Homecoming weekend at LMU

It would be impossible to start this week’s basketball column without mentioning the incredible moment that was created at halftime of Saturday’s men’s basketball game. I doubt anyone in Gersten Pavilion didn’t get chills during the 17-minute ceremony that honored the 1989-90 team. Paul Westhead and Bo Kimble spoke about the most magical experience of their lives and Lucille Gathers Cheeseboro stood in front of the student section with her arms in the air as the cheer, so often sung for her son, seemed louder than ever. Gersten simply was Hank’s House.

The one disappointing part was that this year’s team didn’t get to witness the moment. If I were Head Coach Max Good, I would have gathered my team in the locker room, told them with some mild profanity to start defending the three-point line, and sent them back out on the court. Experiencing something like that is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and really could have done nothing but inspire the guys against a powerhouse team like Saint Mary’s.

But aside from the Homecoming festivities and touching anniversary moments it was a big weekend for the men’s basketball team. Thursday night, the Lions earned a come-from-behind win against the San Diego Toreros that prevented LMU’s conference season from being a complete disappointment. That may sound harsh, but after two early conference losses in games the Lions should have won, a home loss to USD would have forced fans to begin looking ahead to the WCC Tournament in Vegas instead of caring anything about the rest of the season.

The biggest thing learned this weekend, however, is how much we all miss sophomore Jarred DuBois’ presence on the court. It’s not necessarily his 12.7 points per game that is missed, as his replacement Given Kalipinde averaged 10.5 this weekend, but instead when those 12.7 points come. It seems that every time the Lions need a big shot to stay in a game DuBois is the man, and in the last four games without him LMU has been severely lacking that clutch three-point threat he provides. DuBois is more important than the stats he provides, which is impressive considering he knows how to fill a stat sheet, and I really hope he gets healthy soon.

I also really feel for Good. During the Lions’ six-game win streak less than one month ago depth was one of the team’s strengths. Now, after a rash of fluke injuries, Good must feel more handcuffed than a convict. Losing both DuBois and junior Larry Davis at the guard spot has made it virtually impossible for Good to ever take junior Vernon Teel out of the game. Teel played the full 40 minutes on Thursday night and only left the court for a brief four minutes on Saturday after hurting himself. Teel is playing on two legs that are at less than 100 percent right now, and I know Good wishes he didn’t have to keep him in so long.

Furthermore, the injuries at the guard position have thrown freshman Kalipinde into the starting lineup. While it is great for him to get these valuable minutes, it also leaves Good with zero guard options on the bench. Kalipinde has been impressive, but he is not yet a player who can contribute for a full 40 minutes. Good’s only option is to play with one guard on the court when Kalipinde rests. Six weeks ago, Good was often featuring a lineup consisting of three guards (Teel, DuBois and Davis) all sharing court time at once.

To make matters even worse, and tighten Good’s cuffs even more, the Lions are also now lacking depth at the center position as well. Injuries to freshmen Edgar Garibay and Ashley Hamilton have put sophomore Tim Diederichs back in the starting lineup with only freshman Alex Osborne available as a sub. Both of them did an impressive job Saturday night against WCC Player of the Year favorite Omar Samhan but neither of them provides a legitimate scoring threat down low.

Lastly, sophomore Drew Viney is the kind of player that should never leave the court. LMU’s offense often looks lost without him, and his defensive presence often gets overlooked. Unfortunately, Viney is nowhere near 100 percent health-wise, and I know Good is trying to allow him to rest his bad leg as much as possible, even if it’s only five minutes a game.

Luckily for the Lions, the team has this Thursday off before hosting Pepperdine on Saturday night. Considering the amount of ice packs I saw being taped onto different players after Saturday’s game, having just one game this weekend is a much-needed break.

The effort from the whole team Saturday night, and especially from Viney and sophomore Kevin Young, was inspiring. As we enter the back half of conference play, I just hope the team can stay healthy and scrappy enough to squeak out about four more wins. I think that would put us in a good, and healthy, position for the WCC Tournament.