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Men’s Basketball Plays First Home Game of the Season
The Pepperdine men’s basketball team will play its first home game of the 2007-08 season when the Waves take on No. 2 Cal State Northridge on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse on the University's Malibu campus.
In honor of the 60th anniversary of Waves football winning the small college national championship, Pepperdine will recognize the 1947 champions at the game. The first 1,000 fans will receive a rally towel with the championship banner.
With nine new players joining the basketball team, head coach Vance Walberg has great expectations for his returning players in the 70th season of the Pepperdine program. Although the team is fairly young, the players have both experience and determination.
“I would think that our biggest strength is our belief in each other and the friendships the players have in one another,” Walberg said. “Everyone has kind of come in together.”
Senior Tyler Carr is back on the court for a second year with the Waves. After two years at Moorpark, Carr’s defensive techniques earned him a spot on Pepperdine’s starting lineup. As a junior he started 21 of 31 games and 13 out of 14 WCC games, lending confidence and experience to the team while helping it become more established.
New to the team is freshman Tyrone Shelley, rated one of the top ten senior players in California and top 75 nationally. Walberg looks forward to his high-quality performance. “Even though he’s a freshman, we need him to play like a junior. He can do a lot of different things; he can score inside, he can score outside, he can post up, he can rebound. So we’re looking for a lot of good things from Tyrone.”
This season the Waves will take on such opponents as Long Beach State, Cal State Bakersfield, and Northern Arizona, playing 13 of its 16 non-conference games away from home.
The next home game is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 21, when Pepperdine competes against Long Beach State.
For more information on Pepperdine men's basketball, visit the team's Web site.
