Notebook / Alan Drooz : Prep Cagers to Get Jump on Season in Shores Tourney

The 34th annual Pacific Shores Basketball Tournament tips off the season for many of the area’s top high school basketball teams beginning Monday at Redondo and Mira Costa highs. Not surprisingly, Carson and Long Beach Poly are the top seeds of the 16-team bracket.

However, the seedings, done by a poll of the coaches, are based largely on summer league showings and expected returners. At a meeting to announce the pairings, Carson Coach Richard Masson pointed out that his team will be competitive--but not with the lineup it had over the summer. Clifford Allen, a 6-10 center who has already received a scholarship to Nevada-Las Vegas, apparently will not play for the Colts after violating his correctional home probation, and sophomore James Moses will play at Serra. The Colts still have 6-6 Anthony January, who has already signed with Texas-El Paso, and a strong but smaller supporting cast.

Carson’s lineup changes may make defending Shores champion Morningside one of the favorites again. The Monarchs return 6-10 Elden Campbell and 6-6 Leon Covington plus a strong back court. Culver City, Inglewood and Serra are also contending teams. Other top players on display will include Poly forward Demetrius Camper, Redondo forward Steve Florentine, Inglewood wing players Stacy Anderson and Eric Jordan, Serra forward Keith Malone, Culver City guard Marvin Nelson and Palos Verdes forward Jeff Pelton.

Monday’s games at Redondo are: Morningside vs. Serra at 3 p.m., South Torrance vs. Hawthorne at 4:30, Long Beach Poly vs. Bishop Montgomery at 6:15 and Redondo vs. West Torrance at 8. Openers at Mira Costa are: Culver City vs. Rolling Hills at 3, Palos Verdes vs. Inglewood at 4:30, Torrance vs. Carson at 6:15 and Mira Costa vs. North Torrance at 8.

The tournament continues Tuesday with second-round and consolation games. Semifinals are at 6:15 and 8 p.m. Thursday at Redondo, with consolation semis the same day at Mira Costa at 4:30 and 6:15. The championship will be played at 8 p.m. Saturday, preceded by the third-place game at 6.

The tournament, which a few years ago was approaching a comatose state financially, is again being underwritten by W. A. Goodman and Sons, Domino’s Pizza, Strike Zone Sporting Goods and the Torrance Sport’s Shop.

Paul Westhead, the noted Shakespearean authority, waxed poetic after Loyola Marymount University opened the basketball season with a gritty 92-72 victory last weekend. Asked about returning to coaching he said:

“Every season is a new life, a new feeling. A person was born tonight--a new team. I’m happy to be with this individual.”

Westhead made it clear he enjoys the collegiate atmosphere after spending several years coaching in the pros. “There’s the same challenge, getting guys to follow a scheme, coming up with a plan,” he said. “Here there’s more natural enthusiasm. The pros play hard but here there’s an excitement about it. the guys live for that game on Saturday night.”

Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball Coach Dave Yanai spent some time with volatile Indiana Coach Bobby Knight last summer when the two ran a series of clinics in Japan. “Toward the end of the trip I mentioned to Bobby how he had improved in his use of the chopsticks,” Yanai said. “He said, ‘Hell, Dave, it was either that or starve.’ But that tells you something about Bobby.”

The Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department reports three South Bay golfers recently recorded holes-in-one at Harbor Park. Rancho Palos Verdes resident Ray Cusato holed his tee shot on the 165-yard, par-3 eighth hole. He used a 6-iron. San Pedro resident Steve Napier aced the 155-yard, par-3 fourth hole. He connected with a 5-iron. Gordon Richardson of Lomita got his first hole-in-one, also on the eighth hole. He used an 8-iron.