By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
HOUSTON – At seven feet, 280 pounds and a skin color that requires a high SPF, Josh Lomers embraces the cliché.
“I’m a big, goofy white guy,” he says. He laughs at the comments he hears from fans – Shrek, Ogre, Sasquatch. He’s comfortable in his skin, no matter the square inches it covers.
Lomers isn’t just a walking cliché, he’s a talking one. While he doesn’t shy away from interviews, he doesn’t exactly raise the pulse rate. “It’s a fun experience … we’re focused on the game at hand, not the venue (Reliant Stadium) … we’re just happy to be here. … I believed we could be here. … We’ve got great chemistry. … You can’t overlook anyone.”
Blah, blah, blah.
But there’s more to Lomers than meets the eyes (even if your eyes have to elevate to see his face). Lomers is more than Baylor’s space eater, its screen setter, its foul collector. He rarely shows his emotions. The taunts from fans?
“It’s not something that’s ever bothered me,” he said. “Some big white guys are really good at basketball. I’m OK if people call me things.”
So what bothers Josh Lomers?
“Losing bothers me,” he said. “Not playing together as a team. Infighting. I’m a team person.”
Epke Udoh, whose breakout season has helped put Baylor on the national basketball map, agrees.
“He's a great team player,” Udoh said. “Anybody, anybody, would love to play with Josh Lomers. I know we all do. He is a symbol of what type team we have: unselfish, no egos and a lot of great chemistry.”
In Baylor’s second-round victory over Old Dominion, Lomers came through in the second half after the Monarchs had rallied to put the outcome in doubt. Lomers finished with 14 points and eight rebounds – equaling career highs in both categories.
“We always looked at (Lomers) as our rock down low,” Baylor senior guard Tweety Carter said. “He holds us together, believe it or not. Nothing bothers him. And him being as calm as he is allowed us to be calm.”
And Baylor coach Scott Drew had this to say after the second-round victory: "Without him, we don't win. We know that."
Drew also knows that Lomers’ steady if often unspectacular play will be a key factor when the third-seeded Bears (27-7) face 10th-seeded Saint Mary’s (28-5) in Friday’s West Regional semifinal.
Lomers has battled asthma since elementary school. Early in his Baylor career, that plus a lack of strength contributed to Lomers being a non-factor who could only play for a few minutes. This season, Lomers has started every game and averages 17.4 minutes. His 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds a game are modest.
“You just live with it,” he said. “It doesn’t keep me from going as hard as I can. It’s not a hindrance, it’s an obstacle. Everybody has obstacles in their lives.”
Lomers is from Boerne, Texas (pronounced Burn-ee, for you Yankees) and his career has slowly improved, mirroring the program’s increased success. It started just over a year ago when Drew had the Bears start playing a 2-3 zone. That alignment’s back line can be daunting with Lomers, 6-10 Epke Udoh, 6-10 Anthony Jones and 6-7 Quincy Acy (off the bench) patrolling the baseline.
“I was raised playing zone and it’s a bit more comfortable for me,” said Lomers, a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first-team selection. “The whole team has to buy in for it to be effective. It doesn’t matter if it’s zone or man, you’ve still got to play.”
The Baylor zone will try to contain Saint Mary’s senior center Omar Samhan, who averages 21.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. In the Gaels’ two NCAA victories, he scored a total of 61 points. Saint Mary’s also has a dangerous perimeter game and makes 41.1 percent of its 3-pointers.
“They think we win because we have this great inside post player,” Samhan said. “It's not that, it's 100 percent the shooting. It's the threes. I'm excited for them to zone us.”
And Lomers will be excited about the challenge even if he might not show it.
“Both me and the program have come a long way,” he said. “It’s been a great experience.”
No. 3 Baylor (27-7) vs. No. 10 Saint Mary’s (28-5)
6:27 p.m. Friday, South Regional, Houston
Baylor update
The Bears are in the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Baylor has benefitted from the back court play of Tweety Carter and LaceDarius Dunn while junior forward Epke Udoh is averaging 13.9 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. Udoh set the Big 12 single-season record with 128 blocked shots. Baylor has won seven of its last eight. The only loss during that time came in the Big 12 Tournament against Kansas State – the only other Big 12 team still playing the NCAA Tournament.
Saint Mary’s update
The Gaels of the West Coast Conference earned lots of attention with two upset victories last weekend. Saint Mary’s beat No. 7 Richmond and then knocked off No. 2 seed Villanova to advance to the first Sweet 16 in school history. Omar Samhan, a 6-11 center who averages 21.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, scored 61 points in those two NCAA victories. The Gaels make 41.1 percent of their 3-pointers and limit foes to 29.5 percent from behind the arc.
This and that
Baylor is the only Division I team that hasn’t lost a game by more than seven points. The Bears’ seven losses have come by an average margin of 5.6 points. … Saint Mary’s is on a seven-game winning streak and has won 17 of its last 20. … Baylor got its first NCAA victory since 1950 in the NCAA opener. Saint Mary’s ended a similar drought; its first-round victory over Richmond was the school’s first victory in the NCAAs since 1959. … Saint Mary’s is 3-13 against Big 12 teams and has lost its last eight. The Gaels’ last victory over a Big 12 team came in 1994. … Saint Mary’s has five Australians on its roster and three start - 6-11 senior forward Ben Allen, 6-4 freshman guard Matthew Dellavedova and 6-7 sophomore forward Clint Steindl.
Up next
The winner of this game will play in Sunday’s regional final against the winner of No. 1 seed Duke and No. 4 seed Purdue.