Feb. 15, 2004
GAMES #26 & #27: The USD Toreros (1-9 WCC; 4-21) play their final two regular-season home games this week when they entertain the Saint Mary's Gaels (6-4 WCC; 15-10) on Wednesday, February 18th, followed by the San Francisco Dons (5-6 WCC; 15-12) on Saturday, February 21st. Both games tipoff at 7:05 p.m. in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
SERIES RECORD: USD leads the overall series with SMC, 30-25 ... the Gaels won earlier this season in Moraga on Jan. 24th by the score of 86-67. The Toreros have won 7-of-10 in the series. USD leads the series with USF, 25-24. San Francisco snapped a 4-game win streak by the Toreros with their Jan. 22nd home win, 78-68. The Toreros have won 7 of the last 10 meetings.
RADIO/WEBCAST/TV: The games will be aired on KCBQ 1170 AM with Jerry Gross (play-by-play) and George Young (color) calling the action. The games will also be aired via the internet at www.usdtoreros.com and www.kcbq.com. The Brad Holland Show, hosted by Gross, airs 20 minutes before tipoff. Wednesday's game will be telecast by 4 San Diego (Jim Laslavic & Jim Brogan).
Brad Holland (10TH YEAR): Coach Brad Holland (UCLA, 1979) is in his tenth season at the helm of Torero basketball. Last season he directed the Toreros to an overall 18-12 record and 2nd place finish in the WCC at 10-4. The Toreros won their first WCC Tournament title and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in sixteen years. In 1999-2000, Holland was chosen WCC Coach of the Year by his peers for the second straight season after he guided the Toreros to a 20-9 mark -- including wins over every WCC foe. In 1998-99 he guided the Toreros to an 18-9 mark and 2nd place finish in the WCC (9-5; tie for 2nd). Holland's USD career mark heading into the Saint Mary's game is 148-132; including two seasons at CS Fullerton, his overall coaching record is 171-163. Since the start of 1998-99 season, Holland is 92-77. Holland, who played four years of basketball at UCLA (1976-79), was the 14th player taken in the first round of the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a member of the 1980 NBA Los Angeles Lakers championship team. Brad and his wife Leslie, who reside in Carlsbad, have three children: twin daughters Kristin and Lisa, seniors at USD, and a 11-year-old son, Kyle.
WCC STANDINGS (thru 2-15-04): #7 Gonzaga (11-0; 21-2), Pepperdine (7-4; 12-14), Saint Mary's (6-4; 15-10), San Francisco (5-6; 15-12), Santa Clara (5-6; 13-13), Loyola Marymount (4-7; 13-11), Portland (4-7; 10-14), Sand Diego (1-9; 4-21). SAT. WCC GAMES: LMU at Gonzaga; Pepperdine at Portland; St. Mary's at USF. OTHER WCC GAMES THIS WEEK: (Feb. 18) Portland at Gonzaga (7:30 pm). (Feb. 21) Gonzaga at Tulsa, Pepperdine at Loyola Marymount, Saint Mary's at Santa Clara.
TOREROS DROP TWO ON THE ROAD: Despite 28 points and 12 rebounds from Brice Vounang, USD dropped a 91-73 against Pepperdine last Thursday ... the Waves were paced by guard Terrance Johnson who canned 8-of-11 treys and scored 30 points. On Saturday the Toreros dropped a 66-64 decison at LMU. USD battled back from a 10-point deficit with 9:27 to go to get within one at 61-60 with 4:37 left. The Lions went up by six with a minute to go but Brad Lechtenberg answered with a trey for a 66-63 score. Mike McGrain was fouled with 6/10 of a second left attempting a three-pointer with a chance to send the game into OT with three makes. He made the first, missed the second, then deliberately missed the third but LMU knocked the ball away to end the game. Vounang scored 21 points and Brandon Gay added a double-double with 13 points/12 rebounds.
TORERO TIDBITS: Wednesday's game against SMC is just USD's 10th home game in 26 contests ... USD is 4-5 at the JCP this season ... Brice Vounang, who has posted three straight games of 21 or more points, is 2nd in the WCC in scoring at 17.5 ppg ... he has a shot at the WCC scoring title, trailing Pepperdine's Glen McGowan (17.7) ... Vounang also ranks 2nd in the WCC in FG% (.552) and 3rd in rebounding (7.0) ... Brandon Gay is having a solid first year with USD with averages of 13.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg ... Brett Melton (11.4 ppg) and Nick Lewis (10.7 ppg) are also averaging in double digits ... Mike McGrain is 2nd in the WCC in assists at 6.68 per contest ... among WCC teams, USD ranks 5th in scoring offense (67.8 ppg) and 7th in scoring defense (78.3) ... senior Brad Lechtenberg, who missed 7 league games due to disciplinary reasons, played both contests last weekend and converted 7-of-9 three-point attempts with 12 points against LMU (4-6 in threes) and 9 against Pepperdine (3-3).
