One thing’s for sure: Long Beach State basketball is never boring. The 49ers won the Big West Conference title in 2007, then turned around and finished second-to-last in 2008. The media picked the 49ers to finish sixth in 2009, so naturally they finished second (this site was pegged as “homers” when we picked them to finish third).

This year, the media is more confident about the 49ers’ chances, and has them listed as the favorites to win the Big West. That’s a lot to ask of a team comprised of four seniors and nine players who have never played a game for the 49ers, but Long Beach is clearly the most talented team in the conference and boasts a brutal gauntlet of a schedule that makes the Big West seem like Junior Varsity.

How will the 49ers fare with such high expectations? We give you our second annual player-by-player preview to find out.

From the Alaska-Anchorages to the Dukes and Kentuckys, the 49ers have a tough road ahead of them but it’s one that can reap great rewards. With a quartet of sophomores eager to equal and surpass last year’s success, a host of talented newcomers and a solid base of senior leadership, this Long Beach team is built for the long haul.

So let’s jump right into the fun, beginning with the five projected starters (according to LongBeachState.com) and then moving onto everyone else in numerical order.

Thanks to Andrew Veis for the wonderful photos below.

C – #15 T.J. Robinson (SO)
6-8, Forward
Let’s begin by agreeing that T.J. Robinson is not a center; he’s a crafty southpaw power forward who sucks in rebounds like a Dyson and uses excellent footwork to find easy buckets in the paint. Last year, Robinson took many post players by surprise with his deceptive quickness, to the tune of 11.4 points per game (second on the team) and 59.7 FG%. We know he can score, but the 49ers will need Robinson to toughen up with on-ball defense and alter or block shots around the rim. He doesn’t leap out of any gyms, but Robinson certainly has the athletic potential to scare some slashing guards out of the paint. On top of all that, he’ll be expected to increase his scoring. A lot rests on Robinson’s coat-hanger shoulders.

PF – #2 Eugene Phelps (SO)
6-6
The superathlete was the least visible of the freshman phenoms last season, and didn’t start a single game, so don’t be surprised to see him come off the bench this Saturday or switch in and out of the starting lineup as the season goes on. But rumor is, Phelps and Casper Ware nearly wore out the Pyramid gym floor this summer, spending hour after hour perfecting his 15-foot jumper. The result? Polished form and good consistency in practice, but issues with free throws look like they haven’t been fully resolved yet. But this is all nitpicking. What Phelps does and does well is propel his concrete-sculpted frame with quickness, power, and ease. In a few weeks of practice, Phelps seems determined to dunk every time he touches the ball. Get your cameras out when Phelps goes to the rack this season.

SF – #33 Stephan Gilling (SR)
Streaky streaky streaky. Steph Gilling is perhaps the streakiest shooter to ever shoot a basketball. Which is to say, he is a very good shooter, with excellent lift and a quick release. He is also a volume shooter, and attempted an astounding 228 three-pointers last season, at a 36.4% clip. This is not always a bad thing: he hit five in a one-point win over Fullerton and seven in a one-point win over Irvine. He can also be a posterchild for the 49ers’ habit of falling prey to the siren song of the three-point line. However, with opponents forced to pay attention to Long Beach’s other dangerous weapons and Casper Ware always looking for the drive-and-kick, Gilling will be like a kid in a candy store with one open look after another. Perhaps more importantly, he was also one of the team’s top defensive stoppers. This is an area that the 49ers need to improve upon, so it will be interesting to see if they rely on Gilling to stop the opponents’ best player, or if that duty goes to someone else.

SG – #21 Larry Anderson (SO)
6-6
The reigning Big West Freshman of the Year is expected to enjoy a breakout sophomore season. At a lean and muscular 6’6”, Anderson is the prototype for scoring shooting guards. He can score in a variety of ways, with or without the ball. A hand injury this offseason somewhat thwarted his plans to improve his jump shot, but Anderson still attacks the basket ferociously and can run the offense as a big point guard when needed. He’s also an excellent rebounder and defender, especially as the point-man on Long Beach’s variety of presses and zone defenses. Yes, all that is clear. What remains to be seen, however, is how well Larry will assume the role of leader, which the 49ers desperately need. The one thing the team doesn’t have is a clear vocal leader who can demand the ball and take charge when necessary – without fail. Anderson is still young but will be relied upon for leadership, and how he responds to that call may determine whether Long Beach lives up to this season’s lofty expectations or not.

