MU men's hoops vs. Loyola Marymount advance story for Sunday Press
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - The Monmouth University men's basketball team (4-8) won't
have to face the two biggest guns in the arsenal of Loyola Marymount (8-7) in
Sunday's non-conference game at Boylan Gym.
Fifth year, 6-2 senior Brandon Worthy, the No. 2 scorer in the West Coast
Conference (18.8 ppg., 1,255 career points) is done for the season with
a torn ACL suffered Dec. 19 in a double overtime win over Boise State, while 6-8
senior Matthew Knight, the fifth leading scorer in the WCC (17 ppg.),
is out with a strained knee
cap suffered in a Dec. 22 loss at the buzzer to Long Beach State.
"I remember those kids from two years ago when they were sophomores,'' said
Monmouth senior Dejan Delic who led the Hawks with 16 points in an 83-70
loss to the Lions in the 2004-2005 season opener in Los Angeles. Worthy scored nine points in the 2004 game while Knight had 14.
Sunday's contest marks the second in the home and home series.
""They were like unknowns then but they were still unbelievable players,''
said Delic.
""It's obviously good for us, but I feel sorry for them,'' said Delic. ""I
don't wish anybody injuries. But we've got to use this opportunity to get a
win.''
"I have never been a part of team that lost their two best players in back-
to-back games," said LMU coach Rodney Tention on the school's web site
following the Long Beach State contest.
"I told the guys it was an opportunity to step
up,'' he said. ""We are good enough to win games with
anyone we put out on the court. We have to find a way to get it done."
But Friday, playing without both players for the first time, the Lions were
mauled at Akron, 92-52, and committed 30 turnovers in losing to the Zips (8-
3).
Adoyah Miller, a 6-5 senior transfer from Boston College, had averaged 21
points and six rebounds in the two games preceding Friday while hitting 9-
for-16 from downtown, but Friday scored eight points and was blanked from
deep.
""He can really shoot it,'' said Monmouth coach Dave Calloway. ""They have
size, they rebound very well, and they really look to post.''
LMU boasts nine players 6-9 or taller on the roster. Three are freshman
including seven-foot, 260
pound Max Craig.
Monmouth has lost seven of eight games to WCC teams last prevailing Jan. 2,
1990 at Pepperdine, 56-54, when Alex Blackwell scored on a rebound after
future NBA player Doug Christe blocked a shot by Calloway.
""This (Loyola Marymount) is a marquee team,'' said Calloway. LMU was
picked second in the WCC behind Gonzaga. ""It's a name program,''said
Calloway. ""This is a
great home game for us.''
""We're very, very excited for the
game, especially since we won the game
(over Lehigh) Friday night,'' Delic said.
""We started getting back faith in our team and basketball in general.''
My thoughts: If MU can keep Miller from going off it has a decent chance. LMU is very big. Bunch has to play their big guys at least even as rebounding could be a problem.
On the other hand..they had virtually no time to prepare a suddenly somewhat inexperienced team (in new roles at least) for MU's motion offense. So if the Hawks run it well they could score some easy baskets. This is also a game MU may need to hit its outside shots.
This looks like a game that could be played in the 50's or 60's which is what MU would prefer (in every game).
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - The Monmouth University men's basketball team (4-8) won't
have to face the two biggest guns in the arsenal of Loyola Marymount (8-7) in
Sunday's non-conference game at Boylan Gym.
Fifth year, 6-2 senior Brandon Worthy, the No. 2 scorer in the West Coast
Conference (18.8 ppg., 1,255 career points) is done for the season with
a torn ACL suffered Dec. 19 in a double overtime win over Boise State, while 6-8
senior Matthew Knight, the fifth leading scorer in the WCC (17 ppg.),
is out with a strained knee
cap suffered in a Dec. 22 loss at the buzzer to Long Beach State.
"I remember those kids from two years ago when they were sophomores,'' said
Monmouth senior Dejan Delic who led the Hawks with 16 points in an 83-70
loss to the Lions in the 2004-2005 season opener in Los Angeles. Worthy scored nine points in the 2004 game while Knight had 14.
Sunday's contest marks the second in the home and home series.
""They were like unknowns then but they were still unbelievable players,''
said Delic.
""It's obviously good for us, but I feel sorry for them,'' said Delic. ""I
don't wish anybody injuries. But we've got to use this opportunity to get a
win.''
"I have never been a part of team that lost their two best players in back-
to-back games," said LMU coach Rodney Tention on the school's web site
following the Long Beach State contest.
"I told the guys it was an opportunity to step
up,'' he said. ""We are good enough to win games with
anyone we put out on the court. We have to find a way to get it done."
But Friday, playing without both players for the first time, the Lions were
mauled at Akron, 92-52, and committed 30 turnovers in losing to the Zips (8-
3).
Adoyah Miller, a 6-5 senior transfer from Boston College, had averaged 21
points and six rebounds in the two games preceding Friday while hitting 9-
for-16 from downtown, but Friday scored eight points and was blanked from
deep.
""He can really shoot it,'' said Monmouth coach Dave Calloway. ""They have
size, they rebound very well, and they really look to post.''
LMU boasts nine players 6-9 or taller on the roster. Three are freshman
including seven-foot, 260
pound Max Craig.
Monmouth has lost seven of eight games to WCC teams last prevailing Jan. 2,
1990 at Pepperdine, 56-54, when Alex Blackwell scored on a rebound after
future NBA player Doug Christe blocked a shot by Calloway.
""This (Loyola Marymount) is a marquee team,'' said Calloway. LMU was
picked second in the WCC behind Gonzaga. ""It's a name program,''said
Calloway. ""This is a
great home game for us.''
""We're very, very excited for the
game, especially since we won the game
(over Lehigh) Friday night,'' Delic said.
""We started getting back faith in our team and basketball in general.''
My thoughts: If MU can keep Miller from going off it has a decent chance. LMU is very big. Bunch has to play their big guys at least even as rebounding could be a problem.
On the other hand..they had virtually no time to prepare a suddenly somewhat inexperienced team (in new roles at least) for MU's motion offense. So if the Hawks run it well they could score some easy baskets. This is also a game MU may need to hit its outside shots.
This looks like a game that could be played in the 50's or 60's which is what MU would prefer (in every game).
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 6:26 PM
4 Comments:
Oops..LMU has five players, not nine over 6-9. Now THAT would really be size, but five is plenty.
MU 68 LMU 60
MU 71 LMU 59 Boylan Bazzaztards all the way!
I love it, the Boylan Bazzaztards that is flipping sweet like Napoleon Dynamites dance moves...Go MU, lets get it on!
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