LBSU freshman guard Gavin Sykes steps back on a drive to the paint during his 30-point career night on Nov. 30 against the University of San Diego at the Pyramid. Diego Perez | Long Beach Current
Calm, cool and collected, Long Beach State men’s basketball freshman guard Gavin Sykes is quietly establishing himself as one of the top freshman scorers in the country.
Averaging 18.1 points per game, Sykes leads all freshmen in the Big West in scoring and sits third among all scorers in the conference.
Sykes’ work ethic is what has contributed to his early success at The Beach.
“I’m here every day, I put in work every night, I just trust the work with a lot of people around me, especially my coaches, helping me and giving me the right things to do, to work on a bunch of game scenarios every night,” Sykes said.
At the beginning of the season, Sykes set a goal for himself: to work without regrets. Through his efforts, he believes he has achieved that goal and attributes it to his success.
LBSU head coach Chris Acker praised Sykes for his work ethic and focus, calling him a “worker.”
“I think the most impressive thing about [Sykes] is, you know what you’re gonna get every single day, never too high, never too low, just pretty steady,” Acker said. “I think for a young guy, it’s hard to be that way in college basketball, because there’s so many distractions and so many things going on.”
Being a true freshman, Sykes has already had many memorable games, such as scoring 20 or more points in more than half of his games this season, with a buzzer-beater three on Dec. 4 to force overtime against UC Santa Barbara.
Above it all, one game has taken the cake for him early into his collegiate career.
“The University of San Diego game, not just because I scored a lot of points, just because it felt so good just to get a win, like in college basketball,” Sykes said. “It’s very hard to win, and all the guys are super excited, and it was a tight game, and we pulled through…it felt like everything we do has really paid off.”
The Sacramento native was the first LBSU freshman since Lucious Harris in 1990 to score 30 points in a game, leading The Beach to a victory over San Diego on Nov. 30, ending a 21-game losing streak against Division I opponents at the time.
Sykes wants to become a vocal leader for the team and he understands the importance of his role, but it is his teammates who have continued to build him up.
LBSU freshman guard Gavin Sykes goes up for a layup against UC San Diego in a 20-point performance at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid on Dec. 6. Ethan Cohen | Long Beach Current
“I would say the team has really just helped me become who I am,” Sykes said. “Obviously, it’s tough every day. All these games, I’m learning new things, new experiences, and just talking to them and them helping me get through it, and talking to the coaches every day and breaking down film has really just helped me a lot and to study the game.”
Although Sykes is the leading scorer most nights, if you were to scan the court, you would not think so by his demeanor.
The freshman guard may be the calmest and quietest on the court, sometimes letting out a rare scream or clapping with emotion.
Who Sykes models his game after truly reflects who he resembles on the court: Phoenix Suns all-star guard Devin Booker.
“He’s very calm and poised on the floor and I just really like [Booker], so that’s who I study,” Sykes said.
The three-star recruit puts the team’s goal of winning the Big West before any personal goals.
“Obviously, team goals first, we want to win the Big West,” Sykes said. “In personal goals, I just want to hopefully be Big West Freshman of the Year, and hopefully that will contribute to us winning a lot more games.”
Leading the team in scoring, Sykes doesn’t want anyone to “sleep” on the team because he believes they are a good team that is figuring it out and “are about to start winning a lot more games.”
The Beach (7-11) are currently on a two-game win streak as they sit seventh in conference standings.
Junior Contreras is a senior at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in journalism with a minor in communications. Beginning as a video assistant, Junior is a sports assistant of the Long Beach Current this year. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in sports journalism.