PG – #22 Casper Ware (SO)
5-10
Here’s your other candidate for floor leader. Even as a freshman last season, Ware was arguably the 49ers’ most important player, holding the game’s tempo in the palm of his hand and running the offense like a ten-year vet. He players the most minutes and had a favorable assist-to-turnover ratio that hovered around 1.5-to-1 (not bad for having the ball in his hands a majority of the time). He can score and pressure opposing guards from end to end. He’s an excellent ball handler and passer, attacking the basket either to get to the rim or to draw in the defense for a kickout. Like Anderson, Ware will be looked to for leadership on the floor. How he reacts in pressure situations will mean much more than any statistic in a box score. He also has the best hair on the team. No question.

#1 Jules Montgomery (FR)
6-9, Forward (Sorry, no picture yet)
A symbol of the new competitive approach to recruiting that’s embraced by head coach Dan Monson and staff, Montgomery is the type of player that Long Beach simply didn’t get in years past. It may take a while for us to reap the rewards of this prize, however. He’s out right now with knee ligament tears, but has done some light practicing and looks to be progressing nicely with his health. Montgomery is a project – albeit an athletic, explosive project with the ability to fill up a box score. He still needs to improve footwork and get familiar with the pace of the college game, but Montgomery is a guy that will pay dividends down the line. He almost redshirted this season, but injuries to other forwards kept that from happening. Odds are he’ll learn from the bench this season, but who knows? We may see a glimpse of the future if he gets a shot.

#3 Greg Plater (JR)
6-1, Guard
This is one of the guys that coach Monson is excited about after the offseason. Plater was a key reserve last season and feels that now is his time to contribute on a regular basis. He came back to practice with a sharp focus and renewed spirit on defense, which he swears is his new priority. Of course, Plater is also known as a deadeye shooter, and the southpaw probably has the purest form on the team. Give him space and he’ll make you pay, but Plater’s attitude and filled-out form are an indication that he’s done being a shooter and is focused on being a complete basketball player – which is exactly what Long Beach needs from him. If Plater backs up his words (and his coach’s) on the court, he may end up being one of the most important players on the team.

#5 Brandon Nevens (SR)
6-3, Guard
A scoring guard with good size, Nevens was last year’s heartbreaking story after sitting out the entire season with kidney failure that nearly cost him his life. And though he’s probably tired of being characterized that way, it’s inevitable, because he’s still unable to practice. He expected doctor’s clearance this week, but so far is relegated to the sidelines. One thing that hasn’t suffered is Nevens’ attitude, which is reflected in a never-ending smile and dedicated enthusiasm for his teammates. How bad does Nevens want to get back out on the court? He suits up for practice even though he can’t participate. Unfortunately, you don’t get points for a good attitude, and Nevens finds himself on a team deep with shooting guards while he hasn’t practiced in more than a year.

#10 Arturas Lazdauskas (SR)
6-7, Forward
Mistakes are few and far between for “The Big A,” which earned him solid playing time last season in a backup role. With most of the team’s consistent post players graduated and a need for an inside presence, expect to see a lot of the Lithuanian in the paint this season. His frame filled out a bit more this offseason, all the better to keep the Big West’s largest bodies out of the paint. Lazdauskas has improved on defense in every season he’s been at the Beach, and while the 49ers have never relied on him for scoring, he does possess a soft touch and can get to the rim when he needs to. But, like I said, they’ll need Lazdauskas mainly to play consistent defense and rebound the ball. That, he can do.

#11 Lin Chang (SO)
6-9, Forward
After being born and raised in China, attending high school in Canada, and junior college in Mira Costa, the sweet shooting Lin Chang has arrived in Long Beach to much fanfare. The highly-touted recruit is full of potential, an athletic forward with size that can put the ball on the floor or in the basket. He does need to toughen up around the hoop, but the stroke from fifteen feet and out is lethal. It cannot be overstressed that this package is an extreme rarity in the Big West Conference. A weapon like Lin Chang is one of the reasons that Long Beach was picked to finish first in the conference. He gives them extended depth off the bench and could develop into a fully-developed scoring machine; though it’s likely we won’t see his best stuff this year. Chang is still adapting to a new offense, high expectations, and his own ability. That and, ya know, the English language. It remains to be seen how much he’ll be able to contribute this season. But for a talent like Chang, we can wait.

#14 Mike Vantrimpont (FR)
7-0, Center
You know Mike Vantrimpont from such previous roles as: The tall guy in the argyle sweater that practically majored in rooting for his teammates last season. With his eligibility requirement now fulfilled, the big man is ready and rarin’ to go. So, he went to the place that all Long Beach big men have gone in recent offseasons. The weight room. The scarecrow on stilts that we saw last season is no more. Vantrimpont added A LOT of muscle to his frame, and while he’s still lanky, he’s much sturdier and looks to be getting comfortable with his size. He’s still an offensive project, but could conceivably step in as a defensive enforcer if the team needs it. In two years playing for a junior team in France, Vantrimpont made his name as a shot-blocker (for obvious reasons). Like Chang, it’s likely that Vantrimpont will not pay off for years to come. But, hey, the 49ers can always use another shot-blocker, right?

