The Pepperdine basketball team recently held its annual Blue and Orange Madness event to open the season and if the intrasquad scrimmage’s success is any indication, the Waves will be reaching new heights in 2010, as they are seeing an unprecedented swell of support from fans throughout the nation.
Although the Blue and Orange event showcased the entire Wave team, most eyes were focused on sophomore sensation Keion Bell who not only turned heads with a dunk over three teammates in last year’s Madness event, but carried his talent over into the regular season netting team bests of 12.9 points, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Bell didn’t stop there, however.
The 6-foot, 3-inch-tall guard launched himself over five teammates-four of them standing at 6 feet, 2 inches tall and the other at 6 feet, 1 inch in height-to win the Waves’ dunk contest for a second straight year.
Bell’s slam could be dubbed “the dunk seen around the world” as video of the feat quickly spread becoming a YouTube sensation (at of the time of printing the clip has reached more than one million hits). His catapult was also featured on ESPN Sports Center as the No. 2 “Play of the Day,” was picked as Sports Illustrated’s “Hot Click” and was the headline story on Yahoo’s home page.
If that wasn’t enough, Bell was also just named to the preseason All-WCC First Team.
In a way, Bell’s hurdle over five players was representative of the team’s early season obstacles as the Waves faced a tough lineup of five high profile opponents including UCLA, UC Irvine, Utah, Georgia and Miami all before tipping off conference play against cross-town rival Loyola Marymount in early January.
The Pepperdine men’s hoops team tips off its 2009-2010 season hosting Pacific next Friday Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and their last exhibition game will be against Westmont this Friday at 7 p.m.
Tell us about the evolution of your “human catapult” dunk.
Well, last year I dunked over three people and I guess it got fans pretty pumped up. As we got closer to this year’s Blue and Orange Madness, more people kept coming up to me on campus asking me what I was going to do in this year’s dunk contest, so I knew I had to come up with something special. So when one of my teammates, Josh Lowery, asked what was the most [number of people] I had jumped over and I mentioned I had actually dunked over more than three people … that was the spark.
So I just went for it. The crowd went crazy and I was really appreciative but I had no idea it would become as big as it has.
So will we be seeing a clip of you dunking over six people sometime soon or will we have to wait until next year’s Blue and Orange Madness game?
I have actually dunked over six people so we will see. I am working with our team video guy to do something to put out there soon to perhaps showcase some of my other dunks but right now my main focus is on our team as we open play next week.
Tell us about your team. You guys are young and return to your core nucleus.
Well, first of all we look to make a drastic improvement on our record last year. A lot of us saw a lot of time as freshman and sophomores but we realized we needed to get stronger and be more physical this year. So over the summer we all focused on getting bigger and since some of us took summer session together we were able to hit the weight room and gym together in the off-season. We were all we gym rats. Plus we have a lot of players back from injury so we are really looking forward to this year.
Speaking of having people back, you are in a unique situation as legendary Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury, who led the Waves to the big dance in the early 1990s, is back as head coach.
Having Coach Asbury is awesome. Having someone back who’s been successful and has been where we want to be before is so helpful. As players it is great to know he is a winner. Coach instills in us a winning mentality and under him we just hope to keep improving year in and year out and see where it takes us.
Talk to us about some of your big games in the 2010 campaign. Obviously, the rivalry with LMU dates back to coach Asbury’s days versus Hank Gathers et al, but now you also have UCLA on the schedule.
Well the UCLA game will be big as it should be a nationally televised game. But we plan to take it one game at a time. LMU is always big and extra competitive because it is in conference and we hope to take it to them this year.
About your game, who do you pattern your game after?
Definitely Dwyane Wade. I watch Dwayne nonstop. In fact, before every game I check him out on my iPod and watch clips of him to see how he splits screens and gets underneath. Dwayne Wade and Russell Westbrook are definitely guys I pattern my game after.
You grew up in the L.A. area and came to Pepperdine by way of a prep school in Pasadena. Clippers or Lakers?
I am a diehard Lakers fan. Kobe is just the best and now with [Ron] Artest added they are the team to beat once again. Artest’s defense and intensity are a great addition.
Doug Christie, a former Pepperdine hoops star who had success in the NBA as a 15-year pro, was just inducted into the Waves Hall of Fame last week. Is that a path you hope to follow?
Well that’s where very basketball player wants to be. I just want to be the best basketball player I can be, play my position well and help my team the best I can.