Recently, University of San Diego Athletic Directory Ky Snyder sat down with eSports columnist Rob Stone to preview the 2008-09 men's basketball season. He discussed the Toreros upcoming season, as well as some of the other teams in the West Coast Conference. 

Rob Stone: Who will be San Diego's toughest opponents and competition during this upcoming season?

Ky Snyder: This lines up to be the toughest schedule ever for our school. From opening at UNLV until we finish the conference season against Gonzaga on ESPN, all of the games will be challenging for us. West Coast Conference games are always critically important. With non-conference away games at UNLV, the Paradise Jam, San Diego State, Oregon and Mississippi State, we are going to be challenged often.

RS: When will playing these tough schedules pay off in the form of landing top recruits and home-and-home games with top programs, or has it already?

KS: The pay-off in playing tough schedules comes during conference play and at selection time. Coach (Bill) Grier and I believe that top recruits want to play a tough schedule and we are seeing that in the recruits that are committing and looking at us now.

RS: Did playing a tough schedule last season help prepare the team for the West Coast Conference and NCAA Tournaments?

KS: Absolutely, without a doubt. Our team knew they could go into hostile environments and play tough. It also taught them that they were never really out of a game when we got behind.

RS: Who was your biggest win against last year and why?

KS: The biggest win was definitely against UConn because it came during tournament play and on the national stage.

RS: What did wins over storied programs such as Connecticut and Kentucky do for the San Diego men's basketball program?

KS: I think those wins were launching pads for what we believe we can accomplish.

RS: Last season, the San Diego men's basketball team went further in the NCAA Tournament than any other previous squad in school history. Were you surprised? Did you expect it? How did it feel?

KS: We were up and down last year during the pre-conference season. Coach Grier was working with the team to play his style of basketball and the team, at times, struggled with that new style. Then, early in conference play, we had a big win at Portland on a last second shot by Brandon Johnson. From that point on you saw a new confidence with the team and a buy-in to the style of basketball Coach Grier was looking for. It was fun to watch the team come together.

RS: How does it make you feel to be ranked 39th in the country in the recent preseason poll conducted by Sporting News?

KS: Preseason rankings are nice. But, it's the end of the season that really matters. Sports is about what you do, not what others think you can do. It's nice publicity for the university. But now we need to prove that we belong there.