By Kevin Houston had all of their posters.
Stephan Marbury, Tim Hardaway, and, of course, his favorite player, Allen Iverson. But the person who has played the biggest role in his basketball career doesn’t have a poster and didn’t play basketball past high school.
“My dad is the one who put the basketball in my hands,” Houston said. “He coached me growing up, in Little League Basketball. He has been a huge influence on me and my basketball career.”
Long Beach State men’s basketball fans owe the elder Houston some gratitude for introducing his son to basketball, because it is hard to imagine where the first-place 49er men’s basketball team would be without its point guard.
Houston is leading the team in 3-point percentage, shooting 43 percent from behind the arc and is third on the team in points, averaging 11.1 per game.
Houston’s success on the offensive end has been something of a surprise this year. In his first three seasons at LBSU, Houston averaged seven points per game and shot .225 on 3-pointers.
“I have always worked hard on my shot, but I think the difference this year is that I’m shooting with more confidence,” Houston said.
What has impressed his head coach, Larry Reynolds, is that Houston has done such a good job running the team.
“Kevin is capable of breaking down his man whenever he wants, and he is also a great shooter,” Reynolds said. “But we have talked that his job as the point guard is to get other people involved, and he has done that.”
The 5-foot-10 Houston is the smallest player on the squad and opposing fans make sure Houston doesn’t forget it.
Last Saturday, the UC Santa Barbara fans screamed chants like “short-man complex,” “let’s go Napoleon” and one fan yelled, “You know what you are too short for, Houston? The NBA.”
“It really doesn’t bother me. When you are playing you don’t really hear it and during timeouts I just don’t pay attention to it,” Houston said. “It’s genetics not a skill. My dad is 5’11” and my Mom is five feet, so I was destined to be short.”
Houston, and the rest of the 49ers (17-6, 8-2) will probably hear their fair share of heckling when LBSU travels to play second-place Cal State Fullerton (18-5, 8-3) tonight at 7 p.m.
The Titans, like LBSU, are undefeated at home this season and are winners in five of their last six games. In their first meeting of the year, LBSU beat Fullerton 95-85 at The Walter Pyramid on Jan. 18.
“We are taking one game at a time right now and all the games are equally important,” Houston said. “Don’t get me wrong, this is a big game, but in the end the goal is to win the Big West championship.”
LBSU came within eight points of winning the Big West Tournament last year, and although Houston is trying to not look too far ahead, he can’t help thinking about participating in March Madness.
“Ever since we lost last year, I have thought what it would be like to play in the NCAA Tournament,” Houston said. “To go from 6-21, like we were a couple years ago, to making the NCAA Tournament would be great. I would be very pleased.”
When Houston isn’t on the basketball court, he likes to play another, not quite as physically-demanding, sport.
“I’m a pretty good pool player,” Houston said. “My mom bought me a cue for Christmas and I like to play with my pops.”
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