Feb. 27, 2008
USD Game Notes 
GAMES #30-#31: The USD Toreros (16-13; 9-3 wcc) close out their regular-season schedule this week with home games against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. USD will host the Pepperdine Waves (10-18; 4-8 wcc) on Saturday, March 1st, in a 6 p.m. contest. The LMU Lions (5-23; 2-10 wcc) come to town for a Monday night 7 p.m. contest.
SERIES RECORD: On Saturday it will be the 81st meeting between the Toreros and Waves - Pepperdine owns a commanding 52-28 lead, but USD has won six straight in the series. Back on Feb. 4th the Toreros held on for a 61-58 win at Pepperdine with De'Jon Jackson scoring a career-best 20 points. Monday's game with LMU marks the75th meeting - the Lions hold a 38-36 advantage. USD earned a convincing 72-48 win back on Feb. 2nd.
TV/RADIO/INTERNET: Saturday's game will be televised by 4SD with Steve Quis & Jim Brogan. Monday's contest will air on ESPNU with Steve Physioc and Krista Blunk. Both games will also be broadcast on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM & 105.7 FM) with Andy Masur and John Kentera bringing you the action. The audio broadcasts are also available at www.usdtoreros.com and www. XXSportsRadio.com.
WCC STANDINGS (thru Feb. 26th): #23/#25 Saint Mary's (11-1 wcc; 24-4), #24 Gonzaga (11-1; 22-6), San Diego (9-3; 16-13), Santa Clara (6-6; 14-13), Pepperdine (4-8; 10-18), San Francisco (3-9; 7-20), Portland (2-10; 8-20), LMU (2-10; 5-23). Other WCC Games (Mar. 1st) SMC @ Gonzaga (5 pm), LMU @ USF, SCU at Portland (7 pm). (Mar. 3rd) SMC @ Portland (7 pm), Pepperdine @ USF (7 pm), SCU @ Gonzaga (8:30 pm).
COACH GRIER (1ST YEAR): Coach Bill Grier (Oregon, 1990) is in his first season at the helm of the USD program, and his first at the NCAA Division I level. He brings a record of 16-13 (9-3 wcc) into the Pepperdine 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 211-52 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.
#23 SAINT MARY'S HOLDS OFF TOREROS, 61-54: The 23rd-ranked Saint Mary's Gaels, playing their final home game, held off the USD Toreros 61-54 on Monday night... With the win SMC stayed in a tie with Gonzaga for 1st place while the Toreros stay in 3rd... Diamon Simpson (15 points/11 rebounds) and Tron Smith (15 points) paced the Gaels, while USD received 15 points from Brandon Johnson... USD converted just 32.8% from the field (19-58) and 55% from the FT line (11-20)... Gyno Pomare added 14 points and 8 rebounds... With the loss USD finished up their WCC road slate with an impressive 5-2 record (the two road losses being to Gonzaga and SMC).
TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros close out their regular-season slate with home games against Pepperdine and LMU... USD has secured the No. 3 seed for the upcoming WCC Tournament to be played at the JCP (Mar. 7-10)... Among WCC players for all games, Brandon Johnson ranks 3rd in scoring (16.4 ppg), 1st in steals (2.32), 5th in assists (3.46), 1st in 3-pointers made per game (2.18), and 7th in assist/turnover ratio (+1.03)... With his 7 steals at Gonzaga (1-19-08), Johnson tied the school record held by Corey Belser and Mike Whitmarsh... For all games among WCC players, Gyno Pomare ranks 6th in scoring (13.7), 6th in rebounding (7.3), 3rd in field goal percentage (.538), and 6th in blocked shots (1.34)... Pomare leads the team with 6 double-doubles this season, the last coming against Santa Clara (11/10) - he owns 16 career double "D's"... Freshman Rob Jones ranks 8th in the WCC in FG% (.507) and 10th in rebounding (5.5)... In WCC games only, USD ranks 2nd in scoring defense (58.2 ppg) and 1st in 3-point FG% defense (.305; 51-167)... USD's win over No. 20 Saint Mary's back on Jan. 28th marked just the third time the Toreros have knocked off a ranked opponent, and the first time in the JCP - USD's other wins came at No. 14 UCLA (86-81, ot, 11-26-02) and over No. 25 Gonzaga in the USD Sports Center (75-59, 2-4-99).
WCC TOURNAMENT MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL: The annual WCC Basketball Tournament media teleconference is set for Tuesday, March 4, 2008, beginning at 1 pm... The All-Conference teams will be announced, followed by comments from each of the coaches. Media members are invited to dial in toll free (877-723-9520).
TOREROS AT HOME IN THE JCP: USD is currently 8-5 in games played at the JCP... USD saw its 4-game home win streak snapped on Feb. 18th by Gonzaga (59-55)... Prior to that USD beat Portland (78-61) and knocked off No. 20 Saint Mary's (63-55)... USD leaders at the JCP include Gyno Pomare (15.7 ppg/8.0 rpg) and Brandon Johnson (14.9 ppg/3.8 apg)... USD is averaging 64.1 ppg while holding opponents to 59.6 ppg... USD is also outrebounding their opponents in games at the JCP - 34.1 to 31.3... Since opening its doors back in November of 2000, USD is a combined 67-42 overall (61.4 winning percentage)... Off to a 4-1 start in WCC games played at the JCP, USD is averaging 59.0 ppg, and holding its WCC opponents to 53.4 ppg (+5.6 scoring margin)... Johnson (14.8 ppg) and Pomare (12.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg) lead the way in the five WCC home games.
SCOUTING THE PEPPERDINE WAVES: Pepperdine (4-8, 10-18) comes to town having won three of four... They are coming off a 72-63 road win over LMU with San Diego products Tyrone Shelley (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Rico Tucker (15 points) leading the way... On the season the Waves are paced by Shelley (14.1 ppg), 6-9 freshman Malcolm Thomas (12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Tucker (10.6 ppg, 3.3 apg) - Shelley and Thomas were teammates at Crawford HS, while Tucker prepped at USD High School... Pepperdine owns a 5-10 record in "true" away games... Pepperdine also recently announced that Tom Asbury will return to Malibu to be head coach in 2008-09.
A LOOK AT THE LMU LIONS: The Lions (2-10, 5-23) will try to snap their 5-game losing streak on Saturday when they play at USF... LMU's last win came against the Dons back on Feb. 4th (72-67)... LMU's lone player averaging double digit scoring is forward Orlando Johnson (11.7 ppg)... In last Saturday's loss to Pepperdine, the Lions were paced by Marko Deric (12 points) and Quentin Turner (12 points)... In WCC games the Lions are averaging 57.2 points per game and giving up 75.4... Head coach Rodney Tention is in his 3rd year (30-59).
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. San Diego media need to go online to secure a credential at www.sportssystems.com/wcc.
UP NEXT: The Toreros return to the JCP this Monday to face Loyola Marymount (Mar. 3rd, 7 pm, ESPNU).
