USD @ UP, Thursday 8pm

DaTruRochin wrote:Sounds like they need another Big 12 reject to transfer in and save the day... again... I kid, I kid, but not really...

San Diego Team Report
Feb 9, 4:05 am EST


GETTING INSIDE

Bill Grier faces the biggest challenge of his brief career as a college head coach.

Grier must somehow lift the Toreros’ spirits after the most dispiriting week of the season and get his team to believe that not all is lost, even though the toughest trip of the conference season is approaching.

San Diego looked like the worst team in the conference as of Feb. 8, and with the Toreros being without one of their best players for road games against Portland on Feb. 11 and Gonzaga on Feb. 13, the immediate future does not look promising.

Grier must simply try to get his team through the week with its self-confidence somewhat intact.

The Feb. 4 game against San Francisco is the one that might have shattered the season.

With 5:56 left in that game, De’Jon Jackson, the team’s No. 2 scorer and in many ways the rock of the team, suffered a knee injury.

Jackson did not play the rest of the game, and the next day it was discovered that he would be lost for the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

San Diego at least seemed to be in position to win that game, leading by four points when Matt Dorr hit two free throws with 28 seconds left in overtime. But USF’s Michael Williams scored seven points in eight seconds, including a four-point play with four seconds left, to give the Toreros a crushing home defeat.

Two days later, playing without Jackson, the Toreros were dominated at home by last-place Santa Clara, 59-43. It was the Toreros’ worst game of the season.

“Flat-out, we were just awful,” Grier told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I’m embarrassed about the way we played. We didn’t even compete in the second half. We were right there at halftime … but too many guys worried about their own deal and not enough about the team.”

That’s the sign of team that’s giving up on the season, something Grier must try to rectify to put a happy face on the season. Getting swept at home by two teams San Diego expected to beat had to take some of the life out of the Toreros, who will have trouble avoiding blowout losses to Portland and Gonzaga.


NOTES, QUOTES

—Not only did San Diego play without De’Jon Jackson against Santa Clara, but the Toreros’ other prime scorer, Brandon Jackson, was slowed by stomach flu.


• The game against San Francisco ended in frustrating fashion for San Diego. After De’Jon Johnson made one of two free throws with 11.7 seconds left in overtime to give the Toreros a two-point lead, San Diego planned to foul USF twice on the Dons’ ensuing possession, because the Toreros had three fouls to give before the Dons were in a one-and-one situation. But attempts to commit the foul went unnoticed by officials, giving Michael Williams of USF a chance to hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds to go. Then a foul was called on the shot, and Williams made the free throw as well.

• San Diego was 0-4 in conference home games as of Feb. 8.

On The Spot: San Diego did not have much offensive firepower even before De’Jon Jackson was injured and lost for the season, and now the Toreros’ offense is really limited. Brandon Jackson is the team’s only offensive threat now, and he has been inconsistent to say the least. The Toreros’ 43 points in the Feb. 6 game at home against the last-place team showed how much trouble the Toreros have offensively with Jackson sidelined. Devin Ginty was the team’s high scorer with seven points.

Quote To Note: “This one really hurts. For our confidence, we needed it.”—San Diego F Chris Lewis, to the San Diego Union-Tribune, after the 72-70 overtime loss to San Francisco on Feb. 4.


STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Season Recap: The Toreros are a different team in February than they were at the beginning of the season, when they beat Stanford and Oklahoma while starting out 4-1. They had lost seven of their last eight games as of Feb. 8, and on Feb. 6, they were dominated at home by a Santa Clara team that San Diego beat by nine points on the road in its conference opener. Since the 4-1 start, the Toreros are 5-15, and they are tied for last place with some difficult games ahead.

Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Brandon Johnson, G Cameron Miles, F Chris Lewis, F Chris Manresa, G Matt Dorr. Key Subs—F Roberto Mafra, G Patrick McCollum, G Devin Ginty.

Game Review:

San Diego 66, Pepperdine 44

San Francisco 72, San Diego 70

Santa Clara 59, San Diego 43


Game Preview:

at Portland, Thursday, Feb. 11

at Gonzaga, Saturday, Feb. 13

vs. St. Mary’s, Thursday, Feb. 18

vs. Loyola Marymount, Thursday, Feb. 25

vs. Pepperdine, Saturday, Feb. 27

In Focus: San Diego’s game at Portland on Feb. 11 will be a good indication of whether the Toreros still have some fight left in them. The Toreros were very much in the game against Portland before losing by nine points the first time the teams met, and the Toreros have actually played better on the road than at home. San Diego would need Portland to have a horrible shooting night to pull out a victory, but this game is more about San Diego’s toughness, to see how hard they are working and whether they play as a team following the recent disappointments.


Roster Report:

• G Brandon Johnson scored only six points in the Feb. 6 game against Santa Clara and needed five points to become San Diego’s all-time leading scorer.

• F Clinton Houston has been lost for the season after becoming academically ineligible.

• Freshman Cameron Miles made his first start of the season in the Feb. 6 game against Santa Clara and scored four points in 15 minutes.

San Diego planned to foul USF twice on the Dons’ ensuing possession, because the Toreros had three fouls to give before the Dons were in a one-and-one situation. But attempts to commit the foul went unnoticed by officials, giving Michael Williams of USF a chance to hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds to go. Then a foul was called on the shot, and Williams made the free throw as well.

Raivio won't play Thursday or Saturday, but the Pilots are optimistic that he will return at some point.

up7587 wrote:

San Diego planned to foul USF twice on the Dons’ ensuing possession, because the Toreros had three fouls to give before the Dons were in a one-and-one situation. But attempts to commit the foul went unnoticed by officials, giving Michael Williams of USF a chance to hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds to go. Then a foul was called on the shot, and Williams made the free throw as well.

The fouls went unnoticed! Ah, WCC officiating. It's a beautiful thing.

if I could catch them, I could foul them and it would be noticed