Coming off its 93-67 loss to No. 5 North Carolina Tuesday, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team will fly 402 miles to face No. 12 Louisville in Kentucky today at 1 p.m.
It will be the third game of the 49ers’ (1-2) nine-game road trip, where LBSU will take on some of the best basketball programs in the country.
So far, the 49ers have lost by a combined 63 points, which includes the team’s 37-point loss to Wichita State Sunday night and North Carolina’s 26-point lost Tuesday night.
In both games, the 49ers haven’t had much contribution from guards Justin Bibbins and Evan Payne, who have shot six for 39 from the field for a combined 19 points.
Compared to the guard play from their opponents, the 49ers will need a lift in production from Payne and Bibbins if they hope to be successful. Against North Carolina, Joel Berry II and Nate Britt combined for 30 points.
Against Louisville, the Cardinals’ (2-0) guard Donovan Mitchell is averaging 12 points per game. Junior forward Jaylen Johnson will also be a key part of the Cardinals’ offense that needs to be stopped. To start the year, Johnson is is averaging 16 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
That will prove to be a tough task for LBSU’s front court, but junior forward Gabe Levin has been the team’s best player early on, averaging 13.7 points and six rebounds per game.
After their game against Louisville, the 49ers will be back in Los Angeles to take on UCLA Sunday before heading up to Washington to face the University of Washington Tuesday night.
