Lloreda Will Need Summer
Jaime Lloreda, Dixie State College's outstanding 6-8 sophomore forward, has conquered a lot of things since coming to the United State a few years back.
But Lloreda, who signed in the fall with Louisiana State, now needs to buckle down in the classroom so he can graduate and be eligible in the SEC next fall.
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Dixie Asst. Coach Ryan Burke said that he expects Lloreda to graduate in the summer, which is good news for Tiger fans. One of last year's prized JUCO recruits, 6-9 Shawnson Johnson of Lee College in Baytown, Tex., was ineligible for John Brady's club this season.
Assuming Lloreda, a native of Panama, takes care of business in the coming months, he and Johnson could make a formidable interior duo in the SEC next fall.
A sinewy and deceptively strong 238 pounder, Lloreda enjoyed a terrific season at Dixie in 2001-2002. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, combining a rare blend of speed, athleticism and power in a sleek-looking package.
Lloreda shot 59 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc, and he made a living at the free throw line in his two years at the Utah junior college. If he has one achilles, it's his shooting from the charity stripe, where he converted just 55 percent of his attempts this past season.
In his two years at Dixie, the Rebels have done some amazing things, including:
*Back to back Scenic West regular season titles
*Back to back Region 18 titles
*Stretching their home court winning streak to 48 games
*A third place NJCAA finish in 2000-2001 season
*A first place NJCAA finish in 2001-2002 season.
In the championship game, Lloreda erupted for 30 points on the way to MVP honors.
If he can transfer just a small amount of the success that he had at Dixie to the LSU program, then the Bayou Bengal basketball faithful are in for a treat in the next two years!