Like many during the pandemic, the Long Beach State basketball team has had difficulty finalizing play dates.
This season, 13 of the 49ers’ games have been canceled or postponed, including eight against Big West opponents.
Those circumstances magnify the importance of Long Beach’s series against Hawaii tonight and Saturday in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
This year, every Big West team except UC San Diego, which is transitioning from Division II, will play in the league’s postseason tournament in Las Vegas. Because of unequal scheduling, winning percentages will determine tournament seedings. The top six teams are automatic quarterfinalists. The seventh through 10th seeds must compete in a play-in round. UH’s final regular-season opponents — Long Beach State (4-4) and UC Davis (3-3) — are tied for fifth. The Rainbow Warriors are seventh at 6-8.
“We don’t want to play four games in a week to win the Big West tournament,” UH senior forward Casdon Jardine said of a play-in team’s path. “It is truly on us. We have an opportunity to come together as a team, to play unselfishly, to play hard-nosed defense, and give everything we’ve got these two weeks.”
Co-captain Justin Webster, a combo guard-wing, is expected to return to the UH lineup. Webster suffered a non-coronavirus illness in last week’s road series at Cal State Northridge and did not play in the second half of the first game and the entire rematch. Webster, who is averaging 12.0 points per game, practiced this week.
LBSU coach Dan Monson is used to cobbling together lineups. “We’re still trying to figure everything out,” Monson said. “I think we’ve had a different lineup every league game with guys out with COVID or hurt. … From protocols, we’ve had a lot of guys come back, and then they’re injured because they’re not in good enough shape.”
Monson said only one 49er has tested positive the past six months. But he estimated the 49ers missed more than 50 practices while following several guidelines from Los Angeles County and Long Beach health boards. “It’s been a good life lesson — not just for the players, but for me,” Monson said. “This is different from the other 35 years I’ve coached. It’s life. You’re dealt adversity, how are you going to deal with it? I think these kids have done a tremendous job with it.”
Last weekend’s series was the first time guards Isaiah Washington, Michael Carter III and Chance Hunter were in the opening lineup for a league game. Washington, a point guard who transferred from Minnesota last summer, was New York’s 2017 Mr. Basketball. Washington has gained social-media notoriety for his “jelly” — creative lay-in shots. Washington averages 15.5 points, Carter scores at a 14.4 clip, and Hunter is at 11.0 per game.
The 49ers prefer to play up-tempo on offense and pestering on defense. But their lack of practice time and games appear to have affected their rhythm. They are last in the Big West in turnover margin (minus-2.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.7), and have rebounded only 24.6% of their misses in league play.
“I tell people we’re really a November team right now,” Monson said. “We’ve only had 10 or 15 full practices. We went three or four weeks with five, six guys, where we couldn’t even go five-on-five. We’re making November mistakes. We’ve got to expedite the fact we’re in February right now and playing like a November team.”
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Big West men’s basketball
At SimpliFi Arena
Long Beach State (5-7, 4-4 BWC) vs. Hawaii (8-8, 6-8)
>> When: Today, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
>> Series: LBSU leads 18-12
