Long Beach State Sports : Re: Cal Poly But Not Us/

Could it be argued that Acker had a harder rebuild than Monson? The current athletics environment, with NIL and few limitations on transfers, is far more challenging for a "have not" school like Long Beach, than they were in 2007 when Dan took over. TJ Robinson, Larry Anderson, Casper Ware, and later, James Ennis, wouldn't have seen their senior years at LB - they'd have been enticed to go elsewhere.

I think we're forced to be patient.

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Acker came in with a player development model to build the program. It didn't work in year 1.

I think the coaches that will thrive in a division like the BW will know how to recruit the right types of players who can come in and fit a simple system that can handle turnover of 50% or more of a team every year.

Maybe Acker will change his strategy, stick to it like cement to a brick, who knows. He needs around 8 new guys minimum. Maybe 10. Will have the same problem next year, except more time to find guys that fit his style and have more talent, we can hope.

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You raise some great questions. Cal Poly, a down trodden team with many of the same players on its roster from a season or two ago went 8-4 in their last 12 regular season league games, and has now won 10 of 14. Something happened after they lost their first 8 straight league games. They are scoring a lot of points, yet play pretty poor defense. UCSD would be a lethal first round matchup for Cal Poly because they shoot the 3 ball equally as well and play far superior defense. If Cal Poly gets hot from the field and succeeds in forcing tempo on the Anteaters, the Mustangs have a very good chance of beating them.

This there's their turnaround. I have no inside knowledge of what happened up there to cause the turnaround. I would like to know what changed. For some reason, however, while Cal Poly got it together, LB fell apart, losing their last 15 straight. Sure, Cal Poly has better shooters, but they lack any size compared to LB. Is it offensive design? Player mix? Individual player skills? Coaching? Team chemistry? My answer would be YES. All of them. It's so hard to rebuild a mid-major from scratch, especially when the other conferences come poaching your players.

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What a turnaround the new coach at Cal Poly has done in one year. They were dead and buried 6 weeks ago and now not only have they made the BWT but they have pulled 2 upsets and are now in the semi finals against UCI. I hate they the BW doesn't re seed after each round. 7 Poly should be playing 1 San Diego and 5 UCSB should be playing 2 UCI but instead Poly gets UCI and I will be praying for a massive upset. Funny how Poly and Northridge both got their MBB programs turned around in one year but Long Beach is what they are.