CSUDH Men's Basketball Weekly Release
November 21, 2001

THIS WEEK IN CSUDH MEN'S BASKETBALL
Nov. 24 CSUDH vs. Cal Baptist University The Torodome, 7:30 pm

WHAT'S ON TAP: The Toros will kick-off the 2001-02 schedule with a non-conference tilt in the Torodome on Saturday against Cal Baptist University.

FOR OPENERS: The Cal State Dominguez Hills men's basketball team opens up their 2001-02 season schedule against Cal Baptist University Saturday night. Dating back to the 1977-78 campaign, CSUDH is 8-16 in season openers. Head coach Larry Hauser holds a 1-3 record dating back to his first year at the helm of the program in 1997-78.

EXHIBITION TUNE-UP: The Toros played an exhibition game against cross-town NCAA I rival Long Beach State and narrowly lost to the 49ers 79-71. In that game, CSUDH led three different times in the first half but went into the break down by six points 40-34. Seven of nine players coach Hauser played in the first stanza all scored led by senior transfer Kevin Blunt (Pacific HS/San Jose St.) with eight points on 4-5 from the floor. Blunt also pulled down six boards in the first 13 minutes on the floor. The Toros would trim the LBSU lead five different times down to two points, but was unable to hit crucial shots down the stretch to tie or take the lead. Long Beach would hit seven free throws in the final minute to finally shake the Toros.

"I thought we competed," said Toros head coach Larry Hauser. "We kept them off the offensive boards in the first half (the 49ers only had two offensive rebounds in the first half)," he said, "and they out-rebounded us by only four (40-36) in the game. I'll take that."

Senior transfer Jacob Poole (Mt. Carmel HS/San Jose St.) led CSUDH with 20 points on 9-17 from the field. He also dished out a game-high eight assists. The Toros received a big night from 6-7 center Kevin Blunt who finished with a double-double pouring in 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Lamar Lawrence (Bishop Montgomery HS) also knocked in double figures offensively for the Toros with 12 points while pulling down nine boards.

2001-02 SEASON OUTLOOK: With the loss of 10 players from last year's squad, head coach Larry Hauser and his staff are faced with the challenge of getting 14 new players on the same page. Five of the 13 players on the roster are seniors, however, only two of them - guards Vincent Warsaw and Mario Perez - have registered playing time in the Toros program. Perez (Bell,CA/ELACC) had a solid junior season leading the CCAA in assists last year dishing out 6.0 apg. Pre-season knee surgery has set the 5-10 guard back a bit, but he should be ready to go by the start of CCAA play. In limited action off the bench, 6-4 guard Vincent Warsaw (Gardena, CA/Cypress JC) showed promise athletically while bringing a strong intensity to the court.

The staff hit the recruiting trail early and often in an attempt to bolster a squad that finished 7-19 overall and in 10th place in the CCAA with a 6-16 mark. It's still early, but at this point it looks like their efforts will pay off. Senior 5-9 guard Jacob Poole (San Diego, CA/San Jose State) and 6-7 senior forward/center Kevin Blunt (San Bernardino, CA/San Jose State) transfer in from NCAA Division I program San Jose State. Both will make a significant impact. Poole will give the team a proven scorer unlike the program has seen since third all-time leading scorer Jair Fray graduated in 1999. Blunt is a very talented, strong post player who should score a lot of points in the paint. This duo will give the Toros a scoring combination in the frontcourt and backcourt that they have been lacking for quite some time.

Backcourt additions include four junior college transfers, one freshman and a redshirt senior from last year. At the small guard position look for Brandon Erquhart (Detroit, MI/Cypress JC) to step right into the system. The 5-11 junior averaged 19.0 ppg for Cypress JC last year and is an exceptional perimeter defender. Small forward Justin Goree (Fairfield, CA/Foothill JC) is a versatile wing player who can score from the perimeter or drive to the basket. The 6-4 junior led Foothill JC to the Final 8 last year in the State Championships averaging 19.0 ppg for the Owls.

