Oct. 12, 2005
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SAN BRUNO, Calif. - According to the coaches of the West Coast Conference, Loyola Marymount University men's basketball has been picked to finish in the top half of the WCC standings this season. The coaches have the Lions taking fourth in the 2005-06 season, and if the Lions under first year head coach Rodney Tention hold true to the coaches' thinking, it will be the best finish in 10 seasons.
The Lions earned 40 points in the annual coaches poll and round out the top half of the eight-team conference. The Gonzaga University Bulldogs were picked as the favorite to capture their sixth consecutive regular season crown. The Zags tallied 62 points and received six first place votes. Gonzaga is followed in the poll by 2005 NCAA Tournament participant Saint Mary's College (45), which received one first place vote, and the University of Portland (43), which also received a first place vote. Rounding out this year's preseason poll is Santa Clara University (36), the University of San Francisco (28), the University of San Diego (20) and Pepperdine University (14).
Both LMU and Gonzaga return the most experienced squads in the WCC. Both the Bulldogs and Lions return four starters, the most among any team in the WCC. LMU will return 12 letterwinners for coach Tention, who takes over the Lions' program after eight seasons as an assistant with Arizona.
Among the Lions' returning are a pair of former All-WCC performers. Junior Matthew Knight earned honorable mention honors last season after leading the Lions in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounds (5.5 rpg). Junior Brandon Worthy, who was second on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg) and first in assists (3.4 apg), was a 2003 All-WCC honorable mention selection as a freshman.
LMU begins the season with Madness at Midnight on Friday at 10 p.m. and then the Crimson-Navy Scrimmage on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7:05 p.m. The Lions will play their lone exhibition on Nov. 12 at 4:05 p.m. against Cal State San Bernardino. The season begins on the road when the Lions face BYU on Nov. 18.
- GO LIONS -
