Muir, Wilson and Pomona Rated Top Prep Cage Clubs

The San Gabriel Valley has certainly had its share of outstanding boys high school basketball teams in recent years.

Last season, for instance, Bonita reached the CIF 3-A Division finals, El Monte advanced to the 2-A title game and Damien and Nogales made it to the 3-A semifinals.

That successful trend should continue.

In fact, with Muir, Wilson, Pomona and South Pasadena mentioned prominently in pre-season polls in their divisions, it could turn out to be better than last year. Muir is in 4-A, Pomona and Wilson in 3-A and South Pasadena in 2-A.

Going into the start of the season this week, Muir, Wilson and Pomona--which all possess outstanding size--are considered slightly ahead of the rest of the teams in the valley.

But Ganesha, Damien, Nogales, Bonita and South Pasadena are not considered far behind.

A look at the top teams:

The Top 10

1--Muir (Pacific League; 4-A Division)--Over the last three years, the Mustangs have had as much talent as any team in the valley but have faltered in early rounds of the playoffs.

They were eliminated by Santa Monica in the first round two seasons ago and lost to Newport Harbor in the second round last year.

But Coach Mike O’Conner has a good feeling about this year’s team: “I think they’re a little better than last year in terms of overall team attitude. I think that will really help us.”

The biggest reason for the coach’s optimism is 6-8 senior Stacey Augmon, who averaged only 10 points a game as a junior but rounded into one of the top college prospects in the nation during the summer.

“His personality has really changed from last year,” O’Conner said. “He has matured into an outstanding player and he has turned into a leader.”

Augmon, who made the Sporting News All-America team and earned high honorable mention on the Street & Smith All-America squad, averaged more than 20 points a game during the summer and will team with 6-6 junior Kirk Wagner in Muir’s double-post offense.

Another standout should be 5-11 junior guard Derek Brown, an outstanding ball handler and passer who started at the end of last season.

Other possible starters are 6-4 senior forwards Michael McIntosh and Leroy McCullough and 6-1 junior forward Keyjohnna Owens. Muir has a star of the future in 6-7 sophomore Wayne Womak, a transfer from New Jersey.

2--Hacienda Heights Wilson (Sierra League; 3-A Division)--The Wildcats finished their summer league season with a 19-5 record, good by any standards.

That is even more impressive when you consider that they did it without highly regarded 6-10 center Scott Williams, who was perfecting his skills in basketball camps against the top prep players in the nation.

With the addition of a much-improved Williams, there is no reason why the Wildcats should not be better than last year when they posted a 21-5 record and won the Sierra League title but were upset by Damien in the second round of the playoffs.

“We had received a lot of publicity, and by the end of the season the team seemed like they were just happy to be there (in the playoffs),” Coach Mike Lowe said. “It was like they lost their hunger, and my key concern this year is that they stay hungry.”

Lowe said Williams is vastly improved from the player who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds and was named league player of the year as a junior.

“Even last year he was pretty gangly, and he has just matured physically over the summer,” Lowe said of Williams, who has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of North Carolina. “He’s up from 190 (pounds) to 210 and he also spent the entire summer working hard at camps. He saw how good the other players were, and he has worked hard to reach their level.”

Besides Williams, the Wildcats do not have much size. But they have talent in 6-3 senior point guard Dwain Daniels and 6-3 junior forward Neil Weingarten. The other starters should be 6-1 guards Paul Barriga, a senior, and Damon Owens, a junior.

3--Pomona (Baseline League; 3-A Division)--Without a doubt, the Red Devils are the most physically imposing team in the valley.

There is no other team in the valley that has a starting lineup with two 6-6 forwards, a 6-10 center and a 6-5 guard.

The Red Devils are not only tall. They are pretty talented, too. Pomona finished with a 23-4 record last year, losing in the CIF 3-A quarterfinals, and has three starters returning.

Leading the way are juniors Tyrone Greer (6-6) at forward and Derwin Collins (6-5) at guard, both starters as sophomores. The other returning starter is 6-10 center Marcellus Lee.

Collins may be the team’s best player, Coach Willie Allen said. “He plays off-guard, small forward, point guard--you name it,” he said. “He’s a great athlete, and he plays hard every second.”

Pomona also figures to start 6-6 senior Art Newsom at forward and 5-9 senior Mike Green at point guard. Two other key players are 6-5 junior forward Terry Owens and 5-11 senior guard John McGuire.

“We’re very optimistic,” Allen said. “I think we can be as good as last year’s team, but we’ll have to do some different things. We will have to play more zone than last year, and we will have to play it well.”

4--Ganesha (Hacienda League; 3-A Division--The Giants may have surprised a few people by finishing with a 20-8 record and reaching the CIF 3-A quarterfinals last year with four underclassmen in their starting lineup.

With a year of experience, it is no wonder why Coach Larry Armstrong is looking forward to this season: “I like our chances. I don’t like to beat around the bush, but we have to be pretty good.

“A couple of years ago we had a team that went to the (2-A) semifinals in Long Beach. This team is potentially as good.”

