Jan. 8, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

Coming off a much-needed win to conclude non-conference play last Sunday, the Loyola Marymount men's basketball team will start West Coast Conference play against the team they have played more than anyone else in school history, rival Pepperdine, on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. The game will be the first of five straight on television, this one part of the WCC ESPN package. The game can be seen on ESPNU and also heard on KXLU 88.9 FM and LMULions.com.

DEPLETED ROSTER
Already with the absence of head coach Bill Bayno (see note below) due to health issues, five players on LMU's roster, which includes six newcomers and just three seniors, are now out for the season. Junior transfer Larry Davis (Seton Hall) and sophomore Drew Viney (Oregon) will redshirt the season due to transfer rules. The other three players out for the year are all due to injury. Redshirt sophomore Terron Sutton is out for the year due to a torn ACL suffered in practice this October, and Tim Diederichs, who had played limited minutes in the first three games, requires surgery on his injured right shoulder suffered in the first weeks of practice this season. He will miss the remainder of the season and plans on applying for a medical redshirt. The third player in that group is Ashley Hamilton, who played in five games this season, will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his back. There is more. Leading scorer, rebounder and assist man through three games, Vernon Teel, broke his right foot against Notre Dame and had surgery Nov. 26 and heading into the 2009 calendar year he will remain out another two weeks heading into conference play. With the injuries, the Lions are down to seven scholarship players, two of which - seniors Corey Counts and Chris Kanne - earned scholarships this summer after playing as walk-ons the last three seasons. Current walk-on Griffin Reilly is the eighth active player and saw his first minutes of action at Arizona. The Lions added a ninth player to the roster in walk-on Daniel Latimer.

Bill Bayno
Loyola Marymount University Athletics announced on Sunday, Nov. 23, that Bill Bayno is taking a leave of absence, effective immediately, as the head coach of the LMU men's basketball team. Assistant Coach Max Good will serve as acting head coach during Bayno's leave. "Recently, I was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, in part, related to the stress and anxiety of head coaching," says Bayno. "It will require treatment which will force me to take a leave of absence. It is unfortunate and I feel badly for the University, the coaching staff and most of all my players and their families, all of whom I will miss very much. I ask for privacy for myself and my family and I thank you for your prayers and support." "The LMU Family's greatest concerns are for the wellbeing of Bill and the team," said LMU Athletics Director Dr. William Husak. "His health is the most important thing he needs to focus on right now. He has done great things in his brief time at LMU and has earned the love and respect of all. I have asked Max Good to be our acting head coach during this time period and I have great confidence that Max and the rest of the staff will continue the process Bill began. All of us at LMU are concerned for Bill's wellbeing and he and his family are in our thoughts and prayers."

TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE
When it rains, it pours never fit better. Playing with just seven scholarship players, Bill Bayno taking a leave of absence and seven of their first 10 games on the road, the Lions have had to do this with a murderous schedule. The Lions' non-conference opponents heading into WCC play combined for a record of 116-71 (62.0 percent). In addition, this was the first time since the 2004-05 season the Lions have played at least two ranked teams in non-conference play.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
Five newcomers on LMU's roster, including four true freshman, have been asked to carry the load for the Lions this season. And with injuries the freshman trio of Jarred DuBois, Kevin Young, and LaRon Armstead have been asked to play big minutes. DuBois, Young, Armstead along with sophomore transfer Vernon Teel and walk-on freshman Griffin Reilly have combined to play 1,837 of the 3,200 minutes played in 13 games this season, good for 57.4 percent. All three of the young freshman have played at least two complete games this season with DuBois and Armstead putting up monster stretches of back-to-back complete games. DuBois leads the group with 35.8 minutes per game, on pace to snap the record by a freshman set by Forrest McKenzie with 29.8 minutes in 1981. Armstead had a stretch of 108 straight minutes, stretching from the final four minutes against UALR to the second half against UCSB. DuBois did one better, playing 115 consecutive minutes from the Mercer game through 16 minutes of the first half against CSUB. Armstead is averaging 31.4 minutes while Young is averaging 29.8. The group has also combined for 582 of the 864 points (67.4 percent) and 318 of the 538 rebounds (59.1 percent).

