Nov. 17, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
The Loyola Marymount men's basketall program (0-3) will continue play at the BTI Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 17 when they face Presbyterian College from Clinton, S.C. The Lions opened the tournament with a tough 61-50 setback to St. Bonaventure while Presbyterian fell to host New Mexico 88-57. The game is set for 4:00 p.m. (PT) and can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM or online at LMULions.com.
EXPERIENCE CHANGE
The Lions made a change in their starting line-up on Friday, as senior Jon Ziri and junior Marko Deric earned starts, giving the Lions a line-up with previous starts under their belt. The duo had a combined 60 starts entering the 2007-08 season, more than the rest of the entire roster combined. The move provided some spark as the Lions overcame a 12-point deficit and held second half leads and were tied with St. Bonaventure through late in the second half. Deric leads the team in scoring with 10.7 per game, earning 12 on Friday. Freshman Tim Diederichs continues to play above his years, setting a career-high with 14 on Friday. As for Ziri, in 31 minutes he had five points, seven rebounds and equalled a career-best with seven assists.
TOURNAMENTS
The Lions have played in a non-conference tournament every year since 2001. Prior to 2001, the Lions had only played in one since 1991. The Lions finished second at the Great Alaska Shootout a year ago. Since 2001, the Lions have played in the Great Alaska Shootout twice, the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic, the Gosner Foods Classic hosted by Utah State, the Mohegan Sun Classic hosted by Central Connecticut State, the Big R Classic hosted by Montana State and the Guardian's Classic at the University of Alabama. The Lions won the Mohegan Sun Classic in 2003.
YOUNG GUNS
LMU opened its 2007-08 season featuring a line-up with three freshman (Terron Sutton, Orlando Johnson and Tim Diederichs), a junior college transfer (Quentin Turner) and a sophomore (Shawn Deadwiler). The second-year guard Deadwiler was the only one of the group that played a game in a Lions' uniform last year with 19 games. All told the Lions 14-man roster includes nine underclassmen, six of which are freshman. The roster entered the season with a combined 247 games with the Lions while averaging just 12.8 minutes per game. The lone senior on the squad is Jon Ziri, who has played in 85 games as a Lion. In Head Coach Rodney Tention's first two seasons he inherited teams top heavy with upper classmen as in 2005-06 when the Lions went to the WCC title game and a year ago, the roster had at least three players go over 100 games in their career during those seasons.
LMU'S JZ
The Lions lone senior in 2007-08 is Jon Ziri, a fifth-year player from Tempe, Ariz. Ziri leads the team with 85 games played, 42 starts and in diplomas. He earned his Business Administration degree in May and will complete his double major this year in Sociology. Possibly the most athletic player on the squad, the 6-2 Ziri enters his final season with a 4.6 points per game average. Labeled as a high-energy performer, Ziri's defense has been solid in his career with 86 total steals, earning 47 as a sophomore in 2005-06. He averaged 5.3 points with 53 assists and 30 steals a year ago. He opened his final season playing 12 minutes with two points, a rebound and a steal against UC Irvine. He was 2-for-2 at the charity stripe. At home against UALR, he scored eight points with seven rebounds, a team-high. In his career, Ziri is averaging 3.3 rebounds per game.
WHERE IT COUNTS
Loyola Marymount sophomore Corey Counts was named to the 2007 West Coast Conference Winter All-Academic team for his performance both in the classroom and on the hardwood for the LMU basketball team. The WCC all-academic teams honor some of the league's finest examples of the consummate scholar-athlete. Near the completion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each of the participating sponsored sports. Counts has gone from try-out walk-on to a valuable member to the Lions' squad. He is the back-up point guard for the Lions who is averaging nearly 12 minutes a game in WCC play, ranking third on the team in assists with 28 with an assists-to-turnover ration of nearly 2 to 1. Counts has a 3.08 GPA and is an Economics major. He opened his junior campaign playing just eight minutes due to a sprain in his right hand. He leads the team in assists through two games.
SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN
Presbyterian, a typical independent in NCAA Division I, is playing a traditionally road-heavy schedule in 2007-08. They are 0-3 on the season, falling at Nebraska, Radford and last night at New Mexico. With a smaller line-up, including starting guards at 5-8 and 5-9, the Blue Hoes, have hit 46.1 percent from the three-pint line, going 35-for-76. On the season they have hit 54 total field goals, making over 60 percent three pointers. Pat Kiscaden comes off the bench to lead the team in points at 12 per game, hitting 12-for-21 from long range.
AGAINST THE INDENPENDENTS
Presbyterian has finished the move to NCAA Division I and is currently an independent. The Lions have only played one of the current independents. LMU is 4-0 against Cal State Bakersfield, defeating them a year ago in Gersten Pavilion in the first of three straight years in playing the Roadrunners.
The A-10
Longwood 0 0 .000 --
Texas-Pan American 0 0 .000 --
Savannah State 0 0 .000 --
Chicago State 0 0 .000 --
Utah Valley State 0 0 .000 --
Winston-Salem 0 0 .000 --
Cal State Bakersfield 4 0 1.000 2006
Presbyterian 0 0 .000 --
N.J.I.T. 0 0 .000 --
North Carolina Central 0 0 .000 --
Totals 4 0 1.000 2006
- GO LIONS -
