News Scrapbook 1985

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Evening Tribune !Cir. D. 127,-45-4)

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P. C. 8 F.,r 1888 Sl_uzy.ps apparently over, Thompson and USD to take on NAU I By Micnael Canepa But it should also be pointed out that Thompson didn't have a lot of Tribun6 Sportswriter pressure on hi~ last year as USD had people like Mike Whitmarsh, Al As the USO basketball team goes, so goes Scott Thompson. Or is it vice Moscatel and Mark Bostic to go lo. Whitmarsh has since run out of versa? ,-;....,..:r..~. eligibility, Moscatel transferred to Washington and Bostic was ruled out At the moment, that question is still open to debate. About all that is for the season with a hairline fracture of his right ankle. certain is that the Toreros came into last night's game against little- That left Thompson, Anthony Reuss, Chris Carr and several unproven known Concordia (Neb.) College with a 3-3 mark in their last six games, newcomers. having not played exceptionally well in any of them. And Thompson was "A Jot of people talk about the sophomore jinx," said Egan. "But undergoing a similar slump. honestly don't believe there's any such tbing. It's just that as a freshman Any connection between the two? Probably Things had actually gotten nobody knows much about you. And last year Scott was about the fourth to the point where rumors surfaced that Thompson's sub-par perfor- guy we'd look to. Now he's one of our main weapons." . mances were in direct relation to his unhappiness with the USO program He's also become a marked man. This a Torero team that hasn't been and particularly new coach Hank Egan. q::z::::::i::~ blessed with an abundance of outside shooting ability and, because of it, So, all the Toreros did last night is go out and play perhaps their best opposing teams have concentrated more on stopping Thompson. He all-around game of the season in a 77-51 victory over the Bulldogs at the came into last night's action with an 11.5 scoring average, but really had USO Sports Center. Thompson appeared to be back in the middle of been on top of his game since his 16-point, 10-rebound performance things and, afterward, the 6-11 sophomore center was quick to deny all agamst San Diego State nearly a month ago. rumors concerning himself and Egan. "It iust seemed like he was more himself tonight," said Reuss, the "l don't have any complaints with anybody. If I did, I wouldn't be ,...__ Toreros' senior forward who led all scorers with 20 poinb.. "For us to be here," said Thompson, who finished with 10 points, four rebounds and successful, he's going to have to have a few more games hke that. He's three blocked shots in 27 minutes of play. "I really don't know where that such a big part of our team that we just can't afford him not to." got started. We have a new coach and new players and I think everything "I don't know what the problem was - I wish I could tell you," added has worked out. Thompson. "I don't know if it was the road !',tffieS (tournaments in Dallas ··1t could have been a lot worse. I thought it was going to be traumatic. ___, and Stockton) that shook me up or what. I just think that when everybody I didn't even know who was going to be on the team until the first day of else plays well, it rubs off." practice. But I think everyone is feeling a lot more comfortable with It rubbed off on just about the entire roster last night as 11 of the 12 each other. I think we're all getting to know one another." Toreros who got into the game scored. USD put together a streak of nine For a while, Thompson admitted even he wasn't totally sure he'd be straight points toward the end of the first half, took a 36-21 lead into_ the around for this year. Recruited by former Torero coach Jim Brovelli, the locker room at intermission, and was never threatened from that point. former Sacramento area prep standout had thoughts of joining his old Pete Murphy scored 11 points off the bench and Kiki Jackson added 10 coach at his new home - the University of San Francisco. as the Toreros improved their record to 8-4 on the year. The NAIA "That was before coach Egan was even hired," Thompson said. "I think Cowboys of Seward, Neb., were led by Ray Nutter's 19 points. every guy on the team thought about it. It's only natural. I liked coach "No doubt we were the better basketball team," said Egan, whose Brovelli a lot - he's the guy who recruited me. But I never seriously Toreros should get a much tougher challenge tomorrow night when they considered it. I'm happy the way things have turned out." play Northern Arizona beginning at 7:30 on USD's home court. "But we Ayear ago, Thompson was billed as USD's most heralded recruit ever played with more intensity in this game than we did in the two previous after scoring 29.5 points an outing his senior year at Mesa Verde High. games. That's what I was most concerned with. , He started 20 of the Toreros' 28 games and averaged 7.1 points and 4.8 ..,__--11~------------a=r.:------_. "I thought Scott played a little better, the whole team played a httle rebounds in being selected as the West Coast Athletic Conference's fresh- Tribune photo by Bob Ivins ,. better and I did a lot better job coaching. The kids have been very man of the year. Little wonder bigger things were anticipated from him SCOTT THOMPSON IS BACK ON TARGET patient with me. I'm learning as I go - right along with everyone else."

