March 5, 2008

Complete LMU WCC Release in PDF Format

NO. 5 USF OPENS 2008 WCC TOURNAMENT VS. NO. 8 SEED LMU FRIDAY: San Francisco won three of its last four to complete the regular season and claimed the No. 5 seed in the 2008 West Coast Conference Tournament. The Dons open play Friday against No. 8 seed Loyola Marymount (5-25) in the 6:00 PM game at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The winner will take on No. 4 seed Santa Clara Saturday at 6:00 PM in the quarterfinals. USF faces the Lions in the WCC Tournament for the fourth time and the first since taking a 70-56 victory March 8, 2003. The Dons are 3-0 vs. LMU in the league's postseason showcase.

BROADCASTING NOTE: USF's Friday night game against Loyola Marymount will be available on Yahoo Broadcast in its entirety, but will be joined in progress on the airwaves on Green 960 at 7:00 PM due to a scheduling conflict. Should the Dons advance, Saturday's game will be available live on Green 960 and on Yahoo.

Dior Lowhorn - 2008 WCC FIRST TEAM AND LEAGUE SCORING LEADER: After sitting out the entire 2006-07 season under NCAA transfer rules, sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn is making up for lost time. The Texas Tech transfer and Bay Area native averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Red Raiders. Lowhorn was named NorCal Player of the Year also captured "Bay Area Player of the Year" honors from the Oakland Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle following his senior campaign at Berkeley High School. Lowhorn scored 26 points at Oklahoma (11/8/07) in his Dons debut and turned in his first USF double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds against East Central (11/9/07). Lowhorn poured in a career-high 30 points in his home debut against Sacramento State (11/17/07) en route to West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors. Lowhorn scored 29 points with seven rebounds at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). Lowhorn has scored at least 20 points in 17 of 29 games and has registered 19 points six times. On the year, Lowhorn averages a team- and WCC-high 20.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. For his efforts, Lowhorn earned 2008 All-WCC First Team selection.

Dior Lowhorn AMONG NATIONAL SCORING LEADERS: Sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn ranks No. 29 among NCAA Division I scoring leaders at 20.5 points per game, as of March 3, 2008. Lowhorn is the first Don to crack the top-30 on the NCAA scoring list since John Cox (1999-05) accomplished the feat as a senior.

WELCOME BACK VINCE: Senior forward Vince Polakovic made the most of his delayed 2008 debut, scoring 18 points with six rebounds against Gonzaga (2/16/08). Polakovic poured in a 20 points in a 73-60 win against Portland (2/18/08), registered 23 in a win against Loyola Marymount (3/1/08) and poured in a career-high 24 against Pepperdine (3/3/08). In five games back, Polakovic averages 18.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Manny Quezada LEADS DONS OFFENSE: Junior guard Manny Quezada was named one of six West Coast Conference "Players to Watch" by the league's coaches. In his first season after transferring from Rutgers, Quezada ranked 11th among WCC scoring leaders (13.2) to go along with 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Capable of instant offense, Quezada tossed in 28 second half points en route to a career-high 35 points, at Saint Mary's (2/19/07). Quezada notched his second career 30-point game with a 30-point outburst at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07) and turned in his first double-double at Pepperdine (2/2/08) with 11 points and a career-high 12 assists. The New York native averages 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Quezada ranks seventh in scoring and third in assists among WCC leaders.

DONS TWO-HEADED MONSTER: USF's one-two punch of sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn and junior guard Manny Quezada made their 2007-08 regular season debuts at Oklahoma in opening round action of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The duo, combined for 39 of San Francisco's 55 points in a 71-55 loss against the Sooners, accounting for a remarkable .701 of the team's offensive output. The pair combined for 59 points at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). Through 29 games of the 2007-08 campaign, Lowhorn and Quezada account for 34.4 points per game - .514 of the Dons total offense.

USF DONS ON GREEN 960 AM: USF men's basketball returns to the airwaves and cyberspace for the 2007-2008 season and all games will be available live at USFDons.com, while all games starting after 7:00 PM (PT) will air live on Green 960 AM. Join Pat Olson for the play-by-play in his 17th year behind the microphone courtside. USF Hall-of-Famer Jim Brovelli will join Olson on selected broadcasts. Other features available on USFDons.com include GameTracker, courtesy of CSTV.com with live play-by-play of all non-televised home games courtesy of Yahoo Broadcast.

