Feb. 23, 2008

Complete Santa Clara Game Notes in PDF Format

USF PLAYS FINAL ROAD GAME AT ANCIENT RIVAL SANTA CLARA: San Francisco travels south to compete in its final regular season West Coast Conference road contest Monday night at Santa Clara in the Leavey Event Center. The contest against the Broncos will be televised live on Comcast. Fresh off a 73-60 victory against Portland, the Dons look to register their third league road win of the season. USF dropped a 66-48 decision to Santa Clara January 28 at War Memorial Gym in the 193rd meeting between the two schools.

Dior Lowhorn - WCC SCORING LEADER: After sitting out the entire 2006-07 season under NCAA transfer rules, sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn is making up for lost time. The Texas Tech transfer and Bay Area native averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Red Raiders. Lowhorn was named NorCal Player of the Year also captured "Bay Area Player of the Year" honors from the Oakland Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle following his senior campaign at Berkeley High School. Lowhorn scored 26 points at Oklahoma (11/8/07) in his Dons debut and then turned in his first USF double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds against East Central (11/9/07). Lowhorn poured in a career-high 30 points in his home debut against Sacramento State (11/17/07) en route to West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors. Lowhorn scored 29 points with seven rebounds at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07) in his third straight 20-plus point outing. Lowhorn has scored at least 20 points in 14 of 26 games and has registered 19 points six times. On the year, Lowhorn averages a team- and WCC-high 20.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Dior Lowhorn AMONG NATIONAL SCORING LEADERS: Sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn ranks No. 28 among NCAA Division I scoring leaders at 20.5 points per game, as of February 21, 2008. Lowhorn is the first Don to crack the top-30 on the NCAA scoring list since John Cox (1999-05) accomplished the feat as a senior.

WELCOME BACK VINCE: Senior forward Vince Polakovic made the most of his delayed 2008 debut, scoring 18 points with seven rebounds against Gonzaga (2/16/08). Polakovic poured in a career-high 20 points in a 73-60 win against Portland (2/18/08), establishing his career best scoring mark in back-to-back games.

Manny Quezada LEADS DONS OFFENSE: Junior guard Manny Quezada was named one of six West Coast Conference "Players to Watch" by the league's coaches. In his first season after transferring from Rutgers, Quezada ranked 11th among WCC scoring leaders to go along with 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Capable of instant offense, Quezada tossed in 28 second half points en route to a career-high 35 points, at Saint Mary's (2/19/07). Quezada notched his second career 30-point game with a 30-point outburst at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07) and turned in his first double-double at Pepperdine (2/2/08) with 11 points and a career-high 12 assists. The New York native averages 13.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

DONS TWO-HEADED MONSTER: USF's one-two punch of sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn and junior guard Manny Quezada made their 2007-08 regular season debuts at Oklahoma in opening round action of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The duo, combined for 39 of San Francisco's 55 points in a 71-55 loss against the Sooners, accounting for a remarkable .701 of the team's offensive output. The pair combined for 59 points at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). Through 25 games of the 2007-08 campaign, Lowhorn and Quezada account for 34.2 points per game - .520 of the Dons total offense.

USF DONS ON GREEN 960 AM: USF men's basketball returns to the airwaves and cyberspace for the 2007-2008 season and all games will be available live at USFDons.com, while all games starting after 7:00 PM (PT) will air live on Green 960 AM. Join Pat Olson for the play-by-play in his 17th year behind the microphone courtside. USF Hall-of-Famer Jim Brovelli will join Olson on selected broadcasts. Other features available on USFDons.com include GameTracker, courtesy of CSTV.com with live play-by-play of all non-televised home games courtesy of Yahoo Broadcast.

A LOOK AHEAD: USF wraps up the 2008 West Coast Conference season next weekend when it hosts Loyola Marymount Saturday, March 1 and then takes on Pepperdine in the regular season finale on Monday, March 3 at War Memorial Gym. The Dons celebrate the careers of seniors Danny Cavic and Vince Polakovic in a special pregame ceremony prior to the game against the Waves.

GAME #27/WCC Game #12 - SCOUTING SANTA CLARA: The Broncos enter the seventh week of West Coast Conference play with an 13-12 overall record and a 5-5 league slate after pounding Loyola Marymount 66-46 on Monday, snapping a two-game losing streak. Santa Clara owns a 6-5 home slate, 3-2 during league action. Junior center John Bryant leads the way for the Broncos with 18.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, while senior guard Brody Angley adds 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Through 25 games, the Broncos average 63.7 points per game on .488 from the field, including .380 (145-382) from 3-point range. Santa Clara opponents tally 61.1 points per game on .409 from the floor, .364 from long distance. Kerry Keating is in his first season at the Bronco boss - his first head coaching assignment - and owns an overall career record of 13-12. The former UCLA assistant helped the Bruins to consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances.

