July 22, 2008
Summer Preview in PDF Format 
2008 LMU MEN'S BASKETBALL SUMMER PREVIEW: Change is defined as the process of becoming or to become something different. For the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball program, that definition might be a large understatement as the Lions enter the 2008-09 season in a completely different place than it was just several months prior.
The biggest transformation for the Lions heading into the new season is the hiring of the program's 24th head coach, Bill Bayno. The former UNLV head coach and Portland Trail Blazers assistant was hired in April of 2008 and it kicked off a major transition in the months that followed, setting the tone towards future success in the conference and in the NCAA.
"You have to set the tone and the culture, setting a culture of winning. It goes back to my goals -- to be the hardest-practicing, hardest-playing and most unselfish team in the league. You build around those three basic premises," said Bayno, who went 94-64 in five-plus seasons at UNLV. "If we are out-working everybody, if we are really sharing the ball and being unselfish, then things are going to happen. Wins aren't really as important right now. Being competitive and setting the tone and setting the culture are more important than wins, especially when you're trying to rebuild.
"Obviously, we want to compete for the league championship. That's never going to change. How realistic is that next year with the situation we're in? I don't know. That's going to be a goal. We want to compete for the regular season championship. It's always been my goal, in any league where I've ever coached."
In addition to the coaching staff, the Lions roster has also gone through major change as they look to rebound from the 5-26 season a year ago. Just half of the Lions' roster returns from 2007-08, four of which started at least nine games. The rest of the roster will include five newcomers and a redshirt freshman that will not lack in competitive experience, a key to the change being instituted by Bayno.
"To be competitive and to win championships, you need good players," said Bayno. "It all starts with players. Recruiting is the backbone of any team. My plan is to get good local players, recruit nationally from areas where we have contacts and get transfers. You bring in quality kids from those three areas, and go from there."
In just a couple of months, Bayno and his staff did just that. Heading into the summer months, the Lions had already earned commitments from five players that hit on all of Bayno's goals. The Lions signed LaRon Armstead (F, 6-5, 195, Fr., Fremont HS) from a a local high school power in Los Angeles, earned commitments from three transfers - Larry Davis (G, 6-4, 185, Jr., Seton Hall), Vernon Teel (G, 6-4, 190, So., Chipola College), and Drew Viney (F, 6-7, 210, So., Oregon) - and signed an international star from the Britain National Team, Ashley Hamilton (F, 6-7, 210, Fr.-HS, Larence Academy). Among the group, Viney and Davis will redshirt the coming season due to NCAA transfer rules.
"You just have to make sure that you're getting the right kids who fit your culture, who have high character -- kids who can play and who are going to come in and sacrifice and play winning basketball for the good of the team," said Bayno. "I am excited about the players that we have entering our first season. Our newcomers along with the core of those who committed to return will have a chance to get this program moving in the right direction."
The newcomers for the Lions will join a group of existing Lions whose experience in the WCC and NCAA Division I basketball will be a big part of 2008-09. Tim Diederichs (F, 6-9, 200, So.) became the first freshman in LMU history to start every game in his first season and is the leading scorer among the returning players. In his first season, he averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds. His 255 points and 106 rebounds ranked 10th and ninth, respectively, in program history for a freshman.
"Tim has shown the skills and more importantly the heart to be an important part of our success," said Bayno. "If he shows that he can work as hard as we will expect him to, he could be a very successful player."
Joining Diederichs from last year's squad is Corey Counts (G, 5-10, 180, Sr.), Marko Deric (F, 6-9, 210, Sr.), Brad Sweezy (F, 6-6, 200, So.), Terron Sutton (F, 6-9, 220, So.) and redshirt freshman Isaiah Jenkins (G, 6-5, 200, Fr.). Counts, a walk-on, started 22 games as the Lions' point guard while Deric started 13, Sweezy nine, and Sutton two.
"If this group of returning players, along with our new players, can meet our goals I mentioned earlier, things are going to happen," Bayno says.
Continuing the movement of change, Bayno brings with him a coaching staff that brings a wealth of experience from all areas of basketball. "Since I started the process of getting back into coaching at the college level, many things at LMU and what the University had to offer excited me," said Bayno. "Now that I am at LMU, we have many great things already happening, and possibly the one I am most excited about is my staff. I believe our staff is in place to make a statement in the West Coast Conference."
Max Good, who coached with Bayno at UNLV, joins the coaching staff of Jason Levy and Michael Scholl. All three assistants under Bayno come from different backgrounds, a quality that Bayno feels will take LMU to new levels of success. "Max brings a lot of experience and a great basketball mind to our program," said Bayno. "I am very excited about our coaching staff in that we as a group have experience in so many different areas."
Good was the head coach of Bryant University (Smithfield, RI) since 2001 and posted a 132-86 record, taking the team to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen twice, including the championship game in 2005. Scholl brings international exposure to the Lions, working with basketball programs in the U.S. Virgin Islands, at the junior college level in northern California, with the South Africa National and Under-20 teams, the Senegal Men's National Team, with a professional team in South Africa and as a scout for the Detroit Pistons. Levy helped lead Cal State Fullerton to a new level of success, including a Big West title and trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2008.
Further change is happening in where the Lions call home as well. "The university has made a commitment to winning. "We have brand new offices, and we're going to have a brand new weight room and a brand new locker room. In terms of the West Coast Conference, we have a really good arena. I think students will pack it when we put good players out there," said Bayno. "We have a beautiful campus. We're right on the ocean, and we're in a beautiful area. We have a great academic institution, it's well-known. You can get a great degree here. We are on the verge of exciting times here at LMU as all the pieces come into place."
The Lions will be tested early and often in the non-conference season. LMU's 2008-09 schedule includes Iowa State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Notre Dame, Arizona, Wyoming, Tulsa, and New Mexico State. Following non-conference play, the Lions will head into the WCC, which very well could be the toughest it has been in its 56 years.
"The WCC - with San Diego, Saint Mary's and Gonzaga all returning their starters from NCAA teams a year ago - is going to be the toughest it has ever been," said Bayno. "Our non-conference will give us the chance to learn and grow and be prepared for the WCC."
With a new head coach gaining momenteum, a continued University commitment in the program, a coaching staff with world-wide experience and a roster founded on his basic principles, the Lions hope that change will continue all the way to the top of the WCC mountain.