A LOOK AHEAD: The winner of the No. 5 USF vs. No. 8 Loyola Marymount game on Friday will take on No. 4 Santa Clara Saturday at 6:00 PM at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

GAME #30/WCC TOURNAMENT - ROUND ONE - LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS
SCOUTING LOYOLA MARYMOUNT: The Lions enter the 2008 West Coast Conference Tournament as the No. 8 seed after posting a regular season overall record of 5-25 and a 2-12 league slate. LMU has dropped seven consecutive, including an 88-79 loss at USF and a 86-65 setback at San Diego in the final week of the regular season. The last win for the Lions came in a 72-67 win against the Dons Feb. 4 in Gersten Pavilion. Freshman forward Orlando Johnson leads the way for the Lions with 12.1 points and 4.9 rebounds, while sophomore guard Shawn Deadwiler adds 9.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Through 30 games, LMU averages 61.9 points per game on .400 from the field, including .318 (174-548) from 3-point range. Lions opponents tally 78.5 points per game on .493 from the floor, .378 from long distance. Former USF star Rodney Tention is in his third year as the LMU boss and owns a career and school record of 30-61 in Los Angeles.

TEAM COMPARISONS - 2008 HEAD TO HEAD (As of 3/4/08):
Team	PPG	Margin	FG%	3-FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	TOPG	SPG	BPG
USF	77.5	+2.0	.461	.375	.790	32.5	12.5	15.0	5.0	2.0
LMU	75.5	-2.0	.459	.324	.750	32.0	13.5	13.5	3.5	1.0
TEAM COMPARISONS - 2007-08 SEASON  (As of 3/4/08):
Team	PPG	Margin	FG%	3-FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	TOPG	SPG	BPG
USF	66.9	-6.1	.440	.331	.698	31.8	12.4	15.7	6.1	2.7
LMU	61.9	-16.6	.400	.318	.643	31.9	12.9	18.5	5.7	2.3

LAST FOUR MEETINGS: at USF 88, LMU 79 (3/1/08); at LMU 72, USF 67 (2/4/08); at USF 76, LMU 69 (2/12/07); USF 68, at LMU 61, OT (1/13/07)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: USF leads 91-33/USF won 1

WCC TOURNAMENT SERIES RECORD: USF leads 3-0

WCC TOURNAMENT SERIES RESULTS:
No. 3 USF 70, No. 7 LMU 56 (3/8/03) - San Diego
- Darrell Tucker - 26 points, 11 rebounds
No. 6 USF 100, No. 3 LMU 85 (3/7/92) - Portland
- Tomas Thompson 29 points, Daryl Johnson 20 rebounds
No. 7 USF 101, No. 2 LMU 93 (3/2/91) - Santa Clara
- Tim Owens - 45 points; Daryl Johnson 11 rebounds

ON THE AIR/ON THE WEB:
Radio Broadcast: Green 960 Television: None
Internet Audio: Yes - USFDons.com (Yahoo Broadcast)
GameTracker: Yes
LMU Official Website: LMULions.com

SAN FRANCISCO PROBABLE STARTERS (As of 3/4/08)
G. #10 Manny Quezada, 6-2, Jr. (13.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.6 assists)
G. #13 Myron Strong, 6-2, Fr. (10.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.0 assists)
G. #41 Danny Cavic, 6-11, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 assists)
F. #15 Vince Polakovic, 6-7, Sr. (18.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.6 assists)
F. #33 Dior Lowhorn, 6-7, So. (20.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.9 blocks)

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT PROBABLE STARTERS (As of 3/4/08)
G. 1 Corey Counts, 5-10, Jr. (6.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)
G. 3 Shawn Deadwiler, 6-3, So. (9.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G. 33 Orlando Johnson, 6-5, Fr. (12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F. 10 Brad Sweezy, 6-6, Fr. (1.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.1 apg)
F. 32 Tim Diedrichs, 6-9, Fr. (8.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg)

