2023-24 long beach state
a basketball game
The Sponsors
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Featured Musician: Nadim Azzam
The Video:
[After THE JUMP: The things said.]
After three easy victories to open the season, Michigan Basketball played host to a Long Beach State team they were hefty favorites over. After jutting out to an early lead, Long Beach's 1-3-1 zone temporarily slowed down the Michigan offense, allowing the LBSU offense to take advantage of a woeful Michigan defense to make the game close at halftime. The teams traded punches in the second half, but it was Long Beach that won the crucial closing minutes, feasting on Michigan turnovers and outworking them on the offensive glass to secure the upset win.
[Click the JUMP for bad defense and the box score]
THE ESSENTIALS
| WHAT | #22 Michigan (3-0) vs #118 Long Beach St. (1-2) |
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|---|---|---|
| WHERE | Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, MI |
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| WHEN | 7 PM | |
| THE LINE | Kenpom: M -15 Torvik: M -12 |
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| TELEVISION | BTN+ (link) |
THE OVERVIEW
This California State school has been trying to figure out its name for most of its existence. Long Beach State, formerly Los Angeles-Orange County State, alternatively LBSU or CSULB, has also spent the last decade trying to move away from their mascot name, the 49ers, and even further from their school paper's sub-nickname, The Dirtbags. Officially they're still the 49ers, but since 2017 they've been just calling themselves The Beach. As in that's the team name. This is what they do. They beach.
(Also they play in a blue pyramid.)
Over his 14 years at Barbie Movie U coach Dan Monson has usually put Beach in contention for the Big West crown. Last year was a step back as Beach finished 7th (11-9) in-conference, but they were an upset loss to rival Fullerton away from the NCAAs two years ago. The new upstarts who powered that team are still around, as well as all but two of last year’s contributors. Data points this season are a 77-73 win at #166 DePaul and losses at #145 Portland and #31 San Diego State, that last on Tuesday night. SDSU caused a bunch of turnovers to open a 12-point lead and coasted thereon.
Michigan is coming home off an emphatic win in Madison Square Garden over a Ship of Theseus St. John's team playing its second game under Rick Pitino. That team was talented, but also still wearing nametags in practice. Beach will be a sharp contrast: older, shorter, and far less recruited players who've been playing together for three to fifteen years. The script writes itself.
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