Romar Has Team That’s Expected to Make Waves

Anyone who follows college basketball in Southern California knows that things haven’t been fine at the ‘Dine in some time.

Once a dominant team in the West Coast Conference, Pepperdine has endured three consecutive losing seasons--a combined 24-58 record--resulting in no postseason games and no joy in Malibu.

That should be over.

Thanks to an influx of players who sat out last season, the Waves appear primed for a resurgence under second-year Coach Lorenzo Romar, who leaves no doubt he expects his team to be playing in March.

“Our goal definitely is to participate in the NCAA tournament,” he said.

That was Romar’s goal last season. But with an outmanned and undersized squad, it proved to be a pipe dream. The Waves finished 6-21--their worst record since 1965-66--and ranked last in nearly every shooting category, averaging a conference-low 60.4 points a game as they tied for sixth place.

The season ended with an 85-69 loss to St. Mary’s in the first round of the WCC tournament, a game notable for the fact that Pepperdine had a better team on the end of the bench than on the court.

Seated in street clothes were transfers Jelani Gardner and omm’A Givens, who sat out the season in accordance with NCAA rules; Gerald Brown, who was rehabilitating a surgically repaired right knee, and Kelvin Gibbs, who used a redshirt season after his eligibility was held up by the NCAA because of an academic matter.

Those players are now in uniform, and they hold the key to Pepperdine’s aspirations for a 180-degree turnaround.

“Every coach, from John Wooden on down, has said that if you want to be a good coach, you better have some talent,” Romar said. “Not to discredit our guys from last year, but it’s no secret there is much better talent on this year’s team.”

The Waves, whose tallest player last season was 6 feet 7, are bigger and deeper. Romar has confidence in his top eight players.

The addition of Gardner and the return of Brown give Pepperdine arguably the best pair of guards in the conference.

Gardner, a 6-6 junior, played two seasons at California and should provide much-needed scoring punch. He shot well from three-point range in exhibitions and has the quickness and size to be a threat driving to the basket.

Brown, a 6-4 senior, led the WCC with a 17.8 scoring average two seasons ago before being injured in the conference tournament. He will share primary ball-handling duties with Gardner.

A big question for the Waves is how Givens plays at center. The 6-11 junior sat on the bench for two frustrating seasons at UCLA and has not played significant minutes since 1994, when he was a prep All-American in Aberdeen, Wash.

Givens, though, may be the most athletic post player Pepperdine has ever had and Romar is confident he will meet the challenge. Givens made 10 of 12 shots in the Waves’ final exhibition and shoots the three-pointer as well as anyone on the team, Romar said.

With Givens in the middle, 6-7 Bryan Hill moves back to power forward for his senior season. The All-WCC player averaged team bests of 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds--best in the conference--and shot 52.1% last season.

Returning juniors Tommie Prince (6-5) and Marc McDowell (6-7) will share the small forward position. Romar said Gibbs, a 6-7 freshman forward with a soft left-handed shot, has played well enough to start but probably will come off the bench.

Sophomore guard Robert Fomby, a junior college transfer from Oklahoma, will back up Gardner and Brown.

Romar said there have been few problems with blending so many new players, pointing out that at least five Waves scored in double figures in each of the team’s two exhibitions.

“Our chemistry is coming along,” he said.

Pepperdine will add six new players next season, three of whom are 6-10 or taller.

Yes, things are looking up in Malibu.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

PEPPERDINE AT A GLANCE

SCHEDULE

DATE: OPPONENT, TIME

Nov. 18: at UC Irvine, W 50-46

Nov. 21: Norfolk State, 7 p.m.

Nov. 24: Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Nov. 29: at Cal State Northridge, 7 p.m.

Dec. 2: Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.

Dec. 6: at Pacific, 7 p.m.

Dec. 12: Auburn at BYU tournament, 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 13: at BYU tournament, TBA

Dec. 18: at Kansas, 5 p.m.

Dec. 20: Boise State, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 30: Marist, 7 p.m.

Jan. 3: at UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.

Jan. 9: *Portland, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10: *Gonzaga, 5 p.m.

Jan. 16: *at Santa Clara, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 17: *at San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Jan. 21: *Loyola Marymount, 5 p.m.

Jan. 24: *at Loyola Marymount, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 30: *St. Mary’s, 7 p.m.

Jan. 31: *San Diego, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 5: *at San Diego, 7 p.m.

Feb. 7: *at St. Mary’s, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 13: *San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Feb. 14: *Santa Clara, 5 p.m.

Feb. 19: *at Gonzaga, 7 p.m.

Feb. 21: *at Portland, 7 p.m.

Feb. 28-March 2: WCC Tournament at Santa Clara

ROSTER

*--*

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 3 Aaron Butler G 6-2 180 So. 13 Jelani Gardner G 6-6 205 Jr. 20 Robert Fomby G 6-1 175 So. 22 Tezale Archie G 6-1 175 Jr. 23 Tommie Prince F 6-5 210 Jr. 25 Al Minahan G 6-3 185 Fr. 32 Kelvin Gibbs F 6-6 245 Fr. 33 Bryan Hill F 6-7 230 Sr. 34 Gerald Brown G 6-4 210 Sr. 35 Marc McDowell F 6-7 200 Jr. 50 omm’A Givens C 6-11 235 Jr.

*--*

RETURNING LEADERS

Scoring: Bryan Hill, 14.5 ppg

Rebounds: Hill, 8.1

Assists: Tezale Archie, 2.0

Blocks: Marc McDowell, 1.1

Steals: Hill, 1.0

FG%: Hill, 52.1

FT%: Archie, 79.4