Long Beach State Athletics!: Re: MBB, a schedule that...

Traore wont be going against a big, he'll be defending (and rebounding) against a wing or 4, so can be more effective.

It all depends on how we space the floor in an early season game, having Murray who can play at that level, a 3pt guy and defender like JOnes, a clean-up guy like Traore

gives a bit more than a punchers chance, i.e. athletic enough in key positions to go 40 minutes with UCLA, plus UCLA will be assimilating

just depends on having one of our assortment of bigs being able to have some contribution - we do have a lot of fouls to give at the big

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According to Blue Ribbon, UCLA is the preseason #8 team in the country. While we always have a puncher's chance, I think suggesting we have a realistic likelihood of winning is probably a stretch. Our core is really good, but against the kind of athletic bigs someone like UCLA usually has (I have not looked at their team this year). I hope you are right, but our frontcourt is low experience and while Traore was amazing against BW centers and I expect him to be even better, he usually struggled against mobile bigs.

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well, again, the non-conference home schedule is lacking, an entire month without a home game

no game vs. upper tier Mountain West or a WCC

aside from that, it's actually good for these reasons

no excuse that our MBB can't come out of pre-season with a GAUDY won-loss record, seriously, this team could be good and for once generate some buzz with WINS in Nov and Dec vs. 'learning experience' games

no cross-country payola trips back and forth, the one long trip is NEUTRAL games and have chance to get 1 or 2 decent wins on a neutral court. This schedule will not grind on the team, well-rested for a conference run and hopefully an undefeated showdown in Jan with UCSB, who may also be good

UCLA for once,...we have a shot at WINNING with this team

maybe even USC

a lot of games in Calif, so locals can go to Cal Baptist, UCLA, USC, or even Sacramento for teh NorCal's and have a decent Beach contingent, imagine if we get to December with a 7-0 or 6-1 record and go play USC at Galen, Beach fans will show up!

optimistic, with usual amount of 'OMG what is Monson doing' potential pessimism hovering, & hopefully coach Cav brought a new oversight to help us continue to play WELL-SPACED basketball even with Slator gone and stop crowding the ball with that old Monson routine....it's 2022!!

seriously, plausible get 10 wins in non-conference with this core, and the possiblity to play suffocating defense with the wingy DPOY candidates on this team - top 25 this year