The Jackson Twins

2 NEW SEASONS - LET'S BALL!!!

2010-07-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

An Early Look at Cal Football 2010

The offseason has finally gotten to me. Cal Football is like that bad, bad girl(or boy) you know will be the death of you. You're going to have good times and bad, be led on, and ultimately have your heart broken. And yet, you keep coming back for more. So without further ado, here are some early thoughts regarding the 2010 Cal Football team. Please consider these to be the inexpert thoughts and opinions of a casual fan. (Hopefully, the smarter and more knowledgeable posters can be induced to fill in the gaps and provide corrections as needed.)

Additional Disclaimer: This is based solely on personal observations (tv) and an OCD approach to reading every scrap of Cal-related internet info that I could find over the past few months. I have not yet taken my annual pilgrimage to the bookstore to cry over peruse all the pre-season magazines nor do I have access to any game tape or live practices.

2009: A member of the team but did not see any game action.

2008: Redshirted ... did not play.

HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year varsity starter who twice earned Team MVP honors ... rated No. 89 among the nation's running backs ... also a two-time All-Marmonte League selection as well as an All-County honoree as a senior when he rushed 230 times for 1,225 yards and 16 touchdowns after a 988-yard campaign with 10 TDs as a junior ... caught a combined 32 passes for 287 yards in his final two seasons ... also served as his team's punter, averaging 33.7 yards per punt as a senior.

PERSONAL: Full name is Langston R. Jackson ... born May 14, 1990 ... major is undeclared but considering Media Studies.

LAST UPDATED: June 9, 2010

April 17, 2010

Ryan Gorcey
BearTerritory.net Publisher

BERKELEY-Now, we're even.

That declaration on the part of the Cal football team's offense was made loud and clear on Saturday, as the Bears offense put on a show for the Cal Day crowd, tallying seven touchdowns and two field goals and getting the better of the defense for the first time this spring. Most impressive, though, was Langston Jackson, who carried the ball three times for 21 yards and looks like a dark horse candidate to get at least some meaningful snaps next season.

Post #96

Add Buddy Re: A long look forward.

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Given the role of the FB in Cal's offense, the idea of Kapp playing FB is a joke. He's only 220 lbs! Cal uses the fullback as a blocker about 95% of the time, so they'd be much better off converting Langston Jackson to FB if they insist on pretending that the FB is a RB in Cal's offense. An even better idea would be to use a backup OL, DL, TE or LB with the size to pound LBs into the ground.

Ryan Gorcey
BearTerritory.net Publisher

SAN FRANCISCO-"And the Children Shall Lead." It's more than just the title of an original Star Trek episode. On Wednesday evening at AT& Park, it was a young child who fired perhaps the most pointed question at Cal head football coach Jeff Tedford during the question-and-answer period of the AT&T Coaches Tour event.

Shortly into the give-and-take with the crowd, a young towheaded boy stepped up to the mike. Before the boy opened his mouth, Tedford chuckled, sensing just what was in store.

"This is a quarterback question, I can feel it," Tedford said, eliciting a chorus of laughs from the crowd. "I can feel it. Somebody put him up to it. Everybody always puts the little kids up to ask the quarterback question."

"Is Kevin Riley quarterbacking again?" the young boy asked, followed by an even louder cacophony of laughter."I've done this a few times. I know," Tedford laughed. "Yes, he is playing quarterback."

After some more laughter, the child asked who Riley's backups would be. Smart kid. Probably gunning for my job.

"Very smart. That's the way to ask who the starter is, right?" Tedford said, to more laughter. "The quarterback situation, we're very competitive there. Kevin obviously has a step up because of his experience level and game time. Beau Sweeney, right now, is No. 2, and he's going to compete very strongly for that spot. Brock (Mansion) is in third right now."

As BearTerritory readers already know, Mansion sprained his left foot/ankle during spring practice, but Tedford offered an update to a small gathering of press after the event.
"He's doing fine," Tedford said. "He had a sprained ankle/foot, and now he's had time to recover. I don't think he's 100 percent yet, but he's back at it (throwing to teammates). Brock's pretty good at rehab and doing what he's told. It's just unfortunate that he didn't get to play down the stretch in the spring."

Tedford also spoke on several other injuries, saying that sophomore linebacker Mychal Kendricks is healing well, but freshman defensive lineman Keni Kaufusi will likely miss "most of the season" recovering from shoulder surgery.

Another injury that Tedford addressed during the Q&A was the shoulder surgery that freshman QB Allan Bridgford underwent that cost him all of last season.

"He's throwing now. He just started throwing this week, so he'll be in the mix," Tedford said. "It'd be great to see him out there, because he was very frustrated by that (injury), obviously. He'll be in the mix, and he's got a lot of ability, so we can't wait to get him back into it. He's a very quick study and a very smart guy. He's competitive. So, it'll be nice to see him start to compete a little bit."

As for the quarterback competition heading into fall, Tedford addressed that during the Q&A, as well.

"We're going to let it play out, all through the summer and all through fall camp, and then we'll make a decision about a week and a half before the first game on who's going to be the starter," Tedford said. "Right now, Kevin, his whole deal through the spring was consistency-trying to get him to be more consistent with his fundamentals-and he's really worked hard at that. He's a great competitor, and I know he wants the job and he provides some leadership there for us, as well."

When asked about the offensive line, Tedford gave fans at least a glimpse of the possible starting five in the trenches.

"I think we have a chance to be solid there," Tedford told the crowd. "We really do. I think Chris Guarnero is going to be the center, we have a couple returners. Mitchell Schwartz will be a tackle, we're going to move Matt Summers-Gavin to tackle. We're very athletic up there."

Later, Tedford specified that Summers-Gavin would take the place of departed senior Mike Tepper at left tackle.

"We have some flexibility with Donovan Edwards playing at center and guard and tackle. But, right now, coming out of the spring, Matt was our best left tackle," Tedford said. "But, Schwartz was hurt, so we've had to do a lot of moving around."

Still undecided is who will be the No. 2 running back behind the prohibitive favorite for the starting job, junior Shane Vereen.

"I don't know who that second back is going to be," Tedford said. "I do know this: Shane is very talented. He can do a lot of things. But, we cannot hand him the ball 42 times like the Stanford game. After that, he wasn't the same for the next two games. We kind of beat him up in that game, and he played great and all that, but we can't do that. We have to utilize him in some places, probably even at some receiver as well, with our youth at receiver. But, Shane can do it all.

"We have to be very smart, and Coach (Ron) Gould, our running backs coach, does a phenomenal job of making sure he's spelling those guys and keeping them healthy and things like that, so one of the goals, and one of our challenges going into fall camp will be who is that next back, or maybe who are the next two backs to help spell Shane a little bit and keep him fresh."

With all the depth-chart talk behind him, Tedford also addressed the looming spectre of Pac-10 conference expansion as the room emptied after the event.

"I think there could be some benefits to it," Tedford said. "I need to learn more about it, obviously, and see how the league would be aligned and what the rotation would be, with who you play and how often. I'm anxious to find out more about it. I don't know enough specifics. I think it's exciting. It's exciting to have a championship game. That would be pretty cool. It'd be competitive, I know that."

During his prepared comments earlier, the Bears' head coach was a bit more demonstrative in his thoughts on the subject.

"Obviously, this Pac-16 thing adds a lot of buzz. There's no question about it. It should be very exciting," Tedford said. "Actually, I'd like to get another cut at Texas after they kind of screwed us. I don't know how your guys' memory is, but I know when we got screwed out of the Rose Bowl that year by Texas, I won't forget that, so hopefully, we can get another shot."

And that shot may come earlier than when the two teams finally meet on the gridiron. That shot may come in the recruiting battles in the Lone Star State.

"I think in recruiting, for a kid who says, 'Hey, I want to play these teams,' or even for a Texas kid, we could go to Texas and recruit more, because they know that they get to go home and play Texas teams and stuff.

Top 120 countdown No. 38 California

Coach: Jeff Tedford (67-35, ninth season)
Staff

Last season: 8-5, 5-4 (T-5th in Pac-10); lost to Utah in Poinsettia Bowl

Returning starters: Offense-8. Defense-4. Special teams-2.
Depth Chart

Final 2009 Rivals.com ranking: 31st
Last season's Rivals 120

Beware the Cal Bears: When little is expected from them, much often is delivered.

No doubt, little is expected in Berkeley following last season's disappointment that included five losses by double-digit margins. Even the freeloaders on Tightwad Hill felt gypped.

That was the fourth time in the past five seasons Cal was ranked among the nation's preseason top 20 but failed to finish there. But Cal often exceeds modest expectations, as was the case in 2002 when coach Jeff Tedford's first team improved on a 1-10 debacle the previous year and notched seven wins. In '04, they opened the season ranked 13th but finished ninth and almost beat national champion USC. In '08, they opened unranked but posted nine victories.

So could the Bears surprise again?

That will require efficient quarterback play, a stronger offensive line and an improved secondary that may depend heavily on freshmen.

OFFENSE

THE SCHEME: California employs a pro-style system that also utilizes elements of the spread. The Bears typically have a productive running game. A streak of seven consecutive seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher ended last season, but only because of a season-ending injury to starting TB Jahvid Best. Best and Shane Vereen, who started late in the year, combined for more than 1,800 rushing yards.

STAR POWER: Vereen, a junior, finished just 48 yards shy of 1,000 last season -- and he was a backup. Now that Best has gone to the NFL, Vereen's workload figures to increase substantially. So does his output. When replacing an injured Best in the starting lineup for the final four games of '09, Vereen rushed for 566 yards and six touchdowns. He had more than 100 yards in every game in which he received at least 17 carries. Look for him to get at least 20 every game this season.

IMPACT NEWCOMER: Cal's backup running back typically gets a significant share of the rushing load, and the Bears need a reliable backup for Vereen. Although there is no shortage of candidates, one possibility is redshirt freshman Dasarte Yarnway, a former four-star prospect who rushed for more than 2,100 yards as a high school senior. At 6 feet and 223 pounds, Yarnway can provide an element of power.

STRONGEST AREA: There is great big-play potential at running back. Vereen had touchdown runs of 61, 42 and 36 yards and a 50-yarder in which he didn't score. Cal typically shares the rushing workload, and there are no shortages of candidates to back up Vereen. Sophomore Isi Sofele has gnat-like quickness and size (5-7/186 pounds), and given a crease he has the speed to score from anywhere on the field. Sophomore Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson averaged 6.8 yards per carry while rushing for 211 yards in a limited role last season. And there's the touted Yarnway.
BIGGEST PROBLEM: QB Kevin Riley takes a lot of heat, but he could sure use more help from the line. A year ago, the Bears' offensive front allowed 31 sacks, the second-highest total in the Pac-10. Four starters return, but obviously they have to raise their performance level. The Bears hope moving Matt Summers-Gavin, who missed five games because of injuries in '09, from guard to tackle will help solve that problem.

DEFENSE

THE SCHEME: Cal uses a 3-4 set. First-year coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who comes from the NFL, has supervised units that created pressure and forced turnovers. Look for the Bears to be more aggressive and blitz frequently from all angles.

STAR POWER: ILB Mike Mohamed distinguished himself as one of the Pac-10's best in '09. He led the league with 112 tackles, 16 more than anyone else. He also grabbed three interceptions. His interception of Stanford's Andrew Luck on the 3-yard line clinched the victory over the Bears' archrival. An All-Pac 10 selection, Mohamed will contend for even greater honors if he follows up with a similar performance this season.

IMPACT NEWCOMER: Cal assembled one of the country's best 2010 recruiting classes. One big reason is DE/OLB Chris Martin, a five-star recruit ranked the No. 18 prospect in the nation. Martin posted 11 sacks as a high school senior and figures to be a perfect fit for Pendergast's system.

STRONGEST AREA: Mohamed's return and Martin's addition makes linebacker an easy choice. Furthermore, the Bears have plenty of other veterans returning, too. D.J. Holt got eight starts in '09, so the Bears should be solid inside. Last year in his first season as a starter, Mychal Kendricks posted 71 tackles -- the second-highest total on the team. Yet he isn't assured a place in the starting lineup. Keith Browner, a 6-6, 260-pound senior, could be an imposing presence on the outside.

BIGGEST PROBLEM: The secondary play was terrible in '09. The Bears ranked 111th in the nation in pass defense; they allowed 20 touchdown passes and made just 11 interceptions. Three of last season's starters have departed. That may be a good thing.

SPECIAL TEAMS

P Bryan Anger is so good that he averaged 41.5 yards per attempt last season, and some felt he had a subpar year. Anger had 14 punts that covered at least 50 yards and killed 24 kicks inside the opponents' 20. So, a "good" season would really be something. Kicking hasn't been a problem, nor has it been an area of strength. A year ago, Vince D'Amato and Giorgio Tavecchio combined to convert 15 of 24 field-goal attempts. Vereen is dangerous on kick returns, but he may not continue in that role. The Bears still will be solid there. Jeremy Ross averaged more than 21 yards on punt returns and can be effective on kickoffs, too. The coverage units need work.

DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 4 UC Davis

Sept. 11 Colorado

Sept. 17 @ Nevada

Sept. 25 @ Arizona

Oct. 9 UCLA

Oct. 16 @ USC

Oct. 23 Arizona State

Oct. 30 @ Oregon State

Nov. 6 @ Washington State

Nov. 13 Oregon

Nov. 20 Stanford

Nov. 27 Washington

SCHEDULE
Cal typically gets off to a fast start, and 2010 should be no different. The Bears open with Cal-Davis, then face Colorado and Nevada to complete the non-conference portion of the schedule. Pac-10 play requires road trips to Arizona, USC and Oregon State, which should be strong contenders for the conference championship. The Bears also must close with home games against Oregon, Stanford and Washington.

OVERALL OUTLOOK

Cal is usually good, but never quite good enough. The Bears have notched at least eight victories five times in the past six seasons and have posted the second-most victories among Pac-10 teams since coach Jeff Tedford took over eight years ago. But they haven't managed a championship in that span. There are reasons for optimism this season. Vereen and WRs Marvin Jones and Ross provide big-play potential on offense, and Pendergast's addition and an influx of young talent should boost the defense. In addition, there aren't great expectations for Cal, which could have the element of surprise in its favor. But Riley has been inconsistent throughout his career, and the offensive line and secondary have to show dramatic improvement. Overall, the Bears figure to be good again, just not good enough to win a title.

- Olin Buchanan

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.

extension with a pay cut »

College Football 2010 Rankings: No. 42 California

California, Orlando Sentinel Preseason Rankings 2010, college football — posted by andrea adelson on July, 20 2010 6:00 AM Discuss This: Comments(0)
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The Orlando Sentinel’s 2010 college football preseason rankings will count down Football Bowl Subdivision teams from 120 to 1.

Today at No. 42: California

Jeff Tedford leads California.

Why is California No. 42? The Bears lost several of their best players, including RB Jahvid Best and Tyson Alualu. But they got a glimpse of life without Best last season, after a serious concussion cut his campaign short. California is going to need more consistency out of QB Kevin Riley and in the secondary to challenge for the Pac-10 crown.

2010 spring prospectus

2010 schedule

Capsule, by Brendan Sonnone

Coach: Jeff Tedford (67-35, ninth season)

2009 Record: 8-5 (5-4, sixth in Pac-10)

Look back: California has had a difficult time living up to preseason expectations under Tedford. Last season was no different. Starting the season ranked No. 15, the Golden Bears got off to a fast start as Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best ran for 412 yards in landslide victories against Maryland, Eastern Michigan and Minnesota. But the fast start ended abruptly. California lost its next two games to Oregon and USC by a combined 66 points. Best later sustained a serious concussion following a scary fall in loss at Oregon State and missed the rest of the season. California ended the year with consecutive double-digit losses against Washington and Utah in the bowl game.

Offensive starters lost/returning: 5/6

Defensive starters lost/returning: 6/5

Key losses: RB Jahvid Best (867 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns), DL Tyson Alualu (65 tackles, 7.5 sacks), WR Verran Tucker (453 receiving yards), OL Mike Tepper.

Top returnees: LB Mike Mohamed (112 tackles, 3 INTs), RB Shane Vereen (952 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns), WR Marvin Jones (43 catches, 651 receiving yards, 6 TDs), QB Kevin Riley (2,850 passing yards, 18 TDs, 8 INTs).

Strengths: Last year, the Golden Bears finished third in the Pac-10 with 112 rushing yards per game and have the potential to be just as successful on the ground in 2010. Cal returns four starters on the offensive line and Vereen comes back as the team’s leading rusher. Vereen filled in for Best admirably last year and will have an increased load as a junior. Mohamed anchors a defensive front seven that returns four starters from last season. DE Cameron Jordan, who had six sacks in 2009, is a good fit in the team’s 3-4 scheme and the Golden Bears expect big things from NT Kendrick Payne.

Weaknesses: While the run game has been strong for the Golden Bears, the passing game has been mediocre in recent years. Riley was serviceable at quarterback last season, but in the games that Cal lost, he made too many mistakes, especially in losses to USC and Oregon. Jones stepped up as a reliable receiver for Riley but there weren’t many more dynamic players for him to throw the ball to. The secondary returns safety Sean Cattouse, who emerged as a starter later in the season, but it is comprised of cornerbacks Darian Hagan, Josh Hill, and Bryant Nnabuife, who all rotated as starters but never locked down their spot on the depth chart.

Outlook: The pieces are in play for California to go bowling again. Vereen proved his worth as a reliable running back and Riley just needs to improve his efficiency (completed 54 percent of his passes last year) for Cal’s offense to be one of the league’s best. If the defense—especially the secondary—can step up, Tedford’s squad should be solid again in 2010.

Video extra: Highlights of California’s 2010 spring scrimmage.

Pepperdine Waves Summer Report

WCCTV will bring you Summer Reports on all eight WCC men's basketball teams

The Waves return 13 letterwinners and all five starters from last year's squad.

Headlining the list of returners is junior guard Keion Bell who earned All-WCC honorable mention status last season. Bell led the Waves and ranked second in the conference in scoring with 18.5 ppg. Bell is also one of the top rebounding guards in the conference as he averaged 5.1 rpg to go along with 3.2 apg.

Bell had a career-high 37 points at Gonzaga (1/21), which included 34 second-half points en route to setting a McCarthey Athletic Center scoring record by an opponent. It was the highest-scoring game by a WCC player in 2009-10.

The Waves also return senior wing Mychel Thompson, son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson and brother of current Washington State standout Klay Thompson. Thompson turned in a solid junior season, ranking second on the team in scoring with 11.8 ppg to go along with 5.0 rpg en route to All-WCC honorable mention accolades.

Thompson opens the season with 931 career points and should become the Waves' 36th 1,000-point scorer. He also enters the season ranked seventh all-time at Pepperdine in three-pointers made with 139.

Junior point guard Lorne Jackson returns to run the Waves offense. Jackson was solid for the Waves last season, ranking third on the team in scoring with 8.1 ppg, while handing out 2.7 apg.

Junior forward Taylor Darby returns to add muscle to the Pepperdine frontline. Darby started 23 games last season, leading the Waves in rebounding for the second straight season with 6.0 rpg. Darby is one of the most active rebounders on the offensive glass, ranking second behind only Saint Mary's Omar Samhan in offensive rebounds per game last season with 2.5 per game. Darby, who added 6.3 ppg, scored a career-high 18 points vs. Loyola Marymount in the WCC Tournament (3/5) while pulling down a season-high-tying 12 rebounds.

