Long Beach State head coach Don Monson has routinely scheduled big-time schools and it finally paid off this year with a win at No. 9 Pitt.

Monson's philosophy is it is better to be ambitious and lose occasionally than to play it safe.

"I think every mid-major, your goal is to elevate into some recognition and up with the upper levels, so to speak," Monson said. "Being able to do that at Gonzaga, I just felt that here, the players in this area that can't go to those schools want to play against them. So I thought it would help recruiting.

"I also felt like people wanted a program at that level and that in order for them to see what that is you have to play against them and show the kids and everybody that hey, we're not there yet, or we're getting there, or whatever."

Monson wants the Long Beach State program to be in the same category as mid-majors such as Gonzaga, Butler, VCU and George Mason.

"We have all the ingredients here. We have a great facility, we have administrative support. We've got great players in the area. So those are a great start," he said.

"My job isn't to say, 'It can't be done.' It's to try and go do it."