With the return of starters 6-7 Kevin Cutler at center, 6-4 Oliver Cunningham at point guard and 6-4 twins Ronald and Donald English at forward and guard, Ganesha has as much experience as any team in the valley.

Toss in highly regarded 6-5 sophomore Shane Palmer at forward and the Giants--true to their nickname--also are one of the tallest teams.

If that’s not enough, Armstrong said he has several other outstanding players waiting in reserve. All of which should be bad news for Ganesha opponents.

5--Damien (Baseline League; 3-A Division)--Mike LeDuc, coach of the Spartans, said that with several key players still competing in football, his team may have a few problems getting started.

But he is not too worried.

LeDuc vividly remembers last season when his team struggled in the early going only to finish with a 21-9 record and reach the CIF 3-A semifinals.

“We’re about the same as last year,” LeDuc said. “We’re not going to be the best team you ever saw in December, but hopefully we’ll be pretty good by the end of February.”

With starters Kevin Partington (6-3 forward), Kenny Korn (5-10 guard) and Joel Plitt (6-4 center) returning, Damien has more experience than it had a year ago. Partington averaged 17 points a game as a junior, and Korn and Plitt averaged 8.5.

“I would have to say Kevin and Kenny have to have a good year for us to be successful,” LeDuc said. “They’re both three-year varsity starters.”

Damien’s other starters will be either Scott Plutko or Darin Zabel (both 6-1) at point guard and Kelvin Woods (6-5), Mike Setlich (6-4) or John Boyd (6-2) at forward. Woods, youngest of the three forwards, is a highly regarded sophomore.

6--Nogales (Sierra League; 3-A Division)--First-year Coach Mike Southworth, coach at Aquinas High in San Bernardino the last four seasons, said he was surprised by his team’s high ranking in pre-season polls.

Based on the past success of the Nobles, though, it would be difficult to leave them out of the top 10.

What other team in the valley can say it has appeared in the CIF playoffs the last eight seasons?

The Nobles, who finished 24-6 last year and reached the CIF 3-A semifinals, have a talented cast returning.

The leaders are 6-5 senior forward Paul Seeley and 6-2 senior guard Tim Wells, both starters who averaged 7.5 points a game last season. The other starters should be 6-5 sophomore forward Michael Nichols, 6-0 junior guard Ron Lattimore and 5-10 point guard Feris Manning.

“We’ve got good speed, ball handling and aggressiveness, but I would say that we’re young in spots,” Southworth said.

The Nobles also have solid depth with reserves such as senior forward Eugene Brown (6-2), sophomore forward Marvin Whitlock (6-2) and sophomore point guard John Owens (5-7).

7--Bonita (Hacienda League; 3-A Division)--There is a good reason why Bearcat Coach John O’Neill is wearing a big smile around campus these days.

With the graduation of All-CIF 6-8 forward Greg Trygstad and 6-4 all-leaguer Robert Morthel from last year’s team that finished 25-5 and reached the 3-A finals, Bonita was supposed to be in for a difficult rebuilding year.

That is until O’Neill gained 6-6 junior forward Rick Fluckey, a transfer from Montana, and 6-8 senior center John Gilmartin, a transfer from Ohio.

“No wonder why John was sitting there looking cool at the league meeting,” said a rival Hacienda League coach.

Fluckey was impressive in summer league play for the Bearcats, and O’Neill said the addition of Gilmartin, who moved to La Verne at the start of the school year, was a pleasant surprise.

“I smiled when I saw him at school for the first time,” O’Neill said. “He makes us look like a basketball team when we walk in the gym.”

Besides the two tall front-line players, Bonita will rely on two returning starters in all-league senior point guard Clark Moses (6-0) and senior guard Anthony Lynch (6-1). Several other top players are forwards Rodrigo Quintero (5-10) and Eric Smith (6-2) and guards Ric Slagle (5-11) and Stan Robinson (5-8).

8--South Pasadena (Rio Hondo League; 2-A Division)--With a new coach and a starting lineup led by underclassmen, not much was expected from the Tigers at the start of last season.

So it was a big surprise when South Pasadena had one of its best seasons in history, 24-3.

It did not exactly end as successfully for the Tigers, who were seeded No. 2 in the 2-A playoffs only to suffer a 43-41 upset loss to El Monte in the quarterfinals.

The Tigers could have a much better finish this season, especially considering that South Pasadena has its entire starting front line returning: 6-5 center Eric McArthur, 6-6 forward Ken Boldt and 6-3 forward Robert Story.

Boldt averaged 16.9 points and 8.9 rebounds to lead South Pasadena in both categories, and McArthur had 16 and 8.5. Story averaged 7.5 points.

9--Bosco Tech (Del Rey League; 5-A Division)--In terms of experience, Coach Jorge Calienes said last year’s squad was one of his youngest ever.

Maybe that will help explain why the usually powerful Techmen slipped to a 10-14 record.

With three starters returning, do not expect another subpar season. With six underclassmen among their top seven players, the Techmen are still young. But there is plenty of talent.

The most talented of the bunch might be 6-6 sophomore forward Carlos Carrillo, a 14-year-old who started as a freshman. “That says something about his ability that he is starting at that age,” Calienes said.

