USD Men's Basketball 1979-1980

1979-80 BASKETBALL PROSPECTUS The University of San Diego 's 1979-80 basketball season promises to be one of the most challenging in the school 's twenty-four year basketball history. Head Coach Jim Brovelli will lead a young team into the tough West Coast Athletic Conference for the first time this year. The University makes the jump to Division I, and the W.C.A.C., after having made two consecutive ap– pearances in post season Division II play . In those two years the Toreros compiled a 41-14 record , includ– ing a 25-2 mark at home. The 1977-78 team finished in the " Final Four ," while 1978-79 team made it to the Western Regionals. This year's team will be characterized by youth and a team effort. "Any success we achieve this year will be due to total team effort, we 've got to rely on each other, " says Coach Brovelli . "We have quite a few freshmen and sophomores returning from a successful winning season at the college level. Our new re– cruits are Division I players , and should add the necessary depth we need to make the move successfully. " The 1978-79 team returns eleven players , including the entire starting line, having lost only two seniors this past year. Returning starters in the front line include senior Russell Jackson (6 '3" 190), junior Bob Bartholomew (6 '6" 200), and Joe Evans (6 '8 " 220) . Bartholomew led the team in scoring (14.8 pts.) rebounding (9.0) and shooting percentage (.577) the past season , and currently ranks 16th on the all-time school scoring list (636) . " Bob has been the most consistent player here the last two years , and we look for the same improvement the next two years, " says Brovelli . Joe Evans , an All-Tourney pick in the Division II Western Regional Tournament last season, comes in– to his sophomore season after having finished second to Bartholomew in scoring (13 .0) and rebounding (7 .3). In the back court, Mike Stockalper (6 '0 " 160) and E=arl Pierce (6 '3" 180), an All-Tourney team selection in the Western Regionals , return for the ir second year of play together. "Stockalper is our quarterback on the floor , and will continue to play that role for us ," states Brovelli . With Stockalper at the controls the back court of he and Pierce averages just 3 .6 turnovers per game . Adding depth to the front line will be sophomore Keith Cunningham (6 '8" 180) and senior Marty Mates (6'6" 210), who 'll team with three new faces at the Alcala Park Campus, J.C. transfers Paul Appleby (6'5" 210 ), Brad Levesque (6 '6" 220) and freshman Jimmy Robinson (6'7 " 200). The strength in the back court will be supplied by Senior Dave Cook (6 '3 " 185), sophomore Ken Cooney (6 '4 " 198), and sophomore Rusty Whitmarsh (6 '3 " 185). The new addition to the guard position will be Daryl! Barbour (5'11 " 165), a transfer from Canada Junior College . Coach Brovelli feels "the team will have a built-in motivator this season with the step up in play. We want to prove to ourselves, as well as to the rest of the Conference , that we belong at this level. " The University of San Diego home schedule for the 1979-80 season will bring such top ranked teams as the Ai r Force Academy, Nort h Texas State, and Western Illinois, as well as eight conference games. On the road the Toreros will travel to Northern Ar izona University, the University of Pacific, and to cross town rival San Diego State. In playing an eighty-five percent Div ision I schedule , this season promises to be both exciting and challenging for the Un iversity of San Diego. 6