Junior transfers Aren Moore (Inglewood, CA/Grays Harbor CC) and Robert Tossetti (Highland, CA/San Bernardino Valley JC) will compete for playing time in the backcourt. Moore is a 6-5 play-maker who will be a key contributor off the bench after lettering two years at Grays Harbor CC in Aberdeen, WA. Tossetti is a hard-nosed, aggressive blue-collar player who will add depth to the bench. Look for the 6-0 newcomer to see quality minutes as the season progresses.

A senior and a freshman round out the backcourt. Jonathan Estis (Inglewood, CA/Compton CC) is a 6-3 senior who has been around the Toros program for two seasons now. Last year Estis used a redshirt season and is an early favorite for a starting spot at the small forward position. He is solid defensively, rebounds and can shoot with consistency. Earl Rowland (Salinas, CA/Palma HS) is a highly touted freshman that will contribute immediately. The 6-1 versatile guard is a rare freshman starter who has a bright future in the CCAA. He can shoot, penetrate and plays aggressively on defense.

The frontcourt will be one of the strongest and most talented in several years. The aforementioned Kevin Blunt got a late start this year but should be ready physically by the beginning of the conference schedule. Transfers Rodney Terrell (San Jose, CA/San Jose CC) and Lamar Lawrence (Hawthorne, CA/Pasadena CC) will see a lot of time on the frontline. Terrell is a 6-4 transfer from Juco State runner-up San Jose CC. He is a talented post defender and will rebound on both the defensive and offensive side of the court. Lawrence is an athletic post player with a nice touch around the basket. The 6-5, sophomore runs the court well and will defend, an important attribute if you want to play in the Hauser system. The lone returner in the frontcourt is 6-5 redshirt freshman William White (San Diego, CA/Morse HS). He is a promising athletic player with a tremendous upside. Still very raw, look for him to have a bright future in the Toros program.

HEAD COACH LARRY HAUSER Coach Hauser begins his fifth season on the sidelines for Cal State Dominguez Hills. Hauser has compiled a 34-70 career record in four seasons on the Carson campus. During his first campaign in the 1997-98 season, Hauser led the Toros to a second place league finish.

PEREZ BEGINS SEASON ON DL: Mario Perez will begin his senior season on the bench for at least the first game due to having meniscal damage repaired in his left knee. Perez, a guard from Bell, CA, led the CCAA in assists with 156 in 26 starts for a 6.0 assist per game average. Perez will team up with newcomer Jacob Poole to hopefully form one of the best "1-2" combos in the league.

SCOUTING THE LANCERS: Cal Baptist will come into Saturday night's tilt with three games under their belt and a 1-2 record. They are preseason ranked #25 in the NAIA polls after recording a 23-10 record last year. The Lancers are coming off a 66-60 home loss to Vanguard University in the conference opener. Alan Brown led the team with 17 points while Dameon Brewington pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. On the season, senior Will Porter leads the squad averaging an even 18.0 ppg. Junior San Diego State transfer Jeff Berokoff is pouring in 15.5 ppg. Brown and 6-8 senior Omar Lopez are each knocking in 11.7 ppg. Brewington leads the team in rebounding averaging 8.7 boards per game. Lopez follows grabbing 8.0 rpg. CBU has struggled at the charity stripe making only 48% of their shots (47/98).

SERIES NOTES: Cal State Dominguez Hills owns a 3-2 all-time series edge against Cal Baptist. Last year, CBU defeated the Toros in Riverside 70-68. Forward Jason Beyer led CSUDH with 18 points while Mario Perez, Carlos Arroyo and Greg Berry each pulled down a team-best six boards.

CS Dominguez Hills Probable Starters:
F -Justin Goree (6-4, Jr., Fairfield, CA)
F -Jonathan Estis (6-3, Sr., Inglewood, CA)
C -Lamar Lawrence (6-5, So., Hawthorne, CA)
G -Jacob Poole (5-9, Sr., San Diego, CA)
G -Aren Moore (6-5, Jr., Inglewood, CA)

Cal Baptist Probable Starters
F - Alan Brown (6-5, Sr., Mesa, AZ)
F - Rich Lopez (6-4, Sr., Buena Park, CA)
C - Omar Lopez (6-8, Sr., El Centro, CA)
G - Jeff Berokoff (6-2, Jr., Whittier, CA)
G - Will Porter (6-2, Sr., Tucson, CA)

Current CCAA Season Standings

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