Toreros' Pomare earns a legendary hoops admirer

By: TOM SHANAHAN - For The North County Times
Sutton enamored with junior, but Grier wants to see more | Wednesday, January 23, 2008 11:44 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Eddie Sutton made his name in men's college basketball coaching elite programs at Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State, not to mention a couple of NCAA Tournament Final Four trips.

But this year the coaching legend is seeing another side of college basketball. He came out of retirement on Dec. 26 to serve as the University of San Francisco's head coach on an interim basis after Dons' coach Jessie Evans took a leave of absence.

That means this is his first go-round in the West Coast Conference -- a mid-major of small, private schools -- and it began with the Dons' WCC opener two weeks ago at the University of San Diego.

Two things stood out in the venerable coach's mind:

+ Jenny Craig Pavilion, the Toreros' 5,100-seat arena that opened in 2003.

"This is a beautiful place," Sutton said. "It's the just the right size arena for a school like this. I imagine this can be a tough place to play when it's filled."

+ Gyno Pomare, USD's 6-foot-8, 240-pound junior forward/center from El Camino High with the Bill Russell-like wingspan.

"The big guy is a good player," Sutton said. "I congratulated him afterward and said, 'You're really a nice player.' "

Pomare, a first-team All-WCC pick last year, has five double-doubles for the Toreros this year while ranking eighth in the WCC in scoring (14.4), fifth in rebounding (7.4), fifth in field goal percentage (.537) and sixth in blocked shots (1.10).

But as big as he's playing -- his long arms help him play taller -- first-year coach Bill Grier needs him to play bigger.

"Gyno is a load," Grier said. "He has soft hands and a good shooting touch. But as well as he's playing for us, we need more from him. I told him when we had a meeting before conference started that it's my job as a coach to get more out of him."

The Toreros (9-11, 2-1 WCC) are small inside, often using a three-guard offense, and face two of the WCC's bigger teams with games at 6 p.m. Saturday against Santa Clara (10-8, 2-1) and at 6 p.m. Monday against St. Mary's (16-2, 3-0).

Santa Clara is led by junior center John Bryant, a 6-10, 305-pounder that is second in the WCC with 17.5 points per game and second in rebounding with 9.0. In addition, Josh Higgins (7-0, 275) comes off the bench.

St. Mary's, which cracked the national top 25 earlier this year, features sophomore Omar Samhan (6-11, 265) with 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, although Diamon Simpson (6-7, 230) leads the team in scoring at 13.3 (10th in the WCC) and leads the WCC in rebounding (9.3).

Bryant and Simpson share the WCC lead with seven double-doubles with Pomare next.

Pomare's play against USF got USD off to a 1-0 start in WCC play before the Toreros split their Pacific Northwest trip last weekend with a loss at Gonzaga and a win at Portland.

At halftime, USD trailed San Francisco 25-24 as Pomare scored 14 of his team's point in a slow start.

"I told the my team the big guy has 18 of their 24 points," Sutton said. "I've never been in a game where one guy had 75 percent of his team's points."

Sutton is 71 years old, so forgive him if his numbers were a little bit off. But you can bet his players' got the point.

Pomare finished with 18 points and six rebounds.

He played bigger than his 6-8 height. And a coaching legend thought he played bigger than his 18 points.