MAKING A POINT
Freshman Jarred DuBois has been quickly developing into the Lions' floor leader and it reached the first highlight of his career in the win over CSUB. The true freshman point guard scored an LMU freshman record 39 points against the Roadrunners. DuBois' point total came on 11-for-15 shooting from the field and 12-for-15 from the free throw line to snap Forrest McKenzie's freshman record of 29 points set against San Francisco on Jan. 16, 1982. DuBois was 5-for-7 from the three-point line as he scored the most points by any Lion since Wyking Jones had 39 against San Francisco on Jan. 20, 1994. He first turned heads with his defense against No. 8 Notre Dame, helping LMU hold first-team All-Big East performer Kyle McAlarney to zero points (0-for-7), forcing him into four turnovers. DuBois has now added offense to that effort, going for 16 points, hitting 4-of-6 from long range against the Irish. He did one better against UALR with 23 points. The point total ranks tied for 13th among single game scoring by a freshman. He added another 16 points against Arizona and 17 against NMSU. He is averaging 12.6 points per game, shooting up five spots 11th in the West Coast Conference in scoring (as of 1/6/09). He also entered the week third in the WCC in free throw shooting, hitting 66-for-79 (83.5 percent). He also leads the team with 49 assists (3.06 per game), good for ninth in the WCC (as of 1/6/09).

YOUNG AND THE REBOUNDS
Kevin Young is putting together some of the more impressive games by a freshman in LMU history on the boards, earning possibly the best against New Mexico State. He finished the game with his second double-double of the year with 16 points and 19 rebounds in 40 minutes. It was the most rebounds by a freshman in LMU history and the most rebounds in a game by a Lion since Ime Odouk had 22 on Jan. 7, 1994 against Buffalo. For Young it was an unofficial triple-double as he had 14 offensive rebounds. He now has 116 rebounds this season, moving him past Mike Yoest for 7th all-time in LMU history for rebounds in a season by a freshman. Young has also has games of 13 (Wyoming), 11 (at Arizona, at UCSB) and 10 (vs. Notre Dame) on his resume, ranking third, tied for sixth and 13th respectively for freshman in LMU history. Young has 55 offensive rebounds, 3.44 per game this season, to lead the Lions and rank fourth in the WCC (as of 1/6/09). Overall, he is averaging 7.3 rebounds per game, fifth in the WCC (1/6/09). He is also sixth with 1.44 steals per game and 10th with 12 blocks. His 23 steals this season is fifth in the freshman record books.

STARK IMPROVEMENT
LaRon Armstead became the first Lion since Jim Williamson in the 1995-96 season to play a complete 40 minutes in back-to-back games. Armstead, who started the season averaging just 22 minutes a game at the Iowa State Tournament, is now averaging 31.4 minutes per game after going 40 minutes against Arizona and then against Wyoming. Williamson averaged 35.7 minutes a game in 1995-96, logging 40 minutes in a 67-63 win over Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 16, 1995 and then 40 minutes on Dec. 19, 1995 in an 82-80 win at Hawaii. That season total ranked seventh all-time in LMU history. The all-time leader is Keith Smith, who logged 38.1 minutes per contest in 1984-85. That season he played 40 or more minutes in 12 games, including a stretch of three straight games of 40 minutes and three more times where he went back-to-back games with 40 minutes. And the minutes have led to production for Armstead. Since entering the starting line-up against Wagner, he has caught fire. He has averaged 6.7 rebounds (80) and 11.9 points (143) in the last 12 games.

IT COUNTS
Senior Corey Counts made sure the Lions didn't go long without a three-pointer, going 5-for-6 from long range against Iowa State. He had another five three-pointer game against New Mexico State, going 5-for-8, giving him three games in his career to hit five in a game, hitting the mark while going for 21 points against Gonzaga in the WCC opener a year ago. Counts is 34-for-88 (38.6 percent) from the three-point line in 2008-09, moving his career total to 83-for-218 (38.1 percent) in his career. On the season, he is ranked 4th the WCC in three-pointers made per game (2.12) and 12th in three-point percentage (as of 1/6/09). His career three-point percentage entered the season ranked 11th. His 83 made three-pointers moves him to 11th all-time in LMU history past Per Stumer (1988-90). His 218 attempts is ranked 14th.

