WSC BASKETBALL PREVIEW : Santa Monica Begins Season That Counts as Team to Beat

The preconference season is over, so the optimism that junior college basketball coaches and players shared before the season began has been reborn.

Glendale, Moorpark, Valley and College of the Canyons will begin their Western State Conference schedules this week, and each team knows that no matter how it has performed up to this point, its season depends on the next 14 or 15 games.

“Preseason records don’t mean too much,” Santa Monica Coach John McMullen observed, “because everyone starts off undefeated in conference.”

True enough, but any team with designs on the WSC championship must knock off Santa Monica, which finished undefeated in conference play last season and is on another roll entering its opener tonight against Bakersfield.

The Corsairs are 16-3 and coming off a victory Friday over previously unbeaten Rancho Santiago, which was ranked No. 1 in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau.

Santa Monica is led by forwards Cornelius Banks and Mark Moten. Banks, a freshman, is averaging 15 points and eight rebounds a game. Moten, a sophomore, averages 15 points and seven rebounds.

Santa Monica is favored to repeat as champion of the WSC Southern Division, which also includes Glendale, Valley, Canyons, Bakersfield and West Los Angeles.

Moorpark and Ventura are co-favorites in the Northern Division, which also includes Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Cuesta.

Glendale (12-6) will play West L. A. today at 2 p.m. at Veterans Auditorium in Culver City. Glendale had won seven games in a row before losing to Mt. San Jacinto in the Palomar tournament last week. Sophomore guard Bruce Heicke is Glendale’s leading scorer, averaging 18 points.

Valley (9-8) will play tonight at Canyons (7-10).

Five Valley players are averaging in double figures, including forwards Steve Ward (17.8) and Shawn DeLaittre (13.8).

Moorpark (12-5) will open conference play Saturday night at Cuesta.

Freshman point guard Sam Crawford is the Raiders’ catalyst, averaging 18.8 points and 11.9 assists.