Junior College Basketball Preview : Depth Should Keep Ventura Atop WSC

In his color-coordinated jogging outfit, Coach Phil Mathews looks fit enough to play forward for his Ventura College basketball team.

Coincidentally, Ventura had a desperate need for a high-scoring forward coming into this season. But not even Mathews would attempt to replace Cedric Ceballos, last year’s Western State Conference Most Valuable Player who averaged 28.3 points and 11.2 rebounds to lead the WSC in both categories.

“You don’t replace 28 points and 12 rebounds a game,” Mathews said. “You try and get 3 or 4 guys to do what he did alone.”

Behind Ceballos’ play, Ventura won the 1986-87 state title and claimed the WSC Northern Division championship last season before losing to Palomar in the second round of the state playoffs. The Pirates (23-10 overall, 11-2 in conference play) and Santa Monica were co-champions in the WSC.

But now that Ceballos is at Cal State Fullerton, how can Ventura defend its conference title?

Very easily, according to Mathews.

“We’re much more talented overall this year in terms of scoring and defensive ability than we were last year,” Mathews said.

Indeed, the Pirates are off to a 7-1 start and have already won the Cypress and Ventura tournaments. They will vie for their third consecutive tournament title this weekend in the 20th annual Moorpark tournament.

With Ventura off to such a fast start, it’s no doubt Mathews is confident about winning his fourth consecutive WSC title.

“We are very talented but very green this year,” Mathews said. “But we have the leadership ability that we did not have last year.”

Ventura’s only returning starter is sophomore point guard Tony Walker, an All-WSC selection who had 185 assists to lead the team as a freshman. He will be expected to provide that leadership. And he did just that Sunday night when he scored 14 points and had 14 assists to lead Ventura to a 109-97 win over L.A. City College in the finals of the Ventura Tournament.

“Walker is a coach on the floor who runs the club,” Mathews said. “He’s the kind of player that every team needs.”

Although Walker is back, Ventura will have to defend its title without such key players as Ceballos and Wally Carter, an All-WSC selection who averaged 14.1 points. Mathews intends to fill the void with a nucleus of 7 freshmen and 6 sophomores.

Ventura’s top returning players are Dave Heckmann, a 6-foot, 8-inch center who averaged 4.3 points last season, Mike McCaslin and Kevin Tate, both 6-3 guards, and center Kelly Kiech (6-6).

Reggie Betton, a 6-5 forward from Antelope Valley High in Lancaster, and 6-6 forward Leo Parker, the 3-A Player of the Year from Tustin High in Orange County, are Ventura’s top freshmen prospects. Betton is averaging 15 points a game to lead Ventura in scoring.

“We have a lot of room for improvement and our inside play needs work, but we’re very balanced in scoring,” Mathews said.

Moorpark has a lot more rebuilding to do this season than Ventura. Coach Al Nordquist, in his 22nd season with the Raiders, lost his entire starting lineup and has just 2 players returning from last year’s team, which finished 15-13 overall and 5-8 in the WSC.

Alex Porter (6-6) and Steve Murphy (6-4), both sophomore forwards, saw limited playing time coming off the bench last season. Eric Ross, who played at Dallas University as a freshman before sitting out last year, is Moorpark’s third sophomore.

Nordquist’s biggest challenge will be in replacing Tom Neumayr, an All-WSC selection who averaged 15.5 points last season.

Moorpark lost 3 other starters who averaged in double figures--Rich Murphy (14.6), Fred Parks (10.6) and David Bussey (10.3).

This season, Nordquist has 10 new players on a 13-man squad. Without an experienced lineup, Nordquist is unsure whether Moorpark can compete against perennial powers Ventura and Santa Monica.

“Ventura has to be the favorite of the league along with Santa Monica,” Nordquist said. “Talent wise, they are the most gifted. From what I hear, they are both really loaded.”

Nordquist will get his first look at Ventura at 9 tonight when the Pirates play Citrus College in the first round of the Moorpark tournament. Moorpark plays defending tournament champion Rio Hondo at 7 p.m.

Nordquist hopes to play Ventura in this weekend’s tournament and renew the annual rivalry.

“These teams have a natural rivalry because most of the kids have played against each other during high school,” Nordquist said.

Coming into the 3-day tournament, Ventura has an edge over Moorpark in both talent and momentum. The Pirates have won 2 consecutive tournaments while Moorpark lost to Pasadena City College in the finals of the PONY Tournament last week.

The Raiders (4-1), however, are off to a fast start despite their setback in the PONY Tournament--the first of 4 consecutive tournaments for Moorpark. Moorpark will be on the road until Dec. 30 following this weekend’s tournament.

Porter and Murphy have paced Moorpark this season along with freshmen guards Charlie Cangelosi (6-1) from Westlake High and Bruce Watson (6-6) of Thousand Oaks High.

Nordquist is relying on Moorpark’s shooting ability to make the Raiders competitive in the WSC. Moorpark finished last in the Southern Division last season.

“We have the ability to play intelligent and aggressive, which is important in this league,” Nordquist said. “The question is if they will and how quickly they will.”