Looking Forward to Next Season

So the days of the 2008-2009 season have finally come to an end. After finishing right at .500 (if we count wins over two division 2 schools) many of USD fans are upset with the way that the season panned out. After returning 5 starters from the previous season's NCAA tournament team, many were expecting a lot more. Some analysts were predicting sweet 16's. Others were preaching another 3 bid year from the WCC.

But then things went wrong.

After last season's run, it seemed that many had forgotten these players are merely mortal. Their bodies break down just like ours. Brandon Johnson showed this first. Though many of us looked at the smaller guard as indefatigable, BJ broke down. Ironically, he became a victim of the ever weak Achilles heal. As the teams warrior and leader, losing Brandon's resulted in an injury of another Achilles heal. The Torero's were never able to regain the stability without their captain.

With the breakdown of bodies also came the breakdown of minds. Trumaine Johnson was the first to show this as he was suspended for much of the early season. With the length of his suspension, many began to question his devotion to the team. Many even blamed Coach Grier for creating a wall in which Trumaine could not pass. A few months later, I think it is clear who was to blame in that situation. Johnson will be left as a faded and distant memory as he has decided to transfer.

Rob Jones also found the season hard to cope with. With the condition of his father that was revealed only a few days after the season's conclusion, one easily could understand his performance throughout the season. Rob was utterly streaky, and who could blame him? Nearly 500 miles from home, Rob toughed the season out before also deciding to transfer. Knowing him personally, I don't think this transfer had anything to do with Grier. Rob is a very caring and kind person simply to those on campus. His manner could only be magnified when it comes to family. The condition of Rob's father is no joke. In the end, though this may not seem best for USD, it is what is right for Rob. Thoughts and prayers for his father. He will be missed on and off the court.

All time leading scorer Gyno Pomare and streaky shooter/roll player Danny Brown have also played their last games at the Slim Gym. Though many criticized Gyno for his calm manner, there is no doubt he will be hard to replace. The Torero's will also miss Danny, who never backed down from the big shot. Though he didn't always get to be the hero, there is something to be said for that type of desire a guts. Danny is an excellent kid. He will excel at whatever career he goes onto.

So now that we know what we have lost, let's take a look at what we have gained in recruiting.

To start off, it looks good that BJ will receive an extra year of eligability. He will anchor a group filled with many young guards. Devonair Braswell will also provide a fresh face, though he has been around and red shirted last season due to injury.

Cameron Miles, 6'1'', PG, Skyline Texas Many may be familiar with the last name Miles, and rightfully so. Cameron's brother C.J. was a McDonald's High School All-American and entered the draft out of high school (back when that was allowed). He is currently a 6th man figure on the Utah Jazz.

Miles brings a lot to the table. A pass first point guard, Miles posseses elite quickness with the ball. He has an excellent mid range jumper and can shoot the three pointer as well. Miles will compete from time immediately and could start next to Brandon Johnson at the point guard position. Miles brings to the Toreros a ball handler that is desperately needed. Though Trumaine was good, Cameron comes in being much more highly rated.

Jordan Mackie, 6'4'', SG, Dorsey California Mackie can be summed up in one word: potential. Mackie has a long frame which will be perfect for the defensive end. Grier seems to be in love with long players that can shut players down on the defensive side of the basketball. Much like Miles, Mackie also posses elite speed and quickness. Though his jump shot isn't complete yet, Mackie has elite athletic talent and finishes well in transition and around the rim. A dunker, Mackie could be considered a smaller poorer version of Kevin Young of LMU. Mackie is a great addition for the Toreros who lacked athleticism at the guard for most of the 2008-2009 season. Mackie could be the best "athlete" USD has

ever recruited. I expect him to come off the bench, but Mackie could see a lot of time in four guard sets.

Ken Rancifer, 6'6'', SF, El Cerrito California Much like Mackie, Rancifer fits Grier's mold of long and lengthy. With some work, Rancifer could become and excellent anchor for USD on the

defensive end. Rancifer can rim rock and is mostly highly touted for his vertical. Without any citation, I have heard rumors that he has a 34'' vertical. Rancifer can finish with both hands and has a fairly good handle for a man his size. His midrange game is decent, but he needs work on his range. His jumper needs to be polished. Rancifer should spell senior De'Jon Jackson and could also see a good amount of time in a four guard lineup.

