Post by dead3man on Oct 23, 2007 19:07:13 GMT -5
I posted this in SportingXchange Thread but thought it should be separate.
Here's the ESPN Insider Report/Interview it's pretty much what I've been trying to report but I'm no reporter....
(Information in this team report is as of October 1.)
COACH AND PROGRAM
''Turnover'' is an ugly word to a college basketball coach. On the court, it means losing possession of the ball. But off the court, it can be even more devastating, and it's staring Loyola Mary-mount head coach Rodney Tention in the face this season.
Coming off an injury-plagued season, the Lions are looking to replace five of their top six scorers from a team that slipped to sixth place in the West Coast Conference last year. LMU lost 75 percent of its offense and 64 percent of its rebounding from last year, and filling those holes will be crucial to the team's fortunes in 2007-08.
The process began earlier than expected, however, when just 13 games into last season, the Lions lost Brandon Worthy to an ACL injury. A senior All-America candidate and the team's leading scorer, Worthy averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last year but missed the final 17 games.
Loyola Marymount Lions
Last Season 13-18 (.419)
Conference Record 5-9 (6th)
Starters Lost/Returning 4/1
Coach Rodney Tention (San Francisco '88)
Record At School 25-36 (2 years)
Career Record 25-36 (2 years)
RPI Last 5 years 227-181-169-150-187
The Lions also lose first-team all-conference forward Matthew Knight (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg), honorable mention All-WCC pick Adoyah Miller (11.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.9 apg), guard John Mont-gomery (5.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.4 apg), forward Derick Grubb (5.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), and the WCC Defensive Player of the Year, guard Damian Martin (5.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.1 spg).
''At one point we had our two returning All-WCC players out at the same time for multiple games, something I had never experienced before at all levels of coaching,'' Tention said. ''How-ever, we kept working toward improving as a team each day and we really gave a lot of players a chance to get better and get a taste of what it takes to be successful.''
That experience for this year's sophomores will be vital for a team that has just one junior and one senior on scholarship who have worn an LMU uniform. They'll be joined by five newcomers who hope to form the nucleus of the next great Lions team, but they'll be hard-pressed to top the efforts of the recently departed group, which despite adversity last year went 3-1 against Gonzaga and Santa Clara, the top two teams in the WCC, and also beat NCAA Tournament teams Oral Roberts and New Mexico State.
PLAYERS
The top returning scorer is 6-2 senior Jon Ziri (5.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 apg), who started 15 games last year, stepping into the lineup when Worthy went down. He actually was a full-time starter as a sophomore and averaged more than 25 minutes a game, experience that will come in handy this year as he mentors the youngsters as the team's lone senior, a role that he's already begun to fill.
''He's done a great job with the young kids [in the] summer, getting them in here, in the weight room, and in individual workouts with them,'' Tention said. ''He'll have to be an energy guy for us. Maybe he'll start, maybe he won't, but either way we'll need him to come in and give us a spark. He's been around, and he understands what our league is about, and how hard guys have to play at this level.''
The other veteran the Lions will be counting on is 6-9 junior Marko Deric (5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg), an Australian who was Tention's first recruit at LMU and should finally break into the starting lineup this season. Last year, Deric started gaining experience and confidence, and the results started to show late in the season. He posted a career-best 16 points against San Francisco in mid February, and followed that with 15 points and five boards against Santa Clara, a trend that Tention hopes will continue this year.
''He didn't put up big numbers, but last year was really his first year with us,'' Tention said. ''He got his feet wet last year, and he got better from the start of the year to the end of the year.''
Deric will be joined inside by 6-9 sophomore Mason Maynard (2.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg), who's coming off a season in which he did more than just get his feet wet. He averaged almost 10 minutes per game and started seven times as a true freshman, and scored 10 points in his first start, against Sam Houston State. He's added about 15 pounds of muscle to a frame that now stands at 220 pounds and should be one of the Lions' top big men this year.
