PREMIUM
Rogers' EARLY ANNIHILATOR (2:00 ET TIPOFF!) ~ 6-2 Wednesday! 3-0 NCAAB L2 Days!
(NCAAB) Long Beach State vs. Eastern Michigan,
Point Spread: 6.50 | -110.00 Long Beach State (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 6.50 | -110.00 Long Beach State (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: Long Beach State is back out on the road and will visit 7-5 Eastern Michigan in a Thursday afternoon contest. As per usual, Don Monson had his 49ers play one of the nation's toughest non-conference slates and Long Beach is 5-10, as it plays its final non-conference game, here.
Long Beach State: The 49ers were 20-15 last year (12-4 in Big West play) and returned a solid group of veterans, although the team's best player, the 6-6 Faust (17.4 & 6.1), is gone. Guard Payne is the team's top scorer at 14.5 PPG and 5-7 PG Bibbins (10.5-3.8-4.1) still runs the offense. The 6-7 Levin (12.1 & 6.3) is the team's top frontcourt player and after a tough non-conference slate, the 49ers should be anxious for Big West play to begin.
Eastern Michigan: won 19 games last year and four of five starters are back. It's a perimeter-based team, led by Mangum (17.4) and Lee (16.7) but the Eagles also easily own the best big man in this game, the 6-10 Thompson (14.5 & 11.5). The 6-7 Bond (9.9 & 3.3 APG) is a big guard and fellow Toney (9.8) round out the major perimeter contributors.
The pick: EMU is 5-0 SU at home and long Beach State 0-9 on the road. However, the 49ers have played at (among others) Wichita St, North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA, Washington, Kansas and Texas (are you kidding?). I'm not convinced that EMU is the better team and in its toughest road test (at Syracuse), the Eagles lost 105-57! Long Beach State's Bibbins is being bohered by an ankle issue but Blackwell (5.5) and freshman Jackson (5.1) could get more minutes if needed. For Eastern Michigan, the 6-10 Thompson is questionable for undisclosed reasons and would be a bigger loss. Either way, Long Beach State is a 8* play.
Long Beach State: The 49ers were 20-15 last year (12-4 in Big West play) and returned a solid group of veterans, although the team's best player, the 6-6 Faust (17.4 & 6.1), is gone. Guard Payne is the team's top scorer at 14.5 PPG and 5-7 PG Bibbins (10.5-3.8-4.1) still runs the offense. The 6-7 Levin (12.1 & 6.3) is the team's top frontcourt player and after a tough non-conference slate, the 49ers should be anxious for Big West play to begin.
Eastern Michigan: won 19 games last year and four of five starters are back. It's a perimeter-based team, led by Mangum (17.4) and Lee (16.7) but the Eagles also easily own the best big man in this game, the 6-10 Thompson (14.5 & 11.5). The 6-7 Bond (9.9 & 3.3 APG) is a big guard and fellow Toney (9.8) round out the major perimeter contributors.
The pick: EMU is 5-0 SU at home and long Beach State 0-9 on the road. However, the 49ers have played at (among others) Wichita St, North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA, Washington, Kansas and Texas (are you kidding?). I'm not convinced that EMU is the better team and in its toughest road test (at Syracuse), the Eagles lost 105-57! Long Beach State's Bibbins is being bohered by an ankle issue but Blackwell (5.5) and freshman Jackson (5.1) could get more minutes if needed. For Eastern Michigan, the 6-10 Thompson is questionable for undisclosed reasons and would be a bigger loss. Either way, Long Beach State is a 8* play.
