Lions lose recruit

According to Alex Kline, who runs the website http://www.therecruitscoop.com/, Tobe Okafor has
decommitted from LMU and is now being recruited by Drexel, Hofstra, Iona, Auburn, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Syracuse and Tennessee. The Lions received a commitment from the 6'11" center back in October.

Stover earns MVP honors

The 2012 recruit who will potentially have the most immediate impact next season will be Windward High School forward Nick Stover. Most recently, he won the MVP award at the Collision XIV all-star game.

ESPNLA writes, "Los Angeles Windward forward Nick Stover, a Loyola Marymount signee, earned most valuable player honors at the Collision XIV all-star game at El Camino College on Saturday night, leading the CIF Southern Section boys' team to a 113-106 victory against the City Section." He had 19 points in his team's victory.

Ireland earns Jesuit All-American honors

The awards keep coming in for LMU sophomore point guard Anthony Ireland, who today was given honorable mention honors to the 2011-12 National All-Jesuit Men's Basketball Team. Congrats, AI!

Team picks up Utah guard

Salt Lake Metro is reporting that the Lions have received a commitment from Eastern Utah guard Chase Flint, who will be transferring to LMU for the upcoming season. Flint averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for his JC team last season.

Chase will likely take the roster spot of Jarred DuBois, who was granted his release from the Lions a couple of days ago.

Jarred DuBois leaving the Lions

Update: This is confirmed. Jarred has been granted his release.

It's sounding like the rumors are true, and Jarred DuBois may be leaving the Lions. Definitely sad news, as Jarred played his heart out for the Lions over the past four years, battling a number of injuries but also making a number of big-time shots, none bigger than this game-winner against Notre Dame two years ago.

Jarred, who will graduate this semester from LMU, still has one year of college basketball eligibility, and will be able to play immediately next season with another program if he is enrolled as a graduate student. His minutes were dramatically cut this year, coming off the bench consistently for the first time in his career, and I would imagine he would prefer to start somewhere. With the emergence of Anthony Ireland as the team's starting poing guard, starting would likely have not been likely with the Lions, although with LaRon Armstead graduating you never know what Good may have done with the SG position.

Jarred averaged 10.1 points per game off the bench this past season.

I want to wish the best to JD. One thing Lions fans would have never questioned was his effort and dedication to the sport and the program, and it will definitely be sad to see him go.

Lions will head to Alaska in November

The LMU Athletics Department announced yesterday that the men's basketball team will make its third trip to the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout next season for the 35th playing of the annual college basketball tournament. 35 schools will be participating, including Belmont, Northeastern, Oral Roberts, Texas State and UC Riverside.

First-round matchups have been announced, and the Lions will face Oral Roberts on Thanksgiving. The tournament will run from Nov. 20-24.

Read LMU's full press release here.