LIONS AND DONS - WCC TOURNAMENT BULLETS:
- USF has posted big upsets vs. LMU in the tournament, beating the No. 2 seed in 1991 and the No. 3 seed in 1992
- Tim Owens led USF to victory vs. LMU in 1991, pouring in a career-high 45 points - the second highest single-game tally in USF history - Keith Jackson, 47 vs. LMU (2/13/88)
- The Dons are 1-0 vs. LMU in the Jenny Craig Pavilion, taking a 70-56 win in the 2003 event
- Darrell Tucker led the Dons to victory the last time the two teams met in the tournament, posting a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds. John Cox and Jovan Harris added 10

LIONS AND DONS - THE LAST TIME:
- A season-high three USF players scored 20-plus points - Dior Lowhorn (23), Vince Polakovic (23) & Manny Quezada (21)
- USF set season-highs 28 free throws in 35 attempts
- The 45-36 halftime lead was the biggest for the Dons since leading 39-29 at Portland (1/19/08)
- San Francisco has won three of its last four vs. LMU
- USF interim head coach Eddie Sutton improved to 2-1 vs. the Lions lifetime. Sutton directed Arkansas to a 76-66 victory (12/1/79) in the Razorback's 1979 season opener

Danny Cavic - USF'S TOP LONG DISTANCE GUNNER: Senior guard Danny Cavic enters his final season in the Green and Gold focused on finishing his career with a flourish. Despite battling a chronic back injury, which hampered his mobility for most of the 2006-07 season, Cavic led the league in 3-point field goal percentage, converting on .462 (36-78) from long distance. Cavic is the first Don to lead the league in long distance connections since Tomas Thompson accomplished the feat in 1992. Cavic scored a season-high 19 points at Pepperdine (1/15/07), converting on 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Cavic scored a career-high 25 points in a 73-60 win against Portland (2/18/08), converting on a career best 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Cavic scored 23 points and went 3-of-6 from 3-point range in a win at Pepperdine (2/2/08). The long range shooter has converted on .450 (58-129) from downtown this season and has 130 career treys, good for sole possession of fifth place on the Dons career list. A career .445 (130-292) shooter from beyond the arc, Cavic cracked the top five at No. 23 Saint Mary's (2/8/08), moving past Dons standout Darrell Tucker (1999-03), who recorded 116. Cavic averages 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per games as a senior.

POLAKOVIC SHINES FOR USF AFTER DELAYED DEBUT: After sitting out the first 24 games of the season, senior forward Vince Polakovic made the most of his return, averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds against Gonzaga (2/16/08) and Portland (2/18/08). Polakovic's penalties were the result of his participation on a German professional team - in which several teammates, but not Polakovic, received stipends deemed by the NCAA to be above actual and necessary expenses - prior to his enrollment at Northern Iowa in 2004-05 and his subsequent transfer to USF. Polakovic scored 20 points in the Dons 73-60 victory against the Pilots, poured in 23 points in a 88-79 win against LMU (3/1/08) and went for a career-high 24 in an 88-63 triumph against Pepperdine (3/3/08) on senior night. Polakovic has set career bests in scoring in four of his last five games.

WALKING IN MEMPHIS: Freshman guard Myron Strong continues to produce for the Dons. Strong turned in an outstanding prep career at Memphis' Hamilton High School and helped propel the Wildcats to a 39-0 record en route to the 2006 state title. Strong turned a huge performance in his War Memorial Gym debut against Sacramento State (11/17/07), scoring a career-high 21 points with four rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Strong scored 14 points with three assists at UC Santa Barbara (11/20/07) and followed it with 15-point, seven assist performance at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). In USF's 60-59 win at Portland (1/19/08), Strong scored 13 points with six rebounds and five assists. On the season, Strong averages 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, ranks second on the team in assists (3.1) and leads the Dons in steals (1.8).

Hyman Taylor REBOUNDS: Sophomore center Hyman Taylor is beginning to assert himself on the low block for USF. The Florida native has made big strides in the paint for the Dons and in 12 West Coast Conference games averages 3.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. Taylor ripped down a career-high 12 boards at Utah Valley State (12/31/07) - the most by a Don this season - and pulled down 10 boards at Gonzaga (1/21/08). Taylor posted his first career double-double with a career-high 11 points with 11 rebounds and three blocks against Santa Clara (1/28/08).

