USD’s Egan Is Looking Forward to a New Challenge

University of San Diego Coach Hank Egan, a realistic man, says he’s optimistic about the 1987-88 college basketball season.

He has several reasons not to be.

When practice begins today at USD, Egan will be without these players from his defending West Coast Athletic Conference basketball championship team:

--Seven-foot center Scott Thompson, the conference’s Player of the Year last season.

--Three other starters--guard Paul Leonard and forwards Nils Madden and Mark Manor--and two key players off the bench, forward Steve Krallman and guard Eric Musselman.

All were part of Egan’s team that finished 24-6, didn’t lose a game at home and threw quite a scare into heavily favored Auburn before losing, 52-51, in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional last March.

The loss of these players would seem big enough to keep a realistic coach from being very optimistic.

Consider the players who will greet Egan today as he begins his fourth year at USD:

--Only two seniors, 6-6 forward Marty Munn, who played sparingly last season, and 6-9 forward-center Jim Pelton, who played less than Munn and opens practice with a sore back.

--An inexperienced group that includes only one returning starter, junior guard Danny Means. Completing the roster are six freshmen and one junior college transfer, guard Effrem Leonard.

It seems that Egan would sound a little unrealistic to say he’s anticipating this season.

“I can understand why people think we’re going to be down this year,” Egan said. “But I’m really looking forward to this season. There are going to be a lot of new challenges and a lot of new, different things to teach.”

With all of the newcomers, Egan may need a couple of days just to get everybody acquainted.

He might be familiar with Leonard, a guard whose brother, Paul, was USD’s point guard the past two seasons.

Freshman newcomers on the inside are John Sayers from Bellarmine Prep High in San Jose, Keith Colvin from Chico High and Randy Thompson from Don Lugo High in Chino. Each is 6-7.

Another “brother act” includes freshman 6-foot guard Kelvin Means, a 6-foot guard whose brother is Danny.

“There’s no question that this year is quite a different challenge for us,” Egan said. “Last year we were so experienced, a lot was expected of us. And we came through.

“But now we’re paying for the fact that we had so many seniors last year.”

It would seem that USD is headed for a rebuilding season.

“I don’t believe in that,” Egan said. “We’re not going to use this year to build for the next one. We’re going to be going after it at all times.”

Egan is in search of team leaders. One such player could be Danny Means, who scored 18 points in the NCAA regional game against Auburn. For much of the regular season, it seemed as if Means had kept his talents under wraps, in step with Egan’s disciplined system.

“I have a general philosophy that calls for good team basketball,” Egan said. “And the last couple of seasons, I’ve had the experienced players who could adapt well to that. Now, we’re not going to be as big and strong, and we’re not going to have the experience.

“But we do have some kids who have some excellent athletic talent and a good feel for the game. With these new kids, I wouldn’t be surprised if we broke free as a team and played more up-tempo than in the past.”

That, for now, has Egan feeling pretty up-tempo.