With a mission and goal clear in his mind, Bradley has THE Lions ready to reclaim position as one of the top teams in the west Coast Conference.
Loyola Marymount Returns Eight Letterwinners And Welcomes Five Roster Additions To Its 1998-99 Squad
The mission is set, the goal is clear, and the end of the journey is nearing. After spending six of the past eight seasons near the bottom of the conference standings, Loyola Marymount is on track to position itself again as one of the best teams in the West Coast Conference.
The Lions have endured plenty of setbacks in the past decade, however, the steps necessary to reclaim its winning tradition have been put in motion. More importantly, a winning tradition is something with which head coach Charles Bradley has had plenty of experience. As a former All-America at Wyoming, a four-year veteran of the NBA, and a key component in helping three different college programs mold winning teams that repeatedly made NCAA appearances, Bradley has the knowledge to lead LMU into the next millennium.
When coaching changes are made, one key factor plays the largest part in creating a winning program...time. Second-year head coach Charles Bradley has taken advantage of every weapon in his arsenal in order to achieve his goal; earning a conference title and guiding the Lions back to the NCAA tournament.
Many lofty goals have been placed on this 1998-99 squad. Eight players return from last year's team that finished eighth in the WCC race at 3-11. With a final mark of 7-20 overall, the Lions have no where to go but forward. And forward they intend to move.
"Realistically speaking, this is my first season at Loyola Marymount," says head coach Charles Bradley who now has formulated a program with nearly an entire roster of players he and his staff have recruited. "I spent a lot of time in the off-season bringing kids into this program who fit into the offensive and defensive schemes I want to run. I'm very excited about developing each of these young men because I have a clear understanding of their abilities. Each player is here for one reason, to win and help build a successful program."
A successful program is predicated on how well it replenishes itself with the elements to replace its losses each year...solid players who fit the existing mold and play well with the chemistry that has been established.
Last season, LMU fans saw a team that played extremely hard with a quicker tempo and more transition play, the style it had been very accustomed to in the late 1980's. Although it won just seven games through the season, nine of its 20 losses came by fewer than five points. A critical missing factor was evident, LMU needed a different kind of player to make the system work.
"Our players are physically and mentally ready to move forward," says Bradley. "Each of our players have accepted a commitment to work hard and have dedicated themselves toward a common goal...winning."
A Brief Look
A nice balance of upper classmen and young recruits formulate the 13-man squad in 1998-99. Eight returners reported back to school in August, five of which played significant amounts of time for Bradley last year. Two of last year's starters return, including one of the team's three-year letterwinners who boasts plenty of starting experience throughout his career. In a new era for LMU basketball, the Lions will look to hold history true for head coach Charles Bradley. His second year in any coaching post has been his best. Most recently, Bradley's second year as head coach at Metro State in Denver turned out to be his best ever after turning a 6-20 program into an 18-9 power in just 12 short months. With a host of what Bradley calls "true athletes", LMU fans should have plenty to be excited about this fall.
Bradley will look for leadership in seven seniors, most of which will come via last season's floor general, 5-foot-4 point guard Haywood Eaddy. Eaddy, the WCC's ninth-leading scorer a year ago, also ranked first in steals, second in free throw percentage and third in assists in a conference that boasted tremendous talent. With a heart bigger than his body, Eaddy proved he has the capability to carry this team on his back when it comes down to crunch time. Senior Willie Allen was the other starting guard in Bradley's system last year. Allen, who stepped up in key moments to help LMU earn wins, will be expected to employ much of the systematic leadership the team will need to succeed. Tim Kennedy, a three-year letterwinner, will start this season at a small forward spot and has all the skill he needs to lead the team on both ends of the floor. Center Silvester Kainga returns as the team's tallest player. During the summer, he improved his game by leaps and bounds playing in a local Los Angeles basketball league. Kainga, who has some of the best shot-blocking talent in the conference, should provide a good portion of the rebounding duties for LMU this season. Shooting Guard Leo Saucedo also returns from a great summer experience in Texas. As the team's ace from the perimeter, Saucedo will be expected to convert critical scoring opportunities this year.
Two junior college transfers and three freshman round out the roster this season. Forwards Rupert McClendon and Ed Wolfe transferred to Loyola Marymount after enjoying solid careers for the past two seasons. Both averaged nearly 15 points per game and are noted as two of the team's best athletes. Robert Davis (Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Ariz), one of Arizona's top shooting preps, Matt Moore (La Canada High School) and Curtis Slaughter (Washington Prep) complete a team that is not quite as tall as LMU teams in the recent past, but much leaner and more athletic.
