT college hoops plays since Jan 2002.
Sac State at Long Beach State (-3.5, play to -5) - Game #797-798 - 1:00pm Pacific
I am convinced that the 49ers are a legitimate team this year. I foresee them doubling last years overall and conference win totals of 6 and 4 respectively. This team does not look like much on paper with only 1 returning starter, just 6 wins a year ago, and currently 0-2, but they are vastly improved and there is good value to be had with them right now. I was able to attend last Tuesday's loss to Pepperdine and I felt they really grew up as a team in the second half. In the first half, the Waves could not have played any better as they shot 9 of 11 from behind the arc and 68.1% overall but still only led by 8 at the break. Long Beach had a few sloppy plays to begin the second half and trailed by 15 points with about 17:30 to go. They turned up the intensity on defense and things started to click with Long Beach eventually forcing a tie late in the game. Pepperdine got some questionable calls and made a few key plays to get a four point win but it was still a good showing for this improving Long Beach team. Sophomore point guard Kevin Houston (Big West all-freshman team last year) has really come a long way from a year ago. He is playing with much more confidence, his ball handling is solid, and his shot is falling much more consistently. 6-11 center Anthony Coleman (Xavier transfer) scored 17 vs Pepperdine. He has a nice touch around the basket with good range as well. He is going to be a solid double digit scorer all season. There are not many big men with his skill set on these types of teams. Well regarded JC transfer forward Shawn Hawkins has probably not been aggressive enough thus far as he tries to blend in to his new team but he started to look more comfortable in the second half and made some great plays down the stretch. He has a solid all around game and may be the best player on the team. Senior G/F Cody Pearson and junior G/F Louis Darby scored 12 points a piece and both play excellent defense. Pearson is a bit undersized as a forward but plays with a ton of heart and is a great vocal leader. Shooting guard Jibril Hodges has a great looking stroke but has not shot at a high percentage yet this year. He is still instant offense waiting to happen. 6-10 F/C Sam Byrd, a JC transfer, has provided quality size off the bench and senior forward Chris Jenkins has returned from an early season injury to add another experienced frontcourt option.
Sacramento State is not a basketball school. Last years 13 wins was a school record as a Division 1 team. Their gym only holds 1,200 people. Head coach Jerome Jenkins is doing his best to make good out of a difficult situation but after three straight seasons of improvement the Hornets appear to be taking a step back this year. They lost their top three scorers and seven lettermen overall from last years team. Of the six returnees, two are academically ineligible for the first semester. One of those two, junior forward Chris Lange, started 11 games last year and was expected to start this season. The team has brought in an influx of newcomers but none are very well regarded and the team is likely going to need time to gel. The Hornets opened their season with a 21 point loss at Michigan and last time out beat Southern Utah in Sacramento by 7 points. In that game they saw a 22 point lead get cut to 3 before prevailing. The Hornets have averaged 22 turnovers in their first two outings. Sac State was only 3-11 in road games last year.
Third year coach Larry Reynolds definitely has Long Beach back on the right track. The 49ers will be looking to avenge a 22 point loss at Sac State last December. They were already much improved by the second half of last season and this year are a completely different team with their two best players (Hawkins & Coleman) not playing a year ago. Meanwhile Sac State has digressed some and is a horrible road team. The 49ers will also be looking to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1998-1999 season. Long Beach showed determination, heart, and ability on both sides of the court in last game but just fell short. Today they put all together and get their first win of the season. 49ers by double digits.
Long Beach State -3.5 2 UNITS
Continued...
-- NEXT UPDATE will be sent before 5:00am Pacific on SUNDAY, November 28.
RAS Official Plays 5-1, +3.90 UNITS (Recommended as 1 or 2 UNIT plays)
*Two plays Saturday:
First 2 UNIT play of the season, RAS is 16-3 on 2 UNIT college hoops plays since Jan 2002.
Sac State at Long Beach State (-3.5, play to -5) - Game #797-798 - 1:00pm Pacific
I am convinced that the 49ers are a legitimate team this year. I foresee them doubling last years overall and conference win totals of 6 and 4 respectively. This team does not look like much on paper with only 1 returning starter, just 6 wins a year ago, and currently 0-2, but they are vastly improved and there is good value to be had with them right now. I was able to attend last Tuesday's loss to Pepperdine and I felt they really grew up as a team in the second half. In the first half, the Waves could not have played any better as they shot 9 of 11 from behind the arc and 68.1% overall but still only led by 8 at the break. Long Beach had a few sloppy plays to begin the second half and trailed by 15 points with about 17:30 to go. They turned up the intensity on defense and things started to click with Long Beach eventually forcing a tie late in the game. Pepperdine got some questionable calls and made a few key plays to get a four point win but it was still a good showing for this improving Long Beach team. Sophomore point guard Kevin Houston (Big West all-freshman team last year) has really come a long way from a year ago. He is playing with much more confidence, his ball handling is solid, and his shot is falling much more consistently. 6-11 center Anthony Coleman (Xavier transfer) scored 17 vs Pepperdine. He has a nice touch around the basket with good range as well. He is going to be a solid double digit scorer all season. There are not many big men with his skill set on these types of teams. Well regarded JC transfer forward Shawn Hawkins has probably not been aggressive enough thus far as he tries to blend in to his new team but he started to look more comfortable in the second half and made some great plays down the stretch. He has a solid all around game and may be the best player on the team. Senior G/F Cody Pearson and junior G/F Louis Darby scored 12 points a piece and both play excellent defense. Pearson is a bit undersized as a forward but plays with a ton of heart and is a great vocal leader. Shooting guard Jibril Hodges has a great looking stroke but has not shot at a high percentage yet this year. He is still instant offense waiting to happen. 6-10 F/C Sam Byrd, a JC transfer, has provided quality size off the bench and senior forward Chris Jenkins has returned from an early season injury to add another experienced frontcourt option.
Sacramento State is not a basketball school. Last years 13 wins was a school record as a Division 1 team. Their gym only holds 1,200 people. Head coach Jerome Jenkins is doing his best to make good out of a difficult situation but after three straight seasons of improvement the Hornets appear to be taking a step back this year. They lost their top three scorers and seven lettermen overall from last years team. Of the six returnees, two are academically ineligible for the first semester. One of those two, junior forward Chris Lange, started 11 games last year and was expected to start this season. The team has brought in an influx of newcomers but none are very well regarded and the team is likely going to need time to gel. The Hornets opened their season with a 21 point loss at Michigan and last time out beat Southern Utah in Sacramento by 7 points. In that game they saw a 22 point lead get cut to 3 before prevailing. The Hornets have averaged 22 turnovers in their first two outings. Sac State was only 3-11 in road games last year.
Third year coach Larry Reynolds definitely has Long Beach back on the right track. The 49ers will be looking to avenge a 22 point loss at Sac State last December. They were already much improved by the second half of last season and this year are a completely different team with their two best players (Hawkins & Coleman) not playing a year ago. Meanwhile Sac State has digressed some and is a horrible road team. The 49ers will also be looking to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1998-1999 season. Long Beach showed determination, heart, and ability on both sides of the court in last game but just fell short. Today they put all together and get their first win of the season. 49ers by double digits.
Long Beach State -3.5 2 UNITS
Continued...