Chris Manresa, 6'8'', PF/C, Tesoro California Manresa has all of the tools to excel at the next level. After leading his team to a CIF title, he has been to the highest level of

high school basketball and will continue to hone his talent on Linda Vista road. Manresa is not athletic, but he makes up for it with his excellent smarts on the court. An elite passer for a man his size, Manresa spends as much time racking up assists as he does racking up points. He has an excellent jumper our to the 18 foot range and can step out and make the three when needed. Chris is a terrific shot blocker and is great with his hands on tips and rebounds. He needs to hit the weight room as he could be in better shape, but when he does, he could be an elite level player by the time he is a sophomore. Expect Manresa to start from day 1 at the PF position if he is in the shape he needs to be in.

Patrick McCollum, 6'3'', PG/SG, Arizona McCollum is not a confirmed recruit yet, but he was seen on the USD campus for a few days over spring break. If he has the grades, we have an open scholarship for him. McCollum has an odd shot, but it has a knack for tickling the twine. He is quick with the ball and a very good passer. McCollum does get careless and has a very wirey frame for the college game. Much like Manresa, he needs to hit the weight room, though for very different reasons. McCollum is very good, but who knows what he has been doing for a year. If he is in good basketball shape, he could start. If not, expect him to see time in the guard rotation.

Though there have been many negatives this season, the Toreros have a lot to look forward to. This is arguably the best recruiting class they have ever had.

Only 270 days until basketball season.

Ole!

USD Prepares for Biggest Game of the Year

As we all know, USD takes on Saint Mary's in the JCP Thursday at 6:00 on ESPN2. Hands down, this is the biggest game of the year thus far and, when you weigh the situation, it may be the biggest game of the season altogether.

At 12-7, USD's RPI sits at a paltry 140 with a 166 SOS. With an RPI of 54, Saint Mary's brings in the opportunity of changing both statistics for the better. With our only two remaining games that can make an impact before bracket busters being @Saint Mary's and @Gonzaga, we need to win this one to get a good opponent. This game embodies our CBI, NIT, and NCAA hopes.

At 17-1, Saint Mary's really hasn't beaton much of anyone. With a SOS that sits at an absolutely terrible 254, many question the legitimacy of their #22 ranking in this weeks coaches poll. The Gaels' biggest wins are a three point victory over the San Diego State (MWC RPI 54) on a neutral floor, an 81-75 win over the Providence Friars (Big East RPI 82), and a 78-73 win at Oregon (Pac 10 RPI 118). The rest of the Gaels schedule consists of teams that have proved to be very week this year. Kent State, Cal State Fullerton, and Fresno State all have signifigantly weighed down the Gaels RPI and SOS with their weak performances this season.

Though the Gaels schedule has been lacking this season, there is no denying their talent. The Gaels are led by Patrick Mills, point guard of the Australlian national team and All-WCC performer, who averages 19 points and 4 assists a game this season. Patty, as they call him, is not the only weapon the Gaels possess. Omar Samhan and Diamon Simpson provide steady hands on the low block for Saint Mary's. The 6'11'' Samhan averages nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds while his counterpart, the 6'7'' forward Simpson, adds nearly 13 points and 11 rebounds on his own. Guard Carlan Hughes and forward Ian O'leary also contribute to the Gaels scoring.

So what does USD have to do to win?

The answer: follow these three steps.

Step 1- Slow the tempo.

With the return of Trumaine Johnson, the Toreros have won their last six games, all of which the sophmore guard has started. USD has also won eight of their last nine. Over that stretch, the Toreros have scored 68.2 points per game compared to Saint Mary's 76.1.

Now, eight points is not a lot, but it can most definately make or break a team in a game. The Gael's enjoy pushing the tempo. Patrick Mills may be the fastest guard in the nation, so the Toreros must gameplan to stop the Gaels and slow them down so that they are unable to push the ball in transition. Santa Clara was able to do this earlier this month and nearly came up with the victory with players that are younger and inferior to USD's. Patrick Mills saved the day with a last gasp three pointer and the Gaels walked away with a 63-62 victory.

Step 2- Control the boards or, at least, compete for them.

