Loyola and Cal Have Something to Prove in NIT Game Tonight

BERKELEY —  The University of California’s Harmon Gym could be a proving ground tonight when Loyola Marymount plays the Cal Bears in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at 7:30.

Cal wants to prove that it deserved to be in the 64-team NCAA tournament field. Loyola wants to prove that it’s the same team that ran off a 10-game midseason winning streak and is better than its 2-4 finish.

High-scoring Loyola guard Keith Smith wants to prove that he can rise to his midseason form after playing on an injured ankle for the last four weeks.

And both teams’ first-year coaches want to prove that their teams belong in postseason play, thereby setting a precedent. Both teams are appearing in the NIT for the first time. It’s Loyola’s first postseason appearance since 1980, and it’s Cal’s first since 1960, when the Bears were the West Coast’s dominant team and finished second to Ohio State in the NCAA.

Loyola Coach Paul Westhead, who returned to the college ranks after coaching the Lakers and Chicago Bulls of the NBA, took over a program that hadn’t had a winning season since 1974-75 and produced an 18-10 record, the best at the school in 18 years.

Perhaps just as important, he had Loyola embroiled in the West Coast Athletic Conference race to the end and produced the school’s first full houses.

“To try and help lift a program that has been struggling and get them into a postseason tournament epitomizes what we’re trying to do,” Westhead said. “I thought the guys earned some sort of recognition other than a team banquet. This is the recognition. Whether we go one game or five doesn’t matter . . . though it would be nice to have the team banquet in New York City rather than Culver City.”

Cal’s Lou Campanelli, who made his name by leading James Madison University of Virginia to three straight NCAA appearances, led the Bears to a 19-9 record and a third-place finish in the Pacific 10. That constituted Cal’s best season since 1960.

The Bears twice beat second-place Washington, an NCAA tournament team, and hoped to be chosen for the big tournament, but Campanelli said the NIT is fine, especially since his team gets to play at least one game at home.

“It’s very prestigious,” Campanelli said. “We beat Washington twice--there’s no doubt about who’s the better team. But the NCAA didn’t see it that way. We don’t worry about that now.”

The game features an intriguing backcourt matchup--Loyola’s tall, high-scoring duo of the 6-foot 4-inch Smith and 6-7 Forrest McKenzie against Cal’s small but quick junior combination, Kevin Johnson and Chris Washington, each 6-1.

Johnson, the Bears’ leading scorer with a 15.2-point average, has improved his output to 20 points and 6.8 assists over the last eight games.

Smith, who averaged 21.2 points and 6.8 assists, was among national scoring leaders a month ago but fell off sharply after spraining an ankle. He needs 56 points to reach 2,000 for his career.

“I’m itching to play,” he said. “The last six or eight games, I didn’t play at the level I should have. I’m as close (to 100%) as I’ll be ‘til after the season. There’s no more pain. I think I’m ready to explode.”

McKenzie, who passed Smith in the career scoring parade and has 2,006 points, averaged 19.6 and leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 a game.

Cal counters with a bigger and deeper front line featuring 6-8 sophomore center Leonard Taylor and 6-9 junior Dave Butler, who was highly coveted by Loyola as a prep star at Rolling Hills High. Each is averaging about 12 points and 7 rebounds. The other starting forward is 6-5 Jeff Husing. Taylor and Washington both starred at St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey, virtually in Loyola’s shadow.

Loyola’s top frontcourt player has been 6-7 sophomore forward Mike Yoest, who is averaging 11 points. Sophomore Mark Armstrong, 6-6, is the top rebounding forward. But Westhead said that Vic Lazzaretti, reserve 6-8 center, could be the big surprise. He had his best games in losses to UCLA and Pepperdine and may be ready to assert himself after an inconsistent season.

“There were flashes early in the season. This is legit now,” Westhead said of the junior who transferred from Marquette. “He’s played well the last four games and every practice in between. I’m sure he’d like to play several more games.”

Westhead will throw his all-out fast break against Campanelli’s shifting defenses in the 6,600-seat Harmon Gym, where the Bears are 13-1 and have sold out seven straight games. “We’ll bite and scratch and show multiple defenses and play as hard as we can for 40 minutes. And we’re capable of scoring, ourselves,” Campanelli said.