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*Tore;rJ)S,;-r- Cont~~ge C,, Brovelli departed fhortly alt

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Evening Tribune (Cir. 0. 127,454)

for US , Egan stepped into the picture and

all the Toreros did was put together an 11-4 non-confe their best. sin~e becoming a W AC member. In comparison, USD was 9-6 at that same point last season_ Then what could possibly be troubling this particular team? For one thing, the Torenis' early season cbedule w.as hardly impressi e. USD played 11 of tho e 15 games m San Oiego 1 played six sttatght oppon 1-s without a legiti- ma test, and ditln't look particularly im ·ve against any of them. ce mark - Al) Moscat id Cahill. "But rm not d1 pleased tbe way things have gone and I'm not reaJ y sorpu d. I think "A !her point.to consider is that tH confer-ence is much t ugner this time. Ever~boide from the schedule. ~gan has already replaced the little•known Concor- d1as and John Browns with tournament appearances in New Mexico and Texas next season. But the basic student/athlete concep at the cala Par school will remain the same. If anything, last year's title only proved to the administration that you don't have to sacrifice one for the other. "Ou~ p~ayers don't get_ any special treatment," said Cahill. "They 1iave to stand m lme for housing like everyone else, they have to get their own classes th~y have to meet the So:me entrance requirements. That's always been ou~ philosophy. Everybody likes success, but not to the point of changing the structure of the school. "Right now, we're just interested in establishing some tradition over the long haul. Hopefully, we're in the process of doing that." • y aren't going to easily fill those pots," the potential is still there to have ano sue I yea r an er, the Toreros lost several difficulty replacrng hem. "I said all along when you ose a {Miice) Whit ey payers rt Egan bas had rsh, ii Jonn) runty and a

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ore,,ros jelling at perfect · a4~S

Havmg struggled throughout most of the J,asketball season, usm..ctiri Carr finally is bowing signs of snap- pmg out of hi year-long lump. And with the conferC'.nce race less than two weeks away, 1t couldn't have come at a better time. A6-3 sen or guard from Los Ange- les, Car~ scored 12 pomts Saturday night - including two free throws in the final econd of the game - a the Toreros defeated Northern Arizona 54-53 at the USD Sports Center. _An important win, for sure. The vict?ry was the Toreros' fourth straight, and 13th in a row on their home floor, as they unproved their record to 9-4. With two more non- confere~ce games remaining, USD would hke nothing better than to put together a streak of six before Pep- perdi ne arnves Jan. 19 for the WCAC opener. . The victory was especially graiify- ing for Carr, a two-year start~r, who had been shooting around the 36 per- c~nt mark from the floor. In all, he hit four_ of eight shots against the LumberJacks and all four of his free throw attempts. Off for. the next few days, the Torer?s will be back in action Thurs- day night at home against Southwest Texas State, starting at 7:30. /j

San Oiego, CA (San Diego Co.) Evening Tribune !Cir. O. l 27 ,ASA)

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Arizona as WCAC play nears

Of those four defeats, two of them were to Pac-10 members Arizona State (67-61) and Washington State (63-61) in overtime. All of which provides the Torer

Against Northern Arizona, the Toreros will be facing their biggest test since Illino tate two weeks back, and certainly their toughest opponent until they open the West Coast Athletic Conference schedule against Pe per- dine. The Lumberjacks just happen-to be coming off an 82-65 loss to Pepperdine Thursday night m Malibu. But the final score isn't totally indicative of the 'It's just hard to maintain .a high degree of intensity throughout a whole basketball season. Hopefully, we've got it back up' -Hank Egan way things transpired. With 4:10 rema·ning, Northern Arizona was onl~ . "They're a very good ballclub," said Egan, after watching them on film. "They are very well-coached and have good balance. They also have excellent mobility. They run much better than Wl: do." They have also beat some impressive people. At 8-4 overal~, the _'Jacks defeated Jacksonville and New Mexico in successive nights earher thJS year at the Albuquerque Tribune Classic. And having coached in the WAC for several years, Egan knows how difficult it is to beat the Lobos on their home floor. hind 66-60.