#20 Jerramy King (FR)
5-11, Guard
Actually, point guard is one area where the 49ers could use a little more firepower. Casper Ware is the undisputed starter, but if Ware gets tired or – God forbid – bit by the injury bug, King is the only pure point guard available (both Plater and Jesse Woodard are more like shooting combo guards). With a year of prep school under his belt, King may be more prepared than most freshmen, but there are still plenty of question marks. For starters, King is small and plays small, while Ware is small but uses his physicality to make his height a non-issue. King isn’t able to do that yet, but he is dart quick and seems to be quite assertive in his decisions, fiercely attacking the basket and firing bullseye passes. In fact, he’s very reminiscent of Mo Clady in style and athleticism. He may need to be told to calm down from time to time, but so far King has shown a lot of ability at the point position. We’ll just have to see where he falls on the depth chart, and how ready he is for the D-1 level.

#23 Sean Starkey (JR)
6-4, Guard
A walk-on shooting guard on a team filled with shooting guards, Starkey is going to have to fight and claw to earn any minutes. The good: height and a sweet shooting stroke. Needs improvement: muscle and comfort with the D-1 game. Starkey had two good seasons at Cypress College, but this is a different ball game. A few seasons under Monson and some time at the Long Beach State basketball school of weightlifting will do wonders for Starkey, who is pushing his teammates hard in practice and looking like… well… like a walk-on who’s fighting to make a name for himself.

#24 Jesse Woodard (SO)
6-1, Guard
Another one of those mystery boxes whose contents won’t be fully understood for some time, Woodard spent last season on the bench after he transferred to Long Beach from Colorado State. This year, we’ll get to see what we’ve got. Early indications are that Woodard is a scoring point guard that relies on the three-pointer. Not particularly quick, Woodard will need to really impress with that jumper to earn minutes in the backcourt. He does have point instincts, though, and with the ball in his hands he can fill up the hoop or find the open man. Is this Casper Ware’s backup, or a new addition to the 49ers’ stable of shooting guards? Woodard’s role isn’t set in stone yet.

#32 Tristan Wilson (JR)
6-5, Forward (Sorry, no picture yet)
With size and a nose for the basket, Wilson was expected to come in from an Illinois junior college and contribute immediately at the wing position. Bad luck was waiting for Wilson in Long Beach, however, and a torn ACL will keep him out probably until January. That unfortunate development has kept him on the stationary bike for the time being, but Wilson’s spirits seemed to be high during practice and he’s kept the solid frame that will make him dangerous to smaller defenders. Once he’s healthy, expect to see Wilson on the floor often as the 49ers substitute one athletic scorer for another. Come January, Wilson’s return may make Long Beach a completely new team with the ability to call on so many scoring guards.

#34 Kyle Richardson (FR)
6-7, Forward
Another example of the kind of player that Long Beach used to miss out on, Richardson blossomed at nearby Mayfair High and was a regular fixture at 49er games last season as coach Monson stepped up his courtship of the athletic forward. Richardson has looked impressive offensively thus far, with an array of low post moves and a nose for the basketball. He dunks with ease and uses albatross arms to get off his high release jumper. He does need to grow into his own body a little bit, and acclimate himself to the speed and physicality of the college game, but Richardson comes into Long Beach with the offensive tools to simply beat his defender. He could stand to be much more aggressive, but that’s nothing that a little pushing in practice won’t cure. He’s not yet close to reaching his potential but will certainly show flashes this season.

#50 Andrew Fleming (SR)
7-0, Center
To put it simply, Flem has seen some things in his time at Long Beach State. The Reynolds era, the NCAA Tournament, the 6-24 disaster and last year’s return to glory. Yes, Andrew Fleming has been through the full spectrum at Long Beach State. In all that time, Fleming has instilled hope in fans that marvel at his size and frustrated them with his slow development. All that aside, there is not a player that deserves to succeed more than Andrew Fleming. A tireless worker and supporter of his teammates, Fleming seemed to will the team to win from the bench several times last season, and was almost always the first to offer high-fives or an encouraging word. Nothing has changed this year, as he’s become extremely vocal. He also filled out that seven-foot frame. Simply put, Fleming is now a mountain of a man, a very imposing figure on a team that needs one in the paint. There are rumors, as always, that he’s harnessed his offensive ability and is ready to unleash it on the conference. But that’s not where he’s needed. Flem’s value is as a defender and a leader, and these are areas in which he has dedicated himself. Of course, if he feels so inclined to grab an offensive rebound and slam the ball down with a two-hand power dunk, that’s all the better.