City Section Basketball Previews : EAST VALLEY LEAGUE : Levine Wary of Grant Role as Favorite

Grant High, with 4 starters and 5 of its top 6 players back from last season’s City Section 3-A Division finalist, should be deeper and more experienced in 1988-89. But Coach Howard Levine is cautious when evaluating his team.

“On paper, we’re good,” Levine said. “But we have to prove it on the court. Last season, we snuck up on some teams because they didn’t know much about us. But this season, everyone is going to be gunning for us.”

Although Grant (20-4, 9-1 in league play) tied North Hollywood for the East Valley League title last season, the Lancers were not expected to go far in postseason play. But sparked by scrappy senior Danny Enowitz, Grant beat Granada Hills, Wilson and University before falling to Jordan in the championship game at the Sports Arena.

Enowitz, a 6-foot forward, epitomized the Lancers’ scrappy, hustling brand of basketball, averaging 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds a game and sharing league most-valuable-player honors with Dominic Nappi of North Hollywood.

“I think we’ve got talent,” Levine said. “But we lack chemistry right now. That’s what made us good last year, but right now it’s a problem.”

Despite Levine’s reservations, Grant will be heavily favored to win the revised East Valley League.

Grant, North Hollywood, Poly, Sylmar, Van Nuys and Verdugo Hills made up the league last season, but after City Section releaguing, the East Valley League now comprises 4 schools--Grant, Poly, Sylmar and Birmingham.

Forwards Troy Mcleod (6-3 1/2) and Setro Terzian (6-1), guards Nate Conner (5-9) and Sean Watkins (6-0) and center Chris Cook (6-7 1/2) will form Grant’s lineup, and Jamie Ekerling (6-0), a starter last season, will be the Lancers’ sixth man.

Mcleod averaged 8.3 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds a game while Terzian averaged 6.7 points. Watkins averaged 12.2 points and 4 assists and Conner added 8 points.

“Grant is clearly the class of the league,” Birmingham Coach Elliot Turrett said. “I think the rest of us will be fighting it out for the second playoff spot.”

Birmingham (11-8, 7-3) tied Granada Hills for second in the Northwest Valley League, but no starters return for the Braves.

Forwards Glenn Sucich (6-1) and Jason Wallace (6-3 1/2), the sixth and seventh men in 1987-88, are expected to be Birmingham’s leading players.

Poly (11-10, 5-5) has 3 starters--Scott Cooper, John Brunner and O. J. Magno--back from a team that finished third in the East Valley League, as well as a promising player up from the junior varsity in 6-2 center Juan Estrada. But the Parrots lack depth.

Lack of depth also could be a burden for Sylmar (7-9, 3-7), which placed fifth in the East Valley League and was hit hard by academic ineligibilities 2 weeks ago.

Birmingham

COACH: Elliot Turrett, second season

LAST SEASON: 11-8 overall; tied for second in Northwest Valley League at 7-3

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Turrett is less than impressed with this year’s team, but he had similar feelings last season before the Braves qualified for the City Section 3-A Division playoffs, in which they lost a heartbreaker to Bell, 68-66, in the first round. Although no starters return, Glenn Sucich (6-1) and Jason Wallace (6-3 1/2) give Birmingham some experience at forward. Sucich averaged 11.3 points and 6 rebounds and Wallace chipped in with 3.7 points. The Braves’ other starters will be junior Danny Larson (6-0) at forward and senior Tyrone Craig (5-11) at point guard. Seniors Larry Sims (5-11), Chris Valdez (6-0) and Brian Johnson (5-11) will vie for the final guard position in the Braves’ 3-forward, 2-guard offense.

OUTLOOK: Turrett said that Grant is the class of the league, but he expects Birmingham and Poly to fight for a postseason berth. “As shaky and inexperienced as we are right now,” he said, “I still think we have a chance to contend for a playoff spot when league play starts.”

Grant

COACH: Howard Levine, third season

LAST SEASON: 20-4 overall; tied for first in East Valley League at 9-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Danny Enowitz, the Lancers’ leading scorer (16.7) and second-leading rebounder (7.9), has graduated but 3 of Grant’s starters and its sixth man, Setro Terzian (6-1), return. Terzian (6.7 ppg) will play forward as will Troy Mcleod (6-3 1/2), who averaged 8.3 points and 9.6 rebounds. Sean Watkins (6-0) will be the Lancers’ shooting guard and Nate Conner (5-9) will direct the offense. Watkins averaged 12.2 points and 4 assists and Conner averaged 8 points. Chris Cook (6-7 1/2), a senior center, will be a major asset if he can control the boards. Jamie Ekerling (6-0) a starter last season, will be the sixth man. Juniors Billy May (6-2), Keith Weinstein (6-0) and Jojo Halberstadt (5-10) are up from the junior varsity.

OUTLOOK: Levine is wary of comparing this team to last season’s. “It’s too early to tell how good we’ll be this year,” he said. “I think we’ve got talent, but we lack chemistry right now. Until we develop that, we’re going to struggle.”

Poly

COACH: Jay Werner, first season

LAST SEASON: 11-10 overall; third in East Valley League at 5-5

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Three starters return for a Parrot team that will depend on the outside shot. Scott Cooper (6-0), who averaged 12.9 points, will be the shooting guard, while O.J. Magno (5-7) will run the offense. John Brunner (6-0), the other returning starter, will team with Mervin Perkins at forward. Juan Estrada, a 6-2 senior, will play center and, according to Werner, could be the Parrots’ most talented player. Depth appears to be a problem. Werner lists Phouc Traiau as the Parrots’ only reliable player off the bench.

OUTLOOK: Werner’s primary goal is to get to know his players after replacing Mark Erwin 2 weeks ago. “I’m still basically getting to know the kids and working on fundamentals right now,” said Werner, “but from what I’ve seen, outside shooting will be our strength.”

Sylmar

COACH: Billy and Reggie Reed, third season

LAST SEASON: 7-9 overall; fifth in East Valley League at 3-7

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Spartans were hit hard when report cards came out 2 weeks ago, and lost 3 players to academic ineligibility. “We didn’t have a big team to begin with,” Billy Reed said. “Now we’re really small in numbers.” There are 7 players on the varsity roster. All the news out of Sylmar is not negative, however, as senior center Andre Robinson (6-5) returns. Robinson averaged 8.3 points and 8.6 rebounds and has improved dramatically, according to his coaches. Henry Myles (5-11) and Clarence Pattin (6-0), a transfer from Ohio, will start at guard and Donavan Walker (6-0) and Robert Flores (6-0) will start at forward. Keith Wright (6-0) and Pharoah Anderson (6-2) will get plenty of minutes off the bench.

OUTLOOK: Billy Reed conceded that Grant is the team to beat but noted that Sylmar is a better team athletically than last year. “We’re bigger, we’ve got better athletes and we’re quicker than we were last season,” Reed said.