SENIOR TRIBUTE: On Saturday USD will pay tribute to its two seniors playing their final year - guard Brad Lechtenberg and forward Abdou Sane (out since early December with stress fracture).
TRIO OF JUNIORS SOLID IN WCC PLAY: USD has three juniors playing their first season of WCC play and all three are making their mark - Brice Vounang, who has posted three straight games of 21 or more points, is averaging 20.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg and shooting 58.8% in 10 WCC games ... Brandon Gay is next with averages of 14.7 ppg & 7.9 rpg, and Brett Melton is scoring at a 12.2 ppg clip, including 50.9% accuracy in three-point shots (31-62) in WCC play.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: The Saint Mary's Gaels enter the week 3rd in the WCC standings at 6-4 (15-10 overall) ... this past weekend they beat Portland (82-63) for their 3rd straight win, then lost to #7 Gonzaga on Saturday, 79-60 ... Tyler Herr scored 23 vs. Portland; Daniel Kickert & Paul Marigney each tossed in 12 against the Zags ... Marigney is the team leader in scoring at 15.1 ppg, while Kickert chips in at 14.9 ppg ... SMC is 4-7 in away games this year. The USF Dons are tied for 4th with Santa Clara at 5-6 (15-12 overall) ... this past week at home the Dons lost to Gonzaga (71-48), then rebounded with an 86-73 win over Portland .. Tyrone Riley led USF with 15 points against he Zags; against Portland, Riley and Jerome Gumbs each finished with 22 points/11 rebounds ... James Bayless (11.3 ppg) and Riley (11.0 ppg) pace the Dons in scoring ... USF is 4-8 in away games this season.
TORERO MASH UNIT: Junior forward Corey Belser (Tacoma, WA), USD's lone returning starter from last year's 18-12 club that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, was lost for the season in the team's second exhibition on Nov. 7th. After grabbing an offensive rebound 3 minutes into the contest, he injured his right knee. Belser and sophomore guard Travis Smith (right shoulder) are both out for the season. Abdou Sane (leg injury) is still out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right leg; more than likely he is lost for the remainder of the season. FOLLOW USD ATHLETICS ON THE WEB: Get all the current notes and statistics on San Diego basketball, as well as all USD athletic teams, via the internet at www.usdtoreros.com.
UP NEXT: After Saturday's contest against San Francisco, the Toreros will close out their regular-season schedule with games in the Pacific Northwest ... USD will take on Gonzaga on Thursday, February 26th (ESPN2, 8 pm) and Portland on Saturday, February 28th (7 pm).
USD PICKED 5TH IN WCC PRESEASON POLL: In the 2003-04 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll the Toreros have been picked to finish 5th. Gonzaga was tabbed as the favorite after receiving 7 first place votes and 49 points. Saint Mary's received one first place vote and tied with Pepperdine for second with 37 points. They were followed by San Francisco (32), San Diego (23), Santa Clara (22), Portland (13) and Loyola Marymount (11).
TORERO SPOTLIGHT ON ESPN 800 AM: Every Tuesday and Friday the University of San Diego will air four 'Torero Spotlights' hosted by Jack Murray. Murray will interview USD coaches and student-athletes and promote upcoming Torero events. The Torero Spotlights air at 8:22 a.m, 1:22 p.m., 4:25 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.
WCC TOURNEY RETURNS TO BAY AREA: For the first time in four years, the WCC men's and women's Basketball Championships return to the Bay Area. Santa Clara's Leavey Center will be the site of the 2004 championship, while San Francisco will serve as the host site in 2005. Santa Clara has hosted the men's championship on eight different occasions, and the last time was in 2000. The WCC will again use the championship format that was adopted in 2003 where the #5 through #8 seeds will compete in the opening round to determine who will advance to the next round of the tournament. Waiting for the winners in the quarterfinals will be the #3 and #4 seeds, who will have first round byes. The winners of the quarterfinal match-ups will go head-to-head with the #1 and #2 seeds, who will have byes through the first two rounds of the tournament.
A LOOK BACK: Last season the Toreros finished 18-12, won the West Coast Conference Tournament Championship with a 72-63 win over Gonzaga, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the program's first time in sixteen seasons ... the Toreros dropped a tough 77-69 decision to Stanford in the 1st round of the NCAA's played in Spokane, WA ... USD had the luxury of four seniors in the starting lineup that accounted for 73% of its scoring average of 75.5 ppg ... 6-10 center Jason Keep led the way with averages of 18.0 ppg an 9.1 rpg ... 6-8 forward Jason Blair wasn't far behind at 17.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg ... 6-2 guard Roy Morris chipped in 12.3 ppg and 6-2 point guard Matt Delzell added 8.0 ppg.