WCC Men's Hoops Summer Report Schedule

June 23 - University of San Diego Summer Report

June 30 - Loyola Marymount Lions Summer Report

July 7 - Pepperdine University

July 14 - Santa Clara University

July 21 - University of San Francisco

July 28 - Saint Mary's College

August 4 - University of Portland

August 11 - Gonzaga University

Post #32
Re: Running Back
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Some posters are really funny...you keep forgetting the biggest and toughest back on the team. Jackson Good thing the coaches know who he is. By conference time, you will see who will get the ball for short yardage!

Just like USC's RB depth, there are stars on the bench.

Recap from Men's Basketball Trip to Italy

May 20, 2010
By Dick Dornan

Special to PepperdineSports.com

MALIBU, Calif. -- What a trip it was for the Men's Basketball team in Italy! For 10 days, the Pepperdine coaching staff and players had the opportunity of a lifetime. From five-hour bus rides of laughter and team camaraderie, to enjoying the sights and sounds of famous landmarks and cities, to cherishing the amazing taste of Italian dining and to playing four games against European competition, the Waves got to experience a culture and a country that they will appreciate for a lifetime.

"It was great -- a wonderful experience," Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. "It was good from a basketball standpoint and even better from a cultural standpoint. Just a great experience for the guys."

The tour consisted of visits to Ancient Rome (Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain) and the Rome City Center (Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel), Florence (Accademia Gallery- Michelangelo's David, Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio), Venice (St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gondola rides) and Lake Como (Bellagio).

"The highlight for me was the bus rides, and the conversations with the guys and staff," associate head coach Marty Wilson said. "The camaraderie that was built was great. If the guys are better off the court, we will be a whole lot better on the court.

"I thought the trip was great. Our guys learned more than they probably ever expected to. All of our guys were really appreciative. They were just blown away by the experience."

The players had the chance to spend time with each other and take in a special and unique opportunity to visit one of the world's crown jewels in Europe.

"The trip was an awesome experience for our team," said junior center Corbin Moore (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos HS). "It was really exciting to explore another country. I think as a team we really bonded with each other and got to see so many cool things that you only learn about in history class or see in textbooks. We spent a lot of time together and the experience was something that I will never forget."

It was successful as well for the growth and development of the team as they prepare for the 2010-11 season. The Waves went 3-1 against some good Italian professional competition.

"The last game was a good one for us," assistant coach Damin Lopez said. "The crowd was loud. It was like a true road game. The players were bigger and more physical. Every call went against us. But we kept fighting back and found a way to win. It was good from the mental standpoint."

Asbury allowed his top two assistants in Wilson and Lopez to each coach one game at the helm. The games were competitive and the teams earned greater respect of each other.

"All the teams were well-coached and the players were good sportsmen," Asbury said.

Playing in an unfamiliar environment was never an issue. The Italian crowd was very receptive of the Pepperdine team and how they played.

"They were very appreciative of the good play," Asbury said. "Many times they were cheering for us more than their own."

Pepperdine lost its first game to Romana Basket Anagni, 90-83, but rebounded to win three straight contests over CUS Siena, 92-53, Texa Roncado, 87-71 and Sangiorgese Basket, 82-76.

The final contest vs. Sangiorgese Basket was a hard-fought game that brought out the best in the Waves. After sightseeing and traveling for eight days, Pepperdine overcame tired legs and sluggish play to prevail in an exciting victory.

"We played well enough to win," Asbury said.

Junior guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) led the Waves with 23.3 points and 56% shooting from the field over the four games. Senior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) chipped in 15.5 points per game as the Waves averaged 86 points a game.

(The rest of the team's scoring averages were as follows: Lorne Jackson 9.5, Jonathan Dupre' 7.5, Taylor Darby 5.8, Joshua Lowery 5.5, Corbin Moore 5.3, Denis Agre 4.8, Tanner Kerry 4.8, Gus Clardy 4.0, Caleb Willis 4.0, Richard Branning 1.3)

Aside from visiting the historical venues and taking in the majestic beauty around the country, one of the highlights for everyone was connecting with fellow Pepperdine students who are spending time at the Florence campus. The Waves got to tour the small villa there where the students live and study abroad.

Liz Whatley, Director of Pepperdine's Florence, Italy Study-Abroad Program, invited the basketball team, coaches and students to dinner at her house outside Florence for an evening of social interaction and good times. She served lasagna, pasta, steak and chicken as part of a feast that everyone had the pleasure to enjoy.

"Meeting up with the abroad program was fun because it was cool to see people I knew from school," said junior forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS).

Whether it was the boat ride on gorgeous Lake Como, the breath-taking viewing of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel or the awe inspiring architecture of the Colosseum and Michelangelo's David, the trip to Italy left a lasting impression upon the Pepperdine players and coaches.

"Going to the Colosseum was crazy too because you've seen it on television and movies all the time," Darby said. "Lake Como was awesome. Probably one of the prettiest lakes I've ever seen. It was an all-around great trip."

"It was priceless," Assistant Coach Will Kimble said. "I was definitely blessed to have seen it all."

"We saw some unbelievable sites and saw some great history," Wilson added.

Said Thompson: "It was a great experience, a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing. Not many people get to take free trips to Europe. It was real cool going on the tours and seeing all of the religious and historical places there. The way they play basketball there is pretty different than here, but it was pretty fun and a great experience. It was all in all, an experience of a lifetime."

As for the food, exotic types of spaghetti, different dishes of pasta and delicious flavors of gelato were the favorites among the coaches. For Wilson, it was the salmon pasta. Lopez craved the Stracciatella gelato (chocolate chip-type ice cream). Asbury, along with Scott Coopman, Director of Basketball Operations, agreed that the food never gets old, just better.

"Every type of food was good," Asbury stated. "You never get tired of it." "I didn't have a bad meal. No such thing there," Coopman added.

The Waves will forever remember this special trip.

"Each person had a different recollection," Asbury said. "They were fascinated with it all. We have great kids who are good students and value an education. But it's the bonding and togetherness that you get a lot out of. We thoroughly enjoyed it."

Lorne Jackson Career Statistics

CAREER: In two seasons, has averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 21.4 minutes ... Has started 32 of 62 games ... A career 75.9% free throw shooter.

PEPPERDINE 2009-10: Finished third on the team in scoring again as a sophomore, averaging 8.1 points ... Also posted 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.1 minutes ... Started 18 of 31 games ... In the WCC, was 11th in assists, 11th in steals and 11th in free throw percentage (75.0%) ... Reached double-figures in points 12 times ... Scored a career-high 21 points vs. San Francisco (1/16), which included 9-for-9 from the foul line ... Along with the USF victory, had 15 points in a win over Santa Clara (1/14) and was named the WCC co-Player of the Week ... Began WCC play with four straight games of at least 15 points ... Other season highs were six assists vs. Loyola Marymount (1/9), six rebounds (several times), four steals at Portland (1/23), four three-pointers (three times) and 38 minutes vs. Santa Clara (1/14).

PEPPERDINE 2008-09: Pepperdine's third-leading scorer as a freshman ... Averaged 6.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 16.6 minutes ... Played in 31 games ... Started 14 games at point guard while Ryan Holmes was injured ... Scored in double-figures 12 times ... Had a season-high 18 points at Hawaii (12/30) in just 22 minutes ... Other season highs were five assists (several times), four rebounds (several times), three steals at Saint Mary's (1/17) and three three-pointers (several times) ... After scoring 11 points in the first five games, exploded for 17 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (11/29) in a season-high 31 minutes ... Drove in for a game-winning lay-up with 6.6 seconds left vs. Coppin State (12/29) ... Late in the season, scored in double-figures in three straight games, amassing 32 points in 33 minutes.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Simi Valley (Calif.) High School in 2008 ... Named the Ventura County Star's Player of the Year as a 2008 senior ... On the Ventura County all-time lists, finished second in career steals (308) and ninth in career assists (439) ... Also named CalHiSports.com all-state second team, All-SCIBCA Southern Section Division I-AA first team and Marmonte League co-Player of the Year ... A McDonald's All-American nominee ... Led Ventura County in scoring (22.9 ppg) and steals (4.3 spg) and was second in assists (6.8 apg) ... Added 6.7 rebounds per game and shot 50% from the field, 38% on three-pointers and 84% from the free throw line ... Set a school record with a 20-for-22 free-throw performance against Dominguez High School en route to a season-high 39 points ... Scored 20 or more points 19 times and 30 or more points three times ... Helped Simi Valley to a 26-2 record, an unbeaten record in the Marmonte League and the second round of the CIF playoffs ...As a 2007 junior, made the CalHiSports.com all-state junior second team and the All-Ventura County first team while averaging 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 4.0 steals ... As a 2006 sophomore, averaged 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals ... Also lettered in football ... Earned a CIF "Character Counts" award and the Marmonte League's "All-Star" honor.

CLUB: Played for Double Pump Elite and BTI.

PERSONAL: Born in Simi Valley, Calif. ... Son of Reginald and Lyle Jackson ... His father played football at UCLA ... Has two siblings, Ashley and Langston ... His twin brother Langston is a freshman walk-on on the California football team ... His personal trainer was former NBA player Pooh Richardson ... Chose Pepperdine because "I loved the coaches, the players and the campus."

FAVORITES: Enjoys watching television and movies and listening to music ... Favorite pro basketball player is Kobe Bryant ... Favorite pro basketball team is the Los Angeles Lakers ... Favorite book is Coach Wooden One-on-One ... Favorite movie is Friday ... Favorite TV shows are the Jamie Foxx Show and Entourage ... Favorite musical artist is Lil' Wayne ... Favorite sport other than basketball is football ... Favorite thing about basketball is "there is so much more that you can get better at, even though I've been playing it since I was young."

Pepperdine Waves Men's Basketball

PEPPERDINE IN ITALY - Andiamo il gioco della pallacanestro!

2010-05-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Men's Basketball Set for Trip to Italy

Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 04/30/2010
Courtesy: Martin A. Folb
By Dick Dornan

MALIBU, Calif. -- Buon Giorno e Benvenuto al' Italia! Good day and welcome to Italy!

The Pepperdine's men's basketball team is going abroad to Europe. From May 4-14, the Waves will have the opportunity to enjoy one of the world's best treasures: the beautiful country of Italy. With the help of Basketball Travelers, Inc., the men's basketball program will enjoy touring historic sites, learning the Italian culture and playing four games of basketball against different Italian professional teams.

The NCAA allows collegiate teams to travel out of the country once every four years. The planning began two years ago and the experience is worthwhile to all who make the trip.

Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury has coached previous teams that have gone to Australia, Japan and the Bahamas. He is looking forward to his first encounter in Europe.

"I'm excited," Asbury said. "My wife is really excited. It's a good country to visit and it's just about the right amount of time to be there. We will do some sightseeing and play some games. There will be different types of abilities on the court that we will see."

Asbury knows the value in this type of unique opportunity, which doesn't present itself too often. Not only is it valuable for the players' educational growth by learning and understanding the European lifestyle and their customs, but it signifies the chance to build as a team and prepare for the 2010-11 basketball season.

"One of the biggest benefits we get from this is 10 days of extra practice," Asbury stated. "This is a great time for us to work on our basics and improve as a team, and maybe tinker on some things that we couldn't do during the season."

With 13 lettermen returning for next season, the Waves are looking to improve and make positive strides as they embark on another challenging preseason schedule and WCC slate.

Asbury said the team's attitude has been "terrific" thus far and the team is eager to take their game to the next level. But before their European competition begins, Pepperdine must adjust to FIBA rules before they take the court in Rome on May 6 for their first game of the trip vs. Roma Chimici Anagni Basket at the Palazzetto dello Sport.

"We have to adjust to international rules such as the shot clock (24 seconds), offensive goaltending and the width of the key," Asbury explained. "Defensively it changes the approach to the game. Losing 11 seconds off each possession changes things a lot. We will experiment with position changes too.

"This trip is a bonus in that it gives us more time to work on our skills, extra shooting, etc. I'm also giving the assistant coaches the chance to create their own practices. We will bring FIBA officials into practice to get used to everything."

Basketball Travelers, Inc., has taken teams such as Loyola Marymount, Nevada and Kent State to Europe recently. They plan the entire trip and organize all tours and games.

"They are really good," Asbury said. "I wouldn't go with anyone else. They bring two of their employees along; one of which is an interpreter. They are experienced and are good at what they do."

Viaggiare è vivere! To travel is to live!

The tour consists of visits to Ancient Rome (Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain) and the Rome City Center (Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel), Florence (Accademia Gallery- Michelangelo's David, Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio), Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa), Venice (St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gondola rides) and Verona (Juliet's Balcony, Lake Como, Brunate Funicular, Bellagio).

L'Italia è fantastica! Italy is fantastic!

"We will talk about the culture and enjoy the experience," Asbury said. "Our goal is to develop team bonding and bring the team together. We also want general improvement of the team and to gain confidence for next season."

Mangiare bene! Eat well!

Asbury has pointed out that he will make sure to enjoy his favorite Italian dish of lasagna and compare it to the likes of it back in the states. Meanwhile, he says his wife, Carlie, will sample the different types of wine. Some delicious pasta with a scintillating taste of "vino" on beautiful Lake Como will be a treat in itself.

Andiamo il gioco della pallacanestro! Let's go play some basketball!

Here is the schedule of games for the Waves:

May 6 vs. Roma Chimici Anagni Basket (a B-1 team) in Rome.

May 8 vs. Sana Basket Siena (the U-21 team of an A-1 team) in Siena.

May 11 vs. Acergas Trieste (a B-1 team) in Trieste.

May 12 vs. Co Mark Treviglio in Treviglio.

Twelve returning players are slated to make the trip. The Waves had no seniors on last year's team, and incoming freshmen are not eligible to go on foreign trips. Dane Suttle Jr. will not travel as he recently underwent surgery on his ankle and is beginning the rehabilitation process. Andy Shannon, a backup center the past two seasons, is transferring to another school.

Buon Viaggio, Arrivederci e Buona Fortuna Pepperdine! Have a good trip, good-bye and good luck Pepperdine!

Members of the Pepperdine men's basketball program will be sending reports from their May 4-14 trip to Italy to keep their fans back home updated right here.

May 5

by Scott Coopman, director of basketball operations

Quite a trip here. We started May 4 with the guys lifting and conditioning with Ryan Capretta on campus. We departed for LAX at 2:30 and made it in plenty of time, of course. Hopped on an Air France Boeing 777 for a 12 and a half hour flight to Paris. Lifted off at about 7 pm. Landed in Paris at 2:50. Lots of trying to sleep on the plane. Walking laps around the the back of the plane. Most of the big guys got pretty good seats at the bulkheads so they could stretch their legs. On average everyone watched about 3 movies on the flight. The Air France flight crew was very friendly. Of course we landed just about on time in Paris but then we taxied for what felt like 20 minutes! Having to change planes we only had about 25 minutes and Charles De Gaulle Airport is enormous! There was no way we'd make it to our connecting flight to Rome. Luckily, Air France was waiting for our entire party and walked us to our plane, holding it for about 20 minutes. So, we made both our flights and made it safely to Rome. The weather was terrific when we landed. We were met at the Airport by our Italian host Fabio who led us out to baggage claim. There we met our Basketball Travelers host Dave Kronstadt and boarded our bus. Not much of a customs check so we got out of the airport very quickly. Our hosts gave us a nice bus tour on the way in to the hotel. Entering the ancient city is quite breathtaking as all of the sudden you're passing through 2000 year old city walls. We drove past the ancient city center and the Colosseum. These are truly amazing sites. We will be visiting these places on May 7. Tomorrow, May 6, we are headed to Vatican City for a 9 am tour. We'll also have our first game of the tour. Updates to follow!

May 6

by Corbin Moore, junior center

Breakfast was different than in America. There was a lot of different types of bread; it was weird seeing things like lettuce and tomatoes for breakfast. I had some eggs that were like something I have never seen, they were a dark yellow and runny, they tasted a little different, but overall weren't bad. The glasses for juice were really small as well.

At the Vatican it was great seeing the different types of art and architecture that I have learned about in classes I have taken. The Sistine Chapel was very impressive because Michelangelo painted the entire ceiling and one of the walls on his own, which took him over 10 years total to complete. Our guide was very informative and we learned a lot about the history of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican.

We then headed out for our game, which was about an hour and a half from our hotel in downtown Rome. The gym took a little while to get used to with the wider key. The style of play was different and also took a while to get used to and the referees definitely call a different game than the ones in the states. The fans were very welcoming and although we lost it was definitely a positive experience for our team. (Pepperdine lost 90-83 to Roma Chimici Anagni Basket, a B-1 team)

Tomorrow we are taking a tour of The Coliseum and Rome's city center, which I am looking forward too because I have heard so many great things about it. Until next time Ciao!

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May 5

Click here for team's first-day YouTube video.

Men's Basketball Updates from Italy Trip

Release: 05/11/2010

Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics

MALIBU, Calif. -- Members of the Pepperdine men's basketball team will be sending reports on their trip to Italy, which runs from May 4-14. Read the preview here. Their updates will be posted below as they come in.

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May 11

Pepperdine 87, Texa Roncado 71

Pepperdine scoring: Bell 21, Thompson 18, Jackson 14, Lowery 8, Willis 8, Dupre 6, Moore 6, Darby 5, Kerry 2, Agre 0, Branning 0.

Additional ther stat leaders: Rebounds (Kerry 7), Assists (Bell 5), Steals (Jackson 4).

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May 11

by Scott Coopman, director of operations

Our bus dropped us off just across the causeway from Mestre to Venice where we boarded a water taxi for our journey in to the city. The taxi took us through the Grand Canal which runs through the center of Venice to Piazza San Marco, the heart of Venice. Here we visited a glass making shop, something that Venice is famous for. We also met our guide who took us through a historical tour of the city center. Some of our party took a ride through the canals on a gondola while everyone else spread out to do some shopping and exploring.

Game #3 took us to the town of Treviso to play against TEXA RONCADO. Keion Bell led the way with 21 points and 5 blocked shots. Mychel Thompson chipped in 18 with a series of highlight dunks and Lorne Jackson shot 4/7 from behind the arc. After leading by 9 at the half (44-35), we broke the game open on a pair of 3-pointers by Lorne Jackson and breakaway dunks by Bell and Thompson. The pair capped the run with a lob jam in transition. Our guards were able to get in to the paint and kick out for open 3s or easy jumpers leading to a pretty good shooting night for the team.

Our final game will be tomorrow night in the Lake Como area followed by a day where we'll get to tour the lake by boat and visit the town of Bellagio.

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May 10

by Scott Coopman, director of operations

Today was a travel day. We left Florence at noon and headed east to Venice. The journey took us up through the mountains that split Italy in half. Along the way we made a stop at the Autogrill which is a very nice rest stop. Italy has very strict rules for bus drivers and the amount of driving that they are allowed to do. This allowed us to have a break in the middle of our drive to grab lunch and stretch the legs out. Our hotel was not actually in Venice. No cars are allowed there so hauling luggage, etc would be quite difficult. We checked in to a hotel in Mestre which is across the causeway from Venice and contains the major port on the east coast of the country.

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May 10

Click here for a YouTube video from Pepperdine's trip to the Vatican.

