Pasadena: Prep Basketball’s Crown City : Muir and Blair Sparkle Brightest Among the Jewels of the Valley

Pasadena is a hotbed of high school basketball in the San Gabriel Valley.

The success of Pasadena teams over the years, including Muir High’s CIF 4-A Division boys championship last year, bears that out.

That point may never be more evident than it is this season with Muir expected to challenge for the 4-A title and cross-town rival Blair among the favorites for the top spot in 2-A.

With ample talent and a successful tradition, Muir is considered the top team in the San Gabriel Valley, but there are several worthy challengers to the Mustangs’ supremacy.

Among them are Pomona and Blair, two teams steeped in winning tradition, and Diamond Bar, which is expected to have the tallest and best team in its brief five-year history.

Other top teams should include Nogales, Ganesha, Damien, Walnut, Bosco Tech and Edgewood.

A look at the top teams:

The Top 10

1--Muir (Pacific League; 4-A)--Yes, the Mustangs suffered a big loss with the graduation of 6-7 All-CIF forward Stacey Augmon, who averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Muir to the 4-A title. However, the Mustangs may have the horses to replace him.

With three starters--including two 6-7 players--returning from a team that posted a 29-3 record, and a strong junior varsity squad to feed from, Muir will not be starving for victories.

The Mustangs have two tall bookends, junior Wayne Womack and senior Kirk Wagner, to lead their twin-post offense. Both have improved since averaging about eight points a game last season.

“Stacey was unstoppable,” Coach Mike O’Connor said. “These guys are not Stacey, but they’re pretty good.”

Muir has an outstanding point guard in 5-11 senior Derek Brown, a slick ball handler who averaged 11 assists.

The Mustangs figure to start twins Dwayne and Dwight Davis (6-2 seniors) at guard, although reserve guards Frank Beaty (6-2), Keyjohnna Owens (6-2), Joe Brumfield (6-2) and Anthony Wilson (6-0) figure to receive considerable playing time.

“We’ve got some depth,” O’Connor said. “It’s just a completely different team than last year. We’re going to have to be a more balanced team.

“We have three guys back and they’re experienced, but they will have to pick up more of the responsibility instead of relying on Stacey.”

2--Pomona (Baseline League; 4-A)--Since the start of the 1980s, the Red Devils have produced as many college prospects as any school in the valley. And Coach Willie Allen thinks his latest--6-5 forward Derwin Collins--is the greatest.

Collins, regarded as the top returning senior in the valley, had a superb junior season in averaging 19.6 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. The All-CIF performer was even more impressive during summer league play. In two games he scored 59 and 58 points.

“He’s a blue-chipper, no doubt about it,” Allen said. “He’s capable of scoring in great numbers and he plays on both ends of the court. For us to be highly successful, he will have to be on the floor.”

The quick Red Devils, who were 17-7 last year and reached the 3-A quarterfinals, have other standouts in 6-6 senior forward Terry Owens, 6-1 senior point guard Alan Caveness and 6-0 senior guard Lawson Bush, a strong defensive player.

Pomona also figures to start a promising sophomore, forward Michael Victor. Other key players are 5-11 guards Ny Bradford, a junior, and Alvaro Esparza, a senior, and 6-4 sophomore forward Alex Reid.

“I’m very optimistic,” Allen said. “The kids have worked very hard and will come to play good, hard basketball.”

3--Blair (Rio Hondo League; 2-A)--Jim Hennacy, coach of the Vikings, admits he is not the most optimistic person in the world. But even Hennacy has a good feeling about his current team:

“They’re going really well right now. We’ve gotten so much better since the summer,” he said.

The Vikings, who were 23-4 last year and reached the 2-A quarterfinals, have two starters returning in 6-5 senior center Dion Smith and 6-0 senior guard Darren Gipson. Smith averaged nine points and 10 rebounds.

Hennacy on Gipson: “He’s one of the quickest guys I’ve ever seen. He has developed a lot as a shooter, too.”

Blair also is expected to start seniors Anthony Grimes (6-3) and Tyrone Jones (6-3) at forward and Jeff Strings (6-0) at guard. Other key players are junior center Anthony Smith (6-5), senior guard Rick Olivarez (6-0) and junior guard Aaron Peron (6-1).

