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Looking for someone to fill the role of their "slasher", Cal State Long Beach has signed Cerritos College men's basketball forward Chance Hunter (Inglewood HS) to a scholarship. Hunter, who will have three years of playing eligibility for CSULB, is the first Falcon player to sign with the school since Everett Ratleff in 1995. He's also just the fourth Cerritos men's basketball player to ever sign with Cal State Long Beach. Hunter joins Frank Bilyew (1957-58) and Chuck Hagen (1963-63) as Falcon players who have transferred to Cal State Long Beach, while former Falcon head coaches Bob Foerster (1955-57) and Jack Bogdanovich (1960-63) also played at Cal State Long Beach.

Spotted playing in the Fall Showcase prior to the start of the season, Hunter impressed the coaching staff and were sold on him even more after averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds a game while earning 1st Team All-South Coast Conference South Division. He was also successful on 51.4% of his field goals. Hunter scored over 20 points in four games last season and posted double-digit scoring in 25 games. Hunter also posted five double-doubles, which included a season-high 14 rebounds against Compton College. As much as Long Beach State was impressed with Hunter, the feelings were mutual

"I really enjoyed my visit at Long Beach State," said Hunter, who will major in Kinesiology. "It had a great atmosphere and The Pyramid is a great place to play in. It's also in my backyard and my family and friends can come and see me play."

Said Falcon head coach Russ May, "Chance was a strong, athletic skilled player that could score from all three levels. He is an exceptional rebounder and an even better teammate who's always looking to improve."

Hunter will help the team improve on their 15-19 record last season, while next year's schedule includes games against UCLA, USC and the University of Arizona. They will also play a tournament in Costa Rica.

"For LBSU, Chance will fill a hole as a swingman in their program," added May. "He'll be a guy who can guard big or small and his versatility on offense provides them with match-up problems for the opposing team. He is a D1 athlete that will rebound, score in traffic and make those around him better. He's a great pick up for LBSU."

Hunter, who red-shirted his first season with the Falcons, felt that his time with the program prepared him to take his game to the next level.

"I learned a lot playing for Coach May," added Hunter. "He told me to always go hard; don't half-ass it and give it 100% every time I'm on the court. I'm excited to start my career at Long Beach State."