LONG BEACH – It was a big question. Long Beach State basketball coach Dan Monson took little time to answer it.
“Yes, oh, absolutely,” said Monson, when asked if be believes senior wing James Ennis has shown he’s an NBA talent. “I felt that last year. We had a lot of NBA scouts who came to see Casper (Ware) and Larry (Anderson) and those guys, and left talking about James.
“The thing you didn’t know last year is what was going to happen when he had to change from a role player to being focused on, and I think he’s answered all those questions. He’s just getting better and better every day.”
Ennis and the rest of the 49ers will take on Cal State Fullerton tonight at 6 in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament at Honda Center (tape delay on Prime Ticket at 10:30 p.m.).
The same question about Ennis was put to Titans coach Andy Newman.
“He has all the characteristics basketball-wise to play at that level, the NBA,” Newman said of Ennis. “He can shoot it, he can drive it, he’s long, he’s 6-7, athletic. There is nothing that will pull him back from an athletic standpoint.”
The only question in Newman’s mind is, does Ennis have the rest of what it takes to play in the NBA?
“You have to be really driven and really coachable and have an incredible passion for basketball,” said Newman, who said he thinks Ennis might have that, but he’s not sure because he just doesn’t know him well enough. “Playing in the NBA, there are a lot of guys vying for spots and a lot of guys with the talent like James’ and can do the same things he does.
“What separates a lot of those guys is what they are made of, how hard they are willing to work to go that extra mile.”
Anyone wondering about that perhaps shouldn’t.
“It means a whole lot,” Ennis said of a possible NBA career. “When I was little, I used to watch a lot of NBA players and, basically, I just want to help my family out. That’s my main focus right now, to try and put my family in a better position.”
Monson doesn’t doubt Ennis in any way.
“He wants to be (in the NBA), and he has the ability,” Monson said. “The hardest thing is a lot of guys want to be, but they just don’t have the ability. He’s got NBA size, he’s got NBA athleticism.”
Ennis last season came on the scene as a transfer from Ventura College. He averaged 10.1 points on a team with Ware, Anderson and two other senior starters.
He was not the main guy, to be sure. But this season, as the man, he has averaged 17 points and 6.9 rebounds – both team highs. He’s also made a team best 51 3-pointers while shooting 35.4 percent from long distance.
Ennis is very quick-handed and seems to have the ability to be a great defender, though Ennis said he needs to improve his defense, and Monson agreed, saying he needs to shore up his on-ball defense.
This week, Ennis was named Player of the Year by the Big West after leading the 49ers (18-12) to the regular-season conference championship. He was also named All-District IX.
None of that tells the whole story.
Ennis can run the floor wonderfully. His sheer athleticism is at times uncanny. He doesn’t just make 3-pointers, he makes them from 27 feet out when he has to – and in the clutch. And, he can throw down a monster windmill dunk in thunderous fashion after a length-of-the-court run.
Ennis believes he has proven he has what it takes to toil in the NBA.
“Just knowing that I can play multiple positions, I can guard multiple positions and I can see the floor well,” he said. “And at my height and athleticism, that just opens up things for other people.”
Ennis is a man of few words. He won’t go on and on about his own talents. He does appear to have ability to play at the top level. He could even become the first Long Beach State player to be taken in the NBA Draft since 1998.
Monson said Ennis can help himself with a solid postseason showing.
“Can he get this team to the NCAA Tournament on the big stage and play well on that?” Monson said. “It’s a great opportunity. If he does that, I think he’ll get drafted.”
Ennis said he feels no additional pressure.
“I’m just going to go out and do what I always do and play my hardest and give it my all,” he said.
Notes
The U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association (USBWA) has released the honorees for All-District teams and Ennis has been named to the All-District IX list. District IX is comprised of basketball writers in California, Oregon, Washington, Hawai’i, Arizona and Alaska. Gonzaga’s Head Coach Mark Few earned Coach of the Year accolades, while the ‘Zags Kelly Olynyk took home Player of the Year honors. … Newman said that senior guard D.J. Seeley and senior forward Sammy Yeager, both of whom have recently missed several games with injuries, are extremely doubtful for tonight’s game. Seeley has a hairline toe fracture and Yeager has a bad back. Newman said it would take “a miracle” for them to play. Seeley averages 17.9 points, Yeager 15.8 for the eighth-seeded Titans (14-17). … Monson, knowing Fullerton is far from healthy, said his top-seeded team still needs to make sure it takes care of business. “I really don’t know with their injuries what we’re going to get,” Monson said, “so we need to worry about what we’re going to do.”
robert.morales@presstelegram.com
@RMoralesPT