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May 8

Pepperdine 94, CUS Siena 53

Pepperdine scoring: Bell 40, Dupre 11, Agre 10, Kerry 7, Lowery 7, Jackson 6, Moore 6, Thompson 5, Clardy 4, Willis 4, Branning 3, Darby 2.

Additional stat leaders: Rebounds (Kerry 10), Assists (Thompson 4), Steals (Bell and Lowery 2).

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May 6

Romana Basket Anagni 90, Pepperdine 83

Pepperdine scoring: Bell 23, Thompson 22, Jackson 12, Dupre 7, Moore 7, Agre 5, Kerry 5, Clardy 4, Darby 3, Willis 2, Lowery 1, Branning 0.

Additional stat leaders: Rebounds (Moore, 11), Assists (Lowery, Thompson and Jackson, 3), Steals (Jackson 6).

CAL DAY AND SCRIMMAGE 2010

2010-04-19T02:24:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2010

Ryan Gorcey
BearTerritory.net Publisher

SAN FRANCISCO-On Monday morning, under steel-grey skies threatening rain across the Bay, one could very nearly see a preview of the 2011 Cal football season, standing on the turf at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants and-come 2011-the Bears.

"Given the announcement today, we have apropos football weather," said Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, just outside the first base dugout. "We are excited today to announce that Cal has reached an agreement with the San Francisco Giants to play our 2011 home games here at AT&T Park."

While the west side of California Memorial Stadium is being retrofitted and renovated, the Bears will have to vacate the 87-year-old venue, and have, for the past several months, been working with all three major professional sports venues in the Bay Area, and finally settled on the Giants' ball yard as the temporary home away from home. The last time that Cal took the field at the China Basin stadium was on Dec. 27, 2008, when the Bears faced off against Miami in the Emerald Bowl.

Barbour, head coach Jeff Tedford as well as Giants President-and Cal alum-Larry Baer each addressed the media, with Baer sporting a blue shirt and a gold tie. Baer led off his address with a hearty, "Go Bears!"

"I'm excited to have Cal football here for 2011," Baer said. "This has been very exciting, a couple of years in the making, as the renovations at Memorial Stadium were coming to fruition, and the plan was put together. This has been the product of a lot of hard work, and we really appreciate the careful due diligence by Sandy and her staff, and Jeff on the football side, have taken to analyze the decision and to put together this partnership.

"From our standpoint, it's the coming together of two venerable institutions, and, in many ways, for us, it's a neighborly act. We do not plan on being a football venue, long-term, every year, but certainly, if we can help out, if we can help the University of California in 2011 in a way that allows for a compelling football experience for the fans, we believe that we can offer Cal, and Cal's fans, an intimate experience, a loud experience for football and an exciting experience."

Baer mentioned that the use of a Major League Baseball stadium for football was not an unprecedented event, mentioning the use of both Shea and Yankee Stadiums for gridiron action in the past and Chicago's Wrigley Field's history of Chicago Bears games and the scheduling of a Big Ten game this fall.

"On the scheduling front, we will be honest and say that there is a possibility in October-and it's not necessarily something that we would be disappointed in-that we might have to lose a game or two if the Giants qualify for the postseason," Baer said. "But, all of that scheduling, obviously, will be determined as we play baseball in 2011. We will play up to six games of Cal football here in 2011, and we're very excited to do so."

As of now, the home schedule consists of a game against Oregon State on Sept. 24, a game against Washington State on Oct. 15, a game against Arizona on Oct. 29 and a game against USC on Nov. 12. Two out-of-conference games have yet to be scheduled.

Associated Press

The playing field will stretch from the first-base line to left field.

Playing the Field

When the 2011 season comes around, the Bears will vacate Memorial Stadium completely-offices, locker rooms and other facilities have already been moved to the Witter Rugby Field parking lot above the East Rim-and will hold practices on a newly-resurfaced Witter, along with the occasional session across the Bay.

"We hope to make this feel like home, and we're going to get over here a couple of times and have a couple of practices so the players get familiar so this feels like home, and that's important," Tedford said. "(Witter) is going to be turf, and we're finalizing that right now. I have a meeting on Thursday, and we're going to talk about the kind of turf that's going in up there and how long it's going to be there and so on and so forth. There's a lot going on back in Berkeley. We're moving our offices up into trailers; we're re-doing everything. It's exciting that there's a lot happening, and there will be some inconveniences at some turn, but it's all well-worth it."

During the season, Cal will dress in the home locker room, designed for 40 svelte major league baseball players, not the notably-larger 80-plus football players it will have to accommodate. Tedford, for his part, was not worried about space concerns.

"When we played here in the bowl game, it accommodated us pretty well, so I don't have any concerns about that," Tedford said. "We're going to be in that locker room over there (the home locker room), and that's what we did in the bowl game and it all worked fine. It didn't feel cramped or anything."

Another difference between Memorial and AT&T will be the turf itself. For the first time since 2002, Cal will play its home games on natural grass, rather than Momentum Turf.

"This stuff performs really well," Tedford said. "That's one of the questions I asked when we made our little trip out here, was how it drains and so on and so forth, if we happen to get some rain, how it's going to recover, and if you had a real bad game here, if it got tore up pretty bad, how quickly they could replace it, and they feel great about being able to do that. The field guy walked about every inch of this place with me the day that I was out here, so he was very helpful."

While in years past, the Emerald Bowl participants have had to share a sideline with the opposing team, the field of play has been tweaked to allow for two sidelines, with the Bears on the third-base side of the stadium and the visiting teams on the right-center field sideline.

"I believe that the major change will be that the teams will not share a sideline," Baer said. "The opposing teams will face each other on opposite sidelines. We'll be adding some bleachers, and so it will have a capacity of 45,000. This was a fix that was done a couple of years ago, and there will be more space between this (the left field line) end zone and the wall than there had been before."

Another aspect about the venue that had been debated was the size of the playing field, and that it had possibly been shorted by several yards to make it fit. Rest assured, Barbour said, that issue has been addressed, and the field has been "re-jiggered.".

"It will be a true 100 (yards)," Barbour said. "We have actually worked with them, with the Giants, to make some adjustments to both ends, and I know that this end (the right field corner) will be on the warning track, and we actually want to leave it warning track and not put sod over it so that receivers know exactly where they are. We have lengthened the end of the end zones."

Tedford, for his part, saw the big picture when faced with the venue decision, taking into account not only the football side of things, but the fan experience as well, an experience that, Barbour said, would serve as a bridge to what the Cal faithful can expect to see in the remodeled Memorial Stadium.

"It really was more about fan amenities, I think, and accessibility for our fans and for our students, it just felt like it was a lot closer for them to get here, and I think our experience at the bowl game had a lot to do with it," Tedford said. "The feedback from our fans (from the bowl game) was a factor, I think, as far as the experience they had on gameday. That had a lot to do with the decision to come here."

Barbour went even further, acknowledging that the 2008 Emerald Bowl, where the Bears defeated the Hurricanes 24-17, was akin to a large-scale focus group as the athletic department began to weigh options for the 2011 season.

"I think, until the Emerald Bowl, it was really difficult for us to envision what playing football here would be like," Barbour said. "Larry and I had been having discussions at that point, for at least six months or so, and that, for me, personally, and I think for us as a team, really was a, 'Yeah, this could work.' Our fans just loved it. They loved the venue, they love being in the city, they love winning."

Associated Press

AT&T Park will have a football seating capacity of 45,000.

Seating

The 45,000-seat capacity-far less than the current 72,000-seat configuration in Berkeley-will likely mean reduced allotments for opposing teams, and will also mean a premium value on tickets. However, the last few years' average of about 38,000 season tickets should fit comfortably, according to Assistant Athletic Director and media relations director Herb Benenson. Ticket sales for this year were not yet available, but Benenson was confident that the numbers would remain in the 38,000 range. Final numbers will not be available until September.

"In terms of our season-ticket holders, we believe that the 45,000 seating capacity can accommodate our current season-ticket holders," Barbour said. "It will be important to ensure seats in 2011 for our holders in 2010. One of the things that absolutely will be reduced is the visiting team allotments, as well as the various promotions and the other things that we do. Any tickets that will go on sale from a single-game standpoint will obviously be at a premium. Once we determine what that overflow is, I think we can look at other kinds of activities (around campus) that can satisfy the appetite of our fans for Cal football."

As for the Student Section, and the location of the other various sections of fans, discussions are still ongoing.

"We've begun to consider that, but at this point, having just solidified this as our venue, I think it would be premature to point those things out," Barbour said. "We're being compacted a little bit (in the Student Section). I don't have the number in my head. It is commensurate with about what student attendance has been. Having our students is very important. It's one amongst many of the reasons that we chose this venue-because we felt that it was easy for our students to jump on BART, and we'll probably do something from a transportation standpoint. It's less than what we have fully-allotted in the past, but I think it mirrors pretty well what student attendance has been."

In the vein of having AT&T being a stepping-stone to the renovated Memorial Stadium, Barbour said that the luxury suites would be available for fans come 2011.

"The full stadium is going to be available. What we have promised our Endowment Seating holders is that they would have access to the best seats in the house, wherever it was that we were going to play, and try to mimic and bridge to 2012," Barbour said. "I was in one of (the boxes) for the Emerald Bowl, and it was pretty darn good for a pretty darn good football game. From our Emerald Bowl experience, and over the next year, or not-quite year, we'll study the stadium, and we'll probably do some stuff with our fans to figure out what they consider to be the best football seats."

Scheduling

One of the negatives that eliminated the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum from contention was the fact that that facility hosts two professional teams-the Oakland Athletics and the Oakland Raiders.

"There were lots of pro's and con's. The Oakland Coliseum is more proximate to our campus, has a bigger capacity, but they were the one of the three where we would have to deal with two permanent tenants and juggle that logistically," Barbour said. "It was a balance. Would it have been perfect if AT&T had a larger capacity? Of course it would have. But, we'll make it work for a year."

While the Coliseum is more football-friendly, the scheduling conflicts that could ensue were, in the end, too much to navigate.

"The baseball schedule is not out, so we don't know what the turnaround time is, but we do know that we have, with George Costa and our grounds crew, we have a 24-hour turnaround, if need be," Baer said. "We can do it in 24 hours, we've done it before. We've had some football here before in-season back with the other professional leagues like the XFL, so it can be done. As the league puts together the schedule for 2011, they will look at this park like they would look at an NFL facility, and they will make scheduling combinations. But, until the schedule is out, we can't say, specifically, what the turnaround will be, but the league is well-aware of the needs, and we'll be accommodated for what we need."

Asked whether back-loading the road schedule would be a possibility, Tedford said that the program was awaiting a decision on the stadium situation before moving forward with 2011 scheduling.

"We still have a couple of open dates, which we were waiting for this to happen to kind of solidify those dates and those opponents," Tedford said. "There are a couple of things that are in the works right now that should be taken care of here pretty soon. This is the first step to get that finalized."

Ryan Gorcey

The high-definition video board at AT&T should enhance the fan experience with stats and replays.

For several seasons now, the Memorial Stadium scoreboards have been a shadow of their former selves, no longer displaying in-game yardage statistics on the right halves of the north and south boards perched atop the stands. With the 103-foot-wide high-definition video board in center field at AT&T, that could change.

"That's a big-time scoreboard, without a doubt, so I'm sure that it has the flexibility to do pretty much anything," Tedford said. "To me, that's a minor issue. They'll figure out if they have to roll in another one for scores and stats."

As to whether the renovated Memorial will have statistics available, Barbour was non-committal, but with an optimistic undertone.

"That's a technological capacity issue that there wouldn't be here," Barbour said. "It's also a philosophical one. We'll have to wrestle that one to the ground when the time comes."

The Other Contenders

The previously-mentioned Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, as well as the San Francisco 49ers' home at Candlestick Park, were both in the running along with AT&T to house the Bears in 2011.

"You look at all three venues, and they all had plusses and they all had minuses," Barbour said. "I think that (capacity) was really the only significant challenge that AT&T posed, and it was exactly that: it was a balance. It's one year, and there are two factors there: who can't come and the financial model. Both of those had to be considered."

The decrease in seating capacity was, according to Barbour, a sacrifice that had to be made.

"In the end, you have to think about the fact that it is a one-year issue," Barbour said. "We will return to California Memorial Stadium that will have a capacity north of 60,000, and we had to take all of those other things into consideration."

Reaching Out

Moving Cal football across the Bay for a season will allow for the Bears access to a fan base that had heretofore been underutilized. Playing under the lights of a major city was too attractive a prospect to pass up.

"One of the positives on the pro and con list for AT&T was an opportunity to play in a community that we don't necessarily always have a presence in, or be closer to some that we do have a connection with, and have Cal football be a part of, instead of the Bay Area community, part of the San Francisco community," Barbour said.

Transportation

Perhaps the most prominent plus for AT&T Park was its accessibility via multiple avenues of transportation.

"We've got BART, we've got the light rail, we have the ferry coming in from Alameda," Baer said. "Really, this whole venture is designed to make Momo's really happy."

All joking from Baer aside in reference to the popular watering hole across the street from the ballpark, safe transit, particularly for the sudsy crowd, was high on the priority list.

"Yes, certainly, we'll have shuttles for the students, just like the Rose Bowl," Barbour said.

Coach Tedford lifts the Emerald Bowl trophy after defeating Miami on Dec. 27, 2008.

Home Away From Home

Tedford is working hard to make sure that the transition across the Bay Bridge won't affect his players too much, and said that it's not the building that makes the program, but the fans that fill it.

"We're not that far away anyway. We usually stay at the Marina (before games), and that's halfway between Memorial Stadium and here anyway," Tedford said. "I think this will definitely be considered home for us. I don't think that there's going to be any major change where the kids are going to feel discombobulated with where they are or feel like they're on the road, because they're going to have their fans here. The fans are what makes it feel like home."

The 2008 Emerald Bowl gave Tedford a feel for what home games in the new stadium would be like, and he came away with glowing reviews from that cold December night.

"The fans are right on top of you. This is shaped much differently than Memorial Stadium, which is much more spread out. These people are right on top of you," Tedford said. "Usually, I don't hear much in the stadium because I have the double headsets on, but I remember taking my headset off a couple of times during this game, and it was roaring. When we caused that fumble down there in the end zone, when (Zach) Follett hit that guy, this place was rocking. It has the ability to really get loud in here, and that's what you really want for a home field. Hopefully, the tickets are going to be at a premium for people who want to pack the house and get it going, so it'll be a great experience for all of us."

A jubilant Baer threw in his two cents, also.

"The fans will be right on top of you," Baer said to Tedford. "You'll have your back to the Bear Backers! They'll probably be able to hand you plays."

The Most Important Question

One question, the answer to which many Cal fans are sure to await with baited breath, is the question of beer sales. And they will have to wait just a bit longer, though the signs do look promising.

"The degree of the availability of alcohol has not yet been determined," smirked a coy Cal Athletic Director, Sandy Barbour. "All of that was discussed with the Giants, in terms of how we will move forward and I think it really is a true partnership in terms of how the season will go. One of the attractive parts of this was that we will have access to everything that this beautiful stadium has to offer."

Baer said that he has seen the plans for the Memorial Stadium renovations helped with the organization of concessions and stadium amenities.

"It's really our goal to simulate that experience here in 2011, so that Cal fans can take a step towards what they're going to be experiencing in 2012 and beyond," Baer said. "All the amenities-the concessions, the customer service, everything that we try so hard to do-we're going to make sure is up to par with the expectations for the new stadium, come 2012."

Cal Football Hosts Annual Spring Open Practice

Bright spots on both sides of the ball and special teams for Golden Bears.

April 17, 2010

BERKELEY - Both sides of the ball had bright spots when the Cal football team hosted its annual spring open practice on a beautiful morning under clear skies at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. An estimated crowd of 3,000 enjoyed a rare opportunity to take in a Cal football practice. The event was presented by Peterson Tractor as part of the Cal Day festivities that take place on campus each April.

Isi Sofele led the ground game, rushing eight times for 51 yards. DeBoskie-Johnson notched 28 yards on nine carries, while Yarnway also had nine carries and gained 22 yards. Eric Stephens rumbled 43 yards on his only carry, while Trajuan Briggs and Langston Jackson both had three rushes for 19 yards.

Cal opens its 2010 season vs. UC Davis on Saturday, Sept. 4. The upcoming campaign will be the final year with the current configuration of Memorial Stadium and also includes visits from Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA and Washington during a seven-game home schedule.

California 2010 Football Schedule

Day, Date - Opponent (Time, TV)

Sat., Sept. 4 - UC Davis (TBA)

Sat., Sept. 11 - Colorado (TBA)

Fri., Sept. 17 - at Nevada (7 p.m. PT, ESPN2)

*Sat., Sept. 25 - at Arizona (TBA)

*Sat., Oct. 9 - UCLA (TBA)

*Sat., Oct. 16 - at USC (TBA)

*Sat., Oct. 23 - Arizona State (TBA)

*Sat., Oct. 30 - at Oregon State (TBA)

*Sat., Nov. 6 - at Washington State (TBA)

*Sat., Nov. 13 - Oregon (TBA)

*Sat., Nov. 20 - Stanford (TBA)

*Sat., Nov. 27 - Washington (TBA)

April 17 2010

Bears Put on a Show for Cal Day Crowd

Ryan Gorcey

BearTerritory.net Publisher

BERKELEY-Now, we're even.

That declaration on the part of the Cal football team's offense was made loud and clear on Saturday, as the Bears offense put on a show for the Cal Day crowd, tallying seven touchdowns and two field goals and getting the better of the defense for the first time this spring.

"Since our last scrimmage Saturday, and today, that's when we've really started picking it up," said quarterback Kevin Riley. "Before that, the offense was getting our ass kicked. We couldn't do anything. But, the O-line picked it up big-time, and they're picking up these looks and we can execute plays better and the offense is getting more comfortable with both of us (quarterbacks), and that confidence helps us play better."

The bulk of the running back work went to Sofele, who ran nine times for 56 yards despite a barking hip.

"Isi's been playing with a hip pointer," Tedford said. "Hip pointers are very, very painful, and so it was nice to see him step out a little bit today and make a couple runs. He's been playing with a hip pointer for about a week and a half now." The next most prolific back was Covaughn Deboskie-Johnson, who, before talking about his day, took time to sing the praises of Sofele. "He makes plays. When it comes down to it, Isi Sofele makes plays," Deboskie-Johnson said. "There are always negatives with people, but when it comes to him, at the end of the day, he makes plays. That's all I've got to say about him, I mean, you all saw him. That's Isi."

Deboskie-Johnson carried the rock eight times for 17 yards. Deboskie-Johnson also had two catches for 13 yards despite the precautionary cast on his now-healed right wrist. The Arizona native suffered a minor fracture at the beginning of last year, and playing the whole season caused ligament damage. Though it healed before spring ball started, the staff had him wear a temporary cast as a precaution.

"Man, this cast is like my new hand now," Deboskie-Johnson laughed. "I did it all last season in practice, so the cast's like second-nature to me now." Asked as to whether playing without the cast would feel strange now, Deboskie-Johnson couldn't have been more adamant in his desire to get the darn thing off. "Um, no!" he said playfully. "I'm going to be so happy when I get this thing off. I can't wait until I can just hold the ball in my right hand again, and stiff someone with my left arm." Dasarte Yarnway saw action mostly in short-yardage situations, utilizing his powerful, bruising running style for 27 yards on seven attempts, including two touchdowns.