INSIDE THE GAME
The Lions have played Pepperdine more than any other program in school history. The first meeting of the annual home-and-home against the rival will be the 148th meeting all-time between the two program separated by no more than 10 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline. Pepperdine has won the last four meetings and has not won in Malibu since a 81-79 overtime win in 1998, a stretch of 10 games. Pepperdine enters the game at 3-13 overall defeating a pair of non-Division I teams in CS Monterey Bay (Nov. 14) and Western Oregon (Jan. 3) and Copping State (Dec. 29) at the Hawaii Tournament. Mycehl Thompson leads a deep roster with 11 points per game as they, like the Lions, start a young group, including four freshman.

SHOOTING TOUCH
Against Arkansas-Little Rock in game two of the three-game road trip, the Lions shot 56.8 percent from the field (21-for-37), 58.3 percent from long range and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. It was the best shooting performance for the Lions in over two seasons and ranks seventh overall in the last decade. The Lions held UALR to just 41.7 percent shooting (25-for-60) and out-rebounded one of the best rebounding teams in the nation by nine (34-25).

TAKE A GOOD LOOK
The Australian forward Marko Deric is the only senior on the Lions' roster who came to the Lions on a scholarship. He enters the WCC opener with 98 games as a Lion, averaging 4.2 per game in his first three-plus seasons. Fellow senior guards Corey Counts and Chris Kanne are former walk-ons who earned scholarships this summer. Kanne is a fifth-year senior who earned his Business degree in May and is now in graduate school at LMU for Business Law. Kanne turned heads this offseason with his shooting and is expected to play more as he enters the Seattle game with 47 career games in three-plus seasons. Counts had a breakout year last season, starting 22 games, leading the team with 88 assists while hitting on 39 percent from the three-point line (37-for-95). Counts has played 75 games as a Lion. Take a good look at seniors this season as Counts, Kanne and Deric will be the only three seniors in the LMU men's basketball program for the next two years as the roster has only one junior and that is redshirt Larry Davis.

HISTORICAL THREE
Since the three-point field goal was introduced in the 1986-87 season, LMU has had just one game where they have not had a three-pointer. Well, in the first game with the three-point line pushed back a foot they had their second, snapping a streak of 375 games snapped. The Lions went 0-for-8 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, marking just the second time they went without a three. The only other "miss" came on Dec. 19, 1995 when the Lions went 0-for-6 in an 82-80 win over Hawaii. That game snapped a 271 consecutive three-pointer streak for the Lions. Heading into the game against Pepperdine, in the 663 games the Lions have played since the three-point line was instituted, the Lions have hit three-pointers in 661 of them. The Lions have never gone without a three-pointer in WCC play.

DEFENSE
It might not show in the record, but the Lions and their zone defense has frustrated opponents. First it was No. 8 Notre Dame, holding first-team All-Big East performer Kyle McAlarney to zero points. The senior McAlarney averaged 15.1 points a year ago and hit 108 three-pointers (hitting 44 percent) and then went on to hit 39 against No. 1 North Carolina a week later. Freshman Jarred DuBois and senior Corey Counts held him to 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-4 from long range, forcing him into four turnovers. The Lions then held Arizona's Chase Budinger to just 10 points in 27 minutes, more than 12 points less than his average entering the game. Then against Wyoming, holding the Mountain West Conference's highest scoring team more than 20 points under its season average. The Lions held Preseason All-American Honorable Mention selection, Brandon Ewing, under double digits for the first time in 21 games, dating back to the middle of last season. On top of that, the Lions held a Cowboys team that averages better than 48 percent from the field to 40 percent and 28 percent from behind the arc. Against UC Riverside, they limited the Highlanders to a season low 59 points on 25.9 percent shooting from the three-point line (7-for-27) while at No. 12 UCLA, the Lions held the Bruins to their lowest shooting percentage at Pauley Pavilion, 39.4. It was also the lowest shooting percentage by any opponent against LMU this season.