Like most of Hennacy’s teams, the Vikings play solid defense and have quickness. “We’re very fast,” he said. “If we’re not, we won’t win many games.”

The Vikings must survive a tough early schedule that includes St. Monica (Jan. 3) and Pasadena (Jan. 6).

“We’re a good basketball team now and in a couple of months we should be even more solid,” Hennacy said.

4--Diamond Bar (Sierra League; 4-A)--It will be no small task for opponents to match up with the Brahmas.

Not with Diamond Bar’s front line of 6-9 senior center Pat McMann, 6-7 junior forward Brian Hendrick and 6-5 senior forward Bill Miller. McMann, a major-college prospect, averaged 16.5 points last season, and Hendrick, whose father George plays baseball for the California Angels, averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds.

“Teams are going to struggle to match up against us,” Coach Bill Murray said. “I’ve been coaching for 20 years and this is the biggest team I’ve ever had, and it could be the best.”

The Brahmas (13-10 last year) also are loaded at guard with juniors Joey Madott (6-2) and Mike Schumacher (5-10), an excellent floor leader. Two other guards are junior Scott Hatter (5-10) and senior Jeff Andrews (5-11).

Maybe that is why Murray is bursting with optimism despite the fact that his team has moved from the 3-A Hacienda League to the 4-A Sierra.

Murray said his biggest concern is health, a sore spot last year.

“At different times we lost three starters to injuries,” Murray said. “We were 8-3 when Brian went down (with a broken foot).”

If the Brahmas stay healthy, watch out.

5--Nogales (Sierra League; 4-A)--Coach Mike Southworth says it may have been a blessing in disguise when he dropped two probable starters after last season because of disciplinary problems.

“It may have hurt us at first,” Southworth said. “But I think we’re much closer as a group as a result.”

Any ill effects were not noticeable during the summer when the Nobles rolled out an impressive 34-5 record that included victories over highly regarded Simi Valley and Fontana.

The Nobles, 19-8 last year, do not start a player taller than 6-4 and have only one starter returning, but Southworth has been impressed with his team’s shooting and defense.

“They’re a very good group of kids to coach and they are never out of a game because of defense,” he said.

Nogales figures to be led by 5-11 senior guard Faris Manning, an outstanding shooter who averaged 14.8 points as a junior. The Nobles will start juniors Boo Moore (6-4), Marvin Whitlock (6-3) and Selwyn Johnson (6-3) on their front line and senior John Owens (5-7) at point guard.

Southworth is also happy about his reserves, including junior swing man Quentin Bates (6-2), sophomore guard Corey Rogers (6-1) and senior forward Cornel Kimble (6-3).

6--Ganesha (Hacienda League; 3-A)--If forward Antonio Johnson stays eligible, the rest will be academic for the Giants.

With the 6-5, 265-pound senior, who resembles mammoth Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers, Ganesha may have the most imposing player in the valley. That is why Coach Larry Armstrong is keeping a close watch on Johnson, who has struggled in the classroom.

“He’s a great player and he’s raring to go, but I’m worried about his academics,” Armstrong said. “If he’s eligible and he stays healthy, we’ll have a good year. He’s the glue that holds us together.”

Johnson was a key contributor last year when the Giants were 28-2 and placed second behind Wilson in 3-A.

Ganesha has ample talent surrounding Johnson in forward Shane Palmer, a 6-5 junior who started last season, and forward Eric Madison, a 6-2 senior Armstrong calls “the best vertical leaper in the valley.”

Three other assets are 6-1 senior point guard Matt Johnson, 6-2 senior guard Jamal Hall and 5-8 sophomore guard Warren Parrott.

“It’s not what I’d call a deep team, but they are extraordinarily quick,” Armstrong said.

That should make for another good year for the Giants. “I think we’ll be up there somewhere,” Armstrong said. “We’ll be scratching at the door and hopefully it will open.”

7--Damien (Baseline League; 4-A)--When Mike LeDuc, longtime and successful coach of the Spartans, left Damien to coach Glendora, he did not leave his old team empty-handed.

First-year Coach Howard Davis, an assistant at Claremont-Mudd the last two years, inherited a blend of physical inside players and adept outside shooters who should maintain Damien’s winning ways.

