UCLA guard Tyler Lamb transfers to Long Beach State

Former UCLA guard Tyler Lamb has enrolled at Long Beach State and is now a member of the men’s basketball team, the school announced Wednesday. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will not be eligible to compete for the 49ers until after the completion of the 2013 winter semester.

“I was initially hesitant to add another mid-year transfer to our team until I could see how this season worked out with three of them,” said coach Dan Monson. “After I spoke with Tyler and his dad I understood that we shared the same vision as to his future, both in the classroom and on the court. This is a fresh start for Tyler both academically and athletically and I’m confident that with the right mindset on and off the court, Tyler can be a great asset to the program. "

Lamb is a solid athlete who provides good size at the 2 with the ability to play occasional minutes at the 3 as well. Although Lamb struggled with his offensive consistency under Bruins' coach Ben Howland, he displayed a willingness to get after it on defense.

“I felt like Long Beach State was the perfect fit for me for many reasons,” said Lamb. “I get to stay close to home and I feel like Coach Monson will help me take my game to the next level, while ultimately helping me get a degree. I also liked the fact that Long Beach State plays a really difficult pre-season schedule because when you play against the best, your game will improve.”

During the past two seasons, Monson has had five Division I players transfer to Long Beach State.

Such numbers are the antithesis of UCLA coach Ben Howland, who seems to act as a repellent for many of his recruits. In recent years, UCLA has had several players transfer to other programs throughout the country, including Lamb and center Josh Smith (Georgetown) this season.

Hampered by injuries this season at UCLA, Lamb played in just one game for the Bruins and was then granted his release to transfer. During the 2011-12 season, Lamb (6-5/200) started 32 of 33 games he played in, averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He scored in double-digits on 12 occasions and recorded a career-high 26 points against Cal.

In his freshman season, Lamb saw action in all 34 games, starting two, averaging 2.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.4 steals per game, while shooting 32.7 percent from the field (32-for-98) and 20.5 percent from three-point range (8-for-39).

Lamb prepped at Mater Dei where the Monarchs posted a 32-2 record his senior year. He was named the CIF-Div 1-AA Player of the Year and was rated the No. 1 shooting guard in the state, the No. 8 shooting guard in the country, and the No. 41 overall recruit by Rivals.com.

By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald and news services