Two other starters returning are 5-9 junior point guard Dustin Palma and 6-2 senior guard Mario Diaz, who averaged 16 points and 8.1 rebounds as a forward last season.

Bosco Tech’s other starters are expected to be 6-2 junior forward Vince Davi and 6-4 junior center Ernie Montanez. Among the reserves are 5-10 junior guard Tom Takeshita, 6-3 junior forward Joe Munoz and lightning-quick 5-5 freshman point guard Steven Delgado.

Calienes said the surplus of underclassmen should make the Techmen strong for three years. “We took a year off, but we’re back,” he said.

10--Charter Oak (Montview League; 2-A Division)--With the merger of Royal Oak and Charter Oak high schools, the Chargers are the only team that can say it has six starters returning.

Four played for Charter Oak’s 18-5 team that made the CIF 2-A playoffs last year and two started for Royal Oak.

That may be the biggest reason why there are high expectations at Charter Oak.

The four Charter Oak players are 6-8 center Jim Farris and 6-1 guards Jeff Gustin and brothers Mike and Mark Smith. The two from Royal Oak are 6-4 forward Khaled Shabo and Donnie Flora. All are seniors. Mark Smith led Charter Oak in scoring with a 15-point average.

Throw in reserves such as 6-0 senior guard Craig Scott and 6-4 junior forward Joe Abbott, a transfer from La Puente High, and the Chargers have solid depth and experience. “I’d say this is the most talented group we’ve had in years,” said Coach Bud Reich.

He said his team may be shorthanded until mid-December because the Smith brothers, Shabo and Gustin all star for the football team that is ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southeastern Conference and is competing in the semifinals this week.

But Reich was quick to add: “When we get everybody back, I think we’ll have as good of a team as any in the area.”

Others to Watch

Blair (Rio Hondo League; 2-A Division)--With the return of Coach Jim Hennacy, things could be looking up again for the Vikings.

Hennacy, who coached Blair to the CIF 1-A finals in his last year at Blair in 1983, admits that he is not the most popular coach in the world. “I don’t have a real good image,” he said, “and I don’t know if it’s justly deserved. I think I just have to work on improving that.”

Like him or not, Hennacy usually produces outstanding teams.

So it would not be a big surprise to see Blair vastly improve over its 10-13 record of last year.

The Vikings have two outstanding front-line players to lead their low-post offense in 6-6 senior Teddy Jones, who averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds last year, and 6-4 junior Dion Smith. Another standout could be 6-4 senior Marcus Abrams, who averaged 15 points as a junior.

Hennacy said it may take awhile for his players to adjust to his coaching philosophy, which emphasizes hard work and discipline. “I like things to be done in a little different way,” he said. “Maybe I’m too demanding, but to expect less would be degrading to my players.”

Hennacy said his team has not adjusted to his system yet, although he is hoping they grasp it by the start of league season in January. “We could become very successful but we’re not quite there right now,” Hennacy said.

Claremont (Baseline League; 3-A Division)--The Wolfpack may have a few problems until the end of the football season.

After that, watch out.

That is when Claremont’s top two players, 6-8 center Dan McGwire and 6-2 guard Travis Watkins, will join the team after starring for the school’s top-rated football squad. McGwire is an All-American quarterback, and Watkins an outstanding wide receiver.

McGwire, an excellent rebounder who is considered one of the top centers in the valley, averaged 16 points and 14 rebounds last year. Watkins, an outstanding shooter who has a 33-inch vertical leap, averaged 18.

“They’re such good athletes and such good competitors that I think they’ll be able to pick things up pretty quickly,” said first-year Coach Todd Ervin, an assistant at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College the last three seasons.

Claremont returns two other starters from an 11-11 team: point guard Lyle Barnes (6-0) and 6-5 swingman Dave Rice, an all-league player last year. Two other top players are 6-5 forward Kenny Walker and 6-2 forward Derek Gildon (6-2), a transfer from Michigan.

Diamond Bar (Hacienda League; 3-A Division)--In its brief four-year history, Diamond Bar has yet to make the same impact in basketball that it has with its defending CIF championship football team.

The Brahmas’ opponents had better beware, though. Diamond Bar’s fortunes are on the rise.

With three starters returning from a team that finished 12-9, the Brahmas have the experience to raise a stir in the rugged Hacienda League. The returners are 6-7 sophomore forward Brian Hendricks and seniors Mike Oku (6-3) and Dean Delude (5-10) on the wings.

If the name Hendricks sounds familiar, his father, George, plays baseball for the California Angels. “He’s gonna be very good,” Coach Bill Murray said. “I’ve never had a freshman play on the varsity let alone start.”

Diamond Bar also figures to start 6-8 junior Pat McMann at center and 6-0 senior Kent Solomon, a transfer from Servite of Anaheim, at point guard.

The Brahmas have additional size and depth in reserves such as 6-5 juniors Kreighton Strass and Bill Miller and 6-1 senior Keith Edwards.

“We have good size this year,” Murray said. “I’ve always had a lot of little guys. This year we finally have some big guys, too.”