Nov. 8, 2007

South Bay Daily Breeze LMU Men's Basketball Preview
By Chris Jackson, Staff writer
Printed: Nov. 8, 2007

Youth will be served at Loyola Marymount this season.

The Lions men's basketball team is one of the youngest in the country this season, with four true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and one junior college transfer joining seven returning players with limited experience.

The West Coast Conference preseason poll reflected this, putting the Lions eighth in the eight-team league.

"To be honest, it's understandable because we have (six) freshmen and redshirt freshmen," said junior guard Quentin Turner, a transfer from Motlow State (Tenn.) Community College. "(But) to say that it's understandable for them to print that, it doesn't mean it's OK with us.

"I have no intention to be on an eighth-place team. I didn't come to this school to do that. We're going to do whatever it takes to make that not happen."

The Lions are hoping the highly competitive practices they have been going through will help make up for their inexperience. Every player on the roster is battling for playing time.

"It's really a good problem to have," Coach Rodney Tention said. "Here we are a couple of days from (the start of the season) and we still haven't really established who our starting lineup can be. It can still change because we're so young. Because of the depth, I'm going to be able to play more guys.

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