The 49ers love to get the ball up and down and press other teams and Coach Monson not only will use Winter’s Triangle offense but he will also use Tark’s vaunted 1-2-2 zone defense as well.  For this to work players had to commit to the system and substitutions had to be continuous especially up front.  

The one player that Winter will not rotate out is junior wing ‘Easy’ Ed Ratleff.   Ratleff is a phenomenal talent with a great basketball mind.  Tarkanian somehow recruited him away from the Big Ten (ahem) as he led his high school to two consecutive Ohio State championships.  He might be the most complete player to come from that state since Hondo.  This six foot six smooth cat can do everything.  He is a solid scorer, a gifted defender, loves to get his teammates involved, can dribble and pass and rebound and most importantly is the focal point of Winter’s system.  Ratleff is such a complete player he handles the ball much of the time in this motion offense and led the team in assists by a wide margin.  He was one of only a handful of players who averaged over 15 points a game, 6 boards and 4 assists (and was a few assists from averaging five a game).  A first team All-Conference player and honorable mention All American, Ratleff is the man in Long Beach and not a person in the city would not recognize his trademark afro if he was behind you in line at the supermarket.  Easy Ed is above all else a winner.  As a matter of fact he has not lost a home game in his High School or College career until late last year.  That’s right the 49ers lost their first home game at the Walter Pyramid in almost three years to who else the UCLA Bruins.  The Bruins have been the nemesis of this program as they always beat the 49ers in the post season.  They have never beaten the team from Westwood but last year somehow they got John Wooden and his boys to travel down the Coast for a good old fashioned California University showdown (I think some of the higher ups in Sacramento forced Bruin AD JP Morgan to schedule this one).  The fans were ready and Ratleff wanted payback for a game the year before where he fouled out on some questionable calls with the 49ers leading after Morgan had went down to the court and complained to the refs.  Ratleff got his revenge with a superlative effort scoring 32 with 14 boards and 12 assists but once again some weird calls in the third overtime (yes this was an epic) gave the Bruins a second chance to score on a full court pass from Walton to Alcindor for the win and break their 49 game (yep that’s right) home win streak.  This incident did initiate a change in the rules as starting this year AD’s will not be allowed on the bench during games but did little for 9ers fans.  Oh and by the way the Bruins pulled their game with Long Beach for thisseason  citing of all things competitiveness and strength of schedule but we know that Wooden (and Morgan) want to risk losing into a lowly in-state school.  Who, of course, did they replace the 49ers with?  UNLV, just to add a little salt in the wounds of Long Beachians.  And who did California State University, Long Beach get to replace them?  The high drawing Weber State Wildcats will be coming to the Pyramid.  Sure, they dominate their conference too (the Big Sky if you were not in the know) but the Wildcats are not exactly the hated Bruins!  Old # 42 (which is actually Long Beach’s ranking in US population for those who want to be in the know) was pretty upset after that one as was about 6000 fans (weirdly the Pyramid usually only fits 5000).  Of course Ratleff has been angry before with some weird calls as he was member of the infamous international team that got that gold medal game stolen by the refs with three redo’s against the Russians in Munich.  Ratleff might be better suited to play with a little chip on his shoulder as the only real critique of this kid’s game is that sometimes he makes it look too ‘easy’ and that he almost looks bored on the court.  That is not true, of course, but people love those ‘killers’ that challenge every call and will fight you for every inch of the court.  Ratleff is not that but if he showed a little more of that he might just get the national recognition he deserves.  I like Ed the way he is though the whole ‘Orange Slice’ thing does have some merit.  

