Jan. 23, 2008
USD-SCU Game Notes 
GAME #21: The Toreros (9-11; 2-1 wcc) return to the JCP this Saturday, January 26th, to face the Santa Clara Broncos (10-8; 2-1 wcc) in a key West Coast Conference match-up. San Diego is coming off a thrilling 64-61 buzzer beating win over Portland this past Monday, while the Broncos come to town on a two-game winning streak.
SERIES RECORD: This is the 59th meeting between USD and SCU with the Broncos holding a 33-25 advantage... The Broncos have won two straight against USD, winning both meetings last year - 61-47 at USD (1-20-07) and 80-72 at Santa Clara (2-17-07).
TV/RADIO/INTERNET: Saturday's game will be televised live on Channel 4 San Diego (Steve Quis & Jim Brogan). The game will also be broadcast on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM & 105.7 FM) with Andy Masur (p-by-p) and John Kentera. The audio broadcast is also available at www.usdtoreros.com and www. XXSportsRadio.com.
WCC STANDINGS (thru Jan. 21st): Gonzaga (4-0; 15-4), #24 Saint Mary's (3-0 WCC, 16-2), Santa Clara (2-1; 10-8),San Diego (2-1; 9-11), San Francisco (1-2; 5-13), Portland (1-3; 6-13), LMU (1-3; 4-16), Pepperdine (0-4; 6-14).
COACH GRIER (1ST YEAR): Coach Bill Grier (Oregon, 1990) is in his first season at the helm of the USD program, and also his first head coaching position at the NCAA Division I level. He brings a record of 9-11 (2-1 WCC) into the Santa Clara game. Hired on March 26, 2007, Grier is USD's 11th head coach overall and just the 4th head coach since the Torero program moved to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1979-80. The 44-year-old Grier spent the past 16 years at Gonzaga, including the last 8 seasons as Mark Few's top assistant. Over the past eight years Gonzaga compiled a 21-52 record; won the WCC regular-season title seven times; the WCC Tournament title seven times; advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including three trips to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Overall with Grier as an assistant coach, the Bulldogs combined for an overall record of 381-126; won 11 regular-season WCC titles; won nine WCC Tournament titles (33-7 WCC Tournament record); advanced to nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and ten overall, including four Sweet 16 appearances and the 1999 Elite Eight. Bill and his wife, Nicole, have one daughter, Giselle.
TOREROS EDGE PAST PORTLAND ON Brandon Johnson BUZZER BEATER: Brandon Johnson's fall-away three-pointer from the left corner beat the final buzzer and gave USD a 64-61 road victory over the University of Portland this past Monday... The win also allowed the Toreros to return home with a split from the always tough Pacific Northwest road trip, and kept them in a tie for 3rd in the WCC standings with Santa Clara at 2-1... Gyno Pomare (16 points, 6 rebounds) converted on a three-point play with 18 seconds to go that gave USD a 61-60 lead... UP's Sherrard Watson, who was fouled by Devin Ginty (11 points, 7 assists) with 8 seconds left, made the first of two charities to set up Johnson's heroics... Johnson finished with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting beyond the arc... Rob Jones (9 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals) also provided the Toreros a big spark... USD shot 49% for the game (25-51) and 53.3% from three-point range (8-15).
TORERO TIDBITS: Among WCC players for all games, Brandon Johnson ranks 3rd in scoring (17.1 ppg), 2nd in steals (2.11), 8th in assists (3.11), 1st in 3-pointers made per game (2.26), 7th in assist/turnover ratio (+0.91) and 10th in 3-point percentage (.406)... With his 7 steals against Gonzaga this past Saturday, Johnson tied the school record matched by Corey Belser and Mike Whitmarsh... Gyno Pomare ranks 8th in WCC scoring (14.4), 5th in rebounding (7.4), 5th in field goal percentage (.537), and 6th in blocked shots (1.10)... Pomare leads the team with 5 double-doubles this season, the last coming against CSU-Bakersfield (18/16)... The 6-8 junior from Oceanside owns 15 career double "D's"... With 564 career rebounds, Pomare sits in the 5th spot all-time among USD's Division I leaders (1979-present) - Nick Lewis ranks 4th with 573... Torero freshman Rob Jones ranks 10th among WCC players in FG% at 48.0%.
