Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball

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Loyola Marymount Lions
2015–16 Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball team
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University Loyola Marymount University
Conference WCC
Location Los Angeles, CA
Head coach Mike Dunlap (2nd year)
Arena Gersten Pavilion
(Capacity: 4,156)
Nickname Lions
Colors Crimson and Navy[1]
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Uniforms
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Home jersey
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Team colours
Home
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Away jersey
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Team colours
Away
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Alternate jersey
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Team colours
Alternate
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1990
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1990
NCAA Tournament appearances
1961, 1980*, 1988, 1989, 1990
*vacated by NCAA
Conference tournament champions
1988, 1989
Conference regular season champions
1988, 1990

The Loyola Marymount Lions Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the West Coast Conference. The team currently plays in the Gersten Pavilion, which is entering its 34th year as the host of Loyola Marymount University's indoor athletic events.[2] The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 1990, where they advanced to the Elite Eight. They would lose to eventual national champion UNLV. Prior to the tournament, Lions star player Hank Gathers died during the WCC conference tournament from a heart condition. The Lions would go on to beat New Mexico State, defending champion Michigan, and Alabama. The 1990 squad was also the highest scoring team in NCAA Division I history with an average of 139 points per game.[3]

History

Loyola Marymount has played in the West Coast Conference since 1955, when the Lions and Pepperdine Waves joined the here thereto Northern Californian league that included Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco, Saint Mary's College, and the University of Pacific. LMU has played in the WCC ever since, fostering heated rivalries with all WCC members, especially Pepperdine University and the University of San Diego, a WCC member since 1979.

LMU's early basketball history produced two Lions better known for their coaching tenures at other WCC schools than their LMU careers. Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert were classmates at LMU, graduating in 1939. Newell went on to coach the San Francisco Dons to the 1949 NIT title, and the California Golden Bears to the 1959 NCAA Tournament championship. Newell is considered one of the most influential coaches in the history of basketball. Woolpert coached the legendary Bill Russell and K.C. Jones led University of San Francisco Dons to NCAA championships in 1954 and 1955.

Though LMU represented the WCC in the 1961 NCAA Tournament, the Lions were consistently also rans in the WCC which included powerful University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University teams. Of note from LMU's early WCC teams is Rick Adelman, the 1968 WCC Player of the Year, who enjoyed a 7 year NBA career followed by a 30 year NBA coaching career.

The Lions burst onto the national basketball scene in the late 1980s under coach Paul Westhead. His teams led Division I in scoring in 1988 (110.3 points per game), 1989 (112.5) and 1990 (122.4).[4] LMU's 122.4 point per game in 1990 was still a record as of October 2010.[5] As of October 2010, Loyola Marymount held the five highest combined scoring games in Division I history. Four of the five occurred during Westhead's career, including a record 331 in the 181–150 win over United States International University on January 31, 1989.[6]

Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble transferred to LMU from the University of Southern California.[7] In the 1988–89 season, Gathers became the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season, averaging 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.[8][9] In the 1989–90 season, Kimble led the nation in scoring averaging 35.3 points per game. Both Gathers and Kimble were consensus second team All-American selections in 1990.[10][11]

In the 1989–90 season, Gathers died after collapsing during the second round of the WCC tournament. The team subsequently reached the Elite Eight in the 1990 NCAA tournament. Gathers (#44) and teammate Bo Kimble (#30) had their jerseys retired by LMU.

LMU alumnus Mike Dunlap took over the program in 2014. Dunlap was formerly the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats

Postseason results

NCAA Tournament results

The Lions have appeared in the NCAA Tournament five times. Their combined record is 5–5.

Year Round Opponent Result/Score
1961 Regional Semifinals
Regional 3rd Place Game
Utah
USC
L 75–91
W 69–67
1980 First Round Arizona State L 71–99
1988 First Round
Second Round
Wyoming
North Carolina
W 119–115
L 97–123
1989 First Round Arkansas L 101–120
1990 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
New Mexico State
Michigan
Alabama
UNLV
W 111–92
W 149–115
W 62–60
L 101–131

NIT results

The Lions have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) one time. Their record is 1–1.

Year Round Opponent Result/Score
1986 First Round
Second Round
California
Wyoming
W 80–75
L 90–99

CIT results

The Lions have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 2–1.

Year Round Opponent Result/Score
2012 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Cal State Fullerton
Weber State
Utah State
W 89–79
W 84–78OT
L 69–77

Retired numbers

Loyola Marymount Lions retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Career No. retirement
30 Bo Kimble SG 1987-90 19 February 2000
44 1 Hank Gathers F 1988-90
  • 1 Posthumously retired.

Lions in professional basketball

The following Lion players have played in the NBA:

References

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  2. http://www.lmulions.com/school-bio/gersten.html
  3. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2011/D1.pdf
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  5. NCAA 2010, p.5
  6. NCAA 2010, pp.28–29
  7. Florence, Mal Taken From 3 USC Freshmen: Lewis, Gathers and Kimble Receive Word From Raveling. Los Angeles Times, April 15, 1986
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  10. NCAA 2010, p.23
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External links