Seattle U. men's basketball back in the big time

From a distance, Elgin Baylor, Seattle University's famous alum, keeps tabs on his alma mater.

Since being released in October as vice president of basketball operations by the Los Angeles Clippers, he has spent most days remodeling his Beverly Hills home. At 74, he said he hasn't retired from basketball, but downplays conjecture that he might be interested in playing a substantial role in helping his former school become reinstated as a Division I program.

For now, he describes his role as "a friend to the school" and admits he's an L.A. guy after spending the past 48 years in Southern California.

"I like Seattle, but I love L.A.," Baylor said. "I like the weather more here. The rain is tough for me. It didn't bother me when I was there in school, but I prefer the sunshine now. Plus I've been here so long. I've got family here. My home is here."

So Baylor won't be at KeyArena tonight when the Redhawks play Loyola Marymount in their first home game as a Division I school against another D-I program since 1980.

But the Washington, D.C., native did use Seattle U. as an unusual springboard to launch a Hall of Fame NBA career with the Lakers in Minneapolis and Los Angeles.

Baylor's relationship with Seattle U. weakened after he left, and especially once the school left NCAA Division I competition in 1980, a decision Baylor says he didn't learn of until years later.

In recent years, Seattle U. coach Joe Callero made an effort to recruit former players as ambassadors to spread the gospel of SU basketball.

Baylor knows the team's potential. During his two-year tenure, he was a two-time All-American who led the Redhawks (known then as the Chieftains) to the 1958 NCAA championship game against Kentucky.

"I don't know everything that it's going to take to become a competitive Division I team, but I know it's going to take talent," he said. "It's going to take players. That's number one."

Finding another once-in-a-generation small forward like Elgin Baylor these days will be difficult, and so will keeping the best local players, like Garfield's Tony Wroten.

"Anything is possible," Baylor said. "It could happen."

Fifty years since he left school with a year of eligibility remaining, his relationship with the university has improved.

With a stroke of a pen, Baylor turns ordinary souvenirs into treasures that school officials auction for thousands of dollars at fundraisers. In turn, the school keeps Baylor's legacy alive with each retelling of his story. The ties binding Baylor and Seattle University will grow stronger next season when the school dedicates its home court to the 11-time NBA All-Star.

"Elgin Baylor Court at KeyArena has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Callero said. "I'm probably speaking out of turn, but hey, a coach has got to ask for forgiveness instead of permission sometimes. This is good news and I can't keep good news to myself."

Seattle U. is trying to work out a long-term KeyArena lease to play its home games there, beginning next season. The KeyArena court would carry Baylor's name for Seattle U. games, if an agreement is reached.

The decision to name the Redhawks' home court after Baylor wasn't scheduled to be announced for several months, but Callero can't help himself these days. He's giddy with excitement, which is perhaps a byproduct of tonight's highly anticipated matchup against Loyola Marymount at KeyArena.

The 6:30 p.m. game, which will be televised by FSN, is the Redhawks' first at home as a D-I school against a D-I opponent since the Lions beat Seattle U. 86-82 on Feb. 24, 1980.

"It certainly is the flagship game on the calendar when you look at alumni, when you look at media attention and when you look at focus for recruiting," Callero said. "We have directed all of our recruiting efforts towards the Jan. 1 game. We want our recruits to sit in KeyArena and dream about filling that up and playing against the University of Washington and major teams throughout the nation."

In November, Callero signed Bainbridge High's Ben Eisenhardt and junior-college transfer Alex Jones and he has two scholarships remaining. About 15 to 20 recruits will be sprinkled in an estimated crowd of 4,000 tonight, and the arena will be configured to accommodate 8,500 fans.

The game will also play host to several notable alumni, including John and Ed O'Brien, Tom Workman and Clint Richardson.

"It's really not about basketball — it's about the university having a gathering place for our alumni," Callero said. "It's about having a galvanizing experience for our athletic teams and putting our best face forward. We want to say to the community and the businesses in this area, 'Come partner with Seattle University.' "

Given the modest expectations at the start of the season, tonight's game allows the former Division II Redhawks to brag about their 7-5 record, which includes wins over Division I opponents Louisiana Tech, Cal Poly and UC Irvine. It allows them to boast about their 210 ranking (out of 347) in the Sagarin ratings and speculate on a permanent move to KeyArena.

"The best part about this game is it's kind of like a trial run," athletic director Bill Hogan said. "We'll get to see how we can take advantage of a beautiful facility."

Buried beneath the many subplots is a potential rivalry between the defensive-oriented Redhawks and the injury-depleted Lions (0-14), who are looking for their first win. Still, Callero doesn't mind adding to the hype.

"We're not going to run away from the excitement," he said. "We're going to jump in the middle of it and use all of that energy surrounding the game as a positive and not necessarily as a distraction.

"We're not ashamed of our days as a D-II school, but we're really excited about our future and this game is one of the first early steps in what has already been a long road to getting back to where we were and to getting [the team] to a place where we all, this city, the school, our fans and our players both past and present can be proud."

Callero didn't dismiss the notion that Seattle University could one day play for a national title again, and perhaps Baylor put it best when he said: "Anything is possible."

Note

• The Dec. 20 game against Linfield postponed due to a snow storm has been rescheduled to 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Connolly Center.

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com