Brian Freeman will be playing his first game in the Stan Sheriff Center tomorrow.

Problem is, he'll be wearing a Long Beach State jersey.

Freeman, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound junior, will be the starting center for the 49ers when they take on the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team at 5:05 p.m. at the Sheriff Center.

"It was kind of weird driving around (yesterday) and seeing all the same places I saw on my recruiting visit," Freeman said. "And it's going to be a little weird seeing the coaches I almost played for, and playing against the players I almost played with."

Freeman was heavily recruited by both Hawai'i and Long Beach State out of Clackamas Community College (Ore.).

"I actually loved both places, and had a hard time deciding," he said. "In the end, I just felt a little more comfortable at Long Beach."

He said a delay by the UH administration in selecting Bob Nash as head coach of the 'Bows played "a little bit" of a role in his decision.

Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler started recruiting Freeman when Riley Wallace was still the head coach of the 'Bows, but could not set a recruiting visit while the head coach's position was still in limbo.

Nash was named head coach on April 13 — one week after Dan Monson was named head coach at Long Beach State.

"My visit got put off so many times by Hawai'i," Freeman said. "Once Coach Monson started recruiting me, he was straight up and so I knew what I was getting into. With Hawai'i, I really liked Coach Wheeler and Coach Nash, but there were still some questions."

Freeman made his recruiting visit to Hawai'i a week after Nash was hired, and got to meet several of the current 'Bows.

"He's a good guy, but he doesn't have a green and white jersey, so he's our opponent now," Hawai'i senior tri-captain Bobby Nash said. "All the politics about him going somewhere else, we can't worry about that. We just have to worry about the guys who we do have on our team."

In any case, Freeman has turned into a key player for a rebuilding Long Beach State program. He is averaging 10.1 points per game, and leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game, and a .650 field goal percentage.

Monson said the key to signing Freeman was: "I probably begged him more than (Hawai'i) did."

In addition to a new head coach, the 49ers have 11 first-year players. Only four players returned from last season, and none of them received significant playing time.

"I've never seen anything like that, where we have 15 guys coming from 15 different directions come together," Monson said. "They're progressing. But I think it's unrealistic to think you're not going to go through some ups and downs in the preseason."

The 49ers are 2-5 this season, but 0-4 on the road.

MORRIS NOW SHOOTING FOR LONG BEACH STATE

Donovan Morris is another 49er who is familiar with Hawai'i.

The 6-3 junior guard played at Fresno State for two seasons before transferring to Long Beach State.

In four career games against the 'Bows, he averaged 14.3 points per game while going 13 of 24 (54.1 percent) from 3-point range.

He sat out last season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules, and has emerged as the go-to player for the 49ers this season. He leads the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game, and is second in rebounding with 6.4 per game.

"He has the most experience of any of our guys, so we've leaned on him a little bit," Monson said.

Hawai'i's Bobby Nash played with Morris on several AAU and summer camp teams when they were teenagers.

"He's got the label as the Rainbow killer, but we need to stop that," Nash said. "He's my buddy off the court, but if we're playing against each other, he's my opponent."

NOTES

Hawai'i reserve forward Alex Veit is still questionable with an ankle injury. He has not played since the Nov. 21 game at New Mexico.

Long Beach State starting guard Artis Gant injured his knee against Loyola Marymount on Wednesday, and may not play tomorrow. He is averaging 8.3 points and 2.3 assists per game.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.