COLLEGE BASKETBALL : COACHES, PLAYERS, TEAMS, TRENDS TO WATCH IN THE 1985-86 SEASON : THE QUESTION OF WHO IS NO. 1 IN L.A. : Pepperdine and Polee Appear Set to Finally Make Those Big Waves

The numbers speak for themselves: In Jim Harrick’s reign at Pepperdine, the Waves have won 65% of their basketball games and are the only Southern California team that has gone to the NCAA tournament three of the last four years.

Yes, that does include UCLA and USC.

Not only that, but Pepperdine is ranked higher in some preseason polls than both UCLA and USC.

Is it possible that the little school with the magnificent view, a fast break away from the Pacific Ocean, is the best team in Los Angeles? And has Harrick--who was a UCLA assistant in the late 1970s--transformed Pepperdine into Southern California’s pre-eminent program?

Harrick hems and haws, his West Virginia accent growing stronger as he is asked those questions. He’s content to let the numbers do his talking.

“That (claiming superiority) should be done on the floor,” Harrick said. “However, if our team continues to improve and get better, we’ve got a chance to be the best team in L.A. In March, except for one year, we’ve probably been one of the best teams in L.A. and Southern California three of the last four years. I’m more interested in being good in March than I am in November.”

About the only thing he’ll say for the record is his perennial theme: “Everything is mighty fine at the ‘Dine.”

Coming off two straight 20-win seasons and NCAA appearances in 1983, Harrick’s team won only 15 games in 1983-84, and his lineup was small and inexperienced entering last season. But with an all-underclass lineup, Harrick won the West Coast Athletic Conference title and went 23-7.

This year the entire lineup is back, including WCAC Player of the Year Dwayne Polee at guard, and some observers are wondering if Harrick has caught--and maybe passed--UCLA as the team to beat in Southern California. Harrick says that the comparisons aren’t important and that he wishes the other local teams well.

“Basketball people in the West have known for five or six years we have a solid program,” he said. “We’ve put seven players in pro ball. In L.A. it’s very difficult (to be viewed with UCLA). But it’s equalled out.”

Harrick, who became head coach in 1979, says: “We’ve made our name, I think, on players a lot of people didn’t want--Dane Suttle, Boot Bond, Orlando Phillips, Victor Anger. (But) we recruit with anybody in the West. We’ve had a good run the last two, three years. We beat some Pac-10 schools on (Levy) Middlebrooks. The kids know what programs kids are getting drafted out of, where the coaching is, who has good discipline. Getting good people who fit your program is the key.”

Polee, who may be the best player in Southern California, says the general impression of Pepperdine is still “that little school by the beach where people go to kick back.” He admits he didn’t even consider Pepperdine when he was L.A. City Player of the Year at Manual Arts four years ago and opted for Nevada Las Vegas. He transferred after an unhappy year-and-a-half and says basketball people know the Waves are for real. “People in the league know we come to play,” he said.

Compared to UCLA this year, he said: “I think we’re pretty much even. We’re close in talent--very close, if not better.” The team’s goal now, he said, is “to beat some Top 20 teams and let people know Pepperdine is a basketball team.”

Delivering that message has been the Waves’ biggest problem. They come from a conference that has lacked clout since the University of San Francisco dropped basketball four years ago, and the Waves’ NCAA Tournament draws have been tough--eventual champion North Carolina State in 1983, Duke last year.

To alleviate the problem of anonymity, Harrick suggests an all-L.A. tournament involving Pepperdine, UCLA, USC and Loyola Marymount. The format: a doubleheader at the Forum once or twice a year.

“I think West Coast basketball and L.A. needs a shot in the arm of enthusiasm,” he said. “I cannot see a better way than to designate an L.A. champ. I think that would attract great interest, fill the house and get tremendous enthusiasm in Los Angeles.”

But he’s not holding his breath. He says he has tried and failed “quite often” to schedule UCLA and USC. “There’s always been that syndrome of not wanting to let ‘em catch up with your program, but that’s not the case anymore,” he said. “There’s parity. I’m just trying to create interest in all the programs.”

Meanwhile, the Waves open in Denver this weekend in the Big Apple NIT--against fifth-ranked Kansas. Later they play in the Brigham Young tournament, the Kentucky Invitational and at DePaul.

PEPPERDINE FACTS & FIGURES

ROSTER

RETURNEES

NO PLAYER POS HT WT CL PPG RPG FG% FT%

55 Dave Brittain F 6-8 210 Sr. 5.7 3.5 .481 .600 44 Anthony Frederick F 6-7 200 Sr. 11.8 7.2 .503 .533 24 Jim Harrick G 5-11 165 So. 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 11 Jon Korfas G 5-11 165 Sr. 12.2 1.8 .540 .869 50 Levy Middlebrooks C 6-7 225 So. 10.3 6.4 .535 .755 42 Mike Mounts C 6-8 215 Sr. 2.0 2.3 .542 .667 32 Dwayne Polee G 6-5 190 Sr. 15.7 3.5 .472 .805 34 Eric White F 6-8 200 Jr. 15.9 9.2 .546 .711 4 Marty Wilson G 6-3 190 So. 2.1 1.3 .343 .621

NO HOMETOWN (Previous School) 44 Gardena (Santa Monica JC) 24 Newbury Park (Utah Tech) 11 Santa Barbara (USC) 50 San Francisco (St. Ignatius HS) 42 Davis, Ca. (American River JC) 32 Los Angeles (Nevada Las Vegas) 34 San Francisco (Sacred Heart HS) 4 Pacoima (Simi Valley HS)

COACH: Jim Harrick (7th season, 113-61 record)

1984-85 RESULTS

RECORD: 23-9 overall, 11-1 WCAC (1st)

Result Record Hawaii 79, Pepperdine 78 0-1

Result Record Pepperdine 76, Hawaii Pacific 72 2-1 **Pepperdine 81, CS Long Beach 64 3-1 Pepperdine 83, Wichita State 81 4-1 Abilene Christian 93, Pepperdine 89 4-2 **Pepperdine 95, Missouri St. Louis 7 5-2 Nevada Reno 94, Pepperdine 89 5-3 Pepperdine 65, UC Santa Barbara 63 6-3 UC Irvine 92, Pepperdine 91 6-4 CS Fullerton 81, Pepperdine 75 6-5 Temple 71, Pepperdine 66 6-6 Pepperdine 86, Baylor 83 7-6 Pepperdine 82, Northern Arizona 65 8-6 **Pepperdine 76, Fordham 71 9-6 **Pepperdine 90, Colorado 64 10-6 **Pepperdine 87, SW Texas State 70 11-6 Pepperdine 77, Loyola Marymount 62 12-6 Pepperdine 60, San Diego 50 13-6 Pepperdine 53, Santa Clara 52 14-6 St. Mary’s 76, Pepperdine 71 14-7 **Pepperdine 76, Portland 75 15-7 **Pepperdine 59, Gonzaga 55 16-7 **Pepperdine 75, U.S. International 5 17-7 DePaul 90, Pepperdine 65 17-8 Pepperdine 69, Gonzaga 58 18-8 Pepperdine 80, Portland 60 19-8 **Pepperdine 69, St. Mary’s 64 20-8 **Pepperdine 97, Santa Clara 90 21-8 **Pepperdine 57, San Diego 54 22-8 **Pepperdine 86, Loyola Marymount 77 23-8

NCAA TOURNAMENT Duke 75, Pepperdine 62 23-9

** home game