Prep Notebook : Herrick’s Boys on the Bus Are Coming, Going

The latest from Greg Herrick, Cleveland High’s ever-colorful basketball coach:

--Yes, another of his players will sign with a Division I school today.

--Yes, he’ll probably be returning to the school next year despite rumors to the contrary.

--No, he doesn’t see himself as the coach of the Cavaliers for too many more years.

--Yes, look for the Cavaliers to be contenders again for the City 4-A title next season, especially if they add 6-5 and 6-6 transfers to the team.

Tyrone Mitchell, the Cavaliers’ all-time assist king, will sign a letter of intent to play basketball at Arizona State University next season.

Santa Clara appeared to be the early leader in the race for Mitchell, a member of The Times’ All-Valley team. ASU made a big push at the end of last week, however, and Mitchell decided to become a Sun Devil.

Herrick says Mitchell probably would have had more of a chance to play at Santa Clara, but he also says he supports Mitchell’s choice.

Herrick has had to make some decisions, too, lately, including whether to return to Cleveland for his seventh year as coach next season.

Right now he’s not sure.

“I’m preparing to coach Cleveland,” Herrick said. “There is probably a great possibility I’ll be returning.”

But a few minutes later he added: “There’s a small possibility I won’t return.”

Herrick said he has talked with some colleges about becoming an assistant coach.

He did not want to say who he had talked to, however. “It would be silly to mention names if it did not work out,” he said.

Whether Herrick is back or not, don’t look for him to be the Cavaliers’ coach much longer.

“Regardless, I won’t be here more than a couple of years,” he said. “I have a soft spot in my heart for Cleveland. They’ve helped me achieve my goals.

“Loving the place may be too much of an extreme, but I have a great fondness for Cleveland. I’ve spent six years here. Half of my wardrobe is black and red.”

Had the Cavaliers won the City and State championships this season, Herrick says he would have resigned. “I would have done all I could have done at the high school level,” he said.

But Cleveland lost in the City 4-A quarterfinals to Banning, finishing the season at 22-2.

Herrick will lose four starters from the team. Anthony Kidd will go to Washington State, while Andre Washington will play at Southwest Texas State. Kevin Stafford is expected to sign with a Division II school soon.

Despite the departures, however, Cleveland should be the best team in the Valley once again.

Reason No. 1: Trevor Wilson, a third-team Parade Magazine All-American this season.

Wilson, a 6-7 junior, was The Times’ Valley Player of the Year and will be among the top five recruits in the nation next season, according to Herrick.

Antoine Shofner, one of the top reserves this year, will be a starter at the other forward position. Herrick says Shofner will also be highly recruited.

At one of the guard spots will be Damon Greer, a freshman who played on the varsity this season. “He could be the next great point guard at Cleveland, after Keith Morrison (Washington State) and Mitchell,” Herrick said.

Herrick will also have at his disposal several members of last season’s junior varsity team, which lost only two games.

“We’re gonna be tough,” Herrick admitted.

The Cavaliers may also be helped by two players whom Herrick doesn’t even know.

Herrick said a 6-5 player visited a friend at campus recently and started shooting baskets. “He’s in the process of moving out here from Ohio,” he said. “And there’s a rumor that a 6-6 kid from the inner city, who moved out here from Detroit, is coming here.”

Herrick said he did not know the players’ names, adding that if they do play at Cleveland next year it would have “nothing to do with recruiting.”

Herrick said that Cleveland is fast becoming one of the top places to play in the Valley, much like Crenshaw High is in central Los Angeles.

Both programs can be strong, Herrick says, because of the school district’s busing program.

“The nature of the busing program allows (a player) to go to any school,” Herrick said.

Peter Washington of North Hollywood does not have enough at-bats to qualify normally as one of The Times’ baseball leaders in the Valley.

It’s hardly his fault, however.

The 5-11, 230-pound junior has 10 official at-bats in six games, two below the usual standard of two at-bats per game. In those 10 appearances, Washington has five hits, including a triple and a home run, and three runs batted in.

The Huskies’ first baseman has also been walked 14 times, six times intentionally.

“In the first game this year, his first time up against Fairfax, he hit one over a building, 450 feet,” North Hollywood Coach Brian York said. “He was intentionally walked the next three times up.”

York described Washington’s power as “awesome.”

York estimated that in another game, this one at North Hollywood, Washington hit a ball 420 feet on the fly.

“We have no fence at our park,” York said, “and he’s not the fastest guy in the world, so he got a triple.

“He’s hit a number of balls that would have gone out of regular stadiums.”

Notes

Michelle Stevens, the Times’ Valley girls basketball Player of the Year, has narrowed her college choices to Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. The Westlake senior said she will make her final decision sometime next week. . . . Kippie Brown of Thousand Oaks, another member of the All-Valley team, has commited to play at UC Irvine.

Simi Valley’s baseball team suffered its first loss after 18 straight wins Saturday in the Sylvester Easter Tournament in Las Vegas. The Pioneers lost to Cerritos, 4-3, and finished the tournament with a 3-1 record. Gahr (4-0) won the round-robin event. The loss dropped the Pioneers to No. 2 in the weekly Southern Section 4-A poll. . . .