Changing of the Point Guard : Carnes Takes on Role of Creative Force After Moving to Simi Valley Backcourt

When Steve Carnes was a ninth-grader at Sequoia Junior High in Simi Valley, he was already 6 feet, 1 inch and 170 pounds. For most seniors, those are healthy numbers. But considering this was a lad still smack-dab in the middle of his milk-drinking growth stage, those numbers had to throw a real scare into Carnes’ opponents, present and future.

As a do-it-all forward with a vertical leap of 38 inches, Carnes took up plenty of space on the scoreboard, too, averaging 19 points a game and shooting 67% from the field for Sequoia. He also slammed bodies underneath, raking in an average of 11 rebounds a game.

Not surprisingly, when coaches at Simi Valley High learned that Carnes was headed their way--and into the same lineup that included three starters who were destined to win basketball scholarships--they fairly salivated at the potential.

Accolades piled up as fast as the points. Sequoia Coach Rich Griffin called Carnes the “most complete athlete” he had ever seen at the junior high level. Bob Hawking, the Simi Valley High basketball coach, said Carnes was one of the best pure athletes to ever enter the school. The term phenom was bandied about.

Then a not-so-phenomenal thing happened: Carnes stopped growing.

He spent last year at Simi Valley as a sophomore reserve forward watching 6-10 All-American center Don MacLean, sharpshooting guard Butch Hawking and finesse forward Shawn DeLaittre lead the team to a 28-4 record and the first Southern Section 4-A Division basketball title in school history.

“It wasn’t a lot of fun not playing a lot,” Carnes said, “but as long as we won, that’s the main thing.”

This season, Carnes is expected to be the Pioneers’ main man. He may not be as big as some had hoped, but as the point guard and only returning letterman, he likely will play a large part in the Simi Valley offense.

“The point guard is the absolute glue of this team,” said first-year Coach Dean Bradshaw, who replaced Hawking last month after serving as an assistant the past seven years. “In this system, our successes are accredited to that position. He has the leadership role, he is the coach on the floor.

“When it gets to be crunch time, you can bet he’ll be the guy we’re looking for.”

Anybody looking for Carnes last year could usually find him sitting on the bench, although he scored 12 points in a reserve role in a 74-54, second-round playoff win over Warren.

But life in the trenches can be tough for a 6-1 forward. So when Bradshaw informed Carnes in May of the plan to move him to point guard, he readily agreed.

The transition has been smooth so far. Carnes scored 41 points at the Nevada Las Vegas team camp last month and was so impressive that he, along with senior Jeff Marciano, was invited to the Sportsworld Superstar Camp at UC Santa Barbara on July 10-14.

Simi Valley was 2-1 in the eight-team scrimmage at UNLV and is 8-3 in summer league play. The Pioneers are playing in three area leagues, hoping that what is essentially a team devoid of varsity experience can jell in time for the school season.

Carnes, of course, moves from the role of passive observer--he averaged five points a game last year--to that of team leader.

“Steve is the only guy we have that doesn’t have to take his shots from the offense. He can create his own scoring opportunities,” Bradshaw said. “The rest of the team will need the ball off a pick, a screen or a perfect pass. Steve will have to be the one to handle that.”

That is quite a responsibility for someone who, for the first time, will be playing while facing the basket. If the team fails, he will have to face the music.

“I didn’t have to be a leader last year,” he said. “I was a follower. We had lots of guys to take charge of the team. This year, I’m the one who has to lead by example. I’m the one the rest of the guys will be looking to.”

For the past two seasons, Simi Valley looked to the younger Hawking, who accepted an appointment to the Air Force Academy. Hawking set school records for assists in a game (17), season (271) and career (438). He also averaged 12.4 points a game last year as the third option in a structured offense.

Carnes watched Hawking wheel and deal all year--and learned. Now he wants to expand on a few of Hawking’s feats.

“I had a pretty good vantage point,” Carnes said. “Butch was a very good point guard, and I picked up a lot from him and the other guys.

“But me and Butch are totally different players. I like to take it to the basket. If I have an open jumper, I’ll take it. Butch really lived from outside.”

And that was because the Pioneers, who spent the entire season ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section 4-A Division, had MacLean, now at UCLA, and DeLaittre, now at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, playing in the paint. “Extra effort was the hallmark here last year,” Bradshaw said. “We had players who were committed to making themselves the best players they could be. They spent hours working on their games, lifting weights, running around the track, running the stairs. They earned the scholarships they got.

“Steve has to decide whether he is willing to make the same commitment. It isn’t a question of his athletic ability--he can do it. It’s a question of whether he wants to be a Division I player, too.

“He needs work on his defense and his ballhandling. If he makes the commitment, he’ll probably get there.”

Carnes is only too happy to take on the challenge. Glad to be 6-1 and a solid 180 pounds. Pointedly proud to be on the point.

“They’re not going to have to make me spend that time,” Carnes said. “I’m going to do it. I want to be good, and I’m going to put in the time and effort.

“This is a new coach, a whole new team and a new beginning for all of us.”