''He was probably our best freshman last year,'' Tention said. ''He's a low post kid. What I wanted out of him this summer was to get a little bigger, and he's done that, so he's got a chance to get major minutes this year.''
Another sophomore, 6-3 guard Shawn Deadwiler (1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.4 apg), was slowed by a comeback from preseason knee surgery last year but joined the team in time to play 19 games, averaging almost 10 minutes a night in his freshman season. Tention said that in retrospect, he probably should have red-shirted Deadwiler, but given the team's injury problems it was a luxury he couldn't afford. The freshman was rusty when he returned to action, but showed signs of regaining his form late in the year.
''At the end of the year and before the guys left for the summer he was healthy and feeling great, and really shooting the ball with confidence again,'' Tention said. ''I think this year we'll see the Shawn we recruited. He's a combo type guard who can play the one or the two. He's quick and he can put the ball in the basket.''
Another returnee is expected to see a diminished role this season -- 5-10 junior Corey Counts (2.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 1.6 apg). He joined the team as a walk-on two years ago but missed most of his freshman season with a broken jaw. Last year, he worked his way into the rotation as the rest of LMU's guards struggled with their own injuries. He shot 35 percent on his three-pointers and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5, but with a healthy roster he likely will have to fight for playing time this season.
On the inside, the only other known commodity is 7-0 sophomore Max Craig (1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg), who averaged eight minutes a game as a freshman. The native of Montreal showed enough grit to merit a closer look this season.
''He's going to get on the court,'' Tention said. ''Max works hard.''
Two more Lions will get their first collegiate playing time this season after red-shirting as freshmen -- 6-9 forward Terron Sutton and 6-6 wing Brad Sweezy. Sutton is from nearby Price High School in Los Angeles and is still working to refine his game, but his skills down low could help the Lions.
''He's got a great body, great hands, and some very good post moves,'' Tention said. ''We've just got to get him to be consistent with it.''
Sweezy actually played in one game early last fall, but then had knee surgery and took a medical red-shirt year. At 195 pounds, Sweezy probably needs to add a little more bulk, espe-cially because the Lions are looking for him to play inside, where he spent the majority of his time in high school
''I was looking for him to play some on the perimeter [last year], and he was kind of making his transition there, but he played inside a lot in high school, so that's where he felt the most comfortable,'' Tention said. ''Finally he just came to me and said, 'Coach, I'd like to go inside,' and that's all I needed to hear. So he's going to battle inside for us.''
Of the five newcomers, expect 6-1 junior guard Quentin Turner to have the biggest impact. A transfer from Motlow State Community College in Tennessee, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.1 as-sists and 2.7 steals last year, and also shot 80 percent from the line. He spent his freshman year at Cloud County Community College in Kansas, so he's on his third program in three years, but Tention expects the transition to go smoothly because of his skills on defense, where the Lions had grown accustomed to the ball-hawking greatness of Damian Martin.
''Quentin is a true point guard with quickness, and he really pushes the break, which is something we absolutely have to improve on,'' Tention said. ''He does a great job distributing, and with his on-ball defense. He can really hurt you in transition. He attacks well and can set guys up.''
The other freshmen include 6-5 guard Isaiah Jenkins, who averaged 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a senior at Westchester High School in Los Angeles; 6-3 guard Brandon Walker, an athletic slasher who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds last year at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Hayward, Calif.; 6-9 forward Tim Diedrichs, a 220-pound scorer from Sno-homish, Wash., who averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists as a senior; and 6-5 swingman Orlando Johnson, an athletic defender who averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds at Palma High School in Salinas, Calif.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C
BENCH/DEPTH: D+
FRONTCOURT: C-
INTANGIBLES: D
Inexperience will be LMU's downfall this year, with precious few veterans who know what it feels like to have the pressure of a Division I schedule placed squarely on their shoulders.
If JUCO transfer Turner can step into the lineup and provide a settling presence at point guard, the young forwards will have a chance to develop more quickly, and by season's end the Lions could be playing well enough to spring some upsets, but don't look for them to make much noise in the WCC race this year. This team is probably at least a year away from dreaming about postseason basketball.
