Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Saddleback Streaking After Slow Start

The Saddleback College men’s basketball team has come a long way in two weeks.

The Gauchos, with eight straight victories, are ranked second in Southern California. Only two weeks ago, Saddleback was 3-3 and unranked.

Saddleback last had eight consecutive victories in the 1980-81 season.

During the winning streak, Saddleback also won the Santa Barbara and Riverside tournaments.

The Gauchos aren’t even close to the school record for consecutive victories, however. In 1979-80, Saddleback came within one game of a perfect season, losing to Cypress in the state championship game to finish 34-1.

That Gaucho team included Kevin Magee, who went on to star at UC Irvine, and Coach Bill Mulligan, now the Anteater coach.

“We’re just starting to play better,” said Bill Brummel, Saddleback coach. “Things are starting to really work out.”

Vincent Smalls, a freshman forward from University High School in Pennsylvania, leads the team, averaging 16.4 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. Smalls was voted the most valuable player of the Riverside Tournament.

Sophomore Mike Minier, a guard from Mission Viejo High School, is averaging 14.2 points.

Sophomore center Scott Dwinell is a key player in the Gauchos’ zone defense, which is limiting opponents to 62.5 points a game.

Dwinell averages 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.

“Let’s just say coach is a lot easier to deal with when we’re winning,” Dwinell said about the team’s recent success.

The Gaucho streak is surprising because starting forward Tony Villanueva injured his knee after five games. He had been averaging 10.8 points.

Villanueva (San Clemente High School) has been in physical therapy and can return to practice Friday. He should be able to play in the Rancho Santiago Tournament, which starts Saturday.

Fullerton and Saddleback will join Rancho Santiago in the Dons’ holiday tournament, which starts Saturday night. Fifth-ranked Rancho Santiago plays San Bernardino at 8. Long Beach City plays Skagit Valley at 6 to open the eight-team tournament.

Sunday, Santa Monica plays L.A. Trade Tech at 6 p.m and Orange County rivals Saddleback and Fullerton meet at 8.

The semifinals are Monday at 6 and 8 p.m. and the final is Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Golden West is at the College of the Desert Tournament, which starts Sunday. The Rustlers play Pima Arizona at 8:45 p.m.

Cypress is in the Palomar Tournament, playing College of the Canyons at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Orange Coast opens in the San Diego Mesa Tournament Sunday against Bakersfield at 4 p.m.

The California Assn. of Community Colleges released figures this week that show that football is the most widely participated sport with 4,485 men playing on 69 teams this past fall. Men’s basketball is the most popular team sport with 89 schools having programs.

Volleyball is the leading women’s sport with 76 teams and 912 participants. Women’s track and field is third in teams with 70, but is first in participation with 1,125 athletes involved.

Low for the men is volleyball with six teams and 72 players. Low for the women is soccer with 12 teams and 216 players.

Brigham Young University will be the second bowl-bound college team to use an Orange County field when the Cougars practice on Rancho Santiago’s Ward Field beginning today.

BYU plays UCLA in the third Freedom Bowl Tuesday in Anaheim Stadium. The Cougars will also practice Friday and Saturday at Rancho Santiago.

Arizona State is practicing at Orange Coast College beginning this week to prepare for the Rose Bowl game against Michigan next Thursday at Pasadena.