Jan. 8, 2008
USD-Bakersfield Game Notes 
GAME #17: The University of San Diego men's basketball team (7-9), under the direction of first year head coach Bill Grier, play their final non-conference game this Wednesday when they host CSU-Bakersfield (4-12) in a 7:05 p.m. contest at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. USD will open up WCC play this Saturday, Jan. 12th, with a 6:05 p.m. game vs. USF.
SERIES RECORD: This is the 5th meeting between USD and CS Bakersfield with the series tied at 2-2... USD won last season's meeting in San Diego on Dec. 5th, 2006 (92-72)... Prior to last season's matchup, the last time these two teams met was back in 1971-72.
RADIO/INTERNET: The game will be broadcast on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM & 105.7 FM) with Andy Masur (p-by-p) and John Kentera (color analyst) bringing you all the action. The audio broadcast is also available at www.usdtoreros.com and www. XXSportsRadio.com.
WCC STANDINGS (thru Jan. 7th): Saint Mary's (12-2), Gonzaga (11-4), Santa Clara (8-6), San Diego (7-9), Pepperdine (5-10), Portland (5-10), San Francisco (4-11), LMU (3-13).
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 7-9 into the CS Bakersfield 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 LOOK TO REBOUND FROM 76-60 LOSS AT MARSHALL: In taking on the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners this Wednesday, the Toreros will be looking to rebound from their 76-60 defeat at Marshall University on New Year's Eve... Wednesday's contest will be USD's final tune-up prior to Saturday's West Coast Conference home opener against the San Francisco Dons (6 pm; 4SD telecast)... Brandon Johnson, who was tabbed the WCC Player of the Week (Dec. 31) after his 27-point effort in the team's stunning 81-72 win at Kentucky, matched his career-high with another 27 point outing at Marshall on New Year's Eve... For the game Johnson made 8-of-15 shots from the floor, 5-of-8 beyond the three-point line and 6-of-8 from the free throw line... He was the lone Torero to reach double digit scoring... Marshall took a commanding 43-24 halftime advantage with USD managing to make just 6-of-15 shots... Marshall, which improved to 7-1 in home games, and 7-4 overall, was paced by forward Tirrell Baines (19 points) and Matt Walls (12).
TWO TOREROS CHOOSE TO LEAVE PROGRAM: Junior wing Ray Murdock (Phoenix, AZ) and red-shirt freshman Josh Miller (Chino Hills, CA) have both chosen to leave the USD basketball program for personal reasons. Murdock, who did not accompany the team on its recent trip to Kentucky & Marshall, appeared in 14 games with 10 starts. He was averaging 5.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg. Miller appeared in just six games and for a total of 15 minutes of action. Both players plan to stay in school at USD for the upcoming spring semester.
TORERO TIDBITS: Among all WCC players, Brandon Johnson ranks 3rd in scoring (17.5 ppg), 4th in steals (1.94), 6th in assists (3.25), 2nd in 3-pointers made per game (2.19) and 5th in assist/turnover ratio (+0.96); Gyno Pomare ranks 9th in scoring (14.3), 7th in rebounding (6.9), 2nd in field goal percentage (.573), 4th in offensive rebounds per game (2.88) and 9th in free throw% (.765)... Pomare leads the team with 4 double-doubles this season, the last coming against Kentucky (13/12)... The 6-8 junior from Oceanside owns 14 career double "D's"... Brandon Johnson moved into the 3rd spot all-time for career dishes with 326... Pomare, with 525 career rebounds, needs 16 caroms to move into the 5th spot all-time among USD's Division I records (1979-present).
TOREROS AT HOME IN THE JCP: USD is currently 4-3 in games played at the JCP this season... The Toreros' have won three of four at the JCP and are coming off a 69-54 home win over Texas-San Antonio... Torero leaders at the JCP include Gyno Pomare (17.7 ppg/7.0 rpg) and Brandon Johnson (15.0 ppg/4.1 apg)... USD is averaging 66.6 ppg while holding opponents to 61.1 ppg... The Toreros are also outrebounding their opponents in games at the JCP - 33.4 to 28.0... Since opening its doors back in November of 2000, the Toreros are a combined 63-40 overall.
POMARE JOINS 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, Gyno Pomare became the 21st Torero to reach this milestone... Now with 1,017 points and 525 rebounds, Gyno is just the 12th Torero to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds. Brandon Johnson, with 967 points, will become the 22nd Torero to join this club in the very near future.
WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Junior guard Brandon Johnson (Houston, TX) was the most recent Torero to garner WCC Player of the Week honors after his career-best 27-point/8 rebound outing in USD's 81-72 road upset over Kentucky on Dec. 29th. Junior center Gyno Pomare (Oceanside, CA) notched the team's first two honors - His first came on Nov. 12th after he totaled 16 points/11 rebounds, and made a key steal and free throw in season-opening road win at Hawaii... His second honor came on Dec. 17th after he averaged 23.5 points per game, including a career-high 25 points against Stephen F. Austin, in losses at Nevada, and home to SFA.
SCOUTING CSU BAKERSFIELD: The Roadrunners are coming off an impressive 98-64 home victory over Loyola Marymount from Monday night... CSU Bakersfield made 9-of-13 three-pointers and 36-of-60 shots overall in improving their record to 4-12... Forwards Demarcus Hall (23 points, 13 rebounds) and Terrence Johns (21 points) led four Roadrunners in double digit scoring... CSUB held a 56-26 lead at half... Their other wins have come against Freso State (65-64), UC Riverside (71-53) and South Dakota State (73-71, ot)... Junior guard Terrence Johns (14.4 ppg) and 6-6 junior forward Santwon Satunde (10.6 ppg/6.1 rpg) lead the team in scoring... Head Coach Keith Brown (40-34) is in his third year at the helm.
WCC RANKS 11TH IN RPI FOR CONFERENCES (Jan. 6th): The West Coast Conference ranks 11th out of 32 conferences in this week's CBN Men's RPI Ratings... USD owns an RPI rating of 139, while its strength of schedule is rated 30th toughest in the nation.
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).
WEST COAST CONFERENCE 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 open up West Coast Conference play this Saturday, January 12th, with a 6 pm home contest against the University of San Francisco. The game will be televised locally on Channel 4 San Diego.