“I think we have a solid nucleus,” Davis said. “We have a pretty good balance of big men and shooters. We’re going to be tough to defend.”

Damien, which finished 21-8 last year and reached the 3-A quarterfinals, has strong front-line players in 6-6 junior all-league center Kelvin Woods and 6-5 junior forward Charles Lough.

The outside shooting will come from senior point guard Darin Zabel (6-1) and senior guard Gary Eastlack (5-9). Of Eastlack, Davis said, “I’ll put him up against any perimeter shooter in the area.”

Other top players are senior forwards John Boyd (6-1) and Miguel de los Rios (6-4).

“I think we have a solid group and our success depends on how fast we adjust to my system,” Davis said.

The system features a tough man-to-man defense and an up-tempo offense. “We’ll push the ball up the floor,” he said.

8--Walnut (Valle Vista League; 2-A)--After languishing near the bottom of the Sierra League in recent years, Mustang Coach Mike Nelson is happy that his team has moved to the Valle Vista.

“Since I’ve been here, the Sierra League has always had one or two dominant teams,” Nelson said. “I’m not sure that the top teams in this league are as good as the top teams in the Sierra League.”

The Mustangs’ fortunes should also be bolstered by three solid starters from last year’s 11-14 team: 6-6 senior center James Essex, 6-3 senior forward Brian Crockett and 6-0 senior guard Brian Johnson.

Essex, a strong inside player, averaged 15 points and eight rebounds last season. Crockett, who stars as a receiver in football, averaged 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Mustangs are counting on senior guards Robert Hill (5-10), Brian Green (6-1) and Brian Stowell (5-9) and senior forwards Scooter Powers (6-0) and Jerry Knox (6-1).

“If we play as well as I think we can, we’ll be OK,” Nelson said. “Conceivably it could be as good a team as we’ve ever had.”

9--Bosco Tech (Del Rey League; 5-A)--After two straight losing seasons, Coach Jorge Calienes thinks his team is finally ready to make a turnaround.

The Techmen, 8-17 last year, have experience with four starters and a top reserve returning.

They also have size, led by 6-7 junior forward Carlos Carrillo, who is only 15 years old but averaged 10.1 points and six rebounds as a sophomore. “He’s still a very young player,” Calienes said. “I think he’s a year away from being a dominant force.”

The other returning starters are senior forward Vince Davi (6-2) and senior guards Dustin Palma (5-10) and Tom Takeshita (5-10). Tech also starts senior center Ernie Montanez (6-4).

Calienes may also benefit from depth with reserve forward Joe Munoz (6-2 senior), guard Javier Ramirez (5-10 sophomore) and center Wayne Perry (6-4).

“The strength is our speed and experience,” Calienes said. “I would also add that this is one of our strongest teams.”

He is not kidding about the strength. After being out-muscled in a lot of games last season, Calienes instituted an intense weight-training program during the off-season and it appears to be working.

“Last year we were weak in that area,” he said. “That won’t be a problem this year.”

10--Edgewood (Valle Vista League; 2-A)--First-year Coach Ed Coyle makes no attempt to hide his team’s intentions: “We’re going to run it down the floor.”

Coyle likes the up-tempo offense and may have the personnel to carry it off.

The Trojans, who reached the 2-A semifinals last season and finished at 19-9, have two of the quickest guards in the valley in seniors Herman McCullough (6-2) and Goldie Jones (5-7). McCullough also stars in football and track.

Two other standouts are junior center John Moses (6-6) and senior forward Chris Hansen (6-4), both strong under the basket. The other starter will be either senior David Cuevas (6-3) or junior Tonefu Brown (6-0), two of the team’s best shooters.

Coyle was encouraged by his team’s play during the summer, including a victory over perennial 5-A power Long Beach Poly.

“We got better and better as we went along,” Coyle said. “I think there was a little too much run-and-gun last summer. But we like to run. We’re working on our half-court offense.”

Others to Watch

Bonita (Hacienda League)--It may be unfair to place the burden of success for the Bearcats on forward Rick Fluckey.

But for Bonita to improve on last year’s 12-12 record and make the playoffs again, a lot depends on the physical 6-6 senior.

