Boys’ Basketball Preview: Dramatic change in store for local trio

There’s no denying that the unifying factor for the city of La Cañada Flintridge’s three high school boys’ basketball teams is dramatic change this season.

The La Cañada High, Flintridge Prep and St. Francis squads all lost significant talent and experience and each will turn to a different crop of players to guide the way.

For the Spartans, they graduated All-Area Player of the Year Koko Kurdoghlian (13 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game) and All-Area second-team guard Grant Arthur (9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds) along with eight other seniors.

Not only did both players represent valuable production, but both also were perfect representatives of coach Tom Hofman’s style, which includes plenty of three-point shooting and man-to-man defense.

“We’re not changing our ways, but yes it will be different without Koko and Grant,” Hofman said. “I still believe we have some good young players and enough veterans to have a good year.”

Last season, the Spartans finished 26-4, won an undefeated Rio Hondo League title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA playoffs.

While La Cañada will be in contention for a league crown, hopes for a deep postseason run were dealt a huge blow when the Spartans were moved up five divisions to Division I-A.

“There’s no way we’re a Division I-A team,” Hofman said, “but we’ll do the best we can and focus our attention again on league.”

If there’s good news for La Cañada, the Spartans still have a strong inside presence in 6-foot-7 center Sean Estes.

The senior was an All-Area and All-Rio Hondo League first-team selection and averaged 11.4 points, five rebounds and two blocks per game.

Estes and 6-8 senior Robby Smith deliver La Cañada a size advantage over area squads, as the duo will be counted upon heavily.

When the ball goes inside to Estes and Smith, that will open up opportunities for senior guard Justin Kouyoumdjian, a key returner, and junior guard Patric Panoosi.

Hofman is also expecting valuable contributions from sophomore Ryan Graves and senior guard Tyler Wagner, while senior forward Tyler Rubendall transitions over from football to power forward.

Up the road at Flintridge Prep, the Rebels are entering a new era as they graduated the dynamic duo of senior forward Dante Fregoso (St. Mary’s) and senior guard Andrew Tsangeos (Richmond), both All-Area first-team selections.

Fregoso averaged 16.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game and was named the Prep League Most Valuable Player, while Tsangeos tallied 9.7 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals a game in earning All-CIF Division V-AA and All-Prep League first-team honors.

Last season, the Rebels finished 22-6 and were 8-0 in the Prep League. Flintridge Prep also advanced to the championship game of the Division V-AA playoffs (lost to St. Joseph, 63-45) and the second round of the state Division V playoffs.

So, with the loss of his two stars, Flintridge Prep Coach Garrett Ohara says his team’s identity is still up in the air.

“It’s a work in progress, but I don’t want to say it’s a rebuilding year,” Ohara said. “We still have several seniors returning and we’re looking to see the way this team develops and how they get along. That’s going to be crucial. That’s what happens when you lose two All-CIF guys.”

One key issue for Ohara is who will exactly be on his team. Though the coach has seven confirmed returners, at least four players are members of the football team, which enjoyed a CIF semifinal run that just concluded on Friday.

One of those players, senior guard Kendall Kikkawa, is also the Rebels’ football team’s top running back.

Kikkawa is a returning All-Prep League second-team selection at guard and averaged 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a steal per game.

Kikkawa will be joined by 6-4 senior forward Jake Althouse and both will be depended on for more than just their production.

“Jake Althouse and Kendall Kikkawa are real leaders with significant varsity action,” Ohara said. “With the maturity and leadership they bring, their impact is going to be tremendous on the court and off the court with chemistry and leadership.”

Across the street, it’s year No. 2 at St. Francis under head coach Todd Wolfson.

The Golden Knights took their lumps last season, finishing 7-19 and 3-9 in league for sixth place in the rugged Mission League.

Gone from that year’s squad are five seniors, including All-Area second-team guard Brett Gangi (13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and two steals per game) and senior guard John Stephens (10.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game).

If there’s a positive for Wolfson, it’s that his squad of 12 players has bought into his system.

“The culture is changing here,” Wolfson said. “We have kids in this program who were here last year and they know what to expect. There’s no more trying to sell them what you’re about. It’s year No. 2 and it resonates with them.”

Wolfson has four returners back from last season, including a key guard in Joey Walsh. The senior showed some flashes of outstanding play last season, but was hampered throughout his junior campaign with ankle injuries. Walsh averaged 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds a game.

One of the more interesting arrivals is freshman guard Andre Henry, who will revive a Wolfson tradition started up at Chaminade.

“For nine straight years, we had a freshman playing varsity on my teams up until last year,” Wolfson said. “We didn’t really have a guy last year, but I think we have a big building block to our success in Andre.”

Perhaps guard is the most dangerous position on St. Francis, since whomever will fill that roll will have to take on talented players within a Mission League thats boasts blue-chippers like Harvard-Westlake’s Cassius Stanley and Alemany’s Brandon Davis.

As for progress, Wolfson also raved about the improvement of 6-4 junior Omari Moore, who “can do a lot of everything.”