City Section Basketball Previews : MID-VALLEY LEAGUE : Teams Must Keep Up With Jones to Defeat North Hollywood

Dana Jones of North Hollywood High was a promising 6-foot, 3-inch sophomore center who averaged 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds a game for the Huskies last season, the co-East Valley League champions.

This season, Jones has grown 3 inches and is a dramatically improved player who could dominate play in the revamped Mid-Valley League and lead the Huskies to their third consecutive league title.

North Hollywood (17-5, 9-1 in league play) tied Grant for the title in 1987-’88 after winning it outright the previous season.

The Huskies were knocked off by Los Angeles, 82-63, in the quarterfinals of the City Section 3-A Division playoffs last season, but if Jones lives up to Coach Steve Miller’s expectations, North Hollywood could advance further in 1988-’89.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” Miller said. “He could be the best player in the Valley this year.

“He has seven-foot arms on a 6-6 body. He has incredible timing, a great court sense and tremendous composure. He’s our best offensive player, our best rebounder and our best passer and defensive player.”

Jones is definitely North Hollywood’s top dog--he scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds Tuesday in the Huskies’ season-opening 73-67 victory over Granada Hills--but he will have a strong supporting cast that includes returning starters Tommy Byrdsong (5-9) at point guard and Ed Davis (6-3) at forward.

Byrdsong averaged 8.7 points a game last season and Davis is an excellent three-point shooter.

Forward Daryl Edwards, a 6-1 senior, and guard Harry Marks, a 6-2 junior, round out North Hollywood’s starting 5.

Forward Maurice Martin (6-3) and three-point marksmen Duane Braxton (5-8) and Ray Fisher (6-1) also will get extensive playing time.

Van Nuys appears to be the favorite for the league’s second playoff position. The Wolves (7-10, 4-6), who finished fourth in the East Valley League last season, are led by returning letterman David Pernell (6-0).

Reseda and Monroe, teams coming off disastrous seasons in other leagues, will round out the Mid-Valley League.

Reseda (2-14, 1-11) is dropping down to the 3-A level after finishing seventh in the seven-team Valley League (4-A) last season and first-year Coach Jeff Halpern applauded the move.

“This school was outmanned at the 4-A level,” he said. “It didn’t have the athletes to play with the Fairfaxes and Clevelands.”

Or the Tafts and Kennedys for that matter.

Monroe (1-16, 0-10 in the Northwest Valley League) has no returning starters, but first-year Coach Dennis King reasons that the Vikings can take advantage of team quickness to improve upon their dismal record of the past 2 seasons.

Monroe

COACH: Dennis King, first season

LAST SEASON: 1-16 overall; sixth in Northwest Valley League at 0-10

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Monroe has finished 2-15 and 1-16 in the past 2 seasons, so King’s main objective is to improve upon those records. “We don’t have any returning players,” King said. “Everyone we have has come up from the junior varsity or B level.” Jesse Wallace (5-10) and Terry London (6-2) should give the Vikings quickness. Wallace was a quarterback and London a multitalented back on Monroe’s Mid-Valley League championship football team. Wallace and Mike Enriquez (5-8) will vie for the starting role at point guard. London and sophomore Lodis Woodmore (6-1) will share time at forward and center. Darrel White (6-0) and Kenyon Wright (6-0) will be the other starters. Brandon Davis (5-11) will see plenty of playing time off the bench.

OUTLOOK: King, coming into a program that has lost 31 of its past 34 games, is realistic in his approach. “We want to improve on the last two years,” he said. “But I don’t expect to turn this program around in one season. That’s not possible. My biggest goal is to get the team to play as hard as it can every game.”

North Hollywood

COACH: Steve Miller, fourth season

LAST SEASON: 17-5 overall; tied for first in East Valley League at 9-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Huskies lost their 3 top scorers to graduation, but Miller is sky-high about the talents of 6-6 junior Dana Jones, who averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds a game in the last 5 games last season. Jones, who averaged 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds a game last season, is 1 of 3 returning starters for North Hollywood. Tommy Byrdsong, a 5-9 junior who averaged 8.7 points a game, will start at point guard and Ed Davis (6-3), a talented three-point shooter, will start at forward. Daryl Edwards (6-1) and Harry Marks (6-2) round out the Huskies’ lineup. Juniors Duane Braxton (5-8) and Ray Fisher (6-1) should give the team long-range offense off the bench. Maurice Martin, a 6-3 senior, will add depth as a rebounder.

OUTLOOK: “We’re a very young team,” Miller said. “But we do have some talent. Especially in Dana Jones. We’ll go as far he takes us. If he plays well, we’ll play well.”

Reseda

COACH: Jeff Halpern, first season

LAST SEASON: 2-14 overall; seventh in Valley League at 1-11

PLAYERS TO WATCH: It is doubtful whether any team benefited more from the City Section releaguing than Reseda. The Regents had a 3-21 record in Valley League (4-A) play for the past 2 seasons. Now they find themselves in a less-hostile environment. “The move was long overdue,” said Halpern, who quipped, “I wouldn’t have taken the job here if we were still in the 4-A. I like challenges and everything, but I’m no masochist.” Halpern has a returning nucleus of Donald Wilson (5-8), William Childs (5-10), Coley Kyman (6-5) and Mario Jordan (6-1). Kyman averaged 6.7 rebounds a game last season. Childs will start at off-guard with Donald Wilson (5-8) directing the Regent attack at point guard. Mike Basowski (5-10) will be the third guard in Halpern’s 3-guard, 2 forward offense. Brad Katz (6-8) and Mike Hawkins (6-1) will start at forward.

OUTLOOK: Halpern appears capable of changing the Regents’ fortunes, having coached Van Nuys to a 21-3 record in 1984-’85 and Birmingham to a 22-3 mark in 1986-’87.

Van Nuys

COACH: Kevin Duford, fourth season

LAST SEASON: 7-10 overall; fourth in East Valley League at 4-6

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Duford said that this team might be the quickest he has had at Van Nuys, but the Wolves lack varsity experience. David Pernell (6-0) is the only returning letterman and will be 1 of 3 guards in the starting lineup. Junior Joe Eddings (6-0) and senior Terrance Bell (6-0) will be the other guards. Eddings was the East Valley League junior varsity Most Valuable Player last season, but Bell will be playing his first competitive season after being academically ineligible as a sophomore and junior. Damon Hack and Al Foster, both 6-3 seniors, will start at forward. Guards Antoine Taylor (5-10) and Robert McGee (6-0) will be the first players off the bench.

OUTLOOK: “North Hollywood is clearly the class of our league,” Duford said. “Reseda, Monroe and us will just try to give chase.”