Most impressive, though, was Langston Jackson, who carried the ball three times for 21 yards and looks like a dark horse candidate to get at least some meaningful snaps next season.

Dennis Johnson Elected to Hoops Hall of Fame

Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information

Release: 04/05/2010

ESPN Boston Story on Dennis Johnson

Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics

MALIBU, Calif. - The late Dennis Johnson, a one-time Pepperdine standout and former NBA great, received basketball's highest honor on Monday when it was announced that he has been elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2010 - which also includes Jerry Buss, Cynthia Cooper, Bob Hurley Sr., Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Gus Johnson, Maciel "Ubiratan" Pereira and the 1960 and 1992 USA Olympic basketball teams - will be inducted on August 13 in Springfield, Mass.

Johnson spent two years at Harbor Junior College before transferring to Pepperdine for the 1975-76 school year, and as a starting guard he helped lead the Waves to one of their most successful seasons in school history. As a junior, he was second on the team with 15.7 points while also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists and was named to the All-West Coast Athletic Conference first team. He helped Pepperdine to a 22-6 record, first place in the WCAC and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Waves defeated Memphis in the first round before losing to UCLA in the regional semifinals. Pepperdine ranked #20 in the final Associated Press poll that year.

He bypassed his senior year to turn professional, and was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in the second round of the 1976 NBA Draft (29th overall). He played with Seattle for four seasons (1977-80) and was the MVP of the 1979 NBA Finals as the Sonics won the championship. He went on to play with the Phoenix Suns for three seasons (1981-83) and is probably best remembered for his seven-season tenure with the Boston Celtics (1984-90). He won two more NBA titles with the Celtics (1984 and 1986) as the starting point guard.

Johnson was voted onto five All-Star teams, and made one All-NBA first team (1981) and one All-NBA second team (1980). Known as one of the league's top defensive stoppers, he was selected to nine consecutive All-Defensive first or second teams from 1979-87.

In 1,100 games over his 14-year career, Johnson scored 15,535 points, grabbed 4,249 rebounds and passed out 5,499 assists, equating to career averages of 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. At his retirement, Johnson was only the 11th NBA player to amass more than 15,000 points and 5,000 assists.

The Celtics would retire his #3 jersey in 1991. At one time, Larry Bird called Johnson the best teammate he ever had. Johnson went into coaching after his playing days and at one point served as the interim head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. He was the head coach of the Austin Toros in the NBA Development League when he passed away on February 22, 2007, at the age of 52. Johnson was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981. More information on the enshrinement ceremony can be found at http://www.hoophall.com/.

Men's Basketball Signs 7-Footer Jan Maehlen

Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 04/19/2010

MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine men's basketball team's frontline just got a lot bigger as the Waves have signed 7-foot, 330-pound Jan Maehlen to a national letter-of-intent, head coach Tom Asbury announced today. Maehlen attends Ironwood Ridge High School in Tucson, Ariz., and will be a freshman for Pepperdine in the 2010-11 season.
"Jan can get the ball and score with his back to the basket," Asbury said. "He's got a good feel for the game. He's a better athlete than his body shows. With the low post offensive production we've had, he could be a featured player. We'll see him come in and play as a freshman. He'll be a big contributor, we just don't know how soon. He's a smart kid and a very serious student, and he fits in well with the other players we've got."

Maehlen bears a certain resemblance to former Santa Clara big man and 2009 West Coast Conference Player of the Year John Bryant, and the Waves' coaching staff hopes that Maehlen's career can have a similar trajectory as he gets into shape.

"We hope it plays out that way," Asbury said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he gets more playing time than John Bryant did early in his career. We hope Jan is as good as we anticipate. His weight, conditioning and diet will be huge. He's a little heavier than he needs to be. He needs to lose about 25 pounds to be effective. We think he'll be at his best around 290 pounds."

Maehlen averaged around 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots for Ironwood Ridge as a senior and shot 57% from the field. His best scoring game was 29 points against Tucson High School. He was named to the Arizona Republic's 5A all-state honorable mention squad while also earning all-league and all-region first team honors. The Nighthawks went 22-9, won their league title and made the quarterfinals of Arizona's 5A Division II Tournament.

Maehlen was born in Germany but moved to Indiana with his family at the age of 8, and only after that did he begin playing the game. He attended basketball powerhouse Lawrence North High School of Indianapolis, but because of a glut of Division I prospects on that team, he spent most of his junior season on the junior varsity. Due to his father's job, his family moved to Tucson prior to his senior year.

"Jan's best days are ahead of him," Ironwood Ridge Coach Brian Peabody said. "As he keeps the weight off and gets in better shape, the sky's the limit. Being under Pepperdine's care will do him a world of good. Give him a couple of years at Pepperdine and he'll reach his potential. He's very knowledgeable, very smart, and anything you try to teach him, he picks it up. A lot of big men have trouble with that. He knows the game inside and out and he knows where to be offensively and defensively.

"He was at a really good high school (in Indiana) with nine D-1 guys in front of him and never got thrown the ball. We did exactly the opposite. We played him every minute and threw him the ball inside every time down the floor. He made great strides in a short amount of time. To see him at the beginning of the season to a few months later, you wouldn't have recognized him. He understands the game very well. The only thing holding him back right now is his conditioning."

Maehlen is looking forward to becoming a Wave. "It's the combination of everything," he said. "The coaches are great. I really liked the players I met. The facilities are nice. From an academic standpoint, it's an amazing place. So it's the combination of everything I wanted that makes this a perfect place for me. I want to be a valuable part of the team. I want to help take this team as far as it can go. I'm going to work as hard as I can to do that."

CALIFORNIA SPRING TEAM REPORT AND A LITTLE PEPP

2010-04-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

California Team Report

Yahoo! Sports

Mar 25, 1:40 am EDT

INSIDE SLANT

Entering 2010, expectations will be lower than they were for 2009, and that might be a good thing for the Bears. Cal failed to match its potential last season in a disappointing 8-5 season.

Because Cal achieved less than its talent should have afforded, coach Jeff Tedford is focusing as much on individual toughness as he is on schemes and position changes this spring.

After reviewing the up-and-down 2009 season, which began with three encouraging wins and thoughts of a Rose Bowl and ended with two discouraging losses and a sixth-place finish, Tedford decided the Bears players just did not compete hard enough in their one-on-one battles with opponents. And to win as a team, you have to win key individual matchups.

Toward that end, Tedford is making nearly everything a competition this spring, whether on-campus scavenger hunts, or rewards and penalties for performance in one-on-one drills in practice. The team just needs to be better at beating the man across the line, which means more scratching and clawing and toughness to get every individual advantage.

In that vein, Tedford has opened up the competition for the starting quarterback spot, even though Kevin Riley will be back after starting all 13 games last season. Riley admittedly was inconsistent last season, often faltering when opposing defenses mounted a pass rush, and the Bears’ success and failure seemed to correlate directly with how well Riley played. Tedford hopes that making Riley compete to hold on to his job will translate into a better competitiveness in each game during the 2010 season.

The departure of Jahvid Best to the NFL is the loss that gets the most attention, but with Shane Vereen back to capably fill the tailback spot, the more significant losses were defensive end Tyson Alualu and cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson.

In fact, the defense in general is the biggest issue for Cal this spring. This will be the first spring under Tedford in which Bob Gregory will not be the defensive coordinator. Gregory left in February, reportedly for personal reasons, and joined to staff at Nevada, and Tedford hired Clancy Pendergast, who was the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator when they went to the Super Bowl two years ago.

He has the chore of improving a defense that did a poor job of defending the pass last season, and he will have to do it despite the loss of Cal’s best cover man (Thompson) and best pass-rusher (Alualu). Two things about Pendergast make him a good fit. First of all, he has a reputation for working well with defensive backs, and the Bears’ secondary, which was problem last season, faces even greater challenges now. Second, Pendergast employs a more attacking style of defense than Gregory did, and Tedford had suggested often last season that Cal needed to put more pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Pendergast also needs to find several new linebackers for the 3-4 defense, and he might have to wait until next fall and the arrival of some highly-rated freshmen to find some starters there.

Adjusting to a new defensive coordinator will be a major aspect of spring practice, which is split into two segments. The first segment of five practices ended March 19, and the second session, following spring break, will begin March 30.

NOTES, QUOTES

Spring Objectives: Although four starters in the offensive line return, there will be a lot of juggling of positions to find the best positions for each. Matt Summers-Gavin, for example, was a starting right guard last season, but has spent some of spring playing left tackle.

The quarterback position is the one that is most in need of improvement, and Kevin Riley will have to fight to retain his No. 1 spot in competition with No. 2 quarterback Beau Sweeney and No. 3 Brock Mansion. Even if Riley wins that battle as expected, he needs to improve his mechanics and his ability to perform in the face of a pass rush.

On defense the battle for the two cornerback spots will be heated and significant. Cal would love for Darian Hagan to re-emerge as a starting cornerback after he won the job at the beginning of last season. But his playing time declined as the season wore on as his on-field play worsened and his off-field actions retarded his progress. Josh Hill and Bryant Nnabufie began the spring as the starting corners, but neither is secure in his position. Opponents simply hammered the side opposite Thompson all season long, and none of the other corners reacted well to the ball in the air.

Three of the four linebacker spots are open around inside backer Mike Mohamed, and any one of a number of players are fighting for those spots. That competition will continue into the fall.

Finding a new starting fullback and backups at wide receiver and tailback are also significant issues, but not as significant as the concerns at defensive back.

Building Blocks: Shane Vereen showed his value when he started the final four games of the season after Jahvid Best sustained a concussion. In fact, some believe the Bears were better with Vereen as their No. 1 tailback. He averaged 141.5 yards over those four games, and showed durability as well.

Kevin Riley showed flashes of being a good Pac-10 quarterback, but he also had days in which he gave games away. He has the tools, and the Bears are hoping it all falls into place in his senior season. The team’s success will depend on how well Riley performs. In any case, he will need to produce a lot of points, because the defense is likely to be young, inconsistent and vulnerable.

Inside linebacker Mike Mohamed was an all-conference player last season and led the Pac-10 in tackles. A versatile player who can stop the run, get a sack or intercept a pass, Mohamed’s best attribute is his intuition and a ability to make big plays, something the bears need more. But he will be surrounded by inexperienced linebackers.

DE Cameron Jones has the look of a star, and he could be as dominating as Tyson Alualu was last season if things fall into place. For one thing, the Bears need to do something to prevent Jones from being double teamed as much as he was last season. That will require production from the outside linebackers, and that position is unsettled.

Safety Sean Cattouse needs to act as the anchor for a secondary, which is the key to the defense but which also has serious questions at both cornerback spots.

Quote To Note: “Something needs to happen. I need to play better for us to win games. (Coach Jeff Tedford) is just giving the other guys an opportunity if I don’t step up. It definitely keeps me motivated.”—QB Kevin Riley, to the Contra Costa Times, about understanding why he has to win his job again despite starting all 13 games in 2009.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

2010 Outlook: Cal should be able to score points if QB Kevin Riley improves his consistency. But with all the questions on defense, including a new defensive coordinator, it appears the Bears will be expected to finish in the middle of the Pac-10 and are unlikely to get a preseason ranking. The Bears are expecting a lot from their highly-rated recruiting class, and several of those players could be starters by the end of next season. If they can fill a number of holes, the Bears could exceed expectations, but the problems in the secondary probably preclude a conference title. The most significant of the Cal schedule changes for 2010 was moving the game against Stanford from Dec. 4 to Nov. 20.

Top Newcomers:

RB Trajuan Briggs—A freshman who enrolled at Cal during the winter, Briggs de-committed from USC late in the recruiting process before signing with Cal. The Bears like to use two tailbacks and the competition for the second running back behind Shane Vereen is wide open. Some say Briggs reminds them of Marshawn Lynch, but Briggs is not as big as Lynch yet.

RB Dasartay Yarnway—The highly regarded back redshirted 2009 as a freshman because of injuries, but he should get playing time in 2010.

Roster Report:

• RB Shane Vereen was pretty beat up after last season, and is not expected to get much work in the spring. He came out of the season with a meniscus tear in his knee as well as shoulder and rib problems.

Running Backs

Coach - Ron Gould

Trajuan Briggs (Fr., TB), Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson (Jr., TB), Nico Dumont (RFr., FB), Will Kapp (Jr., FB), Isi Sofele (So., TB), Eric Stevens (So., FB), John Tyndall (Jr., FB), Shane Vereen (Jr., TB), Dasarte Yarnway (RFr., TB), Langston Jackson

The Bears lost both of their 2009 backfield starters with the departures of TB Jahvid Best and FB Brian Holley but are confident they can replace the productive duo. Best started 19 of the 31 contests he competed in during three seasons at Cal. He earned a second-team All-American selection by College Football News and the second of his two first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a 2008 sophomore when he rushed for 1,580 yards (No. 2 on Cal's single-season list) and a school-record-tying 15 rushing touchdowns. He finished his career ranked tied for third on Cal's all-time list for rushing TDs (29), as well as tied for fourth in total TDs (39) and seventh in rushing yards (2,668).

Shane Vereen, who started the final four games last season after Best suffered a season-ending injury against Oregon State on Nov. 7, is most likely his heir apparent at tailback. Vereen earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors last season despite coming off the bench to spell Best for most of the season's first nine games. He finished as the team's leading rusher with 952 yards on 183 carries (5.2 ypr) and equaled Best's 12 rushing touchdowns. Vereen had a career day to lead the Bears to a Big Game win at Stanford, carrying the ball 42 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 566 yards on 108 carries after taking as the team's starter.

Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson (31 rushes, 226 yards, 1 TD) and Isi Sofele (12 rushes, 82 yards, 1 TD) saw limited action in 2009 but are expected to compete for a spot alongside Vereen for a Cal rushing attack that has traditionally shared the bulk of the workload between two tailbacks. Trajuan Briggs, Langston Jackson and Dasarte Yarnway are the team's other tailbacks this spring and should get a good look with one of Tedford's primary spring goals developing a complimentary player to Vereen. Both Briggs and Yarnway missed their respective 2009 seasons with injuries, with the early enrollee Briggs going down with an ankle injury in an early season prep game and Yarnway suffering a knee injury during training camp of his true freshmen season.

Pepperdine picks up pieces and rebuilds

By DEREK SEDAM

Published: Thursday, April 8, 2010

The men’s basketball team is looking for a fresh start with familiar faces this summer, and really, the only way is up.

After a dismal two-and-a-half months of West Coast Conference (WCC) play, in which the young Waves (7-24, 3-11) lost their last 12 games by an average of 17.8 points a contest, the season mercifully came to an end. They suffered defeat in their first-round WCC Tournament game, a lost to rival Loyola Marymount, 87-84.

“We were extremely disappointed in how some of the older, veteran guys finished the season,” Associate Head Coach Marty Wilson said. “We should have shot the ball and defended better in terms of one-on-one matchups. It was individual pride that let us down at the end of the season.”

According to kenpom.com, a top and influential basketball rating Web site, Pepperdine finished the season ranked 289th out of a possible 347 teams this season. The Waves were near the bottom in turnover ratio, effective defensive field goal percentage (both 330th) and effective offensive field goal percentage (322th). Pepperdine was also one of the youngest teams in Division I (318th).

As a team, the Waves shot 39.4 percent for the year and 34 percent from three-point range— although a 1 percent improvement from last year, good only for last place in the WCC.

“We didn’t use the ‘youth’ excuse this year,” Wilson said. “It was more inexperience than anything else on our team.”

There were some post-season bright spots. Sophomore guard Keion Bell had one of the better statistical seasons for the Waves in recent memory, averaging 18.3 points, five rebounds and 3.2 assists in all 31 games this season. Those numbers were good enough for an All-WCC honorable mention, along with junior swingman Mychel Thompson.

Playing abroad and summer plans

The Waves will travel to Italy for 10 days at the beginning of May to start the summer offseason program. Basketball programs are allowed a trip overseas every four years— the Vance Walberg-led Waves took a trip to Switzerland in 2006. The team also gets an extra 10 practice days to prepare for the trip, which will be a good gauge for where the team is to start the offseason, Wilson said.

“Hopefully we’ll get a good taste of competition with some of the older teams [in Italy],” Wilson said. “It will be a good experience for us to practice before and get back on the court.”

After the trip, most players will stay close to campus and enroll in summer school, Wilson said. While the coaches cannot directly work with the players, they will still have specific offseason workout plans and basketball drills the coaches can monitor.

“This offseason, we need to get tougher mentally, individually and as a team,” Wilson said. “We focused a lot on getting physically stronger last summer, but we need to change the team’s mindset so that everything is competitive.”

A majority of the players will also compete in one of two Los Angeles-based college summer leagues. Last summer, Bell led one of the leagues in scoring, while Thompson and sophomore guard Lorne Jackson also performed well.

The leagues only allow two same-college players per team, and the usually high-scoring games feature very little defense, Wilson said.

“The summer leagues are both good and bad for our guys,” Wilson said. “It’s a five-on-five game of one-on-one.”

‘Harold’-ed recruit

The Waves are returning every player from last season, so only one new face can join them, and it’s a good one. Six-foot-7 Pasadena native Hector Harold committed to the Waves early on in his senior year. Harold is a top-50 small forward in the 2010 class, according to recruiting Web sites Scouts, Inc. and Scouts.com.

“[Harold] is a very good all-around player,” Wilson said. “He’s not great at anything but very good [at] everything.”

Harold played his final two years of high school back East at Northfield Mount Hermon High School, a preparatory school in Connecticut, where he averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game. “The fact that he is from Southern California made it easy for us to get him,” Wilson said. “He wanted to be close to home and out of the snow back east.”

Offensive lineman Langston Walker re-signs with Oakland Raiders

By Steve Corkran

Oakland Tribune

Posted: 04/02/2010 08:20:35 PM PDT

The Raiders brought back offensive lineman Langston Walker on Friday in a move that gives coach Tom Cable another option to replace Cornell Green at right tackle.Walker, 30, joined the Raiders on Oct. 14 after being released by Buffalo and appeared in seven games.

Walker, 6-foot-8 and 365 pounds, was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft and started 33 games through the 2007 season. He spent the 2008 and '09 seasons with the Bills.

Walker, a graduate of Bishop O'Dowd High and Cal, is expected to compete for the vacancy created by Green signing with the Bills along with Khalif Barnes and Erik Pears.

DAY 4: Cal Practices in Full Pads for First Time this Spring

2010-03-23T01:59:00.000-07:00

Cal Practices in Full Pads for First Time this SpringAction heats up on warm afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

Head coach Jeff Tedford took the Bears through their first practice in full pads this spring on Thursday.
Football Home

March 19, 2010
BERKELEY - Cal conducted its first practice of the spring in full pads Thursday as action heated up with hard hits and spirited play during a workout on a gorgeous warm afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
"We had some good hits out there today," said head coach Jeff Tedford when speaking to media members after the workout. "We cut them loose a little bit and guys were flying around."
The practice included a couple of extended full team sessions with two long scoring drives highlighting the latter.

The Golden Bears will be out of action during spring break before returning for the fifth of 15 spring practices on Tuesday, Mar. 30. Cal will open its final season with the current configuration of Memorial Stadium in 2010 on Saturday, Sept. 4 vs. UC Davis. Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA and Washington will also visit Memorial Stadium this season to complete the Bears' seven-game home schedule.

