CITY SECTION BASKETBALL PREVIEWS : NORTH VALLEY LEAGUE : Flow of Talent at Cleveland Runs Unchecked

At times, it sounds like the rabid ramblings of a die-hard Boston Celtic fan or the enthusiastic gushings from the kind of USC supporter who could spray-paint his child’s hair cardinal and gold and be proud to parade him through a shopping mall.

Cleveland High basketball Coach Bob Braswell is in the midst of his A material, an anything-but-impromptu speech on team tradition. Terms like teamwork, values, school and dedication fly out of his mouth in rapid succession, faster than a 5-8 point guard with a 6-10 forward in hot pursuit.

Suddenly, out of left field, a former Cleveland player walks in the door of Braswell’s office and hands the fourth-year coach a check for $1,500. The former player, a 1981 graduate who started at guard, tears up a check he had written 30 minutes earlier and hands Braswell a new one.

“I should have checked with my wife first,” says the donor. “She said I didn’t give you enough. Here.”

Braswell shakes the former player’s hand, thanks him profusely and pockets the check with a grin. “That’s what I mean,” Braswell says. “Guys like him started the tradition, back with the championship teams.”

Bret Saberhagen, who has since won championships of another kind as a pitcher with the Kansas City Royals, started at off-guard in 1981 when Cleveland won the City Section 3-A Division title and Braswell was an assistant coach. The Cavaliers repeated in 1982 and were moved to the 4-A level.

Braswell took over 3 years ago, and while the team hasn’t had quite the success, it has not been bad by any means. And, by all indications, the Cavaliers should run away with the revamped North Valley League this season.

Braswell, who has a career mark of 51-15, guided the Cavaliers to the 4-A final in 1986 and 1987. And Cleveland appeared poised to make another title run last season. The team was 18-2, had avenged an early loss to archrival Fairfax and was a league victory away from the Valley 4-A League’s No. 1 seeding in the playoffs.

It ended, however, in a most untraditional manner. Despite some of the best talent of Braswell’s tenure, Cleveland folded, losing its regular-season finale to Taft, 69-68, and a first-round playoff game to Fremont, 69-64.

The win over Fairfax, Braswell said, was like winning the City championship a month early. The problem was that the Cavaliers were bounced out of the playoffs a few weeks earlier than planned, too.

“After we beat Fairfax, we thought we were on a roll,” Braswell said. “It happens to adults, it happens to professionals. Imagine what happens to a 16-year-old.”

Like a left hook, it left the Cavaliers blurred and disillusioned. It is hardly surprising, then, that Braswell’s theme this year is “Focus.” It will be printed on team T-shirts.

Cleveland is ranked No. 2 in the state by California Basketball magazine and could be No. 1 by week’s end--Cleveland visits top-ranked Westchester on Friday. Cleveland is ranked No. 1 in the City by The Times; Westchester is No. 2.

It is precisely this kind of success, Braswell says, that attracts players. In the off-season, Cleveland picked up 2 more transfers who will make an immediate impact. Brandon Battle, a 6-6 junior, transferred from Canoga Park, where he was the team’s best player. He moved to Reseda with his mother over the summer, Braswell said, to play at Cleveland.

Eddie Hill, a 6-0 junior guard, moved with his family to Reseda from Burbank, where he had attended Burroughs. George Hill, Eddie’s father, said last summer that he moved the family solely to increase his son’s chances of playing in college. “Nobody ever got a scholarship out of Burroughs, and scouts are all over Cleveland,” the elder Hill said.

Need proof? Despite losing three Division I players, this will not be a rebuilding year. At Cleveland, threes grow on trees. Three more players committed to Division I schools last month during the early signing period--Warren Harrell (New Mexico State), Lucious Harris (Long Beach State) and Adonis Jordan (Kansas). “The chemistry of this team is really good--better than last year,” Braswell said.

