Loyola Marymount Starting to Rebuild

Gone is Ime Oduok. Gone is Mike O’Quinn. Gone with them, in all likelihood, is a realistic chance of winning the West Coast Conference basketball title.

Welcome to another transition season for Loyola Marymount.

The Lions last season returned to respectability in the WCC after three consecutive poor seasons, finishing 8-6 and tied with San Francisco for third place. Their 18-11 overall record was their best since they went 26-6 in 1989-90.

But the Lions are not being taken seriously and are being picked to finish no better than sixth in the conference. Coach John Olive, in his fifth season, is not putting up much of an argument.

“It’s probably a fair assessment,” said Olive, who was signed to a one-year contract extension through next season. “We are a little younger this [season] and have to [earn] our stripes. But I tell you, I like these younger guys. They are very competitive.”

They had better be, especially in the front line, where the loss of Oduok to graduation and O’Quinn to Cal State Northridge has created sizable voids.

Oduok, a two-time All-WCC pick at center, led the conference with 255 rebounds and paced the Lions in scoring with a 13.5-point average. O’Quinn was third in scoring at 11.7 points a game.

That leaves what Olive calls a committee to replace Oduok. It also puts added pressure on returning starters Jim Williamson, Ben Ammerman and Kenny Hotopp to pick up the slack.

Williamson, a 5-foot-10 senior point guard, last season averaged 12.5 points and 4.4 assists and was among the NCAA’s leaders in free throw percentage at 86.4%. He led the Lions with 51 three-point baskets and, for the second season in a row, was first in the WCC in minutes played with 1,034.

“Jimmy is one of the marquee players in the conference,” said Olive, last season’s WCC coach of the year. “He’s probably won 16 games by himself, either making the last shot of the game or by making a big play in the last few seconds.”

Ammerman, a 6-7 junior forward, averaged 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, and made 42 three-point shots. Hotopp, a 6-10 junior forward, contributed 8.6 points and six rebounds a game.

“Hotopp will be more of a traditional power forward, which means he’ll post up more,” Olive said.

Also posting up will be junior Will Jones and sophomores Jason Perry and Peter Cornell, the three-man committee appointed by Olive to take over at center.

Jones, although only 6-5, weighs 230 pounds and likes to crash the boards. Perry, 6-7 and 230, played sparingly last season and Cornell, 6-10 and 235, was a redshirt after transferring from the University of Puget Sound.

“No question, that’s going to be a critical aspect of our basketball team,” Olive said. “Maybe we won’t score that many points from that spot, but if we can just win the marginal battle, I’ll be perfectly happy.”

The remaining starting spot could be filled by 6-7 senior forward John Anthony, the former Peninsula High standout who has been hampered by injuries during his college career. He had a chronic knee problem last season and played only eight games.

Two other returners, 6-2 guard Julian Hammond and 6-5 forward Tim Kennedy figure to get more playing time. They played in nearly every game last season but in limited roles.

Guard Terryl Woolery, whose two-season stint with the Lions was marred by suspensions, would have complemented Williamson in the backcourt, but he transferred to Cal Poly Pomona.

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Loyola Marymount Facts and Figures

ROSTER

No.: 0

Player: Will Jones

Pos.: F-C

Ht.: 6-5

Wt.: 230

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Shot 47.5% from field.

*

No.: 3

Player: Kevin Daniels

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-2

Wt.: 185

Yr.: Fr.

Comment: Team’s only incoming recruit.

*

No.: 4

Player: Tim Kennedy

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-5

Wt.: 200

Yr.: So.

Comment: Made 76.6% of his free throws.

*

No.: 11

Player: Clem Sterk

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-4

Wt.: 170

Yr.: So.

Comment: Walk-on from Nairobi, Kenya.

*

No.: 12

Player: Jim Williamson

Pos.: G

Ht.: 5-10

Wt.: 160

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: All-WCC, averaged 36 minutes.

*

No.: 22

Player: Julian Hammond

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-2

Wt.: 185

Yr.: So.

Comment: Averaged 2.3 points.

*

No.: 24

Player: Chris Evelyn

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-1

Wt.: 175

Yr.: So.

Comment: Played only five games.

*

No.: 25

Player: Andrew Dahl-Bredine

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-0

Wt.: 170

Yr.: Fr.

Comment: Walk-on from Silver City, N.M.

*

No.: 32

Player: John Anthony

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-7

Wt.: 210

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Injury limited him to 67 minutes.

*

No.: 33

Player: Ben Ammerman

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-7

Wt.: 210

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds a game.

*

No.: 42

Player: Peter Cornell

Pos.: C

Ht.: 6-10

Wt.: 235

Yr.: So.

Comment: Lions try to find replacement for Ime Oduok.

*

No.: 45

Player: Jason Perry

Pos.: F-C

Ht.: 6-7

Wt.: 230

Yr.: So.

Comment: Figures to get playing time at center.

*

No.: 53

Player: Kenny Hotopp

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-10

Wt.: 230

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Second on team in rebounds (6 a game).

* Coach: John Olive, fifth season at Loyola Marymount, 44-67.

* 1995-96 record: 18-11, 8-6 in WCC (3rd tie).

* Tournament: Last NCAA appearance in 1990. Lost to UNLV, 131-101, in West Regional final.

* Returning starters (3): Ammerman, Hotopp, Williamson.

SCHEDULE

*--*

Date Opponent Time Saturday Seattle 7 Tuesday at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 7 Nov. 30 CS Northridge 7 Dec. 2 at USC 7 Dec. 5 Xavier 7:30 Dec. 7 CS Fullerton 7 Dec. 14 at San Diego State 7 Dec. 18 Northern Arizona 7 Dec. 23 at Washington 7 Dec. 28 Providence 7 Dec. 30 Brown 7 Jan. 4 at UC Santa Barbara 7:30 Jan. 10 San Francisco 7 Jan. 11 San Diego 7 Jan. 15 Pepperdine 7:30 Jan. 18 at Pepperdine 5 Jan. 23 at Gonzaga 7 Jan. 25 at Portland 7 Jan. 31 Portland 7 Feb. 1 Gonzaga 7 Feb. 7 at Santa Clara 7:30 Feb. 8 at St. Mary’s 7:30 Feb. 14 St. Mary’s 7 Feb. 15 Santa Clara 7 Feb. 20 at San Diego 7 Feb. 22 at San Francisco 7 Mar. 1-3 WCC Tournament at LMU TBA

*--*

* All times Pacific and p.m. unless noted.