The Good News for the 49ers: There’s Still Time for a Rebound

Thirteen down. Thirteen to go.

By our math, that means the Long Beach State men’s basketball team has reached the halfway point of its schedule. It’s time to reflect--or just try to forget.

What has happened isn’t exactly what the 49er faithful expected, or wanted. But things can always be worse, right?

“No one is pleased with how we’ve played, especially me,” Long Beach Coach Wayne Morgan said. “We’re improving, but we’re still making mistakes that impact our ability to win games. We have to eliminate those mistakes.”

Well, half a season remains. However, if the immediate future is to brighten for Long Beach, the recent past must be avoided.

Here’s a look at the good and the bad of the 49ers’ first 13 games. Their midseason report card isn’t perfect, but the final grades aren’t in yet.

Forwards--Who’s left? Expected to be among the team’s strengths, this position has been nothing but a headache.

The departure of starting power forward Akeli Jackson has been the biggest problem, although definitely not the only one. Morgan dismissed Jackson from the team last week because of a bad attitude.

Jackson was one of the most athletic forwards in the Big West Conference, and his father, Kyle, also played for the 49ers. Kicking Jackson off the team was not a public relations coup. However, a team source said Jackson had become such a negative factor that Morgan really had no choice.

Greg Clark, expected to start alongside Jackson, injured his shoulder during the preseason and has yet to play. Clark is one of the most intelligent and skilled 49ers. The injury will probably force him to redshirt, depriving Morgan of a potential standout.

Reserve Marcus Johnson continues to help Long Beach, but he also helps opponents as evidenced by his actions Monday in the second half at Cal State Fullerton.

With Long Beach locked in a tight game, Johnson screamed at Fullerton fans while retrieving the ball. The fans went wild, cheering even harder against Long Beach, which wound up losing, 78-75.

This is not the type of behavior the 49ers, 1-6 on the road, can afford to encourage. Johnson was suspended one game in November for injuring Corey Saffold in what school officials described as an unprovoked attack.

On Saturday, Saffold decided to leave Long Beach. Saffold wasn’t an impact player but he was on scholarship, so there goes more depth. D’Cean Bryant has displayed some spark recently, but he’s still rusty from sitting out last season after failing to qualify academically.

Grade: D.

Guards--If only the rest of the 49ers were like these guys. James Cotton has been as good as advertised. He is leading the conference in scoring, averaging 23.1 points. He is shooting a solid 46% from the field and 84% from the free-throw line.

Because of the problems at forward, Cotton is playing there at times in Long Beach’s revamped lineup. It means different, and often more difficult, responsibilities and physical matchups for him. He hasn’t complained once.

“James Cotton has been great for us all season,” Morgan said. “We couldn’t expect any more from him.”

Tommie Davis has taken over at point guard. Davis probably pushes the ball faster than any other player in the Big West, and he has made big strides in making correct decisions.

Davis averages 7.3 points and is second in the conference at 4.9 assists per game. He has been suspended twice, though, so that’s something to keep an eye on.

Then there is Brandon Titus, the team’s biggest success story. Buried at the end of Seth Greenberg’s bench last season, Titus has proved he can play.

Titus is second on the team in scoring and assists, averaging 15 and three. He’s also shooting 47% from the field.

“Right now, this is just simple basketball,” Titus said. “I know I can play this game, and Coach Morgan is giving me an opportunity to play.”

Grade: A-minus.

Centers--Ike Nwankwo might be one of the strongest players in college basketball.

He’s an imposing figure at 6 feet 11 and 255 pounds, and an extremely hard worker. But Nwankwo isn’t the most skilled player around. Also, he hardly played in three seasons at UCLA, and it shows.

Burly Brian Yankelevitz sometimes surprises, making plays his body seemingly shouldn’t allow him to. He and Nwankwo could be an effective tandem in the second half.

Grade: C.

Coaching--This is Morgan’s first head coaching job, and his learning process has been affected by the controversy surrounding the team. There also have been some rocky moments with the athletic administration.

Besides Morgan, lead assistant Clyde Vaughan is the only member of the staff with Division I coaching experience. Tom Lewis and Jeff Estis round out the group. Although the results aren’t there yet--the 49ers are 5-8, 1-2 in conference--the effort is.

Grade: C-minus.