St. Bernard Cager Finds His Dream Home: Likes Everything About Arizona

When it came time to select a college, St. Bernard basketball center Ed Stokes found he had more than enough reasons to pick Arizona.

“I liked the coaches, the players, the school and the location,” he said. “I liked everything about it.”

The 6-10 senior, who had an injury-plagued junior season but enjoyed an impressive summer, signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play for the Wildcats. He chose Arizona over Louisville, UCLA and Syracuse.

Prep seniors have until Wednesday to sign with colleges during an early one-week period. In recent years, a majority of the nation’s standouts have committed early rather than wait until April.

Stokes missed St. Bernard’s first seven games last season because of back and hip problems. The injuries slowed his development and contributed to a disappointing year in which he averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds a game.

Over the summer, though, Stokes showed signs of finally performing to his potential. He was the second-leading rebounder at the Nike All-Star camp in Princeton, N.J., and he showed he could be a dominating shot blocker. He has been criticized in the past for playing too far away from the basket.

“I’m looking forward to making up for last season,” he said.

A big player with a nice outside shot, Stokes said Arizona recruited him primarily as a power forward. He hopes to get a chance to play collegiately as a freshman.

“I was the only big guy they brought in for a campus visit,” he said. “I think if I work hard I can go there and get some quality (playing) time.”

Inglewood basketball star Harold Miner says he has narrowed his college choices to UCLA, Kansas, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. Picking one school has become an ordeal, however.

“I’m still not too sure about any one school,” he said. “I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

Miner, a 6-4 swingman who averaged 27.3 points last season, has run into a series of dilemmas that have prevented him from making a decision.

Last summer he was leaning toward North Carolina, but that fell through when Assistant Coach Roy Williams, who had recruited Miner, was named the head coach at Kansas, replacing Larry Brown.

Miner switched allegiances to Kansas, but he is having second thoughts in the wake of probation and penalties imposed on the Jayhawks by the NCAA.

UCLA also doesn’t look as good since the Bruins signed Oakwood High’s 6-5 Mitchell Butler, who, like Miner, is expected to play off-guard in college.

“I pretty much had my mind set on North Carolina,” Miner said. “With them going out of the picture, it’s hard to adjust and concentrate on other schools.”

Although Miner failed to sign Wednesday, two other Inglewood players made commitments to 4-year colleges.

Cory Johnson, a 6-10 center, is headed to New Mexico State, and 6-3 guard Johnny Terrell committed to Colorado.

Other South Bay basketball players expected to sign early include:

Zan Mason, a 6-7 forward for Westchester, who has narrowed his choices to UCLA, Notre Dame and Louisville, according to Comets Coach Ed Azzam.

Twins Heidi and Heather Burge, the 6-4 bookends for Palos Verdes, who will go as a package to either Virginia or Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Banning’s football team is preparing for its annual showdown with rival Carson, but Coach Joe Dominguez says it’s business as usual for the low-key Pilots.

“I don’t know if our team is capable of firing up,” Dominguez said. “I haven’t seen them practice or play with much emotion all year. We’re kind of like vanilla ice cream, real simple.”

Banning and Carson will meet at 8 p.m. Friday at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. At stake are the Southern League title and a first-round bye for the L.A. City 4-A playoffs.

Normally, the game between the neighboring schools brings both teams to a fever pitch. But Dominguez says emotion is missing at Banning.

“We practiced (Monday) and I didn’t hear one kid say, ‘Hey, it’s Carson week,’ or ‘We’ve got to beat Carson.’ Most times, our kids are pretty excited. This team just doesn’t seem to get overly excited. Maybe that’s good.”

Gardena has lost 7 of its last 8 football games and San Pedro has dropped 5 of its last 6, yet the teams will be playing for an L.A. City 3-A playoff spot at 7 tonight when they meet at Gardena.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” said Gardena Coach Dale Hirayama, “but I think we’re both playoff-quality teams compared to the rest of the 3-A.”

Tonight’s game will decide second place in the Pacific League and the last berth in next week’s 3-A playoffs. San Pedro (3-6, 1-1 in league play) and Gardena (2-7, 1-1) have wins only over winless Narbonne since they began play in the murderous Southern Pacific Conference on Sept. 30.

Despite a losing season, Gardena running back Khybdeed Hairston has rushed for 817 yards and 6 touchdowns. San Pedro relies on tailback Darrel Dupree, who rushed for 171 yards and 3 TDs last week in a 24-0 victory over Narbonne, and a scrappy defense.