Behold the Hutton Era!

[fingrbustr]

Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week

April 24, 2006

Norm Hutton - Long Beach State University
So., Right Side/Opposite Hitter, 6-7 (Fountain Valley, Calif. - Fountain Valley High School)

Norm Hutton, a 6-7 sophomore right side/opposite hitter for third-ranked Long Beach State University (22-9, 14-8 MPSF), has been chosen the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the WeekSM. Hutton sparked the 49ers to a four-game victory over fifth-ranked Brigham Young University in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament quarterfinal round on April 22. He hit .568 for the match while averaging 7.38 points, 6.50 kills, 1.00 blocks, 0.25 aces and 0.50 digs per game. Hutton contributed a career-high 26 kills on 37 swings in the contest, while adding four blocks and two digs on defense. He has tallied double-figure kills in each of the last five contests, which coincides with a five-match 49er win streak. Hutton earned a starting role four matches ago after posting 10 kills off the bench against BYU on April 6. He holds a season attack percentage of .305 with averages of 2.79 points, 2.35 kills, 0.39 blocks, 0.59 digs and 0.24 aces per game. Long Beach State will face top-ranked UC Irvine on April 27 in the MPSF Tournament semifinals. A 49er has earned the national honor 13 times, the last recipient being Duncan Budinger earlier this year on Jan. 17 and March 13. The Long Beach State head coach is Alan Knipe.

[vballmom]

Norm has really broken out .

[fuzzball]

Oh pleeeeze. One match does not make a star. Wasn't his consistency the reason they moved Budinger to opp. for most of the season. No doubt he was great against BYU, but let's see how he matches up with Jayblo on thurs.

[fingrbustr]

Hey man, Nat'l POW is nothing to sneeze at. You're right--he hasn't had that many starts yet. Give the guy a break though...he's only a soph. He got his 26 against a big block (he had Perez or Cala on him all night). He's a horse, fuzz. I see only good things for him in his future. Again, Knipe shows what a keen evaluator of talent he is

[beachbabe]

oh please... the reason he is playing is because lotman couldn't do jack squat, so they moved budinger OH. Then the middles got killed, in comes Hutton to OH, Budinger goes back to MB.

Hutton is no superstar, but he does swing hard every damn time. Can't knock a guy for fight. However, he might get roofed 60% of the time this thursday.

[fingrbustr]

LOL. What is the deal w/ Lotman, anyways? He's a great passer, great server, decent blocker. But where's the Beach jump? He did good this weekend when they moved him around a bit (combos, pipe), but c'mon, you're 6'7" dude!

I'm just kidding. PL is legit. And so is Norm. I think he'll still get his against UCI. Hildebrand will find a way to confuse UCI for a full match, not just 1 game

[vballmom]

Hutton has played in 5 straight matches and has been pretty consistent. This last match was by far his best. 5 matches does not a season make, but he is starting to come into his own, so why 'dis him?

[holmesuncle]

beachmom said:

Hutton has played in 5 straight matches and has been pretty consistent. This last match was by far his best. 5 matches does not a season make, but he is starting to come into his own, so why 'dis him?

Agreed! Hutton deserves it for sure. He did amazing. Not only did he do that with Cala and Perez (as mentioned by fingrbustr) who are both All-MPSF, but he was going against two All-MPSF MBs as well. He played amazing all things considered.

Major congrats to Hutton! ;D

[fingrbustr]

I'm w/ you, mom. No need for the negativity...Beach needs all the positivity they can get. 'Eaters up next!!!

[fingrbustr]

You've got it, uncle. RH had a decent match too, all things considered. He had quite a serving tear in one series. BYU battled...they just could pass the ball well enough to get the offense going. Beach is a MEAN serving team...watch out, UCI

[fingrbustr]

correction: "...just COULDN'T pass the ball well enough...."

[fuzzball]

Not dissing Hutton. He deserved the honor. But frankly he and this LB team have been underachievers this year. They have a chance to redeem themselves by winning it all, but only by doing that.

[vballmom]

That's true enough - they have had to change things up quite often and lost some matches that they shouldn't have. Now they are paying the price for that by having to win it all to keep going.

[mikesmith]

Hutton can be credited with turning LBSU around! Good Job!

[killmasta]

I've always noticed that about Lotman. He is one of the best 6'7" passers out there, but for being 6'7", he doesnt hit all that well.

Its also funny how they list both Norm and Lotman at 6'7" when Lotman is clearly atleast 2 inches taller. Norm's shorter than Tarr, and i've also seen him standing next to Mike Iandolo and Steve Klipsch, and they were a good bit taller. I'd say Norm is 6'5".

But anyways, Norm hits the ball amazingly hard, but he has always up until now seemed to be the kind of guy that will pound one then hit the next one to the wall. As of now he has seemed to change that though.