Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach Chris Acker has announced the addition of Shaquil Bender, a standout guard and Division I transfer from Manhattan College, to the team’s 2025–26 roster.
A Proven Scorer with a Winning Background
Bender, a 6-foot-2 guard from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, brings a strong track record at every level. In high school, he earned All-State honors as a senior before beginning his college journey in the junior college ranks in Southern California.
As a freshman, Bender averaged 19.0 points and 2.0 assists per game, earning First Team All-South Coast Conference honors. He transferred to Fullerton College for his sophomore season, where he led the team to a CCCAA State Championship with a 32–1 record. He averaged 13.6 points per game, shot 47.1% from three-point range, and scored 23 points in the state title game.
Strong Impact at the Division I Level
At Manhattan, Bender quickly became a key player. In his first Division I season, he led the team with 13.8 points per game, shooting 34.1% from beyond the arc. Last season, he posted 11.2 points and over 2 assists per game, helping the Jaspers improve by 10 wins.
Coach Acker on Bender:
“It was incredibly important for us to secure Shaq, simply because he’s a guy who knows how to win and I know he’s been coached extremely hard,” Acker said.
“He’s a very good scorer, but most importantly for us, he is an elite competitor. We needed to address toughness, grit, and scoring—and he checks all of those boxes.”
Second Key Transfer for the Summer
Bender is the second Division I player to join Long Beach State this offseason, following the arrival of Isaiah Lewis from Little Rock. Both players are expected to play significant roles as the team builds its 2025–26 roster.
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