TEAM COMPARISONS - 2007-2008 SEASON (As of 2/22/08):
Team	PPG	Margin	FG%	3-FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	TOPG	SPG	BPG
USF	65.7	-6.9	.436	.331	.689	31.7	12.3	15.8	6.0	2.7
SCU	63.7	+2.6	.488	.380	.710	32.4	14.6	16.2	5.0	3.6

SANTA CLARA PROBABLE STARTERS (As of 2/22/08)
G. 3 Calvin Johnson, 6-2, 200, Jr. (4.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)
G. 5 Brody Angley, 5-11, 195, Sr. (12.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.5 apg)
C. 54 John Bryant, 6-10, 305, Jr. (18.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.3 blocks)
F. 10 Ben Dowdell, 6-7, 215, Fr. (7.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
F. 21 Mitch Henke, 6-7, 210, Sr. (8.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)

LAST THREE MEETINGS: SCU 66, at USF 48 (1/28/08); at SCU 74, USF 62 (2/5/07); SCU 61, at USF 58 (1/22/07)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: SCU leads 100-93/SCU won 4

BEFORE USF: vs. San Diego (2/23/08)

ON THE AIR/ON THE WEB:
Radio Broadcast: Green 960 Television: Comcast
Internet Audio: Yes - USFDons.com (Yahoo Broadcast)
GameTracker: Yes
Santa Clara Official Website: SantaClaraBroncos.com

BRONCOS AND DONS - THE SERIES:
- Monday is the 194th meeting between USF and SCU, dating to 1915 when St. Ignatius (USF) took 38-31 and 22-13 wins.
- Dior Lowhorn scored a team-high 22 points, while sophomore forward Hyman Taylor ripped down 11 rebounds to go with 11 points in his first career double-double night
- Santa Clara shot .548 from the field in their 66-48 win (1/28)
- USF interim head coach Eddie Sutton is 1-1 vs. the Broncos with the victory coming as Creighton head coach (1969-74)

Danny Cavic - WCC'S TOP LONG DISTANCE GUNNER: Senior guard Danny Cavic enters his final season in the Green and Gold focused on leading USF to the top of the West Coast Conference standings. Despite battling a chronic back injury, which hampered his mobility for most of the 2006-07 season, Cavic led the league in 3-point field goal percentage, converting on .462 (36-78) from long distance. Cavic is the first Don to lead the league in long distance connections since Tomas Thompson accomplished the feat in 1992. Cavic scored a season-high 19 points at Pepperdine (1/15/07), converting on 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Cavic scored a career-high 25 points in a 73-60 win against Portland (2/18/08), converting on a career best 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Cavic scored 23 points and went 3-of-6 from 3-point range in a win at Pepperdine (2/2/08). The long range shooter has converted on .447 (51-114) from downtown this season and has 123 career treys, good for sole possession of fifth place on the Dons career list. A career .444 (123-277) shooter from beyond the arc, Cavic cracked the top five at No. 23 Saint Mary's, moving past Dons standout Darrell Tucker (1999-03), who recorded 116. Cavic averages 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per games as a senior.

WALKING IN MEMPHIS: Freshman guard Myron Strong continues to produce for the Dons. Strong turned in an outstanding prep career at Memphis' Hamilton High School and helped propel the Wildcats to a 39-0 record en route to the 2006 state title. Strong turned a huge performance in his War Memorial Gym debut against Sacramento State (11/17/07), scoring a career-high 21 points with four rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Strong scored 14 points with three assists at UC Santa Barbara (11/20/07) and followed it with 15-point, seven assist performance at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). In USF's 60-59 win at Portland (1/19/08), Strong scored 13 points with six rebounds and five assists. On the season, Strong averages 10.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, ranks second on the team in assists (3.0) and leads the Dons in steals (1.6).

Hyman Taylor REBOUNDS: Sophomore center Hyman Taylor is beginning to assert himself on the low block for USF. The Florida native has made big strides in the paint for the Dons and in nine West Coast Conference games averages 5.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Taylor ripped down a career-high 12 boards at Utah Valley State (12/31/07) - the most by a Don this season - and pulled down 10 boards at Gonzaga (1/21/08). Taylor posted his first career double-double with a career-high 11 points with 11 rebounds and three blocks against Santa Clara (1/28/08).

POLAKOVIC READY TO MAKE DELAYED SEASON DEBUT: After sitting out the first 24 games of the season, senior forward Vince Polakovic made the most of his return, averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds against Gonzaga (2/16/08) and Portland (2/18/08). Polakovic's penalties were the result of his participation on a German professional team - in which several teammates, but not Polakovic, received stipends deemed by the NCAA to be above actual and necessary expenses - prior to his enrollment at Northern Iowa in 2004-05 and his subsequent transfer to the University of San Francisco. Polakovic, who has been practicing with the team since the start of the Spring semester scored a career-high 20 points in the Dons 73-60 victory against the Pilots, establishing his career scoring standard in back-to-back games.

