USD Men's Basketball 2005-2006

over Occidental. Local product Gyno Pomare, a 6-7 forward out of El Camino High School in Oceanside, should play a key role in USD's plans this season after redshirting last year. THE NEWCOMERS: USD will have more new than old this season with the addition of six new scholarship players and three new walk-ons. Through the junior college ranks the Toreros have picked up inside players Nir Cohen, a 6-7 forward/center out of Monroe JC in Rochester, New York, and Theo White, a 6-4 power forward from Tyler Community College in Tyler, Texas. Both players are expected to see action immediately and provide the Toreros with inside scoring and rebounding at both ends of the floor. San Diego brings in an outstanding quartet of freshmen with the likes of Brandon Johson, a sturdy 6-0, 195 lb. point guard from Willow Ridge HS in Houston, Texas; Danny Brown, a 6-4, 180 lb. shooting guard from DeSoto HS in Olathe, Kansas; Ray Murdock, an athletic 6-3, 193 lb. wing player from Pinnacle HS in Phoenix,Arizona; and Chris Lewis, a 6-7, 200 lb. guard-forward from Lawrence D. Bell HS in Bedford, Texas.

Joining the Torero squad as walk-ons this season will be a trio of juniors Clayton Tolbert, a 6-2 guard from San Jose, California who started his collegiate career at West Valley Junior College; Greg Nelson, Jr. , a 6-0 guard from nearby Carlsbad that started at Cal Poly; and Kyle Price, a 6-2 guard from Valencia, California. In total USD will have seven new players that have not been involved ..l,;-~---- with NCAA Division I basketball, but will have a chance to play.

A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE: The Toreros will begin the 2005-06 season with four straight road games beginning with Campbell (Buies Creek, NC) on Nov. 18th. USD will follow up with three California road games at UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 21), San Jose State (Nov. 23) and UC Riverside (Nov. 26). USD 's home opener will be against crosstown rival San Diego State on on Wednesday, Nov. 30th. Other key nonconference games will be against Fresno State on Dec. 10th in the San Diego Slam at Cox Arena, at home versus New Mexico on Dec. 22nd, and at Eastern Washington on New Year's Day. The West Coast Conference 2006 men's basketball schedule will be switch–

ing to a Saturday-Monday format to allow the WCC to participate on ESPN's 'Big Monday' television package. With that USD will kickoff their WCC slate on the road with games at Loyola Marymount (Sat., Jan. 7th) and Pepperdine (Mon., Jan. 9th). USD's WCC home opener will be against the Santa Clara Broncos on Monday, January 16th, followed by Gonzaga (Jan. 21st) and Portland (Jan. 23rd). USD will complete their WCC homestand with Saint Mary's on Monday, Febru– ary 20th, before closing out their regular-season at Gonzaga and Portland. The West Coast Conference Tournament will take place in Spokane, Washington (Mar. 3-6) on the campus of Gonzaga University. West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Gonzaga - 62 (6) 2. Saint Mary's - 45 (1) 3. Portland - 43 (1) 4. Loyola Marymount - 40 5. Santa Clara - 36 6. San Francisco - 28 Top Five Returning Players J.P. Batista, Gonzaga Pooh Jeter, Portland Daniel Kickert, Saint Mary's Adam Morrison, Gonzaga Derek Raivio, Gonzaga

(Voted by WCC coaches)

7. San Diego - 20 8. Pepperdine - 14 (1st Place Votes)

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