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!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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.
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
