Long Beach State Men's Basketball announces five-man recruiting class

Long Beach State men’s basketball program announced its 2019 five-player recruiting class, featuring guards Max De Geest and Rodney Rhoden, forward Romelle Mansel, and big men Trever Irish and Joshua Morgan.

“We are extremely excited about our recent recruiting class for 2019,” Head Coach Dan Monson said of the incoming group. “Losing six seniors, we needed to add size and shooting to complement our returners, and we feel very confident we have done that.  We are not only excited about the basketball abilities of this class, but we also feel we are adding five people to our program with high character who will represent our program and university in a first class manner.”

De Geest, a 6’3” guard from New Zealand, has experience with his country's national team, winning a silver medal at the 2018 FIBA 3x3 U-18 Asia Cup, where he won MVP honors to help the team qualify for the Youth Olympics in Argentina.

“Max was the first player to commit to us in the 2019 class last year," said Monson.  "He's a tremendous perimeter shooter that should help us in that area in the near future."

Irish, a 6’11” center, is a junior college transfer from Central Arizona College, who offers an imposing physical presence around the basket. During his first season with the Vaqueros, he shot 62.6 percent from the floor, averaging 14.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.37 blocks per game. In a win late last season he posted 30 points (12-15 FG, 6-7 FTs) with five rebounds and a pair of blocks in a win over Eastern Arizona College.

“We're excited to welcome Trever to the Beach family, as the lone junior college player, he's the elder statesman of this class," said Monson.  "Trever has a college-ready body at 6-foot-11, 240 pounds, and is a proven scorer and rebounder at the junior college level. He should bring an immediate post presence, both offensively and defensively with the departure of Mason Riggins and Temidayo Yussuf."

Mansel, a 6’9” forward, is a versatile athlete hailing from nearby St. Bernard High School, where he is a four-year member of the varsity with the Vikings. He had a number of standout games as a junior, including a 22-point, 12-rebound performance in a win over Serra High School. Earlier this year, he also competed for Team Why Not in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL).

"Romelle is a local player that plays with a tremendous amount of passion and energy," said Monson. "At 6-foot-9 he has an intriguing combination of ball skills, agility, and athleticism, to go with his great size. We recruited him for a few years and we're thrilled to have him in the program."

Morgan, a 6’11” center, is a dynamic rim protector from Northern California, where he’s set to begin his senior season with Sheldon High School. The Huskies were ranked as a Preseason Top 40 team in the nation by MaxPreps after reaching the CIF State Championship Game a season ago.

Morgan transferred to Sheldon from Pleasant Grove High School, where he had a productive junior campaign. In 20 games for the Eagles last season, Morgan averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per contest.

"He's one of the best high school shot blockers I've seen in years and at 6-foot-11, he changes ends of the court like a guard," said Monson.  "Joshua should bring some immediate rim protection to our frontline, especially with the departure of three inside players. "

Rhoden, a 6’5” guard, is an explosive athlete who comes to the Beach from across the country at Mainland High School in Florida. He averaged 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore for the Buccaneers, then last season as a junior, led Mainland to a 21-8 record and a trip to the 2018 FHSAA Class 7A region final by averaging 17 points per game.

“Rodney is a combination guard that can score and make plays for others," said Monson.  "He's an elite athlete and defender that is extremely tough and versatile defensively, as he can guard multiple positions, which excites our staff immensely."

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services