Where the Gaels are effective in transition, they are also very good on the offensive glass. Omar Samhan and Diamon Simpson combine for 139 offensive rebounds this year. To put this into perspective, Gyno Pomare and Rob Jones combine for only 72. This leads us to our second key to the game, keeping Samhand and Simpson away from the boards. Whether it be boxing out better, crashing the boards harder, or getting the two into foul trouble, the Toreros will have to rebound better in this game or suffer the consequences. Foul trouble would be ideal, as the Gaels are relatively shallow in effective bench bigs. Roberto Mafra and Chris Lewis should also be considered for a sizeable increase in minutes. Chris Lewis, especially, would be an excellent option as he is fundamentally sound on the defensive end with his specific attention to detail and technique.

Step 3- Play hard from the get go.

Key to the game #3 is quite simple: come out early and play with post season intensity. USD will not win with the same effort it showed against both Pepperdine and LMU. We cannot sleep walk through this one. After taking both games against the Gaels last year on our home floor, we can only expect the men for Moraga to be hungry for revenge. Let's face it, the Gaels have had this one circled on their calenders since the WCC schedule debuted in September. We need to be prepared to play a full 40 minutes of high intensity basketball or we will lose. Plain and simple. You have to play hard to beat Saint Mary's.

If we do all of these things, we should be alright. The game should be very fun and exciting, but remember to keep it clean! We are on ESPN2 and this is an excellent chance for not only recruits to see us, but prospective students as well. Let's show the world that last years win was not a fluke. We are here to stay and stay with class.

Go Toreros!

Happy birthday Rob Jones!

Bill Bayno Resigns

After an extended leave of absence, Bill Bayno made it official early Monday. He will not return to LMU. The announcement came after doctors recommended that coaching may not be the best thing for his health.

As an outsider looking in, I cannot say that the decision comes as a surprise. After Bayno abandoned the team in late November before the Notre Dame home game, it became clear that he was either incompitent or unwilling to coach the team any longer.

Though the situation seems to be horrible for Bayno, it's even worse for his recruits. Bayno brought in arguably the best class in the West Coast Conference this season. Highlighted by freshmen 3 star forward Kevin Young, 2 star freshman point guard Jared Dubois, freshman Ashley Hamilton (a Great Britain National selectee), freshman LaRon Armstead, and four star transfers Drew Viney (Oregon), and Larry Davis (Seaton Hall), the Lions were looking at a shot at the top of the conference as soon as 2009. At this point, I would be concerned about their ability to field enough players next year.

With the resignation of Bayno, you can nearly throw away Viney and Davis. Both were looking for good coaching and cited Bayno as a main reason for commiting to LMU. Viney also said that he would like to be close to home, which could be LMU's saving grace, but I would expect neither of them to be there next year.

Ashley Hamilton may also be a risk to transfer. A native of England, it can be assumed that he also only committed for coaching reasons. He is a very good post player and one can assume that he is probably getting a lot of looks from some major programs. They just don't make kids with that size and strength anymore. If he wants to leave he's not going to have a short list of suitors.

Lastly is Kevin Young. K-Y, as he is known, is an interesting case as he came very close to not qualifying in the first place. A 6-8 forward with a 35 1/2 inch vertical, Kevin Young is young and raw with limitless natural abilities. He has not been coached correctly this season and is an offensive liability because of it. If he has the grades to move, he could be a star somewhere else. He enjoys LMU, but will the coaching difficulties be enough to move him as well.

Though Bayno is an excellent recruiter, one can only be wary of his tactics. Getting run out of UNLV for the method in which Lamar Odum was recruited, Bayno was a risk from the start. LMU gambled and lost. Unfortunately this loss will probably push them even further back than they were before. How far the mighty have fallen since a 1988 sweet 16 run.

LMU @ Pepperdine U-G-L-Y!

I am a selfish selfish man. For weeks I complained and worried about the state of the USD program. The fact is, it could have been so much worse.

My sister attends Loyola Marymount University and, being the good big brother and basketball junkie that I am, I decided to accompany her and a group of her friends to the RIVALRY that is LMU and Pepperdine. Probably a big mistake, but hey, this is D1 basketball!

