USF Men's Basketball Hosts Cal State Monterey Bay in Lone Exhibition Contest Saturday
Nov. 5, 2009
USFDons.com is bulking up its coverage of USF men's basketball, by assigning a beat writer to cover the Dons throughout the course of the 2009-10 season. Stacy Hicklin, a veteran sportswriter with more than a decade of experience will provide USFDons.com with exclusive weekly game previews, live in-game blogging of men's basketball home games, recaps featuring interviews with Coach Walters and selected athletes in addition to feature stories throughout an exciting season of hoops on the Hilltop.
By Stacy Hicklin
USFDons.com Beat Writer
SAN FRANCISCO - The "Don of a New Era" officially tips off for the University of San Francisco men's basketball team at 7 p.m. Saturday in War Memorial Gym.
The Dons open their season with an exhibition game against California State Monterey Bay, which already has its first game under its belt having lost 89-52 in an exhibition game on Sunday to Pacific, a Division I school.
The Otters return an interesting mix of experience and youth with six seniors and eight freshmen on the roster.
"They want to be up-tempo, so we really have to guard the ball," USF head coach Rex Walters said. "They have a lot of guys who have the freedom offensively to go out and try to get their shots. Our screen-away defense, cross-screen defense and ball screens will be tested."
USF returns six players from the 2008-09 season, adding seven new players to the program along with transfer Rashad Green who sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules. Saturday's game will give Walters and his coaching staff a chance to see that talent mix in the team's first real live-game situation.
"I hope I can substitute liberally because that means we're playing well," Walters said. "I hope that's the case and that everyone gets an opportunity to play. I want success, but we'll try some different teams."
Walters' said that clear-cut starters have emerged during the previous three weeks of practice, but adds, "there are still opportunities out there for guys to sneak in and win a starting spot."
While a win is an obvious goal of the exhibition, USF looks forward to measuring the team's progress in terms of execution.
"Defensively, I want us to show that we're getting a better understanding about what we're trying to do," Walters said. "Really guarding the ball, being a good help-side team and trying to disrupt the offense with our defense."
On the offensive end, Walters wants to see his team take care of the basketball, get good ball movement and get the kind of shots he wants.
LISTEN TO THE DONS AND OTTERS LIVE: Saturday's exhibition game against Cal State Monterey Bay will be available via streaming audio, courtesy of Yahoo Broadcast. Pat Olson, who returns for his 19th season calling all the action for USF To access the broadcast, will be joined by Dons Hall-of-Famer Jim Brovelli. To access the broadcast, log on to USFDons.com and click on the Audio/Video button.
TIP-OFF NOTES
What: San Francisco vs. Cal State Monterey Bay
When: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Where: War Memorial Gym (5,300) - San Francisco, CA
Television: None
Internet Audio Broadcast: Yahoo Broadcast - USFDons.com
GameTracker: CSTV's GameTracker is available through USFDons.com
USF ATHLETICS AND THE 2009 FALL FEST WEEKEND: This weekend, USF Athletics, in Association with the University of San Francisco, USF Alumni Relations and CAB co-sponsors the 2009 Fall Fest Weekend with a full gamut of activities Saturday on the Hilltop. USF Athletics will host a Hospitality reception on the Upper North Lobby of War Memorial Gym from Noon to 1:00 PM and again from 5-8:00 PM.
USF ATHLETICS FALL FEST EVENTS
- The USF Volleyball hosts defending West Coast Conference champions San Diego in a 1:00 PM match, while out at Negoesco Stadium, women's soccer hosts Pepperdine in the 2009 regular season finale at 1:00 PM.
- USF Men's Basketball hosts the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday with a 7:00 PM tip-off at War Memorial Gym
- Coach Walters will speak at the reception at approcimately 6:10 PM
- For more details on Fall Fest 2009, click here: www.usfca.edu/fallfest
DONS BASKETBALL PREVIEW ON COMCASTSPORTSNET CENTRAL THURSDAY: USF men's basketball will be previewed Thursday, November 13 in the 10:30 PM airing of "SportsNet Central" on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. USF head coach Rex Walters, senior forward Dior Lowhorn, sophomore guard Kwame Vaughn and sophomore forward Angelo Caloiaro were interviewed for the piece.