LOS ANGELES – The first team in men’s college basketball to reach a 6-0 record this season, Loyola Marymount got off to their best start since the 2018-19 season, when Mike Dunlap’s team opened 8-0 before its first loss. Graduate student Myron “MJ” Amey Jr. has been a lethal contributor for the 7-3 Lions, sitting top three in multiple team statistics, a lot of the time doing it as a reserve.
“I gotta be the energy to spark off the bench,” Amey said. He has been the team’s most reliable scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game, second only to junior Jan Vide, who has been sidelined the previous five games with a foot injury. “When I get my opportunity, I make the most of it.”
The Lions’ first loss didn’t come until their travels to the Sunshine State, falling in the first round to the Florida Atlantic Owls in the Geico Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach. Since then, the Lions have gone 1-3, and have lost their last two games at home.
Amey knows it’s not easy losing in Hank’s House, but the team is undeterred. “We’re good. We’re sticking together. This is a real good group we have in terms of just trying to figure out how to find a way to win,” Amey said.
Playing for the Lions is still relatively new for Amey, who transferred from San Jose State last season. With incoming transfers like Jalen Shelley and Rodney Brown starting consistently for LMU, Head Coach Stan Johnson’s team is clicking despite being new to each other.
“We had a different feel of just how great our chemistry was early, especially off the court more so,” Amey said. “And it was only a matter of time that it was going to just transfer on the court. Our ability to connect with each other through adversity, stay together, and just find a way to get it done shows a lot, and it’s going to take us even farther as we go down the road.”
The team’s hot start has also drawn increased interest from fans. “I feel like we have more fans, more consistent fans, coming this year to our games,” Amey said. “Of course, the start that we did have, we did have some hype, especially with the dance videos after in the locker room, so that brings more attention.”
Faith has influenced Amey’s athletic journey, and now in his final year on the Bluff, his relationship with God has been his anchor. “I always said my decision in coming here was all God’s plan, all God’s decision. The Spirit brought me here, and I just been trusting in every day, every step that God has me in good hands and is going to take care of everything like it’s supposed to,” Amey said.
“Really high on just my connection with God and how I can keep building that and keeping that strong. And definitely, this basketball team, this community, has definitely helped me stay and meet that goal,” he added.
Coming from the Mountain West Conference, Amey has duked it out against formidable programs in a conference that regularly sees multiple schools reach the Big Dance, and in some ways the West Coast Conference is no different. “As a competitor, you love that. You love just to go out there and try to prove yourself against teams like Gonzaga and St. Mary’s, try to change the story a little bit because, you know, those two teams are always the ones to kind of finish it,” Amey said.
“I’ll say that’s the difference between the Mountain West and the WCC. You kind of know in the WCC, or predict, who’s going to finish on top,” said Amey. “And for us, we just want to be that bad crowd to their parade. So we trying to come here and mess the thing up and change it around a little bit.”
Team success is at the forefront for Amey. “I mean, for me, my individual success will come with the team’s success. For the team, I just really want to win at the highest level. I want to make the NCAA tournament — into March Madness,” said Amey.
“I want to be able to have the opportunity to play for the WCC championship, regular season, and in the tournament. That’s my vision of a successful season, just winning at the highest level and hopefully bringing a couple of trophies home,” said Amey.
Through all the noise, escalating success and the ebbs of an NCAA athletic season, the Lions still have to find success in the classroom, especially during finals season. “It’s always hard to manage. It’s never easy during season,” said Amey.
“But the good thing for us is we get a couple weeks off before we start playing again. So we really got time to focus on finishing strong in school before we start back up playing games again,” said Amey.
The Lions will next suit up at home on Dec. 16 in a West Coast duel against UC San Diego. Amey made his first start of the season in their most recent loss to Saint Louis University on Dec. 2. As the season moves forward, it’s unclear whether Amey’s production will come on or off the bench, but what is clear is that a contribution will be made.