Here's the ESPN Insider Report/Interview it's pretty much what I've been trying to report but I'm no reporter....
(Information in this team report is as of October 1.)
COACH AND PROGRAM
''Turnover'' is an ugly word to a college basketball coach. On the court, it means losing possession of the ball. But off the court, it can be even more devastating, and it's staring Loyola Mary-mount head coach Rodney Tention in the face this season.
Coming off an injury-plagued season, the Lions are looking to replace five of their top six scorers from a team that slipped to sixth place in the West Coast Conference last year. LMU lost 75 percent of its offense and 64 percent of its rebounding from last year, and filling those holes will be crucial to the team's fortunes in 2007-08.
The process began earlier than expected, however, when just 13 games into last season, the Lions lost Brandon Worthy to an ACL injury. A senior All-America candidate and the team's leading scorer, Worthy averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last year but missed the final 17 games.
Loyola Marymount Lions
Last Season 13-18 (.419)
Conference Record 5-9 (6th)
Starters Lost/Returning 4/1
Coach Rodney Tention (San Francisco '88)
Record At School 25-36 (2 years)
Career Record 25-36 (2 years)
RPI Last 5 years 227-181-169-150-187
The Lions also lose first-team all-conference forward Matthew Knight (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg), honorable mention All-WCC pick Adoyah Miller (11.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.9 apg), guard John Mont-gomery (5.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.4 apg), forward Derick Grubb (5.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), and the WCC Defensive Player of the Year, guard Damian Martin (5.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.1 spg).
''At one point we had our two returning All-WCC players out at the same time for multiple games, something I had never experienced before at all levels of coaching,'' Tention said. ''How-ever, we kept working toward improving as a team each day and we really gave a lot of players a chance to get better and get a taste of what it takes to be successful.''
That experience for this year's sophomores will be vital for a team that has just one junior and one senior on scholarship who have worn an LMU uniform. They'll be joined by five newcomers who hope to form the nucleus of the next great Lions team, but they'll be hard-pressed to top the efforts of the recently departed group, which despite adversity last year went 3-1 against Gonzaga and Santa Clara, the top two teams in the WCC, and also beat NCAA Tournament teams Oral Roberts and New Mexico State.
PLAYERS
The top returning scorer is 6-2 senior Jon Ziri (5.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 apg), who started 15 games last year, stepping into the lineup when Worthy went down. He actually was a full-time starter as a sophomore and averaged more than 25 minutes a game, experience that will come in handy this year as he mentors the youngsters as the team's lone senior, a role that he's already begun to fill.
''He's done a great job with the young kids [in the] summer, getting them in here, in the weight room, and in individual workouts with them,'' Tention said. ''He'll have to be an energy guy for us. Maybe he'll start, maybe he won't, but either way we'll need him to come in and give us a spark. He's been around, and he understands what our league is about, and how hard guys have to play at this level.''
The other veteran the Lions will be counting on is 6-9 junior Marko Deric (5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg), an Australian who was Tention's first recruit at LMU and should finally break into the starting lineup this season. Last year, Deric started gaining experience and confidence, and the results started to show late in the season. He posted a career-best 16 points against San Francisco in mid February, and followed that with 15 points and five boards against Santa Clara, a trend that Tention hopes will continue this year.
''He didn't put up big numbers, but last year was really his first year with us,'' Tention said. ''He got his feet wet last year, and he got better from the start of the year to the end of the year.''
Deric will be joined inside by 6-9 sophomore Mason Maynard (2.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg), who's coming off a season in which he did more than just get his feet wet. He averaged almost 10 minutes per game and started seven times as a true freshman, and scored 10 points in his first start, against Sam Houston State. He's added about 15 pounds of muscle to a frame that now stands at 220 pounds and should be one of the Lions' top big men this year.
''He was probably our best freshman last year,'' Tention said. ''He's a low post kid. What I wanted out of him this summer was to get a little bigger, and he's done that, so he's got a chance to get major minutes this year.''