TOREROS AT HOME IN THE JCP: USD is currently 5-4 in games played at the JCP this season... USD has won 4 of its last 6 at home, and is coming off a 46-41 win over USF... Torero leaders at the JCP include Gyno Pomare (17.8 ppg/7.9 rpg) and Brandon Johnson (13.9 ppg/3.3 apg)... USD is averaging 64.9 ppg while holding opponents to 61.0 ppg... The Toreros are also outrebounding their opponents in games at the JCP - 34.6 to 29.8... Since opening its doors back in November of 2000, the Toreros are a combined 64-41 overall... Last season USD was 9-5 overall at home, but just 2-5 at the JCP in WCC games.... USD is 4-3 overall against Santa Clara is games played at the JCP.
JOHNSON & POMARE BOTH IN TORERO 1,000 POINT CLUB: During the past 52 seasons (1955-2007) of USD men's basketball, there had been just 20 Toreros to reach the 1,000 point mark... Prior to this season, the most recent addition to this list was guard Ross DeRogatis last season who sits tied at #15 with 1,090 points... With his 5th point in his 13 point outing at Kentucky back on Dec. 29th, Gyno Pomare became the 21st Torero to reach this milestone... Now with 1,077 points and 564 rebounds, Gyno is just the 12th Torero to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds. Brandon Johnson became the 22nd Torero to join the 1,000 point club this past Monday with his first of four three-pointers against the Portland Pilots... He entered the night with 999 points, and finished with 12 points against the Pilots, including the game-winner at the buzzer... He now has 1,011 points and also ranks 3rd all-time (USD Div. I records) in assists with 333... The last time USD had two players on the team with 1,000+ points was during the 1991-92 campaign - seniors Kelvin Woods (1,216) and Wayman Strickland (1,040).
SCOUTING THE SANTA CLARA BRONCOS: The Santa Clara Broncos (10-8, 2-1 wcc) are under the direction of first year head coach Kerry Keating... Keating is assisted by two former USD Toreros who played and coached at USD - Lamont Smith and Sam Scholl... After dropping their WCC opener on the road to Saint Mary's (76-45), Santa Clara won both home games this past weekend against LMU (58-35) and Pepperdine (101-86)... Against LMU, 5-11 senior guard Brody Angley scored 20 points, and 6-10 center John Bryant chipped in with 11 points/11 rebounds... Against Pepperdine, Angley scored 24 points and dished out 13 assists... Angley was named co-WCC Player of the Week with SMC's Diamon Simpson for his efforts... SCU is 5-5 in road games this season, including a solid 72-57 win at Utah... For the season the Broncos are being paced by Bryant (17.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and Angley (12.7 ppg, 5.3 apg)... As a team SCU averages 64.9 ppg and 31.8 rpg, while giving up 62.6 ppg and 27.2 rpg.
TOREROS PICKED THIRD IN WCC PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The USD men's basketball team has been picked to finish in 3rd place in the WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. Gonzaga edged out Saint Mary's as the favorite to capture their 8th consecutive regular-season WCC crown. The Zags earned 5 first place votes and 61 points, followed by Saint Mary's with 3 first place votes and 59 points. The Toreros (43 points) were followed by Santa Clara (38), USF (34), Pepperdine (22), Portland (16) and LMU (15).
WCC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO: The Jenny Craig Pavilion will be the site for the 2008 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships (Mar. 6-10). San Diego last hosted this event for a three-year run between 2001-03. For the sixth consecutive season, the men's championships will use an 8-team/Play-in format, while the women's championships will use the traditional 1 vs. 8 format with no byes for the fourth straight year. The men's games will begin on March 7th.
UP NEXT: The Toreros return home to face #24 Saint Mary's (3-0 wcc; 16-2) on Monday, January 28th (7 pm)... SMC plays at USF this Saturday before heading to San Diego.
