USD Men's Basketball 2008-2009

If last year's Torero basketball season had been a book written by first year head coach Bill Grier, it most likely would have appeared on the best seller's list. For the upcoming 2008-09 campaign, Grier will have a lot of the same characters (everyTorero returns) and storyline to work with (8 non-conference rematches; wee league competition; and wee Tournament) as he pens his second work. With all five starters and ten lettermen back from last year's 22-14 team that won the WCC Tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA's, sec– ond-year head coach Bill Grier is cautiously optimistic for the upcoming season. The Toreros finished last year strong, going 11-3 in league (3rd place) and 14- 3 down the stretch. They knocked off San Francisco, Saint Mary's and No. 20 Gonzaga in the WCC Tourna– ment, and then followed up by upsetting 15th-ranked UConn in the opening round of the NCAA Tourna– ment. In the second round of the NCAA's, USO over– came a 15-point deficit against Western Kentucky to take a 55-54 lead with about 6 minutes to go, but eventually came up short against a very good Hilltop– pers' club, 72-63. SENIORS JOHNSON AND POMARE TO LEAD WAY For the 2008-09 campaign, the Toreros are picked to finish 3rd this season in the Preseason WCC Head Coaches Poll. San Diego will look to the senior tan– dem of guard Brandon Johnson (16.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 77 steals) and forward Gyno Pomare (14.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) to supply most of the leadership and offensive power. Both players were First Team AII-WCC picks a year ago, with Johnson earning MVP honors at the West Coast Conference Tournament. Last year Johnson set a new USO single season scoring record with 590 points, and enters his last year with 1,277 points (9th all-time) and 398 assists (3rd all-time). Pomare wasn't far behind with his 508 points and he enters his final year 7th all-time in scor– ing (1,296 points) and 3rd in rebounding (680) among USO Division I players. Both players have a chance to leave USO as the program's all-time leading scorer - that spot is currently held by Stan Washington (1,472 points; 1971-74).

TRIO OF RETURNING STARTERS Junior wing De'Jon Jackson (7.6 ppg), the lone Torero to start all 36 games a year ago, returns to the lineup as the team's most consistent player on a game-by-game basis. It was Jackson who knocked down the game-winning shot against the Connecti– cut Huskies in overtime with his step-back 18-footer with 1.2 seconds left that gave USO its first ever NCAA Tournament victory. Rounding out the returning starters is the sopho– more tandem of forward Rob Jones (9.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and guard Trumaine Johnson (5.7 ppg, 2.7 apg). Jones was named to the WCC All-Freshman team and pro– duced some big moments including his 27 point-13 rebound efforts against LMU, and his 16 point-15 re– bound game against Pepperdine. Johnson started the last 15 games for USO with the Toreros going 12-3 during that stretch. Both players will be expected to increase their production in their second seasons.