The drive was tedious: an hour and a half from Dana Point accompanied by crazy L.A. tailgaters and 2 laned windy PCH. The fun attribute was the wind. More fiece than a UConn fan after the NCAA tournament, the 70 mph winds nearly blew me off of Pepperdine's beautiful hillside campus and straight into the abyss of darkness that is.........the Pacific ocean. It was a battle to get into the gym, but that was not what I was here for.

The battle was on the court!

LMU and Pepperdine clashed at a breakneck pace. Turnovers, airballs, 4 fouls by a player 1 minute after halftime, this game had it all and a bag of chips. The coaches were even in to the christmas spirit! I mean come on, what's a game without a coach yelling, "JESUS CHRIST SETTLE DOWN" into the rafters so the youngins could hear. I mean it is a religious institution. Jesus should be present at all basketball games, even if only in words!

The band played a number of great jigs, and by a number, I mean they played the same jig 80 times. An oldie but a goodie, the "lets go waves song" pulsed through the gymnasium. All you could hear was the drums, but hey that's all that matters right?

Or maybe I was there for the social life. You have to love the same group of kids getting up and leaving every 2 minutes. I mean I can't blame them. I was holding my bowels in as well. I'd have to vommit every 2 minutes if I had to watch that game...twice like they do.

But in all seriousness. What an excellent contest,

We really missed out on getting Lorne Jackson. Live and learn. I just wish I hadn't driven an hour and a half to figure that out. The most entertaining part had to be the little kids playing ball at halftime. Damn those kids can ball.

TG err scout err chris manresa out.

USD Basketball Showing Signs of Life

Let's face it, there have not been many positives with the way this season has turned out. USD fans and students alike started the season with high expectations and, from the looks of things last week, many of these expectations seemed as if they would pan out in vain. Yet USD, once again, proved to us that we can never know what to expect from this team and that we should never give up on our squad.

Coming into the bay area road trip, USD began to look much more encouraging. An overtime win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road and a home blowout (until the last five minutes that is) against the Marshall Thundering Herd proved to be small comforts in a season that has provided many dissappointments. Going into the weeked, USD was looking at a 6-7 record (8-7 if you count two victories over San Diego Christian and Academy of the Art, two wins that the selection committee will not count if we are even given a look for the NCAA tournament). Many hoped that we would be able to sweep two crucial road games against San Francisco and Santa Clara, but a realist would have considered the scenario unlikely as road wins are hard to come by in the WCC and any conference for that matter.

San Francisco, led by first year head coach Rex Walters, has had its share of difficulties in the non conference portion of the season. Glaring losses to Holy Cross and Cal Poly San Louis Obisbo were matched by a "good loss" to the USC Trojans by 5 at the Galen Center and relatively impressive victories at Boise State and at home against Big West favorite UCSB.

Led by last years WCC scoring champion and this years current leader PF Dior Lowhorn, the key to defeating the Dons rested in shutting down the post. Gyno Pomare did just that limiting the junior to only four points in the first half. Though Lowhorn finished the game with a solid 18, the damage was already complete. USD started the game 8-9 from the field including 3-3 trey bomb shooting from sophmore point guard Trumaine Johnson. Possesing a 9 point lead at the half, USD never looked back. A 65-50 win over the Dons put the Toreros into conference play on the right foot. Johnson finished the game with a career high 22 points on 8-12 shooting. Pomare added a double double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Rob Jones contributed 10 points and 8 boards.

As a whole, the Toreros played their best game of the year against the Dons. Teamwork highlighted by excellent passing and great defense proved tough to beat and the Dons learned that it would be no cake walk finishing third in the WCC as many experts had predicted. USD proved in this game that Trumaine is capable of carrying the load left void by senior hero Brandon Johnson. Everyone played well and within the offense and it really turned out well for us.

Santa Clara, led by second year head man and former UCLA assistant Kerry Keating, has shared many of San Francisco's difficulties. The Broncos have beaton UTEP (the only team to defeat the Saint Mary's Gaels this season) and Belmont (a contender as always in the wide open Atlantic Sun) but have fallen to New Hampshire and numerous other Pac-10 and SEC opponents. Though the Broncos record is not excellent at 7-11, many of their struggles can be attributed to a rigorous SOS that ranks 84th in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy.

