Better living through chemistry

Chemistry is an oh-so-important aspect of any entity built around human relationships. Absent such, dysfunction or worse becomes the norm. Present and the whole has the possibility of exceeding the parts.

Long Beach State Coach Dan Monson has been to the mountaintop, turning his program back into one of note. But then came a heavy number of four-year college transfers and the 49er ambiance went to hell.

Those changing basketball programs do so for a myriad of reasons but first and foremost is not playing the amount of court time self-determined as appropriate as well as accepting a certain role on a team.

Go here for an overall informative feature on what went wrong in 2012-13 for The Beach.

With transfers, especially 'name' ones, there can sometimes go a feeling of slumming, of being better than one's current location. That's another coaching headache because the necessary level of respect towards others -- equals and authority figures -- isn't accorded. Check out this article.

James Ennis and Mike Caffey were the returning 49er leaders. Some teammates obviously didn't accept this but weren't willing to out-work the pair in order to earn a position of power.

So how, if at all, is this related to San Jose State University basketball?

Coach Dave Wojcik is laying a foundation with freshmen. He needs point Jalen James (especially) and Rashad Muhammad to become the on-court leaders. Were he to bring in a four-year transfer or even a community college talent who expected to be deigned the program focal point due to seniority status alone, well, that could turn into Long Beach State of this past season redux.

Now this is not to say Wojcik won't pursue transfers of any sort -- who is to say he hasn't already. It's just that the individual(s) will need to be prospects with the appropriate mindset so as not to impair the symmetry being sought.