Struggling Pepperdine Plays Host to Streaking USD

Is the University of San Diego basketball team for real?

Just ask Pepperdine Coach Jim Harrick, whose Waves have won two straight West Coast Athletic Conference championships and four of the last five.

“For real?” Harrick said. “No question about it.”

The Toreros, winners of six straight games and 11 of their last 12, will be trying to hang on to their half-game lead over Gonzaga in the WCAC race when they face Pepperdine at 7:30 tonight at Malibu. USD is 7-1 in conference and 16-4 overall. Pepperdine, meanwhile, is still trying to get things together. The Waves (2-5, 7-13) are a half-game out of last place.

Tonight’s game comes just six days after USD beat Pepperdine, 69-66, in the USD Sports Center.

“I like USD because they are a very balanced team,” Harrick said. “And there are three reasons.

“One, Scott Thompson’s ability to score and dominate inside; two, Paul Leonard’s steady play at point guard, and three, (forward) Nils Madden’s ability to shoot for such a high percentage (.613%) inside.”

Thompson, USD’s 7-foot center, is averaging a team-leading 16.2 points a game. But he’s getting plenty of help from Madden (11.7), Leonard (10.8) and shooting guard Mark Manor (9.1).

“You really don’t know whether to play zone or man (to man) against them,” Harrick said. “You go zone and Manor hurts you from outside. You play man and Thompson and Madden hurt you inside.”

In three of the last four seasons, Harrick’s teams have been to the NCAA Tournament. In 1983, the Waves lost to North Carolina State, the eventual champions; in 1985, they lost to Duke, and last year, Pepperdine was beaten by Maryland. All were first-round games.

“You know, I think USD has a tournament-type team,” Harrick said. “They are very well-coached and they come to play every night. But a lot depends on the draw. Our conference doesn’t get to play against that many super athletes, and I don’t know if they would be able to handle that.”

Last Saturday, USD had trouble handling Pepperdine’s best athlete, Eric White, a 6-foot 8-inch junior forward. White scored 28 points and had 13 rebounds, almost leading the Waves back from a 12-point, second-half deficit.

“That may have been one of our better games of the year,” Harrick said. “We put a lot of pressure on USD and, although they wavered at the end of the game, they did make the plays they had to to win.

“And to win a championship, you need to make plays like that.”