News Scrapbook 1980-1981

SPORTS

San Diego·County CCt/Part IIJ

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BuildmgaPrognmFMMeFuwm Brovelli No Strangerlo Perseverence By STEVE DOLAN, Times Staff Writer

Brovelli, who regards Newell as the most knowledgeable basketball man he has met, feels fortunate to have been raised in such an atmos- phere. And since Brovelll went to school with Pete Newell Jr., he was able to personally learn about the game from Pete Newell, Sr. Newell's last season al Cal ( 1959- 60) also happened to be Brovelli's last year of high school. So Brovelli opted to attend USF, where his team won the WCAC his junior and senior seasons. After graduating from college, Brovelli began his coaching career on the high school level in San Francisco. He coached the preps six years before joining Avina's first staff at the Unlversity of Portland in 1970. Avina, who had coached prep and junior college basketball in the Bay Area, was coming into a program at Portland plagued by internal prob- lems. Avina chose Brovelli for his staff with the feeling that a man of Brovelli's character could help clean up the school's image. two years at Portland, Brovelli returned to San lt'rancisco for a high school coaching job. After After

is only regarded as No. 2 to San Die- go State in its hometown. What·arovelff now can sell from a basketball standpoint is his school's Division 1 status. He also tries to woo recruits by noting the school's academics (USD has only academic majors, meaning no PE or recreation majors) and the climate of San Diego. But the biggest selling point is probably Jim Brovelll. Among his peers in the WCAC, Brovelli is known as an excellent coach and a fine individual. "He's a helluva man," Coach Jack Avina of Portland said. "He has a very fine basketball mind. He's a very sophisticated offensive coach, and defensively he plays very ag- gressively and hard-nosed. He's been brought up in that kind of thing. When Pete Newell was at Cal, he indoctrinated that whole area." Brovelli rew up in the San Fran- cisco area as an enthusiastic basket- ball player and fan. Among the peo- ple he admired most were Bill Rus- sell as a player at USF and Pete Ne- well as the coach at Cal. Both were associated with teams that won the NCAA championship.

years. He feels that the more stabil- ity a coach has at one insltitutlon, the more likely he is to make sound, long-lasting decisions for the pro- gram. At USD, the decision has been made to be patient. "We knew it would take a num- ber of years to be a consistent win- ner," said Tom Burke, the school's vice-president of student affllrs. "Jim is aware we need patience. We want to do It right, take our trne and not panic. Jim is aware his won- lost record won't determine his con- tinuance with the program." The Toreros made their Jump from Division II to Division I ast season, joining the West Coast Ath- letic Conference. Brovelli admits that his team, which averaged 20 wins its last three seasons in D vi- sion II, won't be an overnight a c- cess on the Division I level. Reflecting his administraticn's attitude, Brovelli hasn't set a t1 - tab or Ing a consistent Divi- n I winner. If it takes 10 year to reach the top of the WCAC, he s~s he's willing to stick it out. to Brovelli, who already knows wh·tit is like to be overshadowed. His team Perseverance isn't new

SAN DIEGO-Jim Brovelli stood in the doorway, watching the Uni- versity or San Francisco's basket- ball team warm up for a game against the University or San Diego. Brovelll commented on how talent- ed the Dons were. Quick to agree was Gus Magee, an assistant coach to Brovelli at the University of San Diego. But Magee did have a comforting thought for Brovelli. One llay USO would reminisce more fondly of the growing stage it is going through on the Division I level, Magee said. Belief la the Program "I might not be alive in 10 years," Brovelll said. "I still have to live through this now." Brovelll, willlng to live through the rough times USO is experienc- ing now, cherishes the thought of being on the same talent level as USFoneday. The 38-year-old Brovelli already a deep belief in the program he has built at USO. He likes the feel- ing of permanence he has developed In eight years at the school and ex- presses no desire to move on. Brovelli doesn't agree with the philosophy or coaches moving from one school to another every few

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MELANI& KA

University of San Diego coach Jim Brovelli watches a his team goes through practice. USO jumped to Division I last season.

Please See BBOVELLI, Page 8

8 Part Ill/ Thursday, February 12, 1981 /J * BROVELLI: AFeeling ofPermanance at USD Continued from First Page one year at Serra High, he accepted the job at USD. word," Coach Carroll Williams of Santa Clara said. "Jim is an innovator in many ways. He's beaten a lot of teams with better talent because his team plays within its lim- itations."

