Season Bounces Back With ‘Midnight Madness’ Drills

A look at the region’s college basketball teams heading into the start of official practices:

The Waves have three returning starters, but there could be a shake-up in the lineup because of the addition of four players who redshirted last season.

Junior transfers omm’A Givens, a 6-foot-10 center from UCLA, and Jelani Gardner, a 6-6 point guard from California, are high-profile newcomers. Romar, however, says the return of senior guard Gerald Brown will be just as important to the Waves’ improvement.

Brown, who sat out last season to rehabilitate his right knee after surgery, was an All-WCC selection and Pepperdine’s leading scorer as a junior and sophomore. He averaged 17.8 points two seasons ago.

Also expected to contend for a starting spot is forward Kelvin Gibbs, a 6-7 redshirt freshman who sat out his first year at Pepperdine after the NCAA denied his eligibility for part of last season because of an academic matter.

All-WCC forward Brian Hill, a 6-8 senior who led the WCC in rebounding last season, is the top returning starter from a team that averaged a conference-low 60.4 points and ranked last in every shooting category. Also back are 6-7 junior forward Marc McDowell and 6-5 junior swingman Tommie Prince.

Off-season transfers Nick Sheppard, a 6-11 center from Louisiana State, and David Lalazarian, a 6-8 forward from Notre Dame by way of Tustin High, must sit out the season in accordance with NCAA rules. Sheppard will have two years of eligibility and Lalazarian three.

Pepperdine opens the season Nov. 18 at UC Irvine.