Lions Try to Size Up Situation

It’s an old question but one befitting the Loyola Marymount basketball team entering this season: Is bigger better?

The Lions are definitely bigger.

This is Coach Charles Bradley’s first team made up entirely of his recruits in his third season at Loyola, and he finally has players with the size he has been seeking.

After having only three players taller than 6-foot-6 last season, Bradley now has eight who are 6-6 or taller.

But will the Lions be any better?

The Lions lost six of their top seven scorers, who accounted for more than 53 points per game. Loyola returns only four players who combined for 25.7 points a year ago.

But Bradley says, despite the losses, this team will be better than last season’s team that went 11-16 overall and 6-8 in the West Coast Conference.

“It’s not just about bigger, it’s about better. I want better players who can understand the system and can play,” said Bradley, who is 18-36 in his two years at Loyola Marymount. “And I think that’s what we do have. We have better players.”

His biggest reason for optimism, literally, is 6-10 center/forward Pablo Machado, a transfer from Georgia Tech.

Machado not only brings size inside and a perimeter game to go with it, but also provides leadership for a team with only two seniors with playing experience at Loyola.

“Coach Bradley told me from the day I transferred I was going to be one of the go-to guys,” said Machado, who has already been selected captain by his teammates. “I’ve always felt like I’m a leader. I like yelling at guys and getting on people’s backs.”

Machado will take the place of Sylvester Kainga who was an inch taller than Machado but nearly 30 pounds lighter.

Bradley also has all-WCC junior forward Elton Mashack back after leading the team in rebounding (6.9 per game) and scoring (12.1 per game).

Despite being only 6-5, Mashack was the Lions’ main inside presence in 1998-99, and thinks the addition of Machado will only help his game. “I’m facing the basket now,” Mashack said. “Machado is going to draw double-teams, and that’s going to open up shots for me.”

At the other forward, 6-7, 245-pound senior Ed Wolfe, who averaged 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16 minutes a game last season, will start for Bradley.

The biggest concerns are at guard.

Senior Rupert McClendon and sophomore Curtis Slaughter had no starts last season and combined to average less than 10 points and dish out 52 assists in 32 games. And Slaughter played in only 12 before a broken hand ended his season.

And they have to replace the two biggest holes in the offense.

Slaughter replaces 5-4 guard Haywood Eaddy, who was fifth in the conference at 14.8 point a game and led the WCC at 5.6 assists a game. At 6-7, Slaughter gives the point guard position a tremendous boost in height, and he could play the other guard. When he does, freshman Stanley Thorne from Fairfax High will run the offense.

McClendon replaces Willie Allen, who scored 14 points a game and shot 42% from three-point range.

Slaughter is also 6-7, giving the Lions the tallest backcourt in the WCC. McClendon is probably Loyola’s most athletic player.

Bradley knows his big bodies have big shoes to fill. “It’s a whole heck of a lot to lose,” Bradley said. “When you lose Haywood, Willie Allen, forward Tim Kennedy and Sylvester Kainga, that’s a large portion of the offense and experience.”

The Lions are more inexperienced off the bench. Four are freshmen and only one of Bradley’s reserves has played a game for him. Among those is 6-6 forward Damon Croshere, a senior who has never played collegiate basketball. He is the brother of the Indiana Pacers’ Austin Croshere.

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Loyola Marymount at a Glance

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Date Opponent, Time Nov. 20 CAL BAPTIST, 3p.m.

Nov. 23 at Pacific, 7 p.m.

Nov. 27 at Boise State, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 1 UC IRVINE, 7 p.m.

Dec. 4 at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.

Dec. 11 USC, 7 p.m.

Dec. 15 at Texas El Paso, 6 p.m.

Dec. 18 at Long Beach State, 730 p.m.

Dec. 21 DARTMOUTH, 730 p.m.

Dec. 30 at San Diego State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 2 at Notre Dame, 1 p.m.

Jan. 5 UC SANTA BARBARA, 7 p.m.

Jan. 8 OCCIDENTAL, 7 p.m.

Jan. 14 * SAN DIEGO, 7 p.m.

Jan. 15 * SAINT MARY’S, 7 p.m.

Jan. 21 * at San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Jan. 22 * at Santa Clara, 730 p.m.

Jan. 28 * SANTA CLARA, 7 p.m.

Jan. 29 * SAN FRANCISCO, 7 p.m.

Feb. 3 * at Portland, 7 p.m.

Feb. 5 * at Gonzaga, 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 * GONZAGA, 7 p.m.

Feb. 12 * PORTLAND, 7 p.m.

Feb. 16 * at Pepperdine, 730 p.m.

Feb. 19 * PEPPERDINE, 730 p.m.

Feb. 24 * at Saint Mary’s, 730 p.m.

Feb. 26 * at San Diego, 7 p.m.

March 4 WCC tournament, TBA

March 5 WCC tournament, TBA

March 6 WCC tournament, TBA

Home Games in ALL CAPS

* Denotes West Coast Conference game

WCC tournament at Santa Clara

ROSTER

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No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Year 1 Stanley Thorne G 5-8 170 Fr. 2 Damon Croshere F 6-6 210 Sr. 3 Elton Mashack F 6-5 210 Jr. 4 J.J. Sola F 6-7 240 Fr. 5 # Greg Lakey F 6-8 220 Jr. 14 Mihail Papadopulos F 5-10 165 Sr. 20 # Philipp Czernin G/F 6-6 200 Jr. 21 Kevin Richard F 6-5 190 Fr. 24 Jeff Kermah G 6-3 205 Fr. 25 Rupert McClendon G 6-5 200 Sr. 31 Pablo Machado C 6-10 235 Jr. 33 Curtis Slaughter G 6-7 180 So. 42 Ed Wolfe F 6-7 245 Sr. 45 Jean-Paul Afif F/C 6-8 235 So.

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# Redshirting this season