Ryan GorceyBearTerritory.net PublisherBERKELEY-Thursday was the first time this spring that the Cal football team strapped on the pads and got to go full-speed ahead at one another, and when you're talking hard hits, you have to talk defense.That's just what BearTerritory did yesterday evening in a conversation with the Bears' new defensive coordinator, Clancy Pendergast, who has wasted no time getting elbow-deep with the Cal defenders

"You can put them on the field and they're not making little mistakes-wrong formations, wrong huddle calls, not sending guys in motion, sending guys in motion that they're not supposed to-all those things, it's slowed down for them a little bit," Tedford said. "There's a lot to comprehend at that position, and so now that they have a better grasp on it, they're able to do the little things. They're not panicking. I think that's the thing. Their eyes don't come down. When they take off, their eyes are still downfield. When you're young and the rush comes at you, you're eyes are down looking to run. Now, their eyes are downfield looking to make a play. That's a big sign of experience and them being comfortable."

Bell Earns All-District Second Team HonorsCourtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 03/17/2010

2010 NABC All-District Release

MALIBU, Calif. - Sophomore guard Keion Bell of the Pepperdine men's basketball team has been named to the All-District 9 second team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the organization announced earlier this week.
In 31 games, Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) led Pepperdine with averages of 18.5 points, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 31.5 minutes and was second on the team with 5.1 rebounds. He ranks second in the West Coast Conference in scoring, seventh in steals, eighth in assists and 15th in rebounding.

Bell, who was also named All-WCC honorable mention, scored in double-figures in 26 of 31 games, scored 20 or more points 15 times and topped the 30-point mark twice.
The NABC All-District 9 first team consisted of Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga), Elias Harris (Gonzaga), Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara), Dior Lowhorn (San Francisco) and Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's). In addition to Bell, the second team included T.J. Campbell (Portland), Mickey McConnell (Saint Mary's), T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State) and Robin Smeulders (Portland). District 9 is made up of the West Coast Conference and the Big West Conference.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK — Lorne Jackson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in victories over Santa Clara and San Francisco. Mychel Thompson shared the award the previous week, giving Pepperdine two WCC Player of the Week honors in the same season for the first time since 2004-05.

Men's Basketball Advances To Sweet 16 With 75-68 Win Over No. 2 VillanovaCourtesy: Associated Press
Release: 03/20/2010

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -Omar Samhan was an unstoppable Gael force.
His career isn't over yet - and neither is Saint Mary's NCAA tournament run as the Gaels are improbably headed to the round of 16.
Samhan played the game of his career on basketball's biggest stage, finishing with 32 points and seven rebounds to lead 10th-seeded Saint Mary's past Villanova 75-68 on Saturday and on to Houston for the South Regional's Sweet 16.

Gonzaga Stumbles Against Syracuse, 87-65
The Orange move on to play Butler on March 25.

Elias Harris led Gonzaga with 24 points.Men's Basketball Home

March 21, 2010
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Wes Johnson scored a career-high 31 points and pulled down 14 rebounds and Andy Rautins added 24 points as Syracuse hit a dozen 3-pointers to stun Gonzaga 87-65 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Syracuse's storybook season - the Orange were unranked before the season and made it to No. 1 for the final week before losing to Georgetown in the Big East tournament - continues on Thursday. The Orange (30-4), the top seed in the West Regional, will play fifth-seeded Butler (30-4) in Salt Lake City.
Gonzaga (27-7) was trying to become the second team from the West Coast Conference to shock the Big East - WCC tournament champ St. Mary's stunned second-seeded Villanova on Saturday - but they were no match for the Orange.

SPRING PRACTICE IS HERE!

2010-03-14T00:21:00.000-08:00

Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Simi Valley, CA
High School: Simi Valley HS
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 238
Position:TB
Experience: SQ

2009: A member of the team but did not see any game action.
2008: Redshirted ... did not play.
HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year varsity starter who twice earned Team MVP honors ... rated No. 89 among the nation's running backs ... also a two-time All-Marmonte League selection as well as an All-County honoree as a senior when he rushed 230 times for 1,225 yards and 16 touchdowns after a 988-yard campaign with 10 TDs as a junior ... caught a combined 32 passes for 287 yards in his final two seasons ... also served as his team's punter, averaging 33.7 yards per punt as a senior.
PERSONAL: Full name is Langston R. Jackson ... born May 14, 1990 ... major is undeclared.
LAST UPDATED: March 8, 2010June 8, 2007
Cali back gets first offer
Dan Sorensen UteZone.com
The summer got off to a good start for Langston Jackson, a 6-foot-1 inch 200 pound running back from Simi Valley (Calif.) High School. He's gearing up for a successful senor campaign and just received his first Division I scholarship offer. The Utes for their part are looking to add depth to the running back corps and are looking to bring in at least two more in the '08 class.

July 25, 2007
Jackson plans NW visitGarrett Rudolph UDubSports.com
Langston Jackson already has an offer on the table from Utah, and could be on the verge of getting his first offers from the Pac-10. Washington, Oregon and California are the biggest schools paying attention to him, while Fresno State and UNLV have also shown some interest.

September 17, 2007
Simi Valley back turning headsThomas CellaUteZone.comThe Utes are looking to bring in two running backs with this class, and one such target is a young rusher out of Simi Valley (Calif.) named Langston Jackson. A relatively unknown commodity at this point, Jackson is poised to make some noise on the recruiting scene now with a breakout performance to start the season last week.

October 22, 2007Simi Valley back heating upDan SorensenUteZone.com
Simi Valley (Calif.) running back Langston Jackson has spent a lot of his senior season flying under the recruiting radar. However, the talented back is starting to turn heads, and the PAC 10 is taking notice. Do the Utes fall in Jackson's future plans? Click here to find out.

October 25, 2007
Jackson adds another offer
Cleodis FloydUDubSports.com
Langston Jackson has recently gained another scholarship offer. With Utah already offering, Utah State has decided to offer. Jackson has been having a great senior year so far. Many of the Pac-10 schools have been waiting to see his senior film.
2010 Cal Football Analysis - OffenseMonday, February 15, 2010

Ladies & Gents - your 2010 California Golden Bears on offense:Key losses from the 2009 roster:
Jahvid Best was one of the most electrifying players in memory. The loss of Jahvid to the NFL is offset by the emergence of Shane Vereen. Coach Ludwig is going to need other players step up on offense to complement Vereen's running attack. Marvin Jones and Anthony Miller may be close.
What is really going to be missed about this group of outgoing seniors is blocking. Nyan Boateng and Verran Tucker were fine downfield blockers. Skylar Curran and Brian Holley were unsung heroes of the 2009 team protecting Kevin Riley and opening up running lanes for Jahvid and Shane. Skylar had a memorable Senior Day game, catching a key TD against the AZ Wildcats. Brian should have received more attention for the job he did stepping into the shoes of Will Ta'ufo'ou.
Immediate needs: More playmakers besides Vereen in the passing game
2010 Season eligibility map:
via lh4.ggpht.com
Eligibility data and depth chart are taken from the active Cal roster (updated late
Looking ahead to the 2012 season (dotted box), the Cal offense will have discontinuities at WR and FB. Ross, Jones, Alex Lagemann, and Michael Calvin will graduate or depart by 2012. RB has the most depth for 2010 with Vereen, Covaughn Deboskie-Johnson, Isi Sofele, and Dasarte Yarnway, QB, OL and TE depth are staggered to add more depth in recruiting cycles.
Future needs: WRs, FBs
Now we are ready to discuss how Tedford & Co met needs with 2010 Golden Bears on offense.
Playmakers: It appears that the coaching staff has purposely recruited for speed at the WR position (LINK). Coleman Edmond (CGB interview), Tevin Carter, and Kaelin Clay are capable track stars with excellent speed. In his Signing Day press conference, Tedford told us that yards after catch was a special emphasis during recruiting. The 2010 WR class should be a big step toward addressing the need for new playmakers in the passing game.
Marvin Jones appears to have a starting WR spot locked down. Edmond, Carter, Allen, Montgomery, and Clay will compete against the incumbents of J Ross, Loggy, and Calvin. Spencer Hagan and Charles Satchell are big receivers currently sitting on the depth chart. Edmond may be most ready to contribute from the 2010 class both at WR and special teams with his physicality and toughness (highlights). Keenan Allen appears to have excellent hands and ball skills. I would speculate that if the 2010 WR recruits do not want to redshirt, they need to stand out in learning routes and downfield blocking.
Another consideration is Isi Sofele, a potential breakout player already on the squad. Word is that Isi is staying at RB and not moving to WR (LINK). His speed and elusiveness at the punt/kick returner position should add more intrigue to Spring Practice with the new Special Teams/Tight Ends Coach Jeff Genyk. Personally, I would like to see another punt/kick returner from the 2010 class on special teams to spell relief for J Ross. Maybe if J Ross does less he'll hold onto more passes in 2010.
More WRs: The group of Carter, Allen, Montgomery, and Clay all have different styles of play. ttgiang15's fine analyses on Edmond, Montgomery, and Clay (LINK, LINK, LINK) are worth the time to go over. It's fascinating how Montgomery creates separation between himself and defenders on tape because he is not the fastest, strongest, and tallest guy on the field. He doesn't shy away from contact which should help him lining up in the slot. Tevin Carter (HL) already looks like a young Randy Moss on tape, creating match-up problems with his size and speed.
I have not been able to find more highlights on Keenan Allen (HL). He doesn't look to have the speed of Carter or Clay, but has good vision and quickness to make cuts that take advantage of open spaces. His length is going to bother a lot of DBs in redzone situations, almost like $C's Dwayne Jarrett.Other positions: Austin Hinder (HL) and Jacob Wark (HL) are prospects who should provide more competition and depth. Hinder is a work-in-progress. Because of his slim physical statue, Hinder is almost 100% sure to redshirt. The comparison of Wark to Craig Stevens is fair. As Tedford described, Wark doesn't go down immediately after contact and is "violent" after the catch.
No FB was recruited this year. There are two possible interpretations. Eric Stevens is someone Tedford had made a note of before (LINK), and Langston Jackson could move back to FB. In general though FB doesn't seem to be a priority in Tedford & Co's overall recruiting. We could be fine with Stevens or Jackson competing for a starting spot in 2012.Tedford & Co added a trio of OLs in Chris Adcock (Sr, Jr HLs), Alex Croswaithe (HL), and Geoffrey Gibson (HL). Gibson is somewhat less heralded compared to Adcock and Croswaithe. He is another strong physical presence who controls the point of attack and sustains his blocks well. Coach Marshall should be happy about the talent he gets to develop along with RS FRs of Charles Ragland, Charles Siddoway, and Mark Brazinski.
Projecting the 2012 season:
via lh4.ggpht.com
The 2012 eligibility map assumes the RS FRs and 2010 class (in blue letters) all become major contributors. Many things can happen - players leaving early for the NFL, injuries, redshirts, etc. I am only projecting what I believe will most likely take place.
I think Sofele becomes a change-of-pace RB to complement the more powerful backs of DeBoskie-Johnson/Yarnway/Briggs. Briggs is "greenshirting" and should participate in Spring Practice staring March 6th. If Briggs can't climb up the depth chart ahead of DeBo and Yarnway, I think he redshirts in 2010 and seeks an extra year to distinguish himself in the same manner as Justin Forsett. Adcock, Crosthwaite, and Gibson will probably all redshirt like the OLs in the 2009 class besides Brian Schwenke.
The 2012 QB is going to be the biggest concern. If Beau Sweeney doesn't seize control of the starting QB position in 2010 or 2011, Zach Maynard could emerge as an option (HT dballisloose). Allan Bridgford & Hinder should also be in the mix for 2012. WRs are more difficult to project. Keenan Allen probably won't redshirt because of his versatility as a WR and nickelback in pass coverage. There isn't enough video evidence supporting that Carter can beat more powerful and speedy CBs in the Pac-10 who will want to jam him at the line and knock him off his route. I would think Carter redshirts along with Montgomery and Clay.
Final thoughts: Rather than focusing on individual talent, I think it's more important to take the team approach to evaluate recruiting classes. Tedford & Co's job is to put the most competitive team on the field year in and year out. 5-star talents would be great if they want to fit in and excel in the system. The 2010 class of the Golden Bears meets the team's needs and sets up Tedford & Co with talent and depth on offense for the 2012 season when Memorial Stadium reopens. FB seems to be the only position not addressed the 2010 recruiting. The history of Will Ta'ufo'ou and Brian Holley would suggest that Tedford & Co seems to prefer a developmental process for FBs. Regarding the lack of a LT in 2010 recruiting, the eligibility maps show that there is enough depth in development on the OL for a LT candidate to emerge through competition in 2010 and 2012. Granted, it would have been great to obtain the services of Arie Kouandjio or Roszell Gayden, but Tedford & Co systematically replenish the team with new recruits. 2011 scholarship offers have already gone out to Cyrus Kouandjio (LINK) and Christian Westerman (LINK). I am sure we are going to hear more.What are your thoughts looking ahead to 2010 and 2012? Chris Nguon BearTerritory.net Staff WriterTo put it bluntly, the Cal offense struggled in goal-line and short yardage situations last season. Sometimes, the ball carrier didn't run through the correct hole while other times, as Bears coach Jeff Tedford simply stated, "we needed to block better." For this year's corps of running backs, the name of the game is speed. And while athletes likes Jahvid Best and his compatriots can certainly lay a shoulder into a defender if needed, one player who might indeed help Cal's short yardage game down the line is walk-on Langston Jackson, a late add to the current roster.
Jackson is a nice add to the current Cal roster. Standing at a stout 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, the former Simi Valley (Calif.) High standout has been trying to acclimate himself with his new surroundings. Jackson held offers from Utah and Utah State leading up to National Signing Day in February but didn't find himself on a college roster when so many other athletes signed on the dotted line. Jackson kept pounding the phones however, and eventually caught up with Cal running backs coach Ron Gould, who decided to take Jackson on-board."Coach Gould had faith in me so I'm going to go out here and try to prove myself," Jackson said. "I got in contact with him before and then I called him again afterwards after Signing Day passed. I came up after that to a practice and watched everything. I liked what I saw."Jackson has received a couple reps here and there during the summer sessions this past week. While his road to Cal was much different than the scholarship athletes of the 2008 class, Jackson now finds himself in the same boat as his current class. Jackson has some impressive highlights in high school.YouTube video: Jackson lowers the boom"I love our team this year. I really think we are going to be good this year and I want to be a part of that," Jackson said. "Getting the plays down is rough. It's confusing. But it's fun."So what about his game stands out the most?"I can hit," Jackson concluded. "The coaches want me to play running back. My last year in high school I became more of a shifty 'back so I can be a power guy and a speed guy."Chris Nguon is the lead football writer for BearTerritory. He's well known for his recruiting and game coverage in the star-studded Oakland Athletic League, plus his numerous contributions with The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley's only independent, student-run newspaper. Nguon is also a correspondent with the Oakland Tribune, and will cover Cal football and basketball in 2008.Our Bus is Langston Jackson
Langston Jackson is the one who stands out in fall camp as a short yardage back; the guy is absolutely huge, but with quick feet and agility. Diagnosis? Put him in at 3rd and 1.
I thought Debo was much bigger since I heard he put on a lot of extra muscle during the off-season. I was very high on him…until I saw him at the spring game. He doesn’t look any bigger than Vereen and was stuffed about 4 times in a row at the Goal line. Diagnosis? Put on another 25lbs and be fullback please.
Yarnway is a mini-beast already. Next year, full fledged man-beast. Diagnosis? Redshirt.
Sofele is too good to keep off the field. Play him this year. He’s small but all muscle and fast twitch tendons. Diagnosis? Play him!
by DavidsonBear on Aug 19, 2009 I have to admit, I did hours of research for this post, and this is the first time I’ve ever heard of Langston Jackson, ever.
Kudos sir. Where’d you hear about Langston’s abilities?
Contact me: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Aug 19, 2009 10:12 AM PDT
He’s been mentioned on BI a fair amount, also I think a couple practice reports from JO in spring.
Some say his powerade gives you infrared vision...and that his sweat towels wipe away sin. All we know is he's called giantfan5.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Aug 19, 2009
He's #24; Redshirt Freshman. 225 lbs. Big as a full back, but plays TB.
He’s been mentioned in some of the fall camp reports. With Best and Vereen sitting out (as they should), Yarnway, Debo and Jackson have been getting reps.
Tedford commented on his agility and quickness for being a big guy. Personally, I think he’s going to see the field this year. He’s had good runs consistently on short yardage situations.
As you know, we have a terrible time with 3rd and 1 yard. Best and Vereen typically get -1 or 60 yards (ha). And I think we all remember Forsett trying to pound it unsuccessfully 2 years ago.

2010 Cal Football Spring Preview
March 11, 2010Get Your Season Tickets 2010 Schedule Spring 2010 Information: Roster Roster Quick Facts Cal begins its 2010 spring football practices having established itself as one of the Pac-10's top football programs under

Jeff Tedford, who is now in ninth year with the Golden Bears and the longest-tenured head coach in the conference. Cal has won more games during the period of time he has been the team's head coach than every Pac-10 school other than USC. Cal has also been ranked among the nation's Top 25 at the conclusion of four of the last six campaigns (2004-06, '08) and in the Top 10 at some point during five of the last six years (2004-07, '09). In addition, the Bears have made seven consecutive bowl appearances since with a lofty 5-2 mark in those contests.
Running Backs Coach - Ron Gould Trajuan Briggs (Fr., TB), Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson (Jr., TB), Nico Dumont (RFr., FB), Will Kapp (Jr., FB), Isi Sofele (So., TB), Eric Stevens (So., FB), John Tyndall (Jr., FB), Shane Vereen (Jr., TB), Dasarte Yarnway (RFr., TB) The Bears lost both of their 2009 backfield starters with the departures of TB Jahvid Best and FB Brian Holley but are confident they can replace the productive duo. Best started 19 of the 31 contests he competed in during three seasons at Cal. He earned a second-team All-American selection by College Football News and the second of his two first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a 2008 sophomore when he rushed for 1,580 yards (No. 2 on Cal's single-season list) and a school-record-tying 15 rushing touchdowns. He finished his career ranked tied for third on Cal's all-time list for rushing TDs (29), as well as tied for fourth in total TDs (39) and seventh in rushing yards (2,668).
Shane Vereen, who started the final four games last season after Best suffered a season-ending injury against Oregon State on Nov. 7, is most likely his heir apparent at tailback. Vereen earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors last season despite coming off the bench to spell Best for most of the season's first nine games. He finished as the team's leading rusher with 952 yards on 183 carries (5.2 ypr) and equaled Best's 12 rushing touchdowns. Vereen had a career day to lead the Bears to a Big Game win at Stanford, carrying the ball 42 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 566 yards on 108 carries after taking as the team's starter.
Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson (31 rushes, 226 yards, 1 TD) and Isi Sofele (12 rushes, 82 yards, 1 TD) saw limited action in 2009 but are expected to compete for a spot alongside Vereen for a Cal rushing attack that has traditionally shared the bulk of the workload between two tailbacks. Trajuan Briggs, Langston Jackson and Dasarte Yarnway are the team's other tailbacks this spring and should get a good look with one of Tedford's primary spring goals developing a complimentary player to Vereen. Both Briggs and Yarnway missed their respective 2009 seasons with injuries, with the early enrollee Briggs going down with an ankle injury in an early season prep game and Yarnway suffering a knee injury during training camp of his true freshmen season.
Will Kapp was the team's backup fullback last season and will be competing along with fellow returnees John Tyndall, Eric Stevens and Nico Dumont to replace Holley as the starter.
Former NFL Players Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford Join Cal StaffSmith to serve as an administrative assistant for the offense, while Bradford will hold the same role for the defense.
March 13, 2010
BERKELEY - Former NFL players Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford have joined the Cal football staff as administrative assistants. Smith will serve in his role for the team's offensive coaching staff, while Bradford will work with the coaches on the defensive side of the ball.
"We're pleased to have both Akili and Ronnie join our support staff," said head coach Jeff Tedford. "Both of these guys have been around football their entire lives and will be tremendous assets to our program." Smith, who has spent the past two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Grossmont College in San Diego, was selected by Cincinnati as the third overall pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played four seasons with the Bengals (1999-2002). He attended training camp with the Packers (2003) and Buccaneers (2005) before finishing his professional football playing career with the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe (2005) and Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (2007). Smith played his collegiate football at Oregon from 1997-98 when Tedford was the Ducks' offensive coordinator. He was the Pac-10's Offensive Player of the Year as a senior when he set Oregon's single-season passing record with 3,763 yards and also threw for 32 touchdowns.
Bradford was a defensive assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 under Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. He was previously with the Denver Broncos for six seasons from 2003-08, where he served in a variety of capacities both on defense and special teams. In his final year in Denver in 2008, Bradford coached the team's defensive backs, mentoring a group that featured nine-time Pro Bowl and three-time first-team All-Pro selection CB Champ Bailey, and two-time Pro Bowl selection Dré Bly. He spent the 2004-06 campaigns as Denver's special teams coach and was the club's assistant special teams coach in 2003. Over that four-year span, the Broncos qualified for the postseason on three different occasions, including the 2005 campaign when Denver reached the AFC Championship Game. During that same four-year time frame, PK Jason Elam ranked third in the NFL in both made FGs (107) and points scored (479). Bradford also played for 10 seasons in the NFL with Denver (1993-95), Arizona (1996), Atlanta (1997-2001) and Minnesota (2002). He was a member of the Falcons' squad that claimed the 1998 NFC title and advanced to Super Bowl XXXIII, where he registered an interception off Broncos' QB John Elway. Bradford played in 133 regular season NFL games, accumulating 523 tackles, 13 interceptions for 65 yards with one TD, 2.0 sacks (-19 yards), 70 passes defended, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a two-year starter and four-year letterwinner in college at Colorado and was a first-team All-Big 8 selection as a senior in 1992. As a sophomore, he helped guide the Buffaloes to an appearance in the National Championship Game vs. Notre Dame, where he blocked a PAT attempt in the final minutes to preserve a 10-9 victory at the Orange Bowl.