Christian Hernandez READY FOR AN ENCORE: Sophomore guard Christian Hernandez made some big contributions for USF last season and figures prominently in the back court mix once again in 2007-08. The former walk-on averaged 8.9 minutes in 29 games and scored a career-high five points at Saint Mary's (2/19/07). Hernandez established a career-high with nine points with a pair of assists in 23 minutes against Weber State (12/8/07).

LOWHORN NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: San Francisco forward Dior Lowhorn was named West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week Monday as announced by the conference office. Lowhorn scored a career-high 30 points and collected nine rebounds in the Dons' home-opening win over Sacramento State Saturday. Lowhorn shot .619 (13-21) from the field in his much-anticipated debut at War Memorial Gym. He also had two block and two assists in 36 minutes. A transfer from Texas Tech, Lowhorn was forced to sit out last season in accordance with NCAA regulations. He has averaged a conference high 25.0 points per game through the first three contests this year. Lowhorn also sits third in the WCC in rebounds per game with 9.3 and has a .525 shooting percentage, 13th best in the conference.

WALLACE BRYANT INDUCTED INTO USF HALL OF FAME: USF Legend and two-time soccer All-American Staale Soebye (`94), baseball star Tad Tassone (`73), basketball greats Wallace Bryant (`82) and Jamie Shadian (`99), soccer standout Serge Burenin (`61) and longtime USF athletic trainer Wally Hayes were inducted into the University of San Francisco Hub Flynn Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, February 15, 2008 during the Dons Homecoming Festivities. Considered one of the finest men's basketball centers in program history and a two-time all-West Coast Conference selection, Bryant teamed with All-Americans Bill Cartwright and Quintin Daily to earn USF three consecutive WCC Championships (1979-81) and four NCAA tournaments berths (1979-82).

DONS ADD Robert McCullum TO THE COACHING STAFF: Former University of South Florida head coach Robert McCullum has been named to the coaching staff at the University of San Francisco as announced by interim head coach Eddie Sutton. A coaching veteran, McCullum spent four seasons as the Bulls boss after a successful three-year stint at Western Michigan. McCullum will be involved in all facets of the Dons program and is believed to be the only individual to coach at both USF's.

Dior Lowhorn FIRST DON TO 30: Sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn became the first USF player to crack 30 points for the Green and Gold this season with a career-high 30 points on 13-of-21 from the field against Sacramento State (11/17/07). Lowhorn is the third Don to score at least 30 points in a game since the start of last season. Antonio Kellogg scored 37 against San Diego (1/6/06) and junior guard Manny Quezada poured in a career-high 34 at Saint Mary's (2/19/07).

Manny Quezada SECOND DON TO 30: Junior guard Manny Quezada became the second USF player to crack 30 points for the Green and Gold this season with a 30 points on 10-of-20 from the field at No. 12 Oregon (11/24/07). Quezada is the fourth Don to score at least 30 points in a game since the start of last season and is the only player to accomplish the feat twice. Antonio Kellogg scored 37 against San Diego (1/6/06) and Quezada poured in a career-high 34 at Saint Mary's (2/19/07).

DONS NOTCH PROGRAM VICTORY NUMBER 1,187: San Francisco collected the 1,187th victory in program history in a 73-60 win against Portland (2/18/08) at War Memorial Gym. The win was career victory No. 801 for USF interim head coach Eddie Sutton. In the 94th season of Division I basketball on the Hilltop, the Dons have their eyes set on 1,200 program victories.

COACH SUTTON INDUCTED INTO THE OKLAHOMA STATE ALUMNI HALL OF FAME: Eddie Sutton received his bachelor's degree ('58) and masters degree ('59) from OSU while playing basketball and serving as an assistant coach for the legendary Henry P. "Hank" Iba. During his 36-year career, he served as the head coach at Creighton University, Arkansas, and Kentucky before returning to his alma mater in 1990 to lead the Cowboys to one of the most successful periods in the school's history. Sutton is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to record 30 or more wins in a single season at more than one school (Arkansas, Kentucky, and OSU) and take four different teams to the NCAA Tournament. He has been named National Coach of the Year four times and is an eight-time Conference Coach of the Year. During his successful tenure at OSU, Sutton's teams scored 13 NCAA Tournament bids and two Final Four appearances. Under his guidance, the Cowboys captured three regular-season conference titles and three conference tournament championships. His career record is 801-326. Sutton is currently the interim head coach at the University of San Francisco. In addition, Sutton serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tulsa-based SpiritBank and is leading a drive to build a $20 million addiction center at Oklahoma State.