Division I Games a Teaching Tool

They are the patsies, the guaranteed victories on the schedules of Division I basketball teams.

Azusa Pacific is pounded by fourth-ranked Utah, 83-50. Concordia takes a 96-63 beating at San Diego. Southern California College travels to Utah State Saturday and San Diego State next month.

The David vs. Goliath coaches know the score. They schedule the games knowing it could get ugly, and come back yearly for more punishment.

Southern California College is 0-21 against Division I teams, yet Coach Bill Reynolds tries to include one or two a year.

Reynolds says the experience is positive for his players, regardless of the score. It’s an opportunity to play against top-notch competition at first-class facilities.

“It gives the school a little exposure one way or another,” Reynolds said. “And one of these years we hope we’ll be competitive against Division I teams. It’s been a while.”

The Vanguards have been able to do well at this level in the past. They even gave the Bo Kimble-Hank Gathers era Loyola Marymount a game before losing. In 1990, they lost to Murray State, 79-78, at the buzzer.

More recently, the Vanguards have been overmatched, but rewarded financially. SCC will get $7,000 for playing Utah State and $4,500 for playing San Diego State. After paying for travel and lodging, the program will have money left over to pay for warmup suits and shoes.

Concordia’s reward wasn’t as significant--it got about $1,500 to play San Diego Sunday--and the Eagles also served themselves up last week to a Division II power, Cal State Bakersfield, for $1,000.

Bakersfield, led by 19 points and 20 rebounds by Kebu Stewart, a former Big West player of the year at Nevada Las Vegas, pounded Concordia, 96-66, and left Concordia Coach Greg Marshall impressed.

“Bakersfield is one of the best teams I’ve ever coached against,” Marshall said. “It seemed like it was men against boys. We were the boys.”

After the game, Marshall said he was asked by a reporter what he would have done differently. “I told him, ‘No. 1, I wouldn’t schedule this team again, and No. 2, I’d ask for a heck of a lot more money.’ ”

Seriously, Marshall believes these games can be beneficial for a team. Two seasons ago, Marshall took a team to Northern Arizona and won, 73-67.

That was a veteran Concordia team pulling off an upset of a lower-tier Division I team. That’s a far cry from what happened to his inexperienced team this year, but Marshall is able to see positives.

“It’s a nice chance for these guys to see where we are in the food chain,” Marshall said. “I think they become more coachable after you play some of these people.”