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BROVELLI: Looking for Division I Success Continued from 8th Page he looks at the situation from a positive angle, noting only two of his players have become academically ineligible in eight years. The players Brovelli does get are schooled in his sys- tem of believing in the total team concept. "I don't believe in the one-on-one game," Brovelli said. "I believe in a solid system. Look at John Wooden at UCLA. (Bill) Walton and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) could have scored 50 points a game. They played within the team system." The Brovelli system at USD, according to both Stock- alper and Jones, is somewhat old-fashioned. Brovelli plays the straight, fundamental game, his only flashy play being the one just before halftime when Stockalper throws a lead pass near the basket to feed Jones for a dunk. The conservative system is a reflection of Brovelli, who rarely gets outwardly upset or elated in a game. "He doesn't yell and scream a lot," Bartholomew said. "He'll yell al you every once in awhile. When he does, you know you deserve it. He doesn't get on you to em- barrass you. He does it for a reason." Players Are Close-Knit '!'he reason the USO players think their school will eventually be successful at the Division I level is Brovelli. He believes firmly in having a close-knit group of players, trying to convince prospective recruits by letting them associate with the players when they visit the campus. Bartholomew, a high school standout many consid- ered too slow for college ball, is the type of player Brovelli often recruits. Bartholomew said that he would have attended San Diego State had the Aztecs offered him a scholarship but that he is now glad to be at USD. However, the losing the past two years has taken a toll on the team. In practice, the players hav~ noticed it's not as much fun after a loss. "He (Brovelli) is very persevering," Stockalper said. "He can't stand to lose. If we lose, we can sense it in practice. He doesn't yell a lot"You can reel it in the at- mosphere." The atmosphere Brovelli attempts to create is a plea- sant one. He likes to win as much as anybody, but does- n't believe in the win-at-all-cost theory. As an example, he mentions Little League baseball. Brovelli notes situations where youths have had to see a psychiatrist, resulting from a low self-image because they did not meet their parents' expectations. 'Falae Idea• of Sports "I really question the train of thought that says if you don't win, you are a loser," Brovelli said. "People have a false idea of what sport is. Sport is working with people, the thrill of competition and having fun. Don't say you're a loser If you don't happen to win the game." The image is one Brovelli portrays to his players. He doesn't believe a certain individual should shoulder the blame for a loss, nor does he want all the credit for a win going lo one player. "The easy way out is to point fingers and put the blame on people," Brovelli said. "Everyone makes mis- takes. The key thing is to try not to make the same mis- takes. You don't put the blame on someone or classify them as a loser. That's not what sport Is all about."

"They've got tremendous chemistry," Avina said. "What Bro has done is ·develop their passing kills to where they create problems. They've C:one way above their expectations this year. They are Just a great player away." Getting the great player is not easy for USD. Nor is it easy to get the average player. Brovelli said 50-75% of the players available were eliminated by the school's academic requirements. But Please See BBOVELLI, Page 9

His best Torero team won the Division II Western Regionals in 1977-78. But the thrills of Division II have smce been replaced by the chills of growing up on the Division I level. The change is not one Brovelli regrets. "People who have grown up in this town think of USO as the small school on the hill," Brovelli said. "We're Division I now. It's a slow process of growing. We want peOPle to know what we are doing." What Brovelli's attempting to do is build a foundation for the Toreros. After a 6-19 season their first year on the Division I level, they have showed progress this year with an 8-11 record to date. Brovelli must constantly preach for his players lo be patient, realizing success will come in time. He has told the team it is one superstar away from being a power- house. "It only takes one or two players in basketball," Brovelll said. "Indiana State won with Larry Bird and Michigan State did it with two bonafide players and good supporting players. If we get one or two critical players, we're there. We don't have super players. To be successful, we have to play within ourselves and hide our limitations." A Slow-down Game That's exactly what the Toreros have done. Known as the slowest team in the WCAC, they have come close to winning in all but one game by slmr''"' down the oppo- s1tion to their pace. A good example was USD's 77-72 loss to Portland, a team with much better talent. The Toreros led at half- time, 37-34, before faltering in the second half. "The biggest thing was we had better players," Avina said. USD's players are not the types for one-on-one play. But as a five-man unit, they have played beyond their expectations. A look at the starting five shows how little each play- er was recruited, -Forward Bob Bartholomew, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, received offers from only USO and Ari- zona four years ago. The Kearny High graduate wanted to stay home, thus selecting USD. -Forward Gerald Jones, a junior college transfer, is the team's only starting out-of-state player. He played al Pima College in Tucson, Ariz., where he was recruited by USD, San Jose Stale, Gonzaga and New Mexico State. -Center Dave Heppell is a good example of the type of player Brovelll sometimes gets. Heppell's only offer out of Sacramento CC came from USO, and he has blos- somed into one of the team's most consistent players. -Guards Mike Stockalper (Marian) and Rusty Whit- marsh (Monte Vista) are local products who chose USD out of high school. Neither had been heavily recruited, but both have been steady players al USD. Coaches in the WCAC feel USD's eight wins are mostly a tribute to what Brovelli has accomplished. "They're certainly a team in the true sense of the

The team is a reflection of what Brovelli was as a player. Avina described Brovelli as a great shooter and fundamental player who was very intelligent. Brovelli has coached his own team to take only high percentage shots, which is refler.,ed in the statistics. The Toreros shot 67% against OSF and 62% against Portland.

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