Toreros hungry for more

A look ahead at USD men’s basketball’s upcoming season

Anderson Haigler/Sports Editor/The USD Vista 

Last season, the University of San Diego men’s basketball team was straightforward in their expectations for themselves. Whether it be the NCAA tournament, the National Invitational Tournament, or the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT), the team set forth the goal of “playing in the postseason.” The Toreros were able to achieve that goal, notching two impressive wins in the CIT that did more than simply fulfill an early season objective — they demonstrated the potential held within USD’s roster. Nearly seven months removed from their lengthy postseason run, the Toreros are excited to pick up where they left off, and may be expecting even more of themselves as their season approaches. With an experienced core of talented, veteran players and a new (but familiar) head coach at the helm, the Toreros appear primed to do big things in the Jenny Craig Pavilion this year, and have their eye on more than just an invitational tournament appearance. 

If the Toreros are to outdo their success of last season, which saw them finish 20-14 in what proved to be their most successful campaign of the last decade, they will need a big year from their experienced players. Senior guards Tyler Williams and Olin Carter III are two of five seniors on USD’s roster, and they shared their team’s outlook as the offseason winds down.

“We set the bar higher this year,” Williams said. “We achieved our goals last year of playing in the postseason and now we put ourselves in a place where we really feel like we can excel. Our expectation this year is much higher, we’re looking forward to trying to make our run into the NCAA tournament, and have some success once we get there.”  

“We’re just ready,” Carter III said. “Ready to get back on the court and ready to start playing again. We feel pretty confident about who we’re gonna be this year. If we do the things we’re supposed to do then we’re gonna see some success.”

Who the Toreros will be this year, results-wise, remains to be seen. But as the offseason came and went, the Toreros returned to campus appearing to be as cohesive of a unit as the Jenny Craig Pavilion has seen in recent years, with the aforementioned veteran players being the proverbial glue that is holding it all together. USD men’s basketball head coach Sam Scholl assessed the mood of his team, emphasizing the work that remains for them.

“I think there’s some confidence, but I think it’s a healthy confidence,” Scholl said. “I think guys understand that there’s a lot of work to be done, and we have to get better in a lot of different ways.”

Scholl noted that he will be looking to his older players to be leaders on the court.

“Just tremendous leadership, tremendous approach to each and every day to improve, an attack mindset, and really leading the charge in us always wanting to play for each other,” Scholl said.

That leadership role is something that Carter III, Williams, and the rest of the seniors on the roster are embracing.

“Me, the Isaiah’s, and Tyler, us four, we’re gonna do a good job of leading the group,” Carter III said.

For all of the seasoned players the Toreros have within their ranks, their younger players should not be underestimated. First year Finn Sullivan, who hails from local Torrey Pines High School, is set to begin his college career alongside four redshirt first years, and Scholl expects each of them to make an impact this season.

“I think all of our redshirt freshman are ready for an opportunity and excited for a chance to really contribute on this team,” Scholl said. “We’re excited for the career for Finn Sullivan ahead, and we’re certainly going to be counting on him early on in his career.”

The Toreros will begin their season with one of the tougher non-conference slates the program has seen in recent years, winding their way through the likes of the University of Oregon, San Diego State University, and the University of Northern Colorado before they begin their West Coast Conference (WCC) schedule. Carter III assessed his team’s early-season schedule.

“I’m excited for our non-conference schedule,” Carter III said. “We see some pretty tough teams and it’s probably the hardest non-conference schedule we’ve had since I’ve been here. So it’ll be fun playing all those good teams on the road.”

According to Scholl, it was time to up the ante with the Toreros’ non-conference schedule.

“I think it’s time for our program to step up to this kind of a schedule, to put ourselves ‘more on a national stage,’ to challenge ourselves, and to see where we’re at,” Scholl said. “At the end of the day, the non-conference schedule is gonna prepare us for the ultimate tough schedule, which is our conference schedule. In a lot of different ways, the schedule is going to provide a lot of benefit for our team.”

Like Scholl mentioned, the Toreros’ WCC schedule should prove to be just as difficult, if not more so than their non-conference games. USD’s road to a WCC title is littered with perennial contenders like Gonzaga University, Saint Mary’s University, and Brigham Young University, two of which were ranked in the top 25 last season. However, the Toreros hung with each of those teams last year in impressive fashion, beating BYU and losing to Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s by only a combined eight points in their final matchups with each team. Though they have yet to put it all together and complete an upset victory versus the conference’s best, USD’s convincing efforts last season made it clear that the Toreros can play with anybody in the WCC. Williams discussed his team’s upcoming WCC matchups.

“We’re really looking forward to them,” Williams said. “We gotta take it one game at a time, we’re really not trying to look too far ahead, not looking toward any one opponent more than the next, and we know we gotta respect everybody on our schedule and we gotta play each game as it comes.”

Scholl stated that his team will be well-prepared for WCC play.

“I think we’ll be prepared,” Scholl said. “We’re gonna play to our strengths and our understanding of how we win games and have a chance to, I think, really compete for a championship this year in the conference.”

With a big year ahead of them, Scholl and his team have a lot to look forward to this season. When asked if he and his team were particularly excited for any specific matchup, however, the head coach offered only a wry smile.

“Every single one of them,” Scholl said. “We’re excited for Nov. 6, that’s the first game we’re excited about.”

The Toreros tip off their 2018-2019 season against the Weber State University Wildcats on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in the JCP. Admission is free for all USD students.