Zags open WCC against Lion cubs
LOS ANGELES – Rodney Tention has no desire to become a two-sport coach.
He has plenty of work on his hands trying to rebuild Loyola Marymount men’s basketball team, which entertains Gonzaga tonight at Gersten Pavilion in a West Coast Conference opener for both teams. The young Lions are 3-13 in Tention’s third season as head coach and have fought a season-long battle with turnovers.
“At one point, I told them if we don’t learn how to take care of the ball we’re going to be the best cross country team in the school,” said Tention, referring to the amount of running his players performed in practice when they didn’t slow the flood of turnovers.
Asked if his team is in good shape, Tention chuckled: “That we are, that we are.”
Tention’s first team finished second in the WCC and lost to the Bulldogs 68-67 in the conference tournament championship. The Lions were 13-18 last season and finished sixth in the WCC.
“My first two years I was fortunate to inherit a team with a lot of upperclassmen,” Tention said. “My first year I had four seniors and four fourth-year juniors, and last year was the same way. The Gonzaga game that we won here (67-61), we had five seniors on the court down the stretch. Now we have one senior and he’s not even starting.
“Experience goes a long way, and we’re lacking that.”
The Lions aren’t lacking talent. Freshman wing Orlando Johnson is LMU’s top scorer at 13.1 points and freshman Tim Diederichs, a 6-9 forward from Snohomish (Wash.) High, chips in 7.7 points.
“We have more pure basketball players than we’ve had in my two previous years,” Tention said. “Orlando and Diederichs are going to be really good players. They’re all-league players by the time they’re juniors.”
Regardless of LMU’s record, Gonzaga coach Mark Few is always on guard when he enters Gersten Pavilion. The Zags lost at LMU last season and in 2003. In between, GU won by 14, three and nine, respectively.
“I don’t know if it’s the gym or the surroundings,” Few said. “I think it’s their style of play. They’re going to climb up into us and it’ll be a challenge for us to handle their pressure.”
Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt could face a different kind of challenge. This will be his first WCC road game since he was suspended last February following his drug arrest. He’s played in four games this season, but this will be the first true road environment.
“I’m definitely ready for everyone to have their fair share of words for me,” Heytvelt said. “I’ve been dealing with it for 10 months already. People will say what they want to say. I’ll just take it in and try to play harder because of it.”
Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo, who sat out practice Monday and Wednesday with a sore lower back, said earlier this week he expects to play.