USD Men's Basketball 1996-1997

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COURTESY UCLA SPORTS INFORMATION

' MAKING WAVIS Continued

The players at Pepperdine are getting more than a coach in Romar-they are gaining a friend and a confi

"AS f AR AS HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH PLAYERS, HE'S AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET, BAR NONE. IN RECRUITING, HE DOESN'T USE GIMMICKS. HE USES HONESTY. HE USES MESSAGES f ROM HIS HEART." UCLA senior Charles O'Bannon sick," he said- and whf'n Pf'pperdinf' callf'd last wintf'r, he instinctively knf'w thf' time had come. Certainly, the challf'ngf' was sf'duc– tive. Gary Colson, Harrick and Torn Asbury (now at Kansas State) rnadt> thf' Wavf's into thf' dominant program in the Wf'st Coast Conference. But Tony Fuller, a formf'r UCLA assistant hired whf'n Romar said no in ] 994, quit unexpf'C'lf'dly last January. Marty Wilson took ovf'r on an interim has is, and the Waves finished last in the conff'rf'ncf' for thf' first time sinct> 1977-78. Romar does not promisf' immf'Cliatf' . success, hut hf' expf'clS to compete for top-2S rf'cognition within three yt>ars. He has a solid foundation with Givt>ns and Gardnf'r, plus rf'turnf'f'S Gerald Brown and Marquf's Johnson. Hf' also accepted Tommy Prince, a UCLA rf'cruit whost> tf'st sc·cirf's werf' chal– lf'ngf'd. PrinC'e then f'nrolled at Arizona State hut was involvf'd in an off-c·ourt incidf'nt and left the school. Anothf'r wayward hoy'? "Twas in full-timf' ministry for Sf'ven years," Romar said . "l have thf' mind– Sf't that if a kid's hf'art is right, hf' can hf' hf'lpf'd. If hf' isn't trying to con mf', to manipulatf' me, hecausf' this isn't a rf'hah homf'. thf'n I'm willing to put stuff hf'hind. Evt>ryonf' cif'servf's a sec– ond chancf'." Romar got one, from Pf'ppf'l'dine.

They accused Romar of breaking his word and initially refused to grant Givens his release. Then, from Berkeley, came word that Romar would take two more disgruntled play– ers, California's Jelani Gardner and Tremaine Fowlkes. Pepperdine, with its solid reputation and affiliation with the Church of Christ, was becoming a home for way– ward boys. Predictably, more criti cism of Romar followed. (And so did Gardner, who eventually tran sferred a few weeks later with Cal's blessing.) Romar was tempted to respond, to lash out at hi s critics with hi s version of the truth. "There were a couple of times I wanted to defend myself and point fin– gers," he said. "But then I remem– bered the Bible." And therein lies Romar's essence. Raised Catholic, he read the Bible for the first time in 1983 at the urging of a friend. It was an epiphany, and he soon returned to Christianity. After a career at the University of Washington and four seasons in the NBA, he joined Athletes in Action, the sports division of the Campus Crusade for Christ, a non-denominational ministry. As a player-coach for AIA, he once scored 45 points against Mi chigan's Fab Five in an exhibition game. Then he passed his spiritual message on to the Wolverines' team of prisoners, just for the chance to deliver the message. In 1992, he joined the UCLA staff, although with a pinch of trepidation on each side. Romar was hesitant to leave his ministry and move his family from Cincinnati, and Harrick wasn't sure Romar understood the rigors of recruiting. But he learned fast an

Hi s NBA carf'er commandf'd respect from brash teenagers. His unwavf'ring moral compass attracte

JON WILNER cmwrs college basketball for the l.,os Angel,,., Daily NPws.