Eaddy Leads The Backcourt
After leading the team last season with a scoring average of 15.2 per game, Haywood Eaddy should be among the top choices in the conference for Player of the Year accolades. Eaddy, who also ranked among the top three players in the WCC in both the steals and assists categories as a junior, will be Bradley's "go-to" guy when the game is on the line. Willie Allen and Eaddy will do a little trading from time to time with the point guard duties, simply due to the fact that both have solid scoring ability. Allen averaged 9.2 points per game a year ago, 10.7 in WCC games. Leo Saucedo will play exclusively as a shooting guard this season and will be expected to improve on his scoring average of 6.6 points per game in 1997-98. Saucedo made himself a tough player to remove from contests last season, simply due to his ability to rebound (averaged 3.0 per game). Newcomers Robert Davis and Curtis Slaughter will help solidify a very deep guard corps that should be exciting to watch. Davis could be one of the team's best three-point threats, however, Slaughter can spot up from the perimeter and convert. Both have tremendous skills, but need to learn the system quickly in order to contribute early in their careers.
The Frontcourt Is Smaller, But Quicker
LMU lost three of its tallest players in the off-season. Forwards Ben Ammerman and Kenny Hotopp graduated and center Peter Cornell opted for the NBA Draft (he was drafted in the sixth round of the CBA Draft by Connecticut). With those losses came opportunity. Bradley has used somewhat of a different strategy with his recruiting for the future. With only one true returning center in senior Silvester Kainga, the remaining group of frontcourt players check in at less than 6-foot-8. Despite their size, every player runs the floor very well which will compliment Bradley's up-tempo style of transition play. Kainga, the WCC's fourth leading shot blocker with 19 total last season, returns this year and will likely get the call to start in the middle. The team should be expected to have great success if Kainga, who averaged 2.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per tilt, can provide critical rebounding and shot-blocking efforts. Senior Tim Kennedy will definitely start at the small forward spot and could be a big scoring surprise in 1998-99. Kennedy, one of the team's purest shooters who averaged 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds last year, will be relegated solely into creating scoring opportunities this year. Sophomore Elton Mashack really surprised some people last year at how well he could perform. Mashack, who scored 6.5 points and hauled in an average of 3.1 rebounds per game, has proven that he deserves a significant amount of playing time. Newcomers Ed Wolfe and Rupert McClendon solidify the frontcourt, simply due to their previous experience at the junior college level. Tremendous athletes, both have the potential to become critical scoring threats after leading their sophomore squads in scoring. Freshman Matt Moore is the team's only freshman who will play in the front court. He hails locally from Sunland, Calif. Moore, a wide-body player who loves to post-up, could see some time in the paint in his first season. He possesses nice hands around the bucket and is well known for his scoring and rebounding ability
Key Strengths in 1998-99
The team has plenty of speed and is deep with players who can score. The level of talent has risen and Bradley has a bench that is deeper with players who have the ability to contribute. LMU has seven seniors on the roster which should provide all the leadership and experience the teams needs. Scoring points and rebounding should not be a concern this year. LMU led the conference in rebounding last year averaging 38.2 per contest and ranked third in the WCC averaging 73.9 points per game.
Question Marks
The defensive factor in the equation is a key concern. The Lions allowed their opponents to score an average of 81.8 points per game in 1997-98, last in the league. LMU also watched as its opponents hit 40.9 percent from the field and allowed 41.8 rebounds per game. The biggest concern for Bradley is the team's turnover ratio. LMU must improve on its league leading 17.4 turnovers per tilt, after collecting 15.8 per contest last season.
Possible Strategies
LMU has no place to go but forward after finishing in 8th place in the conference race for the past two seasons. While its offense improved tremendously last year, the defensive portion of the game must come together this season. Look for LMU to continue to run the floor and open the passing lanes with intent to take advantage of transition play. Bradley's teams in the past have always placed a large focus on rebounding and finishing offensively, while controlling the glass defensively and pushing the ball up the floor. Look for much of the same in 1998-99.
Spotlight Players
Without question, Haywood Eaddy will play a major role on the hardwood this winter. Eaddy is probably the team's best all-around player who can literally do it all. He is the spark-plug every team needs and Bradley will look for him not only to be among the top players in the conference, but also to guide his squad this season. Tim Kennedy and Willie Allen also have the potential to have great seasons. Look for both, along with Silvester Kainga, to impress this year.
What's New
Athleticism defines the newcoming corps of players this season. Robert Davis (Street & Smith honorable mention All-American) and Rupert McClendon are gifted athletes who should really open some eyes . Along with Ed Wolfe, LMU will have a totally different look in 1998-99. Another bright surprise to the program was the news that junior Pablo Machado (Merida, Venezuela) decided to transfer from Georgia Tech. Machado, who was a top-40 high school prospect in 1996, is a 6-10 center who has two years of eligibility remaining. Machado will sit out the season as a redshirt.
The Schedule
It's always a gamble year to year. However, LMU has another tough schedule ahead of them. With three home games to open the year, and six of its first eight at Gersten Pavilion, LMU has a chance to control its own destiny early in the season. However, its mid-season road schedule features some of the top talent in the country as it embarks on a three-game road trip to 1998 NCAA Final Four runner-up Utah, Xavier and UCLA. All three were NCAA Tournament participants last year and present a tough road slate prior to LMU's conference schedule that features two post-season teams in San Francisco (last year's WCC tournament champion) and Gonzaga (last year's regular season champion and NIT participant). LMU is picked 8th again this season in the pre-season coaches poll which is to be expected after a tough stretch the past two years.