The post positions will be as competitive as the poll for the Indy 500.  Carryovers include seniors Sam Robinson, David (call me Ziggy) Jones, Dick Nelson, Bill Baron and John ‘First Blood’ Rambo, juniors Michael Wiley, Francois Wise, Bob Lynn and transfer Nate Stephens who got his feet wet late in the year.  There are many more transfers coming down the pike as they always do and if Stephen’s ordeal last year is an example, there is no way of knowing when some of these kids will be eligible.  As for the ones that are let’s start with Marsha Brady’s date.  Jones is a terrific board man and had been the main low post option until last year.  He is no daydream believer but more of the rugged, tough guy in the paint but he might be taking the last Train up to Studio City to see his young girlfriend if some of the JC kids are as good as advertised.  Nelson (no relation to David or Ricky) has even less of a chance of playing but Rambo is the real deal.  This 6’7 210 pound kid from Atlanta (Texas, not Georgia) is one sensational athlete.  Rambo won the collegiate high jump championship and next year will almost assuredly be representing the US in the Olympics.  Don’t get me wrong, basketball is not something Rambo moonlights in to stay in shape in the winter.  He loves this sport too and is quite good.  The problem is he is only one guy and the constant training does put a toll on this kid’s body.  He got hurt midway through last year and missed the rest of the year and things got even worse on a patriotic trip to Southeast Asia.  While there to compete but he couldn’t as he reinjured his leg, Rambo was held hostage in a prison.  Somehow he escaped and brought home some friends with him who had been there far too long as now sort of a national hero.  This bandanna wearing loner might not be ready for basketball this season (or ever again) as he must prioritize his best chance of becoming immortal.  Well, besides saving all of them people.  This loner would much rather be working out in a high jump pit by himself but he is damn good at hoops too.  He is not going to confuse anyone for Easy Ed on the court but this tremendous physical specimen was second on the team in boards and scoring two years ago.  Will Rambo have a sequel on the basketball court for the 49ers?  Odds are slim but if you are going to bet against John Rambo, you better bring a good supply body bags!  Lynn is a physical beast at 6’9 245 and was well on his way to having a solid year in the trenches when he got Mono.  He slowly regressed until they diagnosed him about 12 games in and then shut him down.  Hopefully, this Woodland Hills product will be back up to strength as the 49ers need his muscle in the paint.  Stephens barely played as we stated after his journey from Creighton (he did not beat out Benoit Benjamin and was getting tired of getting mauled by Paul Silas in practice).  This El Paso kid did not like the cornfields of Nebraska and went west and he does have one thing this team could use-size.  Stephens is 6’11 215 and can play when he wants to but motivation has always been a problem for this kid (imagine him and Benjamin’s practice protocol).  If he does get inspired he could be a huge piece of the puzzle Greenberg is trying to reassemble at the Beach.  Wiley is the best of the bunch at least offensively for the 9ers.  Wiley goes 6’9 but only 200 pounds but this hometown kid does not take a bad shot.  He might even be smoother than Easy Ed and knows how to get inside for easy buckets.  He can also take it out to be about 15 feet and is uncannily accurate leading the Big West with almost a 60% field goal percentage.  Strangely and probably due to his lack of girth, Wiley is not too good on the boards.  His defense is okay but he has had to play way too much five when in reality he is a four or maybe even a 3 (Dave Mingo).  He will start and that means whoever is next to him up front needs to be physical and can flat rebound.  Wise is a board man who got more chances than expected with Lynn and Rambo’s absences and surprised with his overall game.  Wise will start the year next to his buddy Wiley up front but at six foot six has a hard time matching up with bigger power forwards in this league.  The 49ers supposedly have three or four big, strong post players, most of whom fit the role of being a power forward to the T.  They can’t all play there, however, and some of these cats will get some minutes at center.  Wise’s minutes are in trouble but I wouldn’t count this kid out as he is a gamer.  Sophomore DeAnthony Langston brings some size to the table.  This 6’10 kid can block a shot but like Wiley was not as dominant inside as you might expect especially on the boards in a year he spent developing on the JV.  He probably has another year down on that squad and needs to get in the weight room or to Venice Beach but he has potential.  It is nice to have at least a few four year guys that Monson can build a long-term nucleus around.  Coach Monson was hired away to run that team and recruit and he wants this to be a long term thing.  His Dad, Don, is the head coach for the Idaho Vandals and Dan once was the coach at Gonzaga for a minute and actually led them on a Cinderella run that led him to be hired here. Sure, this is a transition season but there is enough talent to compete for a Big West title or at the very least a post season berth though the committee still seems to hold a grudge on the whole Tarkanian fiasco.   

