COLLEGE NOTES : New Loyola Basketball Coach Won’t Limit the Power of the Press

Jay Hillock took the floor as Loyola Marymount basketball coach Monday--the first time in six seasons he has been the top man--feeling “like a ship that’s been in dry-dock for five years . . . (trying to) systematically take the crustaceans off piece by piece.”

Hillock’s memory was scraped clear quickly enough. He put his stamp on his first practice, letting the Lions know that the style of his predecessor, Paul Westhead, will remain, but that this is his team.

He began by making modifications in the Lions’ press and inbounds defense.

“The kids have been recruited to this style so we’re gonna stay with it,” Hillock explained. “I want to make the press even more devastating, sharper. I will be in line to take kids out faster for a press mistake than Paul.”

Hillock made clear his intention to substitute for errors early by setting up an inbounds defense.

“I don’t want the ball to come in here,” he told the team. “If it gets here you’ll be watching with me.”

Hillock knows he has difficult job ahead. More than being a good technician and innovative coach, Westhead was a media charmer who gave the program credibility.

“It’s all perception; image is what’s perceived more than maybe what’s really there,” Hillock said.

And the perception is that with Westhead having moved on to the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the record-setting scoring triumvirate of Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble and Jeff Fryer gone, the Lions will not reach the heights they did under Westhead when they played in three consecutive NCAA tournaments.

“I think a lot of outside people are curious,” Hillock said. “I don’t feel that pressure. I have the skills to do the job.”

Indeed, with seven new players to work into the system and an early schedule that includes road games against UCLA, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, Louisiana State and possibly Indiana, the Lions’ record doesn’t figure to approach last season’s 26-6.

But Hillock, who was 60-50 during four seasons as coach at Gonzaga, said this will be a competitive, balanced team.

“I’m pleased with the team,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good solid nucleus, a good recruiting class. It’s a better team than I ever had at Gonzaga. I just wish UCLA, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech and LSU were the Little Sisters of the Poor so I’d have a better Christmas.”

If December takes its toll, Hillock expects it to pay off in West Coast Conference games. That was Westhead’s plan when he and Hillock set up the schedule in the summer.

“I just want to keep (the program) at the same level,” he said. “I want to be as successful as we can in December but I want to win the (WCC) postseason tournament like we have the last three years and get into the NCAA party of 64.”

Notes: Freshman Jeanna Price set a new Dominguez Hills volleyball season record last week with her 462nd assist. The Lady Toros play at Cal Poly Pomona at 7:30 tonight. . . . The Dominguez Hills men’s soccer team plays host to Chapman at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Toros (7-5-1) are in second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. at 2-1-1. . . . The Lady Toros soccer team fell to 7-5-2 with a loss to U.S. International on Tuesday. Still hoping to return to the West Regionals, they play host to Chapman at 11 a.m. Saturday. . . . Chris Tucker has been hired as trainer at Loyola. The 27-year-old Utah native was the athletic trainer at the University of South Carolina at Aiken the past two years and has also worked with the U.S. Ski Team.

The Loyola Marymount women’s volleyball team plays host to two West Coast Conference matches, tonight against San Diego and Saturday against Santa Clara. Both matches begin at 7:30. The Lions are 11-11 and 4-1 in the WCC. San Diego is 2-2 and Santa Clara 0-3. . . . Lion freshman Deanna Doolittle tied the school record for digs in a match with 40 at Portland last weekend. . . . The Loyola women’s tennis team will travel to El Paso to defend its Sun Bowl title this weekend. Freshman Julie Oshiro won the third-flight singles title last week at the Brown Invitational, and Oshiro and teammate Lynn Stogner advanced to the semifinals in doubles.