`VENTURA FIVE' SURVIVOR AT USF FACES PEPPERDINE.

Byline: Samuel Chi San Francisco Examiner 

Gerald Zimmerman came to the University of San Francisco as part of the ``Ventura Five,'' a group instrumental in resuscitating the Dons' once-woebegone basketball program. But he's the only one left now, so he'll be the last one to leave, sometime over the weekend.

Or maybe not so soon.

Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6 guard, hopes to extend his Dons career for just a few more games. Three more wins - this weekend at the West Coast Conference tournament - and then a berth in the NCAA Tournament would be nice. A year ago, Zimmerman was a spectator, not a participant, in USF's first NCAA appearance since 1982.

``I am one of those guys who believes everything happens for a reason,'' Zimmerman said. ``Granted, I'd love to have played last year, but it just wasn't my time. I was with the team in spirit, if not in body. The guys last year really made me feel like a part of the team, even if I hadn't played at all.''

Zimmerman missed the 1997-98 season to recover from knee surgery. His buddies from Ventura College - Damian Cantrell, Hakeem Ward and Jamal Cobbs - led the Dons to a 19-11 record as Phil Mathews completed his third season at USF after relocating virtually his entire team from Ventura College.

With the departure of everyone else of the ``Ventura Five'' (Charles Woodard left after one season), Zimmerman returned this season as the lone senior on a USF team devoid of experience and depleted of leadership. He realized immediately that it was imperative that he assume the role of elder statesman.

Mathews said it's not in Zimmerman's nature to be a ``rah-rah guy. Sometimes I had to remind him that a young team needs a kick in the butt in the locker room.''

Zimmerman prefers to demonstrate leadership with his deeds.

``He's not very vocal,'' sophomore guard Ali Thomas said of Zimmerman. ``He just leads by example. He works hard. He hustles for every ball and every rebound. He does all the little things. For us young fellas, that's the most impressive thing.''

But Zimmerman leads the Dons in other ways, too. He finished the regular season with an 18.2 scoring average, tops on the team. He became the first USF player to lead the WCC in scoring (19.9 ppg in conference games) since Quintin Dailey did in 1982. And he edged St. Mary's Eric Schraeder by 0.1 point despite going scoreless in two games and missing four games because of an injured wrist.

Zimmerman's scoring and willingness to take the big shots in the game's deciding junctures have been keys to the Dons' recent resurgence. USF opened the season 7-1, but lost 13 of its subsequent 15 games, including all but one of its first 10 conference games. But the Dons have won three of their final four games, losing by one to San Diego in the regular-season finale.

USF (12-17) faces Pepperdine (18-11) in a first-round game Saturday at noon in Santa Clara.