The game against the Broncos could not be more of a different contest than the USF game. Where the Toreros started out hot against the Dons, the team was ice cold against a tougher and more athletic Santa Clara team. The first half could not have been more of a defensive battle as USD scored a season low 17 on their way to a six point deficit. The single digit deficit could only be considered as lucky with the team only making 2 of their first 11 shots.

The team came out and battled back in the second half despite the loss of junior De'Jon Jackson to a shoulder injury. Danny Brown provided a spark with 5 quick points. Rob Jones easily played his best and most aggressive game of the season scoring 17, many late in the second half during crunch time. Gyno added a typical 19 and Trumaine put the team up for good with only 30 seconds left. The game was highlighted by a technical foul on Santa Clara point guard Perry Petty after a good and tough defensive foul by Trumaine. An elbow to Trumaines head gave Gyno a chance to sink two free throws and sink them he did.

Overall, the team proved a lot of things to me this week. The first is that we are much more confident in our game. For the first four games after losing Brandon, I seriously had my doubts about where this season was going. The team has done an excellent job of coming together and filling the gaps. You can never replace a BJ, but the game must go on.

The team also proved that it can win ugly. We played like absolute shit today, yet our desire and perserverance got us the win. We will not get away with that type of performance against a Saint Mary's or a Gonzaga, but the fact that we hung in there with SCU after a terrible first half really tells a lot about the fight in this team. We probably will not make the NCAA tournament this year, but that fight is still there. This team still believes in miracles.

Stay tuned. Pepperdine and LMU are next. Cupppppppppppcake city!

USD Basketball Frustrations

I've been mulling over getting a blog for a few months now. It's easy to blog when things are going well. Words move more smoothly across the page and it is much easier to write about things. Now that times are tough, however, I think that I need to put my thoughts on paper. There are a lot of them jingling around my head like bells on a reindeer.

First off is my embarrassment. In my two years at USD, I have missed one game: Cal State Bakersfield. Over those two years we have taken some terrible losses. San Jose State, Stephen F Austin, CS Bakersfield and Marshall name only a few. Never in my two years have I seen anything like Monday night.

I understand the need to make money. In this terrible economy, it is a must to earn the quick dollar when it is available. Yes, Boise State's football team was in town. Yes, they just happen to travel well. Yes, we needed to take advantage of this. No, we did not go about it correctly. I can understand giving Boise State a standard group rate to make things easier for them, but a discount is absolutely unacceptable. By giving Boise State fans a reduced price, you are shorting your own fans who are there for you game in and game out. I've seen several people who go out and buy tickets to every game they can, but we don't give them a discount. We are slapping them in the face and telling them that they are not good enough. Boise State should not have received the discount they did and by no means should have been aloud to sit in and around our student section. This was our fist fuck up, but it gets worse.

The band and cheerleader situation was completely fumbled on the part of the administration. I'm sure that we wanted to be good hosts and welcome in our foes with class and dignity. In doing so we ignored our number one responsibility: the players. The players were clearly shell shocked in warm ups. Devin Ginty said it best when he yelled over the band..."Turn our god damned music up." I'm sure that the administration meant no harm in welcoming in the band and Boise State's beautiful cheerleaders, but they caused a pretty severe psychological disadvantage to our team. There is an element that these players have grown accustomed to when playing at home. Sure there aren't a ton of students who come during Christmas break and the stands tend to be pretty sparse, but they are allowed to listen to their warm up music and feel comfortable with the game at hand. By putting the band and cheerleaders right on top of them, we took that away. The administration, in a nutshell, lost them the game before it even started. The blame is completely on them.

The last point I would like to make is how very disappointed I am in the students at USD. I know that we just got off for break on Friday, but to have only six students in the student section and one who ran off to be Diego is really pathetic. Of the 5,000 undergrad and 2,000 grad that we have at this school, about 50% of you live in or around San Diego. I know that we're three days away from Christmas and many of you have family matters, but this cannot excuse all of you. This is a good basketball team that, with a little help, could really make a push for conference if you just showed up. We have a beautiful arena with a very good team and hell, you get free tickets. There is absolutely no reason for you not to go. Your act of not supporting your teams and being selfish is really tired. We have done many things to get you out there and you continually ignore our attempts. You are a pre Madonna lot with non existent school spirit and, as of today, I am ashamed to associate myself with you. You embarrass not only me, but your school and your players. You should be ashamed.