GETTING INSIDE

In Bill Grier’s first season as a college head coach, everything seemed to go right.

In his second year, everything seemed to go wrong.

He’s back for a third season with San Diego, hoping things go smoothly again and that his team can get over the changes that affected the team last season and continued into the offseason.

The 2008-2009 season was a bust. Expected to contend for the WCC title with five starters back from a team that had upset Connecticut in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, the Toreros started slowly and sank into oblivion after Brandon Johnson tore his Achilles’ tendon eight games into the season.

The problems continued when guard Trumaine Johnson, a key part of the 2007-2008 team, was suspended late in the season. He ultimately left San Diego.

Another setback occurred after the season when two-year starter Rob Jones transferred to be closer to his home in San Francisco.

But there was one bit of good news in the offseason and that came in June when the NCAA ruled that Brandon Johnson would be granted a fifth year of eligibility, a decision that had been expected.

Johnson provides the hard-nosed leadership and scoring at the point guard position that will make the Toreros a factor in the WCC race. He and the two returning starters, De’Jon Jackson and Matt Dorr, will give the Toreros a backcourt as strong as any in the conference.

However, the loss of Jones and all-conference power forward Gyno Pomare will make San Diego soft up front, making it unlikely it can challenge for a title.

San Diego must hope it gets a lot immediate help from the six newcomers to the program, particularly junior college transfer Rafael Crescencio, a 6-9 post player who has some skills and can block shots.

The Toreros hope the addition of Crescensio and 6-8 freshman Chris Manresa, and the return of 6-9 senior Robert Mafra, can give them an adequate frontcourt.

Most of the Toreros’ points will have to come from the perimeter, which means their two top 3-point shooters—Dorr and small forward Chris Lewis—will need to have good seasons.

Grier’s teams typically play solid defense, and that should be the case again this season. The problem will be scoring enough points, especially with a schedule that includes Oklahoma, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Houston, New Mexico and Southern Illinois.

The Toreros need to get into the conference season without having their spirit broken.

NOTES, QUOTES

• F Rob Jones said he left San Diego to be close to his ailing father in San Francisco. Jones reportedly will enroll at Saint Mary’s in December, but he not be eligible until the 2010-11 season.

• PG Brandon Johnson had started 76 games in his career before tearing his Achilles’ tendon late in the first half of the eighth game, against San Diego State. The Toreros were 4-3 at the time.

• Because of injuries, suspensions and inconsistent play, Bill Grier tried a lot of different lineups last season. Eleven players started at least four games, and players often switched positions. Brandon Johnson, Matt Dorr, Trumaine Johnson and De’Jon Jackson all got a crack at the starting point guard spot, which was the major problem last season. The Toreros had the same starting lineup for most of the 2007-2008 season.

Last Year:   16-16, 6-8 in WCC, fifth place

Head Coach:   Bill Grier (38-30 career), third year at San Diego (38-30)

Quote To Note:   “Certainly this schedule will have us battle-tested by the time we get to West Coast Conference play.”—San Diego coach Bill Grier, on the Toreros’ challenging nonconference schedule.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   Junior college transfer Rafael Crescencio is a native of Brazil who is skilled and is a good shot-blocker, and he should help right away.

Freshman power forward Chris Manresa is not very athletic but he is skilled and has a good feel for the game, which are perfect ingredients for success in the WCC.

Freshman G Jordan Mackie is an excellent athlete with potential, but it may take him some time to contribute. Freshman Ken Rancifer has shown promise because of his athleticism. C Chris Gabriel, a transfer from New Mexico State, should help next season after sitting out this year.

Key Early-season Games:   The games against Oklahoma and Mississippi State will get more attention, but the first two games of the season may be more important. The Toreros open with a Nov. 13 home game against Stanford, a rebuilding Pac-10 team San Diego is capable of beating.

If it wins that game and its Nov. 16 road game against Pacific, San Diego might be able to build some needed momentum. If it loses both with the tough games in the Great Alaska Shootout later in November, it could get sticky in a hurry.

Program Direction:   The uplifting feeling Bill Grier brought with the surprising success of his first season was negated by the unexpected problems in his second year. The Toreros are back to being a middle-of-the-pack team, but they seem to have more potential for success under Grier than they did in previous years. This season’s success depends in large part on how well Brandon Johnson has recovered from his torn Achilles’ tendon.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Brandon Johnson, SG Matt Dorr, SG De’Jon Jackson, SF Chris Lewis, C Robert Mafra.

Roster Report:  

• Freshman G Jordan Mackie was a late addition to the roster. He did not sign with San Diego until July.

• G Brandon Johnson, an all-conference selection two years ago, is fifth on San Diego’s career scoring list with 1,385 points and second in assists with 425.

• G Matt Dorr, the only newcomer to San Diego’s starting lineup last season, ended up starting more games than any other player—30.