Christian Hernandez READY FOR AN ENCORE: Sophomore guard Christian Hernandez made some big contributions for USF last season and figures prominently in the back court mix once again in 2007-08. The former walk-on averaged 8.9 minutes in 29 games and scored a season-high five points at Saint Mary's (2/19/07). Hernandez established a career-high with nine points with a pair of assists in 23 minutes against Weber State (12/8/07).

LOWHORN CHASING John Cox: Sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn is enjoying one of the most prolific offensive seasons in program history and enters the 2008 West Coast Conference Tournament with 600 points (20.7), good for a share of ninth place on the single-season scoring list with Dons All-American Bill Cartwright, who scored 600 (19.4) in 1976-77. Lowhorn needs 16 points to pass USF Hall-of-Famer Pete Cross, who scored 615 in 1968-69, for eighth place. Lowhorn is within striking distance of USF standout John Cox, who scored 621 points during his senior campaign in 2004-05 - the most in a single-season since the return of basketball in 1985-86. Lowhorn needs 22 points to supplant Cox in seventh place. Quintin Dailey owns the top spot, scoring 755 points in 1981-82 (25.2).

CAVIC AND HERNANDEZ - SMART, VERY SMART: Five USF basketball players, three from the women's team and two from the men's squad, were named to the 2008 West Coast Conference All-Academic Basketball Teams. The WCC All-Academic team honors the league's "finest examples of the consummate scholar-athlete," as announced by the conference. USF women had three players recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom - senior guard Dominique Carter (3.39/Accounting), senior center Lisa Olden (3.91/Accounting) and sophomore forward Heidi Heintz (3.53/Exercise and Sport Science). On the men's side, San Francisco placed two on the All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year. Senior forward Danny Cavic (3.15/Business) earned his second straight honor. Cavic is the sixth Don to earn two selections. Sophomore guard Christian Hernandez (3.68/Business Administration) was named to the All-Academic team for the first time. San Francisco and Portland were the only two men's basketball teams with two athletes named. With five total players selected, USF placed the most athletes on the Winter All-Academic Team. Portland and Gonzaga each placed three student-athletes.

USF LEAGUE LEADERS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE: USF concluded the 2008 West Coast Conference campaign first in free throw accuracy, connecting at a .736 (178-242) clip during league contests, .024 points in front of Santa Clara at .712 (166-233). The Dons convert on .698 (359-514) on the year, good for fifth place in overall games. USF has led the league in free throw accuracy during WCC contests eight times, the last coming in 2003 when the Dons connected on .744 (183-246) from the foul line.

USF NOTCHES THREE 50-POINT HALVES: Although USF has experienced its share of offensive woes this season, the Dons have recorded three 50-plus point outbursts in a single half during the 2007-08 season. San Francisco scored 50 points in the first half against Sacramento State (11/17/07) and then posted a 55-point barrage in the second half at Pepperdine (2/2/08). The Dons weren't done with the Waves and erupted for 51 points in the first half of their regular season finale March 3.

DONS NOTCH PROGRAM VICTORY NUMBER 1,189: San Francisco collected the 1,189th victory in program history in a 88-63 decision against Pepperdine (3/3/08) at War Memorial Gym. The win was career victory No. 803 for USF interim head coach Eddie Sutton. In the 94th season of Division I basketball on the Hilltop, the Dons have their eyes set on 1,200 program victories.

USF IN THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: USF owns an overall record of 11-20 in the West Coast Conference Tournament. The Dons won the event in 1998 as the No. 5 seed, defeating Gonzaga 80-67 in the finals at Santa Clara. After winning the league's automatic berth and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1982, San Francisco owns a 2-9 record in the event since 1999. USF's last win came in 2005 when No. 6 USF dispatched No. 7 Portland 65-60 in the opening round.

