A Do-It-All : Cypress’ Andy Olivarez’s Multiple Talents on the Court Have the Chargers in Contention for a Conference Title
Operating on the one-body-does-all theory, Cypress College’s Andy Olivarez is almost the complete basketball player.
He seems able to adjust to whatever role needed.
He shoots the three-point shot. He posts up. He drives the lane. He rebounds. He brings the ball up court.
Olivarez’s full offensive potential have been fulfilled in the last five games.
He’s averaging 30.2 points in that stretch, which includes setting the school single-game record of 44 points in Cypress’ 74-73 victory over Navajo, Ariz., in the Rotary National Shootout in Arizona.
Just to make his night complete, Olivarez, a 6-foot 2-inch sophomore, made a three-point basket as time expired.
“I just took advantage of the guys who couldn’t guard me,” Olivarez, 20, said about the record-breaking game. “. . . A lot of bigger guys can’t guard me as long as I push myself.”
He scored 38 points in the Chargers’ 85-81 overtime upset of Orange Coast on Jan. 14, but was held to 11 as Cypress defeated Citrus, 73-67, two days later.
He came back to score 36 points, including 30 of the Chargers’ first 50, in the 78-77 loss to Rancho Santiago Saturday night.
Through three Orange Empire Conference games he leads the conference in scoring with a 28.3 average.
For the season, Olivarez is averaging 18.9 points a game and shooting 57% from the field (185 of 324). Both are tops among regular players for Cypress (2-1, 14-10), which is tied with Saddleback for second place in the conference. The teams meet at 7:30 Wednesday night.
So the guy’s a ball hog. Doesn’t let anyone else have a chance.
Right?
“We (the coaching staff) don’t feel he’s playing selfishly at all,” said Don Johnson, Cypress coach. “He can just do so many things. He’s ambidextrous, so he can play off his right and left hand equally as well.”
The most surprising of his accomplishments this season is that he’s leading the team in rebounds and three-point shooting.
He is shooting 50% (32 of 64) from beyond the 19-foot 9-inch line.
On the inside, Olivarez is averaging 7.5 rebounds despite being shorter than three other Cypress starters.
“Size is probably, universally, the most overrated aspect in basketball when it comes to rebounding,” Johnson said. “You’re just as well off to have a guy’s who’s quick because he gets to the ball first. Andy’s a good rebounder because he’s just getting there earlier than others.”
Olivarez’s rebounding success started at Whittier High School, where he was a 6-1 center his junior and senior seasons. He averaged 23.7 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior and was named the most valuable player of the Whitmont League.
Even at 6-2, he considers himself tall after being just 5-1 as a freshman in high school. He was so small that his father talked about signing him up to become a jockey unless he started to grow.
After high school, he was recruited by Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine but opted to attend a community college.
“I wasn’t ready for a four-year school,” Olivarez said. “I came here (Cypress) to learn and bring out my game more.”
He’s now being contacted by many Division I and II schools, including New Mexico State, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
After high school, Olivarez was a walk-on at Cypress, or maybe a ride-on would be more accurate.
He’s had plenty of car trouble over the past two years and has taken to riding his bicycle to school from his home in Whittier. Riding more than 40 miles a day has given him increased stamina, which was put to use on the cross-county team last fall.
Cypress needed one more runner to have a full team for its first meet against Riverside, and Bruce Randell, an assistant on the basketball team, volunteered Olivarez.
In the meet, despite never having trained at distance running, he finished fifth in a field of 10 with a time of 30 minutes 47 seconds. He ran in two more meets before having to stop because basketball started.
All the pedaling and running has added even more to Olivarez’s stamina, which allows him to stay on the court longer than most players.
About the only time Olivarez comes out of games is when he’s in foul trouble, which has been often this season.
Olivarez has fouled out of three games and had to play with four fouls six times.
“I have a habit of fouling a lot,” Olivarez said. “When I don’t foul I usually have big games. I like defense, though. I’m willing to hit the floor for the ball.
After being a part-time player last season, Olivarez was one of three returning players this season and, along with guard Eric Krivashei, is a co-captain.
“I usually talk a lot so we can get the team together,” Olivarez said. “We play a lot better when we are a team. There is nobody who can hold this team together alone.”
Perhaps one playing five positions can.