SAME TIME NEXT YEAR!

2010-03-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Men's Hoops Season Ends in WCC First Round
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 03/05/2010

Pepperdine-LMU Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The Pepperdine men's basketball team gave a strong performance and was just one three-point attempt at the buzzer away from overtime, but the Waves fell just short against rival Loyola Marymount, 87-84, in a first-round West Coast Conference Tournament game on Friday night.
After falling behind by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Waves rallied back to give themselves a chance at the end. The Waves got the ball back down by three with 15.1 seconds left, but a three-point attempt from the right wing by junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) had to be rushed at the buzzer and missed the mark.
"I thought we competed hard and played hard," Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. "I thought the first two (regular-season) games that they came out and punched us in the face starting out the first part of the game. I thought tonight we kind of reversed it and got their attention at the start. We played well. It was a game we could have won but didn't. I think our effort was there and it certainly was a winnable game for us."
Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) broke out of a scoring slump with 25 points, his 15th time this season with 20 or more points. Sophomore forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) posted a career-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting and added 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Thompson and sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) each scored 10 points, while freshman guard Caleb Willis (Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge HS) scored a season-high eight.

The Waves (7-24) tied their season high for points with 84 and shot 43.5% from the field. They also made 23 of 28 free throws and had a 41-31 rebounding edge. The Lions (17-14) shot 46.6% but had an advantage by making it to the foul line more often, where they went 27-for-36. Vernon Teel scored a game-high 27 points and Ashley Hamilton added 23.
The first half saw nine ties and 12 lead changes. Trailing 20-18, the Waves went on a 7-0 run to grab their largest lead at 25-20 midway through the half. Jackson grabbed an offensive rebound and made a basket, freshman guard Joshua Lowery (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS) sank a three-pointer and Bell hit two free throws.
The Waves still led by five at 27-22 after a lay-up by Darby, but LMU tied it with a 5-0 run. It was later tied at 33-33 but the Lions closed out the half on an 11-4 run. Pepperdine had its best first-half offensive performance in the last 10 games, but went into halftime trailing 44-37.
A 12-2 run near the start of the second half gave the Waves the lead once again at 51-50 with a little less than 15 minutes to play. Bell had half of Pepperdine's points during the run, including a three-pointer and a fast-break lay-up to finish it.
The Lions, however, scored the next 12 points to take their biggest lead at 62-51 with 10 1/2 minutes to go. Pepperdine would battle back once again, eventually cutting the deficit to two at 70-68 after Bell made another three-pointer with 4:40 to play.
LMU would keep its lead by making nine straight free throws at one point, and 11 of 13 in the final 2 1/2 minutes. But Jackson hit a three-pointer from the right wing with 23.5 seconds to make it 86-84, and the Lions' Drew Viney missed the second of two free throws. After Pepperdine moved the ball around the perimeter and looked for an open shot, Thompson had to hurry his three-point attempt at the buzzer and it didn't connect. While the season came to an end for the Pepperdine men, the third-seeded women's team will look to even up the score with LMU as they will meet the Lions in the quarterfinals on Saturday (March 6) at approximately 2:15 p.m.

Loyola Marymount 87, Pepperdine 84· View Photo
· Photo Gallery

PEPPERDINE
LOYOLA MARYMOUNTPoints
K. Bell 25
V. Teel 27
Rebounds
T. Darby 12
D. Viney 7
Assists
L. Jackson 5
V. Teel 3
Steals
K. Bell 2
J. DuBois 4
Blocks
K. Bell 1
D. Viney 3
· Team Stats: Pepperdine Loyola Marymount
Jan 9, 2010@PEPP 79, LMU 75
Recap Box Score
Feb 6, 2010 @LMU 77, PEPP 61
Recap Box Score
· Mar 5, 2010
@LMU 87, PEPP 84
Recap Box Score

Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Vernon Teel scored a game-high 27 points and Ashley Hamilton added 23 to lead Loyola Marymount past Pepperdine 87-84 in the first round of the West Coast Conference tournament Friday night.
Tell, who had six rebounds, went of 9 of 13 from the field. Hamilton was 13 of 15 from the free throw line for the fifth-seeded Lions (17-14), and Jarred Dubois and Drew Viney added 12 points apiece.
The Lions will face No. 4 San Francisco (12-17) in the quarterfinals Saturday. Keion Bell led eighth-seeded Pepperdine (7-24) with 25 points. Taylor Darby added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Waves, who ended the season on a 12-game losing streak.
After trailing 62-51 with 10 minutes left, the Waves cut the lead to 86-84 with 23 seconds remaining. But after Viney one free throw, the Waves could not get a potential tying 3-pointer off before the buzzer.

Loyola Marymount preparing to make run at West Coast Conference title
The fifth-seeded Lions would have to win four games in four days in order to capture their first conference tournament title since 1989.

March 04, 2010By Ben Bolch
Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press
Max Good isn't packing light for the West Coast Conference tournament.
The Loyola Marymount basketball coach said he would bring four suits to Las Vegas "even if we were going to play the Bucks, the Thunder, the Lakers and the Celtics."
The fifth-seeded Lions (16-14) might feel as if they have survived a gauntlet of NBA teams if they are able to win four games in four days to capture their first conference tournament title since 1989.
Loyola Marymount's quest for an unlikely — and unprecedented — run starts at 6 Friday evening at Orleans Arena with a first-round game against eighth-seeded Pepperdine (7-23). A victory would move the Lions into a quarterfinal Saturday against fourth-seeded San Francisco (12-17), which has a first-round bye and twice defeated Loyola Marymount during the regular season.
Waiting in the ensuing semifinal is top-seeded Gonzaga. The Bulldogs (24-5) are the defending tournament champions and have won five of the last six titles, but they won't intimidate the Lions if they get that far.
"We have a mantra that we respect everyone but fear no one," said Good, whose team upset then-No. 9 Gonzaga, 74-66, last month at LMU's Gersten Pavilion. The Bulldogs' only other conference loss came against San Francisco.
Sixth-seeded San Diego (10-20) plays seventh-seeded Santa Clara (11-20) in the other first-round game Friday, with the winner advancing to face third-seeded Portland (19-9). Like Gonzaga, second-seeded Saint Mary's (24-5) has a bye into a semifinal.
Loyola Marymount has won three of its last four games after getting guards Larry Davis and Given Kalipinde back from injuries. The Lions have already earned 13 more victories than last season and could be on the brink of their first postseason appearance since advancing to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight 20 years ago.
"I'd like to go over there and remove all doubt," Good said. "If we win three it wouldn't hurt, and four would guarantee it."
In that scenario, four suits might not be Good enough.
"I might pack five," he said, "for the celebration the next day."
ben.bolch@latimes.com

Waves Meet Rival LMU in WCC Tournament

2010-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Waves Meet Rival LMU in WCC TournamentCourtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 03/02/2010

Pepperdine Men's Basketball Notes

THE FACTS - The Pepperdine men's basketball team begins the postseason this weekend at the Zappos.com West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas. The eighth-seeded Waves will be up against their local rival, fifth-seeded Loyola Marymount, in the first round on Friday evening. Pepperdine is aiming for its third straight first-round victory.
GAME #31 - Friday (March 5) at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.: #8-seed Pepperdine (7-23, 3-11) vs. #5-seed Loyola Marymount (16-14, 7-7) at 6 p.m. in the first round of the WCC Tournament.

IF PEPPERDINE WINS - A Pepperdine victory would put the Waves into the quarterfinals and a game against #4-seed San Francisco (12-17, 7-7), on Saturday (March 6) at 6 p.m.
ON THE WEB - Subscribers to "Wave Casts" can catch all of Pepperdine men's and women's basketball games at the WCC Tournament on the internet at www.pepperdinesports.com. Veteran play-by-play man Al Epstein, now in his 25th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Go to the Pepperdine Athletics website and look for the Wave Casts link.
WCC TOURNAMENT - In 23 previous events, Pepperdine has an all-time record of 27-19 (.587) at the WCC Tournament and won titles in the 1991, 1992 and 1994 seasons (all under Tom Asbury). The Waves won their first-round game in each of the last two years and in three of the last five.

WCC HALL OF HONOR - A 1963 All-American, a former Waves' head baseball coach and the first Pepperdine alum to make the Major Leagues, Dr. Gail Hopkins will be part of the second group of individuals inducted into the West Coast Hall of Honor this weekend. He may be the first Major Leaguer ever to have earned both an M.D. and Ph.D. Hopkins and his seven fellow inductees will formally be inducted at the 2010 WCC Hall of Honor Brunch on Saturday (March 6) at the Orleans Hotel and honored the next day during halftime of the first men's basketball semifinal game. Doug Christie was part of the inaugural Hall of Honor Class in 2009.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT - Pepperdine is 90-61 all-time against Loyola Marymount. The two schools split the season series, but the Waves have won 23 of the last 26 meetings. Pepperdine holds a 4-2 advantage in WCC Tournament games. The schools last met in the 2005 first round, a 91-79 victory for the Waves. LMU won in the 1988 and 1989 semifinals, but Pepperdine has won the last four tournament meetings, three of which took place in the first round.
PCH CHALLENGE - WCC Tournament meetings between Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount count toward the newly created PCH Challenge, which is a season-long competition between the two local rivals covering all sports. The Waves lead 7.5-5.5 heading into this weekend.
FIRST GAME VS. LMU - Back on Jan. 9 at Firestone Fieldhouse ... The 150th meeting ever between Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount was a classic, as the Waves used a 23-4 run to start the second half to rally for a 79-75 victory in the WCC opener for both schools. It was Pepperdine's 12th straight win at home over LMU. Pepperdine fell behind 16-3 after 6 1/2 minutes, trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half and was down 38-25 at halftime. Mychel Thompson (22 points) and Lorne Jackson (17 points) were key figures in the second-half comeback. Jonathan Dupre' hit a three-pointer with two minutes left to put Pepperdine ahead to stay at 67-65. The Waves sank a season-high 14 three-pointers (going nine for 12 in the second half) and made 60.9% of their 23 attempts.
SECOND GAME VS. LMU - Back on Feb. 6 at Gersten Pavilion ... Pepperdine's seven-game win streak against Loyola Marymount came to an end as the Lions won at home, 77-61. Mychel Thompson led the Waves with 18 points. Like the first time the two schools met, the Waves trailed by 13 points at halftime, but this time around there was no second-half comeback. LMU outshot Pepperdine 50.0% to 35.3%.
ALL-WCC - Mychel Thompson and Keion Bell were both named to the All-WCC honorable mention team this week. It's the first time since 2005 that a pair of Waves earned postseason honors from the conference. It was the first All-WCC honor for both (though Bell made the All-Freshman team last season).

WCC ALL-ACADEMIC - A trio of Waves qualified for the WCC All-Academic first team: Taylor Darby, Gus Clardy and Corbin Moore. It was Clardy's second straight appearance on the first team.
ROSTER - There are no seniors on the 2009-10 squad, and 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen. The roster features four juniors, seven sophomores and four true freshmen. Pepperdine returned 11 letterwinners from last season (believed to be among the most in school history). Twelve players are on scholarship and three are walk-ons.
SOPHOMORE SCORERS - Last season, Pepperdine's eight-man freshman class scored more than half of the Waves' points (57.4%). So far, the now-sophomore class has contributed nearly two-thirds (63.5%) of Pepperdine's scoring. The sophomores have been the top-scoring class in every game but two this season.
KEION BELL - Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) has been one of the most exciting and prolific players on the West Coast in 2009-10. He is currently averaging 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Bell has scored more than 20 points in 14 games this season, including a career-high 37 at Gonzaga. He's been in double-figures in 25 of 30 games. Depending on the length of Pepperdine's stay at the WCC Tournament, he could become Pepperdine's 35th 1,000-point scorer (he's got 962) this weekend. In the WCC rankings, he's third in scoring, seventh in steals (1.3), eighth in assists and 15th in rebounding (5.3). At various points this season, he was one of just a handful of players in the nation averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and in early December, he ranked as high as ninth nationally in scoring.
MYCHEL THOMPSON - Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) was selected as team captain for 2009-10 after a landslide vote by his teammates. He is Pepperdine's only player that has been with the team for two full seasons. Thompson is averaging 11.8 points this season (second-best on the team), 12.4 points in conference play and 9.8 points for his career. He scored a career-high-tying 25 points in a win vs. Utah. He has broken into Pepperdine's career top 10 in three-pointers made this season (he's now #7 with 139, Brandon Armstong is #6 at 142). Since starting the season 0-for-21 from beyond the arc, he's improved to 34.0% for the season. Thompson's 6-for-7 three-point performance vs. LMU nearly equaled the school record for single-game percentage (6-for-6, 1.000).
SUTTLE OUT - Sophomore guard/forward D ane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) will miss the remainder of the season and will have surgery on an injured left ankle. His last appearance was on Feb. 13 at Santa Clara. He was a key contributor through the non-conference season and was one of the top three-point shooters in the conference midway through the year. Through the first 16 games of the season, he was averaging 10.8 points per game, second on the team. But as his chronic ankle injury worsened, his output declined, and in West Coast Conference play he averaged 2.4 points. His final season stats will show four starts in 24 games with averages of 7.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 19.1 minutes.
2009-10 HONORS - Keion Bell was named to the preseason All-WCC first team ... Bell (26.7 ppg) was named MVP of the World Vision Challenge at Wyoming and Dane Suttle Jr. (15.3 ppg) also made the all-tournament team ... Mychel Thompson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 11 after scoring a game-high 22 points and making six of seven three-pointers in a win vs. LMU ... Lorne Jackson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 18 after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in victories over Santa Clara and San Francisco ... Pepperdine has two WCC POTW honors in the same season for the first time since 2004-05, and had its first back-to-back winners since December 2002.
2009-10 NOTABLES - The Waves were down 12 to Cal State San Bernardino with 8 1/2 minutes to play but came back to win by three ... The Waves were the team champion at the World Vision Challenge in Wyoming ... Pepperdine's win over Utah came against a 2009 NCAA Tournament team ... In the 150th meeting ever with LMU, the Waves came back from a 17-point first-half deficit to post a victory in the first game of WCC play ... Pepperdine beat Santa Clara at home for the 13th time in the last 14 meetings ... Pepperdine started 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2005 and 3-0 for the first time since 2002 (a year that the Waves started 11-0 en route to a 13-1 record and a tie for first in the WCC with Gonzaga) ... At 3-0, the Waves were three games over .500 in league play for the first time since 2004 ... Although it was a loss, the Waves' seven-point loss at Gonzaga was an excellent effort and gave them their closest margin of defeat in Spokane in the last 10 years.
BELL'S 37-POINT GAME - The 37-point performance by Keion Bell at Gonzaga on Jan. 21 was extremely memorable for many reasons: 34 of the 37 points came in the second half ... He set the McCarthey Athletic Center record for points by an opponent ... Along with his 34-point game vs. Monmouth, he has two of the three highest scoring games in the WCC this season (Bell's 37 is the most) ... His second-half slam dunk over Gonzaga 7-footer Robert Sacre made ESPN SportsCenter's Plays of the Day ... Bell made 14 of 21 shots, three of four three-pointers and six of eight free throws ... He scored 22 of Pepperdine's first 24 second-half points in an eight-minute span ... The last time a Pepperdine player scored more points was in January 2001 when Brandon Armstrong notched 40 against Loyola Marymount ... It tied as the 24th-best single-game performance in Pepperdine history, and by players other than scoring great Bird Averitt, it was the eighth best.
RETURNERS - Four of the five starters from last year's team return (Keion Bell, Taylor Darby, Corbin Moore and Mychel Thompson). Pepperdine's returning players account for 82.5% percent of last year's scoring (1629/1974), 88.3% of the rebounds (919/1041), 65.4% of the assists (223/341), 95.0% of the blocked shots (96/101) and 77.2% of the steals (166/215).
WCC PRESEASON POLL - According to the WCC's coaches, the Waves were predicted to finish seventh in the conference, and that wasn't far off as Pepperdine tied for sixth place with two other schools. The preseason poll went in the following order: Gonzaga, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Francisco and Santa Clara (tied), San Diego, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. Several national publications and websites had differing opinions on the Waves, including fourth (The Sporting News), fifth (The Sports Network), sixth (Athlon and Lindy's) and seventh (Rivals.com, CBSSports.com and CollegeHoops.net).
TELEVISION - The Waves appeared on television several times once again in 2009-10. Six games were shown locally - Nov. 23 at UCLA on Fox Sports West, Jan. 14 vs. Santa Clara on ESPNU, Jan. 21 at Gonzaga on Prime Ticket (delayed), Jan. 30 vs. San Diego on Prime Ticket, Feb. 18 vs. Portland on Prime Ticket and Feb. 20 vs. Gonzaga on Fox Sports West.
YOUTUBE SENSATION - Keion Bell, a preseason All-WCC first team selection, got Pepperdine a ton of publicity in mid-October. At Blue & Orange Madness, Pepperdine's event to kick off the start of practice, the sophomore guard finished up the dunk contest by leaping over five teammates and slamming it home. A Pepperdine fan happened to record the dunk on his iPhone and uploaded it onto YouTube. It quickly spread around the internet and at last check had nearly 1.1 million hits. ESPN's SportsCenter picked up the video and made the dunk the #2 Play of the Day.