Another sophomore, 6-3 guard Shawn Deadwiler (1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.4 apg), was slowed by a comeback from preseason knee surgery last year but joined the team in time to play 19 games, averaging almost 10 minutes a night in his freshman season. Tention said that in retrospect, he probably should have red-shirted Deadwiler, but given the team's injury problems it was a luxury he couldn't afford. The freshman was rusty when he returned to action, but showed signs of regaining his form late in the year.
''At the end of the year and before the guys left for the summer he was healthy and feeling great, and really shooting the ball with confidence again,'' Tention said. ''I think this year we'll see the Shawn we recruited. He's a combo type guard who can play the one or the two. He's quick and he can put the ball in the basket.''
Another returnee is expected to see a diminished role this season -- 5-10 junior Corey Counts (2.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 1.6 apg). He joined the team as a walk-on two years ago but missed most of his freshman season with a broken jaw. Last year, he worked his way into the rotation as the rest of LMU's guards struggled with their own injuries. He shot 35 percent on his three-pointers and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5, but with a healthy roster he likely will have to fight for playing time this season.
On the inside, the only other known commodity is 7-0 sophomore Max Craig (1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg), who averaged eight minutes a game as a freshman. The native of Montreal showed enough grit to merit a closer look this season.
''He's going to get on the court,'' Tention said. ''Max works hard.''
Two more Lions will get their first collegiate playing time this season after red-shirting as freshmen -- 6-9 forward Terron Sutton and 6-6 wing Brad Sweezy. Sutton is from nearby Price High School in Los Angeles and is still working to refine his game, but his skills down low could help the Lions.
''He's got a great body, great hands, and some very good post moves,'' Tention said. ''We've just got to get him to be consistent with it.''
Sweezy actually played in one game early last fall, but then had knee surgery and took a medical red-shirt year. At 195 pounds, Sweezy probably needs to add a little more bulk, espe-cially because the Lions are looking for him to play inside, where he spent the majority of his time in high school
''I was looking for him to play some on the perimeter [last year], and he was kind of making his transition there, but he played inside a lot in high school, so that's where he felt the most comfortable,'' Tention said. ''Finally he just came to me and said, 'Coach, I'd like to go inside,' and that's all I needed to hear. So he's going to battle inside for us.''
Of the five newcomers, expect 6-1 junior guard Quentin Turner to have the biggest impact. A transfer from Motlow State Community College in Tennessee, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.1 as-sists and 2.7 steals last year, and also shot 80 percent from the line. He spent his freshman year at Cloud County Community College in Kansas, so he's on his third program in three years, but Tention expects the transition to go smoothly because of his skills on defense, where the Lions had grown accustomed to the ball-hawking greatness of Damian Martin.
''Quentin is a true point guard with quickness, and he really pushes the break, which is something we absolutely have to improve on,'' Tention said. ''He does a great job distributing, and with his on-ball defense. He can really hurt you in transition. He attacks well and can set guys up.''
The other freshmen include 6-5 guard Isaiah Jenkins, who averaged 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a senior at Westchester High School in Los Angeles; 6-3 guard Brandon Walker, an athletic slasher who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds last year at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Hayward, Calif.; 6-9 forward Tim Diedrichs, a 220-pound scorer from Sno-homish, Wash., who averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists as a senior; and 6-5 swingman Orlando Johnson, an athletic defender who averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds at Palma High School in Salinas, Calif.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C
BENCH/DEPTH: D+
FRONTCOURT: C-
INTANGIBLES: D
Inexperience will be LMU's downfall this year, with precious few veterans who know what it feels like to have the pressure of a Division I schedule placed squarely on their shoulders.
If JUCO transfer Turner can step into the lineup and provide a settling presence at point guard, the young forwards will have a chance to develop more quickly, and by season's end the Lions could be playing well enough to spring some upsets, but don't look for them to make much noise in the WCC race this year. This team is probably at least a year away from dreaming about postseason basketball.