Cleveland

COACH: Bob Braswell, fourth season

LAST SEASON: 18-4 overall; second in league at 10-2

PLAYERS TO WATCH: With a new conference alignment, Fairfax is long gone, which is good news for the Cavaliers, who finished second to the Lions in each of the past 2 seasons. Sure, losing 5 players hurts, but at Cleveland, Braswell just plugs in a new crop and voila , a City contender emerges. Take, for example, 5-11 guard Adonis Jordan, 6-6 senior forward Warren Harrell and 6-5 senior forward Lucious Harris, all of whom have committed to Division I schools. “Most schools get a Division I kid every three or four years--maybe,” Taft Coach Jim Woodard said. “They have three in one year.” Throw in new faces such as junior guard Eddie Hill, a 6-0 transfer from Burroughs; Brandon Battle, a 6-6 junior transfer from Canoga Park; 6-6 junior Trenton Cornelius, JV league co-MVP last year; and 6-5 junior Bobby McRae, a second-year letterman, and the word contender seems an understatement.

OUTLOOK: The Cavaliers advanced to the City final in Braswell’s first 2 years but were knocked off in the first round last season. The team is committed to proving that last season was an anomaly.

Granada Hills

COACH: Bob Johnson, 10th season

LAST SEASON: 11-6 overall; second in Northwest Valley at 7-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Johnson coached Granada Hills to the 3-A Division title 2 seasons ago, and only Cleveland has more talent in the Valley. If the Highlanders come together, another trip to the Sports Arena is not outside the realm of possibility. Five starters return, led by senior Alvin Brown (6-3, 230), who averaged 20.7 points and 11 rebounds last season. “He’s our best player,” Johnson said. “And he’s improved.” Brown has also grown--Johnson had to order a larger uniform because of Brown’s sizable girth. At guard, the Highlanders aren’t as big. John Johnson, a 5-8 senior guard, averaged 14.7 points and 6 assists last season and helped spark the Highlanders’ transition game. Center Joey Rosas (6-7) and forward Ed Thomas (6-0), both seniors, start up front. Jamal Brantley, a 5-10 guard, averaged 10.2 points and will be a focal point along with Johnson in trying to burn Cleveland’s pressing defense.

OUTLOOK: The Highlanders are exceptionally fast, led by Johnson and Brantley at guard. To challenge Cleveland, play at the guard position is crucial because of the Cavaliers’ pressing and trapping defense.

Taft

COACH: Jim Woodard, seventh season

LAST SEASON: 16-6 overall; fourth in league at 7-5

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The fortunes of the Toreadors rest with All-City point guard Dedan Thomas, who Woodard calls the best ballhandler he has seen in his 30 years of involvement in City basketball. Last season, he averaged 13.9 points, 10 assists and 4.6 steals. Thomas set a single-game record for assists with 20 in the regular-season finale against Cleveland and set a Taft season record for assists (230). “I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s a one-man team,” Woodard said. “He does so many things for us, but he’s not alone out there.” Thomas’ favorite target will be senior forward Tony Middleton (6-5), a part-time starter last year. “He’s probably our best shooter,” Woodard said. Junior guard Aubrey Williams (5-9) will start alongside Thomas in the backcourt. Junior Jason Deyoe (6-7), the JV league co-player of the year, will start at center. Gilbert Ruff (6-7), a transfer from Cleveland, adds height to the front line.

OUTLOOK: Taft matches up well in height, but speed is another story. “We’re probably more of a half-court team. We lack quickness, and our fast break won’t be as good as it has been in recent years,” Woodard said.

Kennedy

COACH: Yutaka Shimizu, eighth season

LAST SEASON: 16-4 overall; second in league at 8-4

PLAYERS TO WATCH: With 5 returning starters last season, the Golden Cougars started 12-0 and won the Hamilton and Malibu tournaments. “I don’t know what we’re going to do for an encore,” Shimizu said. Only 3 lettermen return and all will start. Shimizu’s lineup also will include a 6-2 sophomore at center, Athesis Harris (6-2), who will try to fill a substantial void left by Clarence Williams, who graduated. Even though Harris is green, Shimizu said that the Golden Cougars will try to pound the ball inside. Cord Bailey (6-0) and Randy Brown (6-4), who were the sixth and seventh men off the bench, respectively, will both play at swingman. Dana Dotson, a 6-1 senior who played sparingly last year, also will start. Junior Garrett Anderson (6-3) will play at guard.

OUTLOOK: Shimizu is regarded as one of the City’s top tacticians. He may need all the resourcefulness he can muster. “We’ve got a lot of new faces,” he said.