TOM ASBURY - Now in his second stint in charge of the Waves is coaching great Tom Asbury. He returned to Malibu prior to the 2008-09 campaign to become the Waves' head coach again after 14 seasons away. Asbury was previously at Pepperdine for nine years as an assistant coach (1980-88) and then the next six as the head coach (1989-94). He went on to serve as head coach at Kansas State from 1995-2000 and was an assistant coach at Alabama from 2004-07. Asbury went 125-59 (.679) in his first head coaching job at Pepperdine and took the Waves to the postseason five times in six years with three NCAA Tournament appearances (1991, '92, '94) and two in the NIT (1989, '93). Pepperdine won three regular-season WCC titles and the school's only three WCC Tournament championships came under Asbury. Prior to the start of the 2009-10 season, his seven-year record at Pepperdine was 134-82 (.620) and his 13-year record as a head coach was 219-170 (.563).
ASSISTANTS - Upon his return, Tom Asbury wanted to find assistants with a passion for Pepperdine and an understanding of its mission, so he turned to three former student-athletes. It's believed that Duke and Pepperdine have the only two college basketball staffs where the assistant coaches are all alums. Associate head coach Marty Wilson (1985-89) and assistant coaches Damin Lopez (1990-94) and Will Kimble (2001-03) played in three different eras, all successful. In the 13 seasons that made up their playing careers, Pepperdine went a combined 261-135 (.659), had 12 winning seasons, won six WCC regular-season titles and three WCC tournament titles, and made six NCAA Tournaments and four NITs.
HECTOR HAROLD - There are no seniors on the roster but Pepperdine had one scholarship to offer for 2010-11. During the early signing period, they inked Hector Harold, a 6-foot-6 small forward from the Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) School. He was given a rating of 88 out of 100 by ESPN.com's recruiting site and is considered one of the top seniors in New England. He is originally from Pasadena, Calif.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE - Tom Asbury believes in preparing his team for league play with a difficult non-conference slate of games, and so that's what the Waves did for the first 16 games of the season. The Waves played six games against non-conference teams that took part in the postseason last year: Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) was in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific was in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Nine of the 16 non-conference games were at home.
LAST SEASON - Tom Asbury's return to Pepperdine brought much-needed stability to the program in his first season back. With only five players returning, Asbury and his new staff brought in 10 newcomers well after the regular letter-of-intent signing period. The young Waves posted a 9-23 overall record but got much better as the year went on, placing sixth in the WCC with a 5-9 record and winning a first-round game at the WCC Tournament. Keion Bell was named to the WCC All-Freshman team after averaging a team-best 12.9 ppg.
PEPPERDINE HISTORY - This is the 72nd season of Pepperdine basketball, and the Waves opened 2009-10 with an all-time record of 1,111-910 (.550). Pepperdine has been to the NCAA Tournament 13 times (last in 2002), and has won 12 West Coast Conference regular-season titles (last in 2002) and three WCC Tournament crowns (last in 1994).
BEST IN THE WEST - Pepperdine has long been one of the top Division I programs on the West Coast. Over the 31-season period from the 1978-79 season through the 2008-09 campaign, of the 32 schools that currently play Division I basketball in California, Oregon or Washington, the Waves began the 2009-10 season ranking third overall in postseason appearances (16) and fifth in both wins (525) and winning percentage (.565) over the past 31 years.
WAVES IN THE PROS - This is the 34th consecutive season where at least one Pepperdine alum has been on an NBA roster. Currently in the NBA is Yakhouba Diawara, now in his fourth season overall and his second with the Miami Heat. A total of 16 former Pepperdine players have gone on to play in the NBA, most notably Dennis Johnson (the 1979 NBA Finals MVP) and Doug Christie (a 15-year NBA veteran who was a mainstay on the All-Defensive Team). Some recent standouts have been playing in foreign countries, including Alex Acker (Italy), Tezale Archie (Netherlands), Brandon Armstrong (Venezuela), Gerald Brown (Poland), Jelani Gardner (Greece), Kelvin Gibbs (Germany), Chase Griffin (Germany), Dana Jones (Switzerland) and Glen McGowan (Dominican Republic). Robert "Hollywood" Turner, formerly a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, is now playing in Finland.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE - Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won a total of nine NCAA championships in five different men's sports - one of just 14 schools to have accomplished this feat. Of the 14, Pepperdine is the only non-BCS school and has by far the smallest enrollment. The majority of Pepperdine's teams are ranked nationally year after year and compete for conference and national titles.

March 2, 2010SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Can't make it to Las Vegas for the 2010 Zappos.com WCC Basketball Championships? You can still check out all of the exciting action as 10 of the 14 men's and women's basketball games will be streamed exclusively on WCCsports.com for free.
WCCsports.com will video stream the first two rounds (Friday and Saturday) of the men's championship and all but the championship game of the women's tournament. Both men's semifinals will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, while the men's final will be televised on ESPN. The women's championship game will televised nationally on ESPNU.
Sirius Satellite Radio will broadcast every men's game, while the men's championship game will also be carried nationally on Westwood One Radio.
In addition, WCCTV will bring you full video recaps of each contest and exclusive coverage of each press conference. See below for the full broadcast schedule.

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 Women's Basketball First Round #5 San Diego vs. #8 Santa Clara - 12:00 PM (Live video stream on WCCsports.com)
#6 Loyola Marymount vs. #7 San Francico - 30 mins after 1st game (Live video stream on WCCsports.com)
Men's Basketball First Round#5 Loyola Marymount vs. #8 Pepperdine - 6:00 PM (Live video stream on WCCsports.com/Live audio broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)
#6 San Diego vs. #7 Santa Clara - 30 mins after 1st game (Live video stream on WCCsports.com/Live audio broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)
SATURDAY, MARCH 6 Women's Basketball Quarterfinal Round#5 USD/#8 SCU vs. #4 Portland - 12:00 PM (Live video stream on WCCsports.com)
#6 LMU/#7 USF vs. #3 Pepperdine - 30 mins after 1st game (Live video stream on WCCsports.com)
Men's Basketball Quarterfinal Round#5LMU/#8 PEP vs. #4 San Francisco - 6:00 PM (Live TV: ESPN360.com/ESPN Full Court/SD Ch. 4/CSNNW/CSN BA Plus/Live video stream on WCCsports.com/Live audio broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)
#6 USD/#7 SCU vs. #3 Portland - 30 mins after 1st game (Live TV: ESPN360.com/ESPN Full Court/SD Ch. 4/CSNNW/CSNBA/Live video stream on WCCsports.com/Live audio broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)

SUNDAY, MARCH 7 Women's Basketball Semifinal Round#4 POR/#5 USD/#8 SCU vs. #1 Gonzaga - 11:30 AM (Live video stream on WCCsports.com)
#3 PEP/#6 LMU/#7 USF vs. #2 Saint Mary's - 30 mins after first game (Live video stream on WCCsports.com)
Men's Basketball Semifinal Round#4 USF/#5 LMU/#8 PEP vs. #1 Gonzaga - 5:30 PM (Live TV: ESPN2/ESPN360.com/Live audio broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)
#3 POR/#6 USD/#7 SCU vs. #2 Saint Mary's - 30 mins after 1st game (Live TV: ESPN2/ESPN360.com/Live audio broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)
MONDAY, MARCH 8 Women's Championship GameSemifinal #1 winner vs. Semifinal #2 winner - 12:00 PM (Live TV: ESPNU/Live audio stream on WCCsports.com)
Men's Championship GameSemifinal #1 winner vs. Semifinal #2 winner - 6:00 PM (Live TV: ESPN/ESPN360.com/Live national audio coverage on Westwood One Radio/Live broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio)

LAST GAME OF THE SEASON - vs USD

2010-02-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

Waves End Regular Season at San Diego
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/26/2010
Pepperdine Men's Basketball Notes

THE FACTS - The Pepperdine men's basketball team closes out the regular season at San Diego on Saturday. The West Coast Conference Tournament begins next Friday in Las Vegas. Depending on what happens during the final day of action, the Waves could be seeded between #6 and #8.
GAME #30 - Saturday (Feb. 27) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.: Pepperdine (7-22, 3-10) at San Diego (9-20, 2-11) at 6 p.m.
ON THE WEB - Subscribers to "Wave Casts" can catch all Pepperdine men's basketball games on the internet at www.pepperdinesports.com. Veteran play-by-play man Al Epstein, now in his 25th season with the Waves, is behind the microphone. Most home games will have live audio and video, while road games will be audio only. Go to the Pepperdine Athletics website and look for the Wave Casts link. Live statistics will be available for all home matches free of charge, and links are provided to the home team's website when the Waves are on the road.
SAN DIEGO - Pepperdine is 53-33 all-time against San Diego. The Toreros have won six straight at home and 10 of the last 11 overall.
LAST TIME VS. SAN DIEGO - Back on Jan. 30 in Firestone Fieldhouse ... Pepperdine's offense could never get going and the result was a 66-44 victory for San Diego. The Waves were held to 25.5% shooting for the game. Only Mychel Thompson was able to find the mark, as he made five of 11 shots and scored 14 points. Keion Bell made three shots and scored eight points, but no else had more than four points or more than one made field goal. USD led 29-23 at halftime and was still up only six at 34-28 with a little more than 17 minutes to play, but the Waves went nearly 15 minutes without a field goal as the Toreros pulled ahead 64-38.
LAST GAME - Pepperdine lost at Saint Mary's, 76-48, on Thursday night. Mychel Thompson had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, and Jonathan Dupre' added nine points and five rebounds. The Gaels outshot the Waves 46.3% to 34.5% and held a 34-17 halftime lead.
ROSTER - There are no seniors on the 2009-10 squad, and 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen. The roster features four juniors, seven sophomores and four true freshmen. Pepperdine returned 11 letterwinners from last season (believed to be among the most in school history). Twelve players are on scholarship and three are walk-ons.
SOPHOMORE SCORERS - Last season, Pepperdine's eight-man freshman class scored more than half of the Waves' points (57.4%). So far, the now-sophomore class has contributed nearly two-thirds (63.4%) of Pepperdine's scoring. The sophomores have been the top-scoring class in every game but two this season.
THE TRIO - The Waves have been at their best when Keion Bell, Mychel Thompson and Lorne Jackson all have good games on the same night. In conference play, they have averaged a combined 39.0 points per game (that's more than 60 percent of all of the Waves' scoring).
KEION BELL - Sophomore guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) has been one of the most exciting and prolific players on the West Coast in 2009-10. He is currently averaging 18.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He now ranks #2 in the WCC and #45 in the nation in scoring (he ranked as high as ninth nationally in early December). He is the sixth-highest-scoring sophomore in the country.
At various points this season, he has been one of just a handful of players in the nation averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Bell has scored more than 20 points in 14 games this season, including a career-high 37 at Gonzaga. He's been in double-figures in every game but four. At the pace he's on, he could become Pepperdine's 35th 1,000-point scorer by the end of his sophomore season (he's got 961). In the WCC rankings, he's also seventh in assists, eighth in steals (1.3) and 15th in rebounding (5.3).
MYCHEL THOMPSON - Junior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Stoneridge Prep) was selected as team captain for 2009-10 after a landslide vote by his teammates. He is Pepperdine's only player that has been with the team for two full seasons. Thompson is averaging 12.0 points this season (second-best on the team) and 9.8 points for his career. He has broken into Pepperdine's career top 10 in three-pointers made this season (he's now #7 with 139, Brandon Armstong is #6 at 142). He's been in double-figures in 11 of the last 14 games and is averaging 12.9 ppg in conference play. He scored a career-high-tying 25 points in a win vs. Utah. Since starting the season 0-for-21 from beyond the arc, he's improved to 34.8% for the season. Thompson's 6-for-7 three-point performance vs. LMU nearly equaled the school record for single-game percentage (6-for-6, 1.000).
SUTTLE OUT - Sophomore guard/forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) will miss the remainder of the season and will have surgery on an injured left ankle. His last appearance was on Feb. 13 at Santa Clara. He was a key contributor through the non-conference season and was one of the top three-point shooters in the conference midway through the year. Through the first 16 games of the season, he was averaging 10.8 points per game, second on the team. But as his chronic ankle injury worsened, his output declined, and in West Coast Conference play he averaged 2.4 points. His final season stats will show four starts in 24 games with averages of 7.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 19.1 minutes.
2009-10 HONORS - Keion Bell was named to the preseason All-WCC first team ... Bell (26.7 ppg) was named MVP of the World Vision Challenge at Wyoming and Dane Suttle Jr. (15.3 ppg) also made the all-tournament team ... Mychel Thompson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 11 after scoring a game-high 22 points and making six of seven three-pointers in a win vs. LMU ... Lorne Jackson was named WCC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 18 after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in victories over Santa Clara and San Francisco ... Pepperdine has two WCC POTW honors in the same season for the first time since 2004-05, and had its first back-to-back winners since December 2002.
2009-10 NOTABLES - The Waves were down 12 to Cal State San Bernardino with 8 1/2 minutes to play but came back to win by three ... The Waves were the team champion at the World Vision Challenge in Wyoming ... Pepperdine's win over Utah came against a 2009 NCAA Tournament team ... In the 150th meeting ever with LMU, the Waves came back from a 17-point first-half deficit to post a victory in the first game of WCC play ... Pepperdine beat Santa Clara at home for the 13th time in the last 14 meetings ... Pepperdine started 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2005 and 3-0 for the first time since 2002 (a year that the Waves started 11-0 en route to a 13-1 record and a tie for first in the WCC with Gonzaga) ... At 3-0, the Waves were three games over .500 in league play for the first time since 2004 ... Although it was a loss, the Waves' seven-point loss at Gonzaga was an excellent effort and gave them their closest margin of defeat in Spokane in the last 10 years.
BELL'S 37-POINT GAME - The 37-point performance by Keion Bell at Gonzaga on Jan. 21 was extremely memorable for many reasons: 34 of the 37 points came in the second half ... He set the McCarthey Athletic Center record for points by an opponent ... Along with his 34-point game vs. Monmouth, he has the two highest scoring games in the WCC this season ... His second-half slam dunk over Gonzaga 7-footer Robert Sacre made ESPN SportsCenter's Plays of the Day ... Bell made 14 of 21 shots, three of four three-pointers and six of eight free throws ... He scored 22 of Pepperdine's first 24 second-half points in an eight-minute span ... The last time a Pepperdine player scored more points was in January 2001 when Brandon Armstrong notched 40 against Loyola Marymount ... It tied as the 24th-best single-game performance in Pepperdine history, and by players other than scoring great Bird Averitt, it was the eighth best.
RETURNERS - Four of the five starters from last year's team return (Keion Bell, Taylor Darby, Corbin Moore and Mychel Thompson). Pepperdine's returning players account for 82.5% percent of last year's scoring (1629/1974), 88.3% of the rebounds (919/1041), 65.4% of the assists (223/341), 95.0% of the blocked shots (96/101) and 77.2% of the steals (166/215).
WCC PRESEASON POLL - According to the WCC's coaches, the Waves are predicted to finish seventh in the conference. Their poll went in the following order: Gonzaga, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Francisco and Santa Clara (tied), San Diego, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. Several national publications and websites have differing opinions on the Waves, including fourth (The Sporting News), fifth (The Sports Network), sixth (Athlon and Lindy's) and seventh (Rivals.com, CBSSports.com and CollegeHoops.net).
TELEVISION - The Waves are slated to appear on television several times once again in 2009-10. Six games will be shown locally - Nov. 23 at UCLA on Fox Sports West, Jan. 14 vs. Santa Clara on ESPNU, Jan. 21 at Gonzaga on Prime Ticket (delayed), Jan. 30 vs. San Diego on Prime Ticket, Feb. 18 vs. Portland on Prime Ticket and Feb. 20 vs. Gonzaga on Fox Sports West.
YOUTUBE SENSATION - Keion Bell, a preseason All-WCC first team selection, got Pepperdine a ton of publicity in mid-October. At Blue & Orange Madness, Pepperdine's event to kick off the start of practice, the sophomore guard finished up the dunk contest by leaping over five teammates and slamming it home. A Pepperdine fan happened to record the dunk on his iPhone and uploaded it onto YouTube. It quickly spread around the internet and at last check had nearly 1.1 million hits. ESPN's SportsCenter picked up the video and made the dunk the #2 Play of the Day.
TOM ASBURY - Now in his second stint in charge of the Waves is coaching great Tom Asbury. He returned to Malibu prior to the 2008-09 campaign to become the Waves' head coach again after 14 seasons away. Asbury was previously at Pepperdine for nine years as an assistant coach (1980-88) and then the next six as the head coach (1989-94). He went on to serve as head coach at Kansas State from 1995-2000 and was an assistant coach at Alabama from 2004-07. Asbury went 125-59 (.679) in his first head coaching job at Pepperdine and took the Waves to the postseason five times in six years with three NCAA Tournament appearances (1991, '92, '94) and two in the NIT (1989, '93). Pepperdine won three regular-season WCC titles and the school's only three WCC Tournament championships came under Asbury. Prior to the start of the 2009-10 season, his seven-year record at Pepperdine was 134-82 (.620) and his 13-year record as a head coach was 219-170 (.563).
ASSISTANTS - Upon his return, Tom Asbury wanted to find assistants with a passion for Pepperdine and an understanding of its mission, so he turned to three former student-athletes. It's believed that Duke and Pepperdine have the only two college basketball staffs where the assistant coaches are all alums. Associate head coach Marty Wilson (1985-89) and assistant coaches Damin Lopez (1990-94) and Will Kimble (2001-03) played in three different eras, all successful. In the 13 seasons that made up their playing careers, Pepperdine went a combined 261-135 (.659), had 12 winning seasons, won six WCC regular-season titles and three WCC tournament titles, and made six NCAA Tournaments and four NITs.
HECTOR HAROLD - There are no seniors on the roster but Pepperdine had one scholarship to offer for 2010-11. During the early signing period, they inked Hector Harold, a 6-foot-6 small forward from the Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) School. He was given a rating of 88 out of 100 by ESPN.com's recruiting site and is considered one of the top seniors in New England. He is originally from Pasadena, Calif.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE - Tom Asbury believes in preparing his team for league play with a difficult non-conference slate of games, and so that's what the Waves did for the first 16 games of the season. The Waves played six games against non-conference teams that took part in the postseason last year: Portland State, UCLA and Utah made the NCAA Tournament, Miami (Fla.) was in the NIT, Wyoming was in the College Basketball Invitational and Pacific was in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Nine of the 16 non-conference games were at home.
LAST SEASON - Tom Asbury's return to Pepperdine brought much-needed stability to the program in his first season back. With only five players returning, Asbury and his new staff brought in 10 newcomers well after the regular letter-of-intent signing period. The young Waves posted a 9-23 overall record but got much better as the year went on, placing sixth in the WCC with a 5-9 record and winning a first-round game at the WCC Tournament. Keion Bell was named to the WCC All-Freshman team after averaging a team-best 12.9 ppg.
PEPPERDINE HISTORY - This is the 72nd season of Pepperdine basketball, and the Waves opened 2009-10 with an all-time record of 1,111-910 (.550). Pepperdine has been to the NCAA Tournament 13 times (last in 2002), and has won 12 West Coast Conference regular-season titles (last in 2002) and three WCC Tournament crowns (last in 1994).
BEST IN THE WEST - Pepperdine has long been one of the top Division I programs on the West Coast. Over the 31-season period from the 1978-79 season through the 2008-09 campaign, of the 32 schools that currently play Division I basketball in California, Oregon or Washington, the Waves began the 2009-10 season ranking third overall in postseason appearances (16) and fifth in both wins (525) and winning percentage (.565) over the past 31 years.
WAVES IN THE PROS - This is the 34th consecutive season where at least one Pepperdine alum has been on an NBA roster. Currently in the NBA is Yakhouba Diawara, now in his fourth season overall and his second with the Miami Heat. A total of 16 former Pepperdine players have gone on to play in the NBA, most notably Dennis Johnson (the 1979 NBA Finals MVP) and Doug Christie (a 15-year NBA veteran who was a mainstay on the All-Defensive Team). Some recent standouts have been playing in foreign countries, including Alex Acker (Italy), Tezale Archie (Netherlands), Brandon Armstrong (Venezuela), Gerald Brown (Poland), Jelani Gardner (Greece), Kelvin Gibbs (Germany), Chase Griffin (Germany), Dana Jones (Switzerland) and Glen McGowan (Dominican Republic). Robert "Hollywood" Turner, formerly a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, is now playing in Finland. ABOUT PEPPERDINE - Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won a total of nine NCAA championships in five different men's sports - one of just 14 schools to have accomplished this feat. Of the 14, Pepperdine is the only non-BCS school and has by far the smallest enrollment. The majority of Pepperdine's teams are ranked nationally year after year and compete for conference and national titles.

