AN IMPORTANT PRESENCE

Out West, Gonzaga looks like the clear-cut favorite to win the West Coast Conference, but don’t overlook some of their conference foes, including San Diego. Most people forgot about the Toreros after a 1-4 start. It looked like it was going to be a repeat of 2003 when USD won just four games. But since that time Brad Holland’s club has won five straight and six of seven, including a win at Wyoming that Holland called, “a top five road win,” in his tenure at San Diego.

So why the dramatic turnaround? Well, it’s simple and his name is Corey Belser. The emails came raining down like perimeter jump shots when Belser’s name appeared on CollegeInsider.com’s mid-season Mid-Major All-America team. His numbers won’t wow anyone, but watch him play and understand what he brings to the table and it’s easy to understand why he made the 12-man roster.

Following a win over Gonzaga and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, expectations were high for USD heading into last season. Holland knew he had to offset the loss of his formidable frontline (Jason Blair and Jason Keep), but the additions of Brice Vounang and Brandon Gay seemed like capable replacements. Holland also welcomed Brett Melton, a transfer from Illinois, to help solidify the backcourt. The new faces, coupled with Belser and Nick Lewis gave Torero fans hopes of another great season.

“I knew we had some holes to fill,” says Holland, “but I also knew we had some talented players coming in so we felt good about the season. I knew it would be tough to repeat, but I thought we would be in the mix.”

But that all changed on Nov. 15, in the season-opener against Oakland. Early in the first half, Belser went down with a knee injury and was lost for the season. USD never really recovered.

Fast forward to Nov. 2004. Everyone, including Belser returned. But through the first four or five games it was evident that Belser was still trying to find his game. While he was still making important contributions it was clear that he was still a little tentative.

And the results prove that point.

Through the first five games, with their on-court leader finding his way, San Diego seemingly found ways to lose. In late November Holland suffered, what he called, “one of the toughest losses he has had to endure.” In the final minute San Diego had four opportunities from the free throw line and missed them all, including two shots with less than a second remaining that could have won it or sent it to overtime. For the game, San Jose State outscored USD 29-4 from the charity stripe.

Four days later they were beaten soundly by San Diego State, 83-63, and then suffered another brutal loss and the hands of Texas-Arlington. The Toreros overcame a 22-point deficit to cut it to one, with just under three minutes remaining. But down the stretch they went 0-for-6 from the field and 1-for-6 from the line.

“Good teams find ways to win those types of games,” says Holland. “We were not a very good team at that time. We simply couldn’t finish.”

There wasn’t much reason to expect change when USD traveled to San Jose State just three days later. But Holland changed the lineup, going with a bigger starting five on the floor. That move, along with the continued progress of Belser, proved to be the right formula. San Diego got the lead and this time, closed the deal with a 14-point win.

Belser only scored two points that night, but it was the tone he set defensively that made the difference.

During the slide Belser stood up and addressed the team. His message was simple, “You have to take it personally when someone scores on you.” His teammates took it to heart.

“The intensity level from that point on has been much different,” says Holland. “We started playing with a lot more confidence. Now our guys are making plays on both ends of the floor and they know how to finish. Corey set the tone.”

The 6-foot-6 junior has made his mark on the defensive end. In the 2003 WCC championship he completely blanketed Gonzaga’s Blake Stepp, preventing him from scoring double-figures. That night the nation got a chance to see what Belser had been doing all season long.

Players like Corey Belser don’t often draw rave reviews from the talking heads because everyone is enamored with points. If you are just going to peruse box scores you are not going to grasp what he means to his team. Every coach in America will tell you that you need that type of player on your team to be championship caliber.

Of course it’s not simply a one-man show at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The trio of Gay, Lewis and Vounang is averaging 42 points and nearly 20 rebounds a contest. Lewis started the season coming off the bench, but when Melton was sidelined with an ankle sprain, Lewis got his first start. Added depth, confidence and a return to form by Belser now have the Toreros playing their best basketball since 2003.

“It took for Corey to gain confidence,” says Holland. “Until you actually get out there and play you just don’t know. It took him a little time, but he is back playing like he was before the injury and his play has raised the level of play of everyone around him. You can’t measure what he brings to the floor. He shuts down the opposition’s best scorer and he sets a tone for us.”

San Diego’s five-game winning streak will be put to the test this week, as the Toreros open WCC play with three straight road games (at Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and San Francisco).

By his own admission, Holland knows he will learn a lot about just how far his team has come, with this early road trip, but it is clear that this is a much different team than the one that struggled early in the season. Heading into Christmas, the West Coast Conference was the only mid-major league in which every team had a winning record. There is no question that the WCC race will be closely contested and USD figures to be in the mix.