USF VS. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE - TOURNAMENT SERIES RECORDS: Gonzaga 1-0, Loyola Marymount 3-0; Pepperdine 0-5, Portland 2-1, Saint Mary's 1-3, San Diego 2-6, Santa Clara 2-5

WALLACE BRYANT INDUCTED INTO USF HALL OF FAME: USF Legend and two-time soccer All-American Staale Soebye (`94), baseball star Tad Tassone (`73), basketball greats Wallace Bryant (`82) and Jamie Shadian (`99), soccer standout Serge Burenin (`61) and longtime USF athletic trainer Wally Hayes were inducted into the University of San Francisco Hub Flynn Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, February 15, 2008 during the Dons Homecoming Festivities. Considered one of the finest men's basketball centers in program history and a two-time all-West Coast Conference selection, Bryant teamed with All-Americans Bill Cartwright and Quintin Daily to earn USF three consecutive WCC Championships (1979-81) and four NCAA tournaments berths (1979-82). Bryant ranks 10th in USF career scoring with 1,529 points (13.0) and is fifth in career rebounding with 1,062 (9.0). Bryant is one of just five players in Dons history to record at least 1,000 career boards - fellow Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell (1,606), Ollie Johnson (1,323), Bill Cartwright (1,137) and Pete Cross (1,104) are the others.

LOWHORN NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - NOVEMBER 19: San Francisco forward Dior Lowhorn was named West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for November 19, 2007. Lowhorn scored a career-high 30 points and collected nine rebounds in the Dons' home-opening win over Sacramento State Saturday. Lowhorn shot .619 (13-21) from the field in his much-anticipated debut at War Memorial Gym to go along with two block and two assists in 36 minutes. The Texas Tech transfer averaged a conference high 25.0 points per game through the first three contests this year. Lowhorn also sits third in the WCC in rebounds per game with 9.3 and has a .525 shooting percentage, 13th best in the conference.

Dior Lowhorn FIRST DON TO 30: Sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn became the first USF player to crack 30 points for the Green and Gold this season with a career-high 30 points on 13-of-21 from the field against Sacramento State (11/17/07). Lowhorn is the third Don to score at least 30 points in a game since the start of last season. Antonio Kellogg scored 37 against San Diego (1/6/06) and junior guard Manny Quezada poured in a career-high 34 at Saint Mary's (2/19/07).

Manny Quezada SECOND DON TO 30: Junior guard Manny Quezada became the second USF player to crack 30 points for the Green and Gold this season with a 30 points on 10-of-20 from the field at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). Quezada is the fourth Don to score at least 30 points in a game since the start of last season and is the only player to accomplish the feat twice. Antonio Kellogg scored 37 against San Diego (1/6/06) and Quezada poured in a career-high 34 at Saint Mary's (2/19/07).

DONS ADD Robert McCullum TO THE COACHING STAFF: Former University of South Florida head coach Robert McCullum has been named to the coaching staff at the University of San Francisco as announced by interim head coach Eddie Sutton. A coaching veteran, McCullum spent four seasons as the Bulls boss after a successful three-year stint at Western Michigan. McCullum will be involved in all facets of the Dons program and is believed to be the only individual to coach at both USF's.

DONS ON THE TUBE: San Francisco made nine appearances on television this season, highlighted by an ESPN "Big Monday" game at Gonzaga (1/21/08). USF appeared three times on the ESPN family and six time on Comcast. The Dons won their 2008 television debut with a 60-59 victory at Portland (1/19/08) and then completed the Pilot sweep with a 73-60 decision Feb. 18 with both contests carried live by Comcast.

DONS IN REGULAR SEASON FINALES: Since 1998-99, USF owns a 4-7 record in its regular season finales and an identical 4-7 mark in regular season home finales. San Francisco captured a 70-67 victory against Portland in the 2007 regular season and home finale at War Memorial Gym. The Dons made it two straight with an 88-63 home victory against Pepperdine (3/3/08) to close the curtain on 2008.

USF IN SEASON OPENERS: Following a 71-55 loss to Oklahoma in the 2007-08 regular season opener, San Francisco owns a 12-11 record in season openers since 1985-86. The Dons had won two of their last four lid-lifters, including an 87-77 victory against Sonoma State (11/11/06). Before breaking through for a 73-62 victory against Tennessee-Martin in the 2003 Guardian's Classic, USF had dropped four straight season debuts. The Dons most lopsided win came in 1986-87 - a 64-19 pasting of St. Thomas (Minnesota).