Really Big : That’s Name of the Game for Loyola Basketball This Season

Loyola Marymount opened basketball practice this week with big hopes, big names, a big-time schedule and an accelerated practice schedule that fits its hectic image.

The season opens for the Lions on Nov. 15, a month after the start of practice. And the opener is a delicious matchup: Loyola’s run-at-all-costs offense against highly ranked Nevada-Las Vegas’ stern defense.

The Lions began practice with a healthy complement and most of their record-setting offense intact. Four of last season’s top scorers are returning, led by senior forward Hank Gathers, who topped the nation in scoring and rebounding as a junior.

Other returning starters are senior guards Jeff Fryer and Bo Kimble and junior forward/center Per Stumer. Also returning are junior Tom Peabody and sophomore Terrell Lowery, who both saw considerable action at guard, and a handful of lettermen at forward and center: 6-foot-10 senior Marcellus Lee, 6-9 senior Jeff Roscoe, 6-8 junior Marcus Slater, 6-9 sophomore Chris Knight and 6-6 sophomore John O’Connell.

Because the Lions open so early, in the preseason National Invitation Tournament, they begin a series of refereed intra-squad scrimmages this week and play two public exhibitions next month: their annual public Crimson-Gray intra-squad game Nov. 2 and a game with a touring Australian team Nov. 4.

Before Christmas, they will have played UNLV, which appears to be the consensus preseason No. 1, UC Santa Barbara, Oregon State and Oklahoma. They start the new year with a long-awaited trip to Philadelphia to play St. Joseph’s and LaSalle--a homecoming for Gathers and Kimble as well as Westhead, who has not coached a college game there since leaving LaSalle in 1979 to become a Lakers assistant.

“Anticipation? Some,” Westhead said before a practice this week. “I like our schedule. A month and we’re into it.”

With four televised games starting after 8:30 p.m., the Lions may become some sports fans’ favorite late-night entertainment. The LaSalle game is scheduled for 11:30 p.m. EST, a game that will start on Jan. 6 and end Jan. 7. “I don’t care if we’re losing Saturday, I just don’t want to be losing on Sunday,” Westhead quipped.

No-shows this season are guard Terry Mister, who dropped out, and Steve Yoest, a walk-on last year who has decided to attend to studies. His absence means there won’t be a Yoest on the varsity for the first time in five years. Mister, who didn’t figure to play much, will be missed mostly for his services as unofficial team barber. And volunteer assistant coach Jim Ellis has moved on to a full-time coaching job with San Jose in the Continental Basketball Assn.

New faces are junior guard Tony Walker, a speedy transfer from Ventura College, 6-9 freshman forward Chris Scott and 5-11 guard Greg Walker, a walk-on freshman.

Another new face: Paul Westhead Jr., a recent Fordham University graduate, who is helping his father as a graduate assistant.

One more new face will be seen frequently around Gersten Pavilion: Jung Myung Lim, a coach of the South Korean national team, who will observe the Lions all season at games and practices. His visit was arranged by U.S. coaching adviser Pete Newell.

The Lions are expected to battle Pepperdine for the West Coast Conference title and are gunning for a third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. And gunning is the accurate word. With Gathers, who averaged 32.7 points, Fryer (22.9), Kimble (16.8 in an injury-riddled season) and Stumer (9.6), the Lions figure to score as much, if not more, than last season, when they broke nearly every NCAA game and season record in averaging 112.5 points. Gathers is on virtually every preseason All-America team, with Kimble and Fryer making the top seniors lists as well.

The only real hurdle is getting some big-time play out of one (or more) of the big men. Gathers and Stumer, both 6-7, are the team’s best rebounders and will see action in the post. But both are really forwards. “We’ll see who evolves,” Westhead said. “If we can get some play out of Chris Knight, maybe Marcy (Lee), we’ll see.”

That’s the big IF in what could be a big season for Loyola.