After watching him average 14.6 points as a junior, Coach John O’Neill said he noticed considerable improvement in Fluckey during the summer. Fluckey excelled in the prestigious Superstars Camp in Santa Barbara, finishing among the top 15 players and winning the slam-dunk contest.

“He has improved 100% from last year in every area,” O’Neill said. “I think he has developed most mentally.”

That explains why Fluckey was recruited by many Division I colleges before signing a letter of intent with the University of Texas in November.

“Obviously he’s going to supply the bulk of our rebounds and scoring,” O’Neill said. “I wouldn’t say everything’s going to revolve around him, though. We hope to get balance.”

Bonita has a fine playmaker in 5-10 senior point guard Harold Fisher. The other starters will be junior forward Eric Smith (6-4), senior center Mike Pavlik (6-4) and either senior David Player (5-10) or senior Scott Burton (6-4) at guard.

“We can be competitive, but the big question is how well our bench can do,” O’Neill said. “We don’t have a lot of experience coming off the bench.”

Glendora (Baseline League; 4-A)--There is a new coach at Glendora, Mike LeDuc, but he is no stranger to the Tartan basketball program or the Baseline League.

LeDuc was coached league rival Damien for the last seven years, leading the Spartans to the

playoffs six times and the CIF semifinals twice.

Glendora was 17-9 last season but missed the playoffs. “Glendora has always had a good basketball team, but somehow I think it has lost a little respect from people lately,” LeDuc said.

With promising 6-5 sophomore forward Tracy Murray in his lineup, LeDuc hopes respect is just around the corner. “He’s very mature for a sophomore,” LeDuc said. “He shoots real well but he does a lot of other things, too.”

The Tartans also will be led by 6-1 senior guard Brent Jacobsen, a two-time all-leaguer who is recuperating from an ankle injury; senior forward Matt Ipsen (6-3), senior center Joe Lowden (6-3), junior point guard Kurt Bonds (5-11) and senior guard Brian Huntington (6-1).

LeDuc said his team’s lack of size could be a problem but that the Tartans have excellent shooters and depth.

“I think we’ll surprise some people,” LeDuc said. “I don’t think we’re picked to be that high, but I think we could be better than expected.”

Pasadena (Pacific League; 4-A)--With Raynell Tillis in the lineup, the Bulldogs were one of the most impressive teams in the valley during summer league.

Unfortunately, the 6-6 senior is not expected to play this season because of personal problems.

But that should not stop the Bulldogs from making a run for the playoffs in the tough Pacific League.

Most of the rebounding responsibility will fall on 6-6, 210-pound center Willie Minor and 6-3 forward Tramel McKenzie, both seniors.

“Willie Minor has to be a big key for us,” Coach Bill Duwe said. “We’re not looking for him to score as much as we need him to play well inside and get rebounds.”

As for scoring, Pasadena will depend mostly on the outside shooting of junior guard Keivin Boone (6-0), senior swing men Romey Johnson and Todd Barnes (both 6-0) and junior guard Nate Thompson (5-11).

“We’re good shooters so we better make our first shot or we won’t get another,” Duwe said.

The coach hopes shooting and quickness will carry his team, which was 8-13 last year, into post-season play for the first time in three years. “I’m very hopeful we can make it,” Duwe said. “That’s our first goal and I think it’s a realistic one.”

Wilson (Sierra League; 4-A)--Talk about bad timing.

Tim Stimpfel, coach at Workman for the last six years, becomes coach of the Wildcats the year after they finish 31-1 and win the state Division II championship. The year after All-America 6-10 center Scott Williams graduates.

Stimpfel, who accepted the position after Mike Lowe was named coach at San Gorgonio, is quick to downplay the pressure.

“If we still had Scott Williams, I’d feel the pressure to win,” he said. “But we don’t. We’re just hoping for the best and trying to stay competitive, and I think we have a good chance for that.”

The most noticeable difference between this and last year’s teams is size. The Wildcats do not have a player taller than 6-4.

Wilson has quickness, though. The leader is 6-4 center Neil Weingarten, a senior who starred at forward for the state champions. Two other players returning are point guard Damon Owens, a 6-1 senior, and guard Anthony Delsi, a 5-11 senior.