1990 ALL--STARS : Meet the Kings and Queens of the Court : Pasadena, West Covina Place a Pair

The all-star boys and girls teams, each consisting of 10 members, their coaches and parents will be guests of the Times at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 1, at the annual Times High School Basketball Awards Brunch where all-star teams from 12 circulation areas will be honored at the Anaheim Hilton. The players and coaches of the year from each area will be announced.

The teams were chosen on the basis of a poll of area coaches, who are asked to fill out ballots nominating their own players and opponents, plus the observations of college scouts and sportswriters. Each player will receive the traditional Times golden basketball plaque and award certificate.

Good things came in pairs for the boys basketball teams at Pasadena and West Covina high schools this season.

Both teams enjoyed outstanding seasons and landed two players each on the 1990 Los Angeles Times All-San Gabriel Valley All-Stars.

Pasadena, which reached the CIF Southern Section 5-A Division semifinals for the second straight season, before losing to powerful Loyola 77-71 and finishing with a 23-6 record, placed center Todd Lewis (6-7) and guard Don Mitchell (6-3) on the team.

West Covina, which won the Sierra League title before being upset by Victor Valley in the first round of the 5-A Division playoffs and posted a 19-7 record, is represented by guard Clyde Jordan (6-6) and forward Sherrod Belton (6-4).

The other six members of the 10-player squad are guard Hung Duong (5-8) of Alhambra, forward Jason Green (6-4) of Bishop Amat, forward-center Johnny McWilliams (6-6) of Pomona, guard Kevin Morrison (6-2) of Damien, forward Matt Schuler (6-2) of Nogales and swingman Corey Smith (6-2) of Glendora.

McWilliams is the only junior. There are no repeaters from last year’s team.

Belton is not even the most actively recruited player on his West Covina team. But Sierra League coaches were impressed enough to select him as the league’s most valuable player.

Strong underneath the basket, Belton averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead his team in both departments. He has been recruited by NCAA Division I schools including UC Irvine and New Mexico State and Division II programs at Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Los Angeles.

Pound-for-pound, there probably was not a better player in the valley than Duong. How many other 5-8 guards can say they averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, four steals and three assists?

He was also the team’s top defensive player and carries a 3.73 grade-point average. A first-team All-Foothill League selection, he barely missed earning league most valuable player honors but earned the MVP award at all three regular-season tournaments he competed in during the season.

Duong, who hasn’t attracted interest from major colleges because of his size, has been recruited by Division II Cal Poly Pomona and Division III Occidental, Whittier and La Verne.

If the name Jason Green sounds familiar, it may be because he was also selected to The Times All-San Gabriel Valley squad as a tight end in football last December.

At 6-4 and 200 pounds, Green was a prep All-America selection in football and has signed a national letter of intent to attend UCLA in the fall. But he has also proven his ability on the basketball court.

As a senior, he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds and made the All-Sierra League first team while sparking Bishop Amat to a 17-11 record and the 4-AA quarterfinals. In his junior year, he averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds and earned All-CIF Division II second team honors.

Jordan is not a prolific scorer by any means but may be one of the most versatile players in the valley. A player with the size and skill to play point guard, off guard and small forward, he averaged 17.5 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals as a senior.

A two-time All-Sierra League selection, regarded as one of the top college prospects in the valley, Jordan has been recruited by Division I schools Oregon State, Oregon, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton.

Pasadena has attracted more notice for its outstanding guards in recent seasons but the 6-7 Lewis was the center of attention for the Bulldogs this season.

One of the best front-line players in the valley, Lewis led the Bulldogs by averaging 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds. That earned him the most valuable player award in the Pacific League and his team’s “Chairman of the Boards” award.

McWilliams, a junior, may be the most heavily recruited player in the valley. He has been contacted by many of the top Division I programs in the nation, including Nevada-Las Vegas, Syracuse and Notre Dame.

Selected as one of the top underclassmen in the nation by Street and Smith, McWilliams established his reputation as a sophomore by averaging 24.2 points and 12.2 rebounds and making the All-CIF Division III team.

He displayed his versatility as a junior by averaging 23.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.6 steals to lead Pomona to a 20-7 record and the second round of the 3-AA playoffs. He also made All-Montview League for the second straight season.

Mitchell is the latest on a long list of outstanding guards for Pasadena. A three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Mitchell averaged 14 points in earning All-CIF Division I second team honors as a junior.

A swingman as a senior, Mitchell averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and three assists in making the All-Pacific League first team for the second year in a row. He has been recruited by Division I schools, but is undecided about college.

In a good year for guards in the valley, Morrison also ranks among the best. A prolific outside shooter who made 83 three-pointers as a senior, Morrison averaged 21.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and three assists to carry Damien to a 17-10 record and the 5-A playoffs.

A two-time All-Baseline League selection, Morrison was voted co-most valuable player. He has also been recruited by many major colleges, including Santa Clara, Oregon, Washington State and St. Mary’s.

Although he did not receive the most valuable player trophy in the Sierra League, Schuler was described as the “best athlete in our league” by one opposing coach and was the leading vote-getter in the valley in balloting by coaches.

In his first season as a starter for Nogales, Schuler averaged 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists to earn selection to the all-league first team.

He led a surprising Nogales team, which did not return a starter from the previous season, to a 21-6 record and a 5-AA playoff berth. Among the colleges recruiting him are Humboldt State and Occidental.

Despite the graduation of Tracy Murray, the all-time leading scorer in the state who started as a freshman this season at UCLA, Glendora rebounded to win its first-ever Southern Section title with a 64-58 victory over Compton in the 4-AA final. One of the biggest factors was the play of Smith.

As a swingman for the Tartans, who finished at 28-6 and reached the state Division II regional final, Smith averaged a team-leading 14 points, six rebounds and 4.9 assists and was co-most valuable player of the Baseline League. He has been recruited by Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific and La Verne.

Players receiving honorable mention are LaDay Smith and Phillip Turner of Muir, Ray Maberry of Pasadena, Damien Hyams of Diamond Bar, Lord Nobles of Azusa, Mike Parisi of Arcadia, Eric Wattree of Northview, Kevin Brown of Wilson, Mike Allen of Los Altos and Anthony Calvillo of La Puente.

Others are Greg Alley of San Dimas, Blair Slattery of San Marino, Sam Love and Owen Thomas of Walnut, J.J. O’Laughlin of Glendora, Damon Boykin of Ganesha, Cassie Hough of Bassett, Chris Bruce of Western Christian and Eric Brown of Workman.

BOYS PREP TEAM

Name: Sherrod Belton

School: West Covina

Year: Senior

Height: 6-4 Average: 18.0 Name: Hung Duong

School: Alhambra

Year: Senior

Height: 5-8

Average: 25.5

Name: Jason Green

School: Bishop Amat

Year: Senior

Height: 6-4

Average: 21.0

Name: Clyde Jordan

School: West Covina

Year: Senior

Height: 6-6

Average: 17.5

Name: Todd Lewis

School: Pasadena

Year: Senior

Height: 6-7

Average: 17.7

Name: Johnny McWilliams

School: Pomona

Year: Junior

Height: 6-6

Average: 23.5

Name: Don Mitchell

School: Pasadena

Year: Senior

Height: 6-3

Average: 15.5

Name: Kevin Morrison

School: Damien

Year: Senior

Height: 6-2

Average: 21.3

Name: Matt Schuler

School: Nogales

Year: Senior

Height: 6-2

Average: 19.5

Name: Corey Smith

School: Glendora

Year: Senior

Height: 6-2

Average: 14.0