COLLEGE BASKETBALL / NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL : 49er Coach May Be Stretching It : West: Greenberg doing whatever he can to psych up Long Beach State to play Utah.

Offended leader or motivational coach?

Long Beach State Coach Seth Greenberg probably is a little of each, but the motivation came across stronger Thursday.

Greenberg tried to inspire the 13th-seeded 49ers (20-9) for their opening-round game in the West Regional against fourth-seeded Utah (27-5) today, by using the old “we-get-no-respect” line, which isn’t totally off base.

The 49ers would be watching the tournament on TV if they hadn’t won the Big West Conference tournament. Utah, ranked 19th, is among the nation’s elite teams.

Adding fuel to Greenberg’s argument were comments made by Ute junior guard Brandon Jessie in the Salt Lake Tribune, which Greenberg was more than willing to relay at an afternoon news conference.

“We’ve heard a couple of comments in the last week or so,” Greenberg said. “Brandon said he played with our guys this summer and that he didn’t think we were very good.

“We apologize we weren’t good enough during the summer. We’ll just try to be a little bit better (today).”

Nice try, Coach, but Jessie was quoted only as saying that he didn’t think the 49ers matched up well with the Utes in height. Utah has four players 6 feet 9 or taller and Long Beach has one.

“I don’t know where Coach Greenberg got that from,” said Jessie, son of former Ram receiver Ron Jessie.

“I have much respect for their players. I don’t know why he said that, because I do.”

Utah Coach Rick Majerus offered a theory.

“Seth may have embellished what Brandon said a little bit to make what should be a tough game (for Utah) a little tougher,” Majerus said.

Thanks to Greenberg, both sides now have added incentive. Utah, though, still has the edge in talent.

Ute sophomore forward Keith Van Horn is one of the nation’s most complete players on offense. The 6-9 Van Horn averaged 21 points and 8.7 rebounds as the Utes won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles. He was most valuable player of the regular season and the tournament.

“He’s a monster,” Greenberg said.

Jessie, who played at Huntington Beach Edison High, isn’t far behind. He is the Utes’ second-leading scorer with an average of 16 points.

Greenberg was evasive when asked how he would guard Van Horn and Jessie. But 6-7 forwards Juaquin Hawkins, recently voted the Big West’s second-best defender in a poll of conference players, and Terrance O’Kelley figure to draw the assignments.

Long Beach center Joe McNaull and Utah centers Ben Melmeth and Michael Doleac should provide another interesting matchup. McNaull is familiar with the Utes, having played against them three consecutive seasons when he was an All-WAC center at San Diego State before transferring to Long Beach last season.

“I played against them eight times and lost all eight,” McNaull said. “So this would be a great time to beat them.”

If Long Beach is to advance past the first round for the first time since the 1972-73 season, O’Kelley and McNaull must play well.

“That O’Kelley is an outstanding shooter for a big guy and a good inside player,” Majerus said. “McNaull has improved a lot and he’s a guy who is going to hang around pro basketball for a long time.”

O’Kelley was a reserve when Long Beach went to the tournament in 1992-93 under Greenberg. That team lost to Illinois in the first round, 75-72. O’Kelley said to consider this tournament appearance a success, the 49ers need to advance.

“Don’t get me wrong,” O’Kelley said. “We’re all happy to be here. But we need to win some games this time.”