Pepperdine Team Report
Yahoo! Sports Feb 23, 3:07 am EST

GETTING INSIDE
As Pepperdine continues to sink toward the bottom of the West Coast Conference standings, there remains one promising aspect of the season: the play of sophomore guard Keion Bell.
Although he has been unable to lift the Waves to the top half of the WCC standings, Bell continues to put up big numbers, and with two seasons left assuming he does not turn pro, he could be the top player in the conference by his senior season.
Bell is among the WCC’s top players, behind only Omar Samhan of St. Mary’s and Matt Bouldin of Gonzaga, and on par with Elias Harris of Gonzaga and Dior Lowhorn of San Francisco, and it’s a near certainty that he will be selected to the all-conference team.
Although he must improve his shot selection and cut down on his turnovers, Bell can do virtually everything on the court. Through Feb. 22, he led the Waves in scoring and assists, was second in rebounding, and ranked second in the conference in scoring, at 19.6 a game.
The lack of surrounding talent is part of the reason Bell has taken on so much responsibility, which improves his statistics but hurts his efficiency somewhat. The loss of Dan Suttle Jr. reduced the Waves’ scoring potential further.
Despite the Waves’ nine-game losing streak as of Feb. 22, Bell continued to produce. He had 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in the Feb. 18 loss to Portland, and he had 17 points and 10 boards in the Feb. 20 loss to Gonzaga.
It was in the first game against Gonzaga that Bell opened people’s eyes. In that game, Bell scored a career-high 37 points, including 34 in the second half, when the Waves made a game of it before losing by seven points.
That was the first conference loss for the Waves, and it started the downward spiral that even Bell couldn’t stop. Bell had scored more than 20 points in five games during the nine games, but it had not helped.
Bell was 43 points shy of 1,000 for his career as of Feb. 22, and he might get there in the final two regular-season games, against St. Mary’s on Feb. 25 and at San Diego Feb. 27.
The Waves’ record has prevented Bell from getting much exposure this season, but he could be the cornerstone of a Pepperdine team that should improve over the next two seasons.
NOTES, QUOTES
—Pepperdine’s nine-game losing streak as of Feb. 22 was the longest of the season, but the Waves had a 12-game losing streak last season.
• With its Feb. 20 loss to Gonzaga, Pepperdine have lost 18 consecutive games to the Bulldogs.
• Pepperdine had 26 offensive rebounds against Gonzaga.
On The Spot: Pepperdine had lost by fewer than 16 points only once in its past eight losses, as of Feb. 22, and even in an eight-point loss to Santa Clara, the Waves were clearly outplayed. The Waves have a lot of shortcomings, but poor shooting might be the most noticeable. They shot 27.1 percent from the field in a Feb. 20 loss to Gonzaga, and were shooting 39.3 percent for the season as of Feb. 22. Mychel Thompson, the team’s second-best scoring threat after Keion Bell, was 3-for-16 against Gonzaga and 2-for-7 two days earlier against Portland.
Quote To Note: “We guarded (Keion) Bell the way we wanted to guard him.”—Gonzaga coach Mark Few, to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, on limiting Bell to 17 points on Feb. 20 after he scored 37 points in the teams’ first meeting.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: Pepperdine had lost nine of 10 games coming into conference play, then showed some life by winning its first three conference games. But Pepperdine had regressed, having lost nine in a row as of Feb. 22. The Waves were still not in last place, but their play deteriorated as the losses mounted. Pepperdine improved late in the season last year, but the opposite is happening this season.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Keion Bell, F Mychel Thompson, F Jonathan DuPre, F Taylor Darby, G Lorne Jackson. Key Subs—G Joshua Lowery, F Gus Clardy.
Game Review:
Santa Clara 62, Pepperdine 54
Portland 83, Pepperdine 62
Gonzaga 72, Pepperdine 54
Game Preview:
at St. Mary’s, Thursday, Feb. 25
at San Diego, Saturday, Feb. 27
WCC Tournament at Las Vegas, Friday, March 5
In Focus: Whether Pepperdine can avoid last place probably will come down to the final regular-season game at San Diego on Feb. 27. The Toreros beat Pepperdine by 22 points earlier this season on the Waves’ home floor, but San Diego has faded since, especially since the loss of De’Jon Jackson. Keion Bell is unlikely to have as bad a game as he did in the first meeting, when he scored only eight points. With a loss, the Waves probably will fall into a last-place tie with San Diego.
Roster Report:
• Dane Suttle Jr. will be lost for rest of the season because of an ankle problem that has bothered him doe much of the season. His playing time and production had been on a steady decline since the injury, and the Waves decided to shut him down after the Feb. 13 game. He will have surgery on the ankle after the season.
• Keion Bell had his second double-double of the season on Feb. 20 against Gonzaga when he had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
• Freshman Joshua Lowery had five points and three rebounds against Gonzaga, both personal highs in conference play.

USD Defeats Waves in Regular-Season Finale
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/27/2010
Pepperdine-San Diego Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Pepperdine men's basketball team stayed even with San Diego for a while, but the host Toreros eventually pulled away in the second half for a 65-48 victory in the West Coast Conference regular-season finale for both schools on Saturday.
Pepperdine fell to 7-23 overall and 3-11 in the WCC, while San Diego improved to 10-20, 3-11. With the win, the Toreros edged the Waves for seeding placement at the upcoming Zappos.com West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas. Pepperdine will be the #8 seed and will play rival Loyola Marymount in the first round at the Orleans Arena on Friday (March 5) at 6 p.m.
Sophomore guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) had his best game in a few weeks, as he came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points. Junior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Collin County CC) and sophomore center Corbin Moore (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos HS) each scored nine points. Moore tied his season-high scoring total and also had a game-high eight rebounds. Freshman guard Caleb Willis (Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge HS) had a season-high five assists.
The Waves trailed by as many as seven in the first half, but rallied to take a 25-24 lead with three minutes left after a basket by Jackson. USD scored the final four points and went into halftime with a 28-25 advantage, however. Dupre' sank a three-pointer to tie the game at 28 one minute into the second half, but the Toreros outscored the Waves 37-23 after halftime. USD was led by Roberto Mafra's 13 points, Brandon Johnson's 11 points and Chris Lewis' 10 points. The Toreros had a 46.3%-42.2% shooting edge from the field and made nine three-pointers to Pepperdine's three.
Pepperdine, which has no seniors and has a roster where 11 of the 15 players are underclassmen, was led in scoring by its sophomore class for the 28th time in 30 games.
Fans can listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts of all of Pepperdine men's and women's games at the WCC Tournament at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 with a subscription to Wave Casts.

San Diego 65, Pepperdine 48Associated PressSAN DIEGO -- Roberto Mafra scored 13 points as San Diego beat Pepperdine 65-48 on Saturday night, handing the Waves their 11th straight loss.
San Diego (10-20, 3-11 West Coast) snapped its six-game losing streak and won for just the second time in 13 games. The Toreros shot 61.9 percent in the second half to pull away after holding a 28-25 halftime lead.
Brandon Johnson scored 11 points and Chris Lewis added 10 for San Diego, which finished the regular season with its worst conference record since going 1-13 in 2003-04.
Lorne Jackson scored 15 points to lead Pepperdine (7-23, 3-11), which has lost its last four games by an average of nearly 21 points.
The loss clinched the eighth and last seed in the upcoming WCC Tournament for the Waves. If Pepperdine wins its first game, the Waves would face No. 18 Gonzaga in the semifinals.

Scorching Second Half Sends Seniors Out With Victory Roberto Mafra, Brandon Johnson, and Chris Lewis help Toreros claim 65-48 win over Pepperdine

Feb. 27, 2010
Box Score
San Diego, Calif.- Seniors Brandon Johnson, Chris Lewis, and Roberto Mafra each scored in double digits on Saturday evening, guiding the University of San Diego men's basketball team to a 65-48 victory over Pepperdine University in the regular season finale at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
USD (10-20, 3-11) snapped its season-long six-game losing streak by shooting 61.9% from the field in the second half, including 6-of-10 from three-point range. The Toreros' shooting percentage in the second half at one point climbed as high as 76.9%, helping San Diego outscore the Waves (7-23, 3-11) 37-23.
The trio of senior Toreros combined to score 34 points, with Mafra leading all Toreros with 13 points and seven rebounds to go along with his two blocks. Johnson added 11 points, six assists, three rebounds, and three steals while Lewis contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
The Toreros, nursing a 28-25 lead coming out of halftime, opened up the second half drilling 10 of their first 12 shots, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, to extend their advantage to 54-37 with 8:45 to go in the game. Lewis sparked the almost ten-minute stretch of fine shooting by hitting consecutive three-pointers from the top of the key two and a half minutes into the final period.
After USD took a 41-33 lead when Mafra hit a jumper at the 13:47 mark, Devin Ginty provided back-to-back threes almost two minutes later to give the Toreros their first double-digit lead. Ginty's triples capped a 19-5 run for San Diego.
The Toreros maintained control of the score for the majority of the first half, jumping out to as much as a seven-point lead. Freshman forward Ken Rancifer hit back-to-back threes and Mafra dunked on a breakaway opportunity to provide the Toreros with the 13-6 lead with 14:20 standing on the clock in the first half.

After a Matt Dorr one-handed jumper to give USD a 21-14 advantage with 7:52 left, the Waves went on to drain the lead, tying it up at 21 when Taylor Darby of Pepperdine hit a jumper almost two minutes later. The Waves took their final lead, 25-24, with 2:58 remaining in the opening half before Mafra responded for USD with a jumper to put the Toreros ahead once again 26-25.
With the regular season in the books, the Toreros will head to Las Vegas where they will take part in the WCC Championships. Tournament-play starts on Friday, March 5th at the Orleans Arena. USD earned the #6 seed and will face #7 Santa Clara in Friday's last game of the evening (30 minutes after completion of #5 USF-#8 Pepperdine game that starts at 6 pm).

Five Hoops Players Named WCC All-AcademicCourtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 02/25/2010

WCC All-Academic Press Release
MALIBU, Calif. - Five members of Pepperdine's men's and women's basketball teams have earned West Coast Conference All-Academic honors, with four of them being named to the first team, the league office announced today.
On the women's side, senior center Miranda Ayim was chosen to the first team for the third consecutive year, becoming the first Pepperdine women's player to earn the award three times. Sophomore center Alex Jarrell earned honorable mention notice.
For the men, junior forward Gus Clardy made the first team for the second straight year, while sophomore forward Taylor Darby and sophomore center Corbin Moore were picked to the first team in their first year of eligibility.
It's just the second time that the Pepperdine men have placed three players on the All-Academic team, and the last time it happened was 1993 (Tom Asbury was the head coach then as well).
To qualify for WCC All-Academic honors, a student-athlete must earn at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average, be at least a sophomore and be a significant contributor to the team.
Ayim (London, Ontario, Canada/Saunders Secondary), a public relations major, is Pepperdine's leading scorer (15.4), rebounder (6.8) and shot blocker (2.5) for the second straight season. In addition to being an All-WCC first team selection as a sophomore and junior, she is a two-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honoree, a preseason candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS award, an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar and Pepperdine's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008-09.
Jarrell (Shelbyville, Tenn./Shelbyville Central HS), a biology major, is averaging 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds as Pepperdine's first post player off the bench. She has started five of 25 games.
Clardy (Nacogdoches, Texas/Nacogdoches HS), an economics major, had made eight starts in 19 games when he suffered a foot injury on Jan. 28 and has not played since. He was averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds.
Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS), a business administration major, is Pepperdine's leading rebounder at 5.9 per game. He's also averaging 6.0 points in 24.1 minutes as a starting forward. He's appeared in all 28 games and has started 22.
Moore (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), an economics major, has also appeared in all 28 games and has made nine starts while averaging 2.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.7 minutes.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Former area standout Bell working on game at PepperdineBy Vincent Bonsignore, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/23/2010 11:16:22 PM PST
He still has the shoes he wore the day he first dunked a basketball.
Keion Bell was in the seventh grade at the time, and to this day the Pepperdine standout can explain that dunk with the type of meticulousness only other true dunkers can fully appreciate.
Those of us who live on the ground can't quite comprehend, but Bell, now a sophomore guard for the Waves, has been playing over the rim for as long as he can remember, so he's pretty much an expert on the subject.
That explains why he's now one of the sweetest, purest, most devastating dunkers in all of college basketball, the type of player who routinely leaves people shaking their heads in disbelief as if to say, "Did I just see that?"
"Let me tell you something," Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury said. "I was in the (Southeastern Conference) and Big 12 for a dozen years, so I saw incredible athletes every single day, but to this day, almost every day, Keion does something that makes me just sit there and say, `That was pretty incredible."'
Like the time he dunked over five people (more on that later).
Bell's days of soaring over the rim began in a travel-ball game when he was 13 years old, and his backcourt mate was Oscar Bellfield, now the point guard at UNLV.
Bellfield blocked a shot, then gathered the ball and threw a perfect outlet pass to Bell at midcourt.
"At this point, I really had no idea I could actually dunk the ball," Bell said.
It must have been the full head of steam Bell got by dribbling the ball from midcourt to the basket, or the fact that some poor opponent decided he was going to challenge the shot. In any case, Bell had all the motivation and stimulation he needed to rise higher than he'd ever gone before.
"It was crazy, actually, but I just kept going up and up, and I ending up dunking the ball over the other guy," Bell said. "So yeah, my first dunk was actually over someone. That was pretty cool."
The shoes he wore remain in a closet back home.
"I can't fit in 'em; they're about a size 6, probably," Bell said, "but I still have them."
For some people, a dunk in the seventh grade is a pinnacle. For Bell it was a starting point. He's been dunking on people ever since - in addition to becoming one of the best young guards on the West Coast - and the highlight reel he's assembled has helped make him an Internet sensation.
For proof, just go to You Tube.com and type in his name. There are two full pages of entries chronicling Bell's dunking ability, including the time he won the dunk contest at Kobe Bryant's summer camp last year at Loyola Marymount.
On that one, Bell shows off all his signature dunks to easily win the competition, and when watching, it's hard to tell what's more entertaining, Bell's dunks or Bryant's reactions to them.
Amazingly, the Kobe clip is only the second-best entry, because nothing beats the time Bell dunked over five people at Pepperdine's Midnight Madness to kick off the season.
The clip garnered worldwide interest from almost the day it was posted, reaching a million views the first week.
"I never, ever expected anything like a million views," Bell said. "I figured it would be pretty big around here, this area, but a million views? Come on, now. That's just crazy."
Bell actually got talked into doing it, having teased Pepperdine fans the year before by dunking over three people, and was challenged to try to outdo himself.
"So as this year's Midnight Madness started getting closer and closer, more and more students were coming up to me on campus asking, `What are you going to do to top it, Keion? Do you have anything special planned?'
"I was like, `Whoa, people are actually interested in this. They're expecting something big."'
And big is what he delivered.
Bell decided to increase the number of people from three to five, pulling fans from the stands and lining them up one after the other in front of the basket.
"It's not something you can, like, practice," Bell said. "It's one of those things you just do. So that's what I did. I just went for it."
Bell easily cleared the five fans and completed the dunk, sending the Pepperdine crowd into a frenzy. Within a day or so it was all over the Internet, with Yahoo.com profiling it on its front page and ESPN's Sports Nation asking if it was the best dunk ever.
Bell watched it all unfold in amazement.
"It blew up to a level I never really expected," Bell said.
To Bell's credit, he refuses to let his ability to dunk define him.
Make no mistake, he has fun with all the Internet celebrity, but he's much more interested in developing into a well-rounded player.
"It's important that I do things to separate myself, because I don't want to be labeled as just an athlete," he said. "There are a ton of athletes out there. The thing that separates the players from the athletes is being able to do all the other things. My goal is to be a complete player every single night."
Bell is clearly a work in progress in that regard. He's averaging 19 points per game and is clearly the top player on a young, struggling Waves team. In the process, he has emerged as one of the best players in the West Coast Conference in just his second year.
But there are flaws in his game.
At Serra and Pasadena high schools, Bell rarely had to play point guard, but at 6-foot-3 he definitely has to handle the ball more in college. That will only increase as he moves on to the professional ranks, and at this point he needs more refining.
"He turns the ball over too much, overhandles it," Asbury said. "He tries to make the most difficult pass imaginable. It's like gymnastics; he wants them to get graded, get a score on it, like a 9.5 for the degree of difficulty. "Don't get me wrong; it's certainly not an unselfishness on his part, he just wants to try to make tough passes."
Asbury and the Pepperdine coaches are trying to get Bell to settle down with the ball in his hands, make easier passes. At the same time, they understand part of what makes him great is his fearlessness, so they don't want to push too hard and potentially take away some of his confidence.
"He walks a tight rope; he's one of those guys who lives on the edge," Asbury said. "And you have to live with the fact that one night he'll have two turnovers, and the next night he might have 10 turnovers.
"That's just how he is. He's gotten better. But again he's a Mississippi riverboat gambler, the way he plays. He's a gambler."
Bell understands.
"Obviously, I need to cut down on my turnovers," he said. "That is what I focus on when I'm training, especially out of season. I want to be a better ball handler. I want to be more effective as a pull-up shooter. I'm getting there, it's coming."
In the meantime, he doesn't mind being an entertainer, in addition to growing as a player. He already has something in store for next year's Midnight Madness.
"Just in watching the clip, I can see I have more room," Bell said. "I might have to add some more people. We'll see."
If we're on the Internet, we probably will, too.