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Boys’ Basketball Preview: Anticipation grows for local squads

Crescenta Valley’s Arman Pezishkian tries to keep the ball in play as he and Austin Novak battle in practice at Crescenta Valley High.
(Tim Berger/Staff Photographer)
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Cautious optimism is en vogue this winter as several local boys’ basketball coaches are confident, but not ready to go out on a limb when making predictions for their upcoming seasons.

Over the last few years, no team has been steadier than Crescenta Valley High.

The Falcons have won between 18 and 23 games each of the last five seasons, while losing exactly nine contests each of those campaigns and finishing between first and third place in the Pacific League.

Last season, Crescenta Valley tallied an 18-9 record and tied for second in league with Muir.

“We’re actually very, very excited about this season,” Falcons coach Shawn Zargarian said. “They’ve been working their tails off in the offseason and we’ve had a pretty successful summer and fall. We’re looking to be competitive and finish in the top three in league.”

Zargarian is happy to welcome back senior guards Christopher Arzoumanian, a league honorable mention, and Armen Pezeshkian.

Both join a crew that includes senior Austin Novak, a 6-foot-4 tight end and defensive end on the football team, along with newcomers Harout Tahanian and Garen Kejejian.

The biggest change for Crescenta Valley is not personnel but style for the three-point shooting Falcons.

“You will see a team and a style and basketball that you guys haven’t seen out of us,” Zargarian said. “We are going to press and run and jump the entire game – up-tempo, up-tempo, up-tempo. We’re going to let this group play.”

St. Francis enjoyed a season of progress in year No. 2 under coach Todd Wolfson as the Golden Knights doubled their win total and finished with a 14-13 record, while the team was sixth in the ultra-competitive Mission League.

“We’re looking to make a bigger push this season,” Wolfson said. “I was thinking four years, it would take four years to turn things around at St. Francis. If we can do things the way I’m hoping, hopefully three years, which is this year.”

In the fluid world of high school basketball transfers, the Golden Knights finished even-par, having lost two athletes, while gaining two back.

Wolfson welcomes Village Christian junior transfer Javon Jones and Chaminade junior Dennis Flowers III into the mix.

Jones is a 6-foot-3 guard who has earned some Division I interest, according to Wolfson, while Flowers shined in fall ball action.

The duo joins a returning crew with strong returners in sophomore guard Andre Henry (9.8 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and two steals per game), junior forward Matthew Molina and senior guard Lucas Shin (6.2 points a game).

The squad will try to collectively replace senior guard Joey Walsh, an All-Area first-team and All-Mission League second-team selection who averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and two assists a game.

“We’re not the type of team that’s going to turn it around with eight transfers,” Wolfson said. “We’re going to have to do it building up our freshmen and [junior varsity] guys. We’re getting there.”

Like St. Francis, Flintridge Prep has to overcome the loss of a big player.

The Rebels graduated All-CIF Division IV-AA, All-Prep League and All-Area first-team pick Jake Althouse, a senior forward who averaged 17.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

Last season, Flintridge Prep finished 12-9 and 6-2 in the Prep League for second behind archrival Pasadena Poly, while advancing to the second round of the Division IV-AA playoffs.

“[Our] goal [is] to win the Prep League title and compete in CIF,” Flintridge Prep coach Garrett Ohara said. “We expect to get better throughout the year, especially with so many new to varsity.

“We created a difficult preseason schedule, so losses will come early, but we’ll need to focus on what we can gain by playing tough competition prior to league and CIF.”

Ohara has three key returners in senior forwards Jonathan Au and Majeed Ismail and senior guard Jonathan Le.

As for bumping off Poly and recapturing the league crown, Ohara has a plan.

“I’d like our team to win each home league game and win three or four on the road,” Ohara said. “This team has that capability.”

Optimism may be the highest for Glendale since the 2014-15 season. That year the Nitros finished second in the Pacific League in the final season under longtime coach Steve Snodgress, who was replaced by Ib Belou.

Last season, Glendale finished 12-15 and tied for sixth in league with Arcadia.

“This season our goal is to contend for a league title and earn a spot in the playoffs,” Belou said. “We have the deepest and closest team I have had since I began coaching at GHS.”

Belou and his team’s success will be tied deeply to how well the Nitros can overcome key graduations.

Glendale waved goodbye to league second-team forward Daniel Madden and league honorable mention guard Edrik Abous.

Belou will rely on seniors Eli Degrate, Alexis Ramos and Larrenz Carino, all three-year varsity players who play multiple roles.

Two-year varsity player David Shamiryan, a sophomore, also figures to be a valuable contributor.

One of the area’s most explosive players is back for Hoover in senior Angel Mino.

The All-Pacific League first-team and All-Area second-team guard returns after averaging 20 points and four rebounds a game.

He’ll try to help Hoover climb the standings a year after finishing 7-19 and last in league.

Hoover’s goals remain clear for coach Jack Van Patten, who wants to “keep improving,” finish in the top four in league and reach the playoffs.

Van Patten has a pair of wing players he’s excited about in juniors David Pirijanyan and Caleb Davis.

Pirijanyan is in his second year on varsity and “brings a ton of energy to the game,” according to Van Patten, who noted that Davis was a “gifted all-around player with excellent length.”

At St. Monica Academy, there’s good and bad news.

One positive for head coach Peter Grimm is that his 11-player squad is experienced with nine varsity returners, four of which are seniors.

Perhaps the biggest bonus is the return of 6-foot-5 senior center Peter Ford, who last played two seasons ago.

Ford was an International League first-team pick in 2015-16 and will provide a boast.

While Grimm graduated league second-team forward Jacob Lessard, he’s hoping that senior Freddy Sayegh can pick up the slack.

Junior forward Charlie Boles is back after a league first-team selection, while junior Francis Mireles will take over guard duties.

“We have a lot of seniors and a lot of leadership on this team,” said Grimm, whose sophomore son Ernie Grimm also figures to play a role. “This year, we have a [junior varsity] team, which is big for the development of our program. This team will be the deepest it’s been in year.”

If there’s a drawback, St. Monica was dropped to the second tier of the 10-team International League, which puts its best five teams in the upper bracket and lower five teams down in another bracket.

Four of the five upper-bracket squads qualify to the postseason, while only the lower-bracket champion earns a postseason berth. That means, St. Monica will need to win the lower bracket to move into the playoffs.

Glendale Adventist Academy will look to improve upon a 5-13, 0-10 record last season, which dropped the Cougars to the bottom of the Independence League.

Coach Martin Medina will be tasked with helping to rebuild the program, which begins the season Nov. 28.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresports

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