Point guard is a misnomer for the Beach.  Sophomore Craig Hodges became Winter’s favorite pupil and played more and more there as the season progressed.   Hodges picked up Winter’s intricate system easily and can really shoot.  He realized he would have to develop a role on this team and he has.  At six two and not a great on ball defender this Illinois kid (he loves Chicago) can hit his jumpers from the rafters and beyond.  A point guard who can shoot? Yeppers.  That is just what the system calls for as when you have wings who can handle the ball like Ratleff you do not really need a true pass first point guard.  Hodges can pass some and can guard a little but he is there for shooting from long range and he is dang good at it.   Fellow Sophomore Morlon Wiley (Michael’s brother) is the closest thing the Greenberg has in the role of a true point guard.  With the 49er system there really is no old school point guard.  Wiley is big (6’4) and can score and handles the ball coming up but once the motion starts he is just another one of the pieces in this beautiful offense.  Wiley is a much better defender than Hodges and he did get a few starts against some tough point guards but he was not used at all in some other games.  He only averaged a little over ten minutes a game but with Greenberg in town his playing time might increase dramatically.  Sophomore Billy Walker is also in the mix and this 6’0 led the JV in assists.  He does not score much and is not much of a shooter so he might not fit the scheme too well but he can pass and defend.    

Maybe the biggest surprise of all was junior Glenn McDonald’s propensity for coming up with big plays at the end of games.  McDonald won a game with a jumper and stole to a pass to help seal another one for the 49ers.  McDonald is another LA kid who made the most of his opportunity but is stuck in that glut at the wing position.  He barely averaged ten minutes a game the first half of last year but came through when needed.  The important thing is Greenberg wants him to be his starting two guard this year and he knows a winner when he sees one even if it is just in about ten practices.  He will be challenged as like we said this team has wings.  Seniors Sam Robinson and Bill Jankans are the main adversaries for McDonald and they both can play.  Robinson is a true three at 6’7 190 and is yet another product of the City of Angels (why wouldn’t they recruit here).  He did a couple of years at Pasadena JC but showed last year he fits this system well.  If he did end up starting, Ratleff would move to the two which would be as smooth as his shooting stroke.  Jankans is also a three and barely played last year after transferring from both Arizona State and the same Pasadena JC Robinson was at.  In those games this 6’5 190 pound street tough kid from Reading Pennsylvania showed he can play.  There are a bunch more of the wing variety coming down the pike as Greenberg is willing to put anybody out there who can help this team win and of course complements Mr. Ratleff. 

Long Beach California is known for its incredible access to the Ocean for water sports such as sailing.   The University that bears its name and is located there got off to a fast start right out of the gates being one of the first schools in history to qualify in their first season of D-1 for the Big Dance.  Coach Tarkanian used an uncanny ability to recruit athletic kids from the big cities and jucos that other teams passed over for a variance of reasons.  He came in from Long Beach JC himself having to take a paycut but his recruiting and his zone defense got this program up and running right away.  If it weren’t for the big bad bully just down the road knocking them out every year the 49ers might have made a final four or two.  Tarkanian left for the bright lights of Las Vegas (a conference foe) just in the nick of time.  The Three Investigators hit the Beach and new Coach Lute Olson was left holding the bag as his 26 and 2 got put on probation (midway through the year by the way) and missed out on a tourney invite.  While in Vegas they allowed the Runnin’ Rebels to keep competing with the same kind of accusations and will come up with consequences later.  Olson was not a happy camper and left for Iowa and then Arizona where he has made quite the name for himself.  The Shark and Midnight Lute have an ongoing feud out West not only for recruiting (ironically Olson sent many a stud Tark’s way when he coached next door at Long Beach JC) but for supremacy and to see who will be the next bully on the block when Wooden leaves Westwood.  The next Coach did not work out as well but Tex Winter brought in an offense that is three sided and fit the personnel that Olson and Tarkanian had recruited before he got aboard a balloon for Kansas.  New Coach Seth Greenberg goes into this season with high expectations including a home court advantage that included a winning streak of three years at the Walter Pyramid (the 49ers have actually never lost there as the new uniquely shaped building was just built two years ago).   Long Beach State will use a system of constant motion and Coach Greenberg will rotate most everyone in and out constantly.  He has one superstar coming back on the wing on a team filled with great depth. These kids rotating in may not put up huge stats but these players have as much overall talent as any program in Los Angeles outside of Westwood.  And yes they know how to play basketball in Long Beach too.  You just wouldn’t know it if you don’t live in LA!