L.A. GAMES PREVIEW : Coach’s Resignation Leaves Cleveland Basketball Team in a State of Uncertainty

On the eve of the L. A. Games, the normally ebullient Cleveland High basketball players this week appeared burned out, not fired up.

Marc Paez, who replaced Bob Braswell as coach last summer, has resigned, leaving the Cavaliers suddenly unsure of themselves. Assistant Bort Escoto will coach the team during the tournament.

Cleveland was in a similar situation last year after Braswell left to become an assistant at Cal State Long Beach. Braswell, however, coached the team during the 1989 L.A. Games and helped in the selection of Paez.

Paez has severed his ties to the team because of “off-court distractions” and “blatant recruiting,” and no decision has been made on a permanent replacement.

Cleveland is seeded eighth in the 128-team tournament, which will take place this weekend and next. The Cavaliers will open against Inglewood at 1 p.m. today at El Camino College.

In addition to basketball, L.A. Games events include baseball, football, karate, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. In all, the tournament will include more than 10,000 participants. Events are open to the public and admission is free.

Cleveland, meanwhile, has been wallowing in confusion.

“Right now, nobody really knows what’s happening,” said Escoto, conceding that he is “kind of depressed” about the situation. “It’s kind of like a big mystery. (The players) just feel abandoned. Last year they had the comforts of Coach Braswell, this year they’re in the dark.”

The players’ recent listlessness contrasts vividly with their previous attitude.

“The kids basically do what they have to do and just go home,” Escoto said. He added that in more stable times, “There was lots of intensity, lots of enthusiasm. Kids were feeling good about themselves, like a team getting ready to go to war.”

Cleveland now wars with inexperience. Just four varsity players return: guards Brandon Martin, Kenny Collins and Sean Gunther, and forward Kaheed Murray.

“It’s really hard to say how we’ll do,” Collins said. “We can win if we play with our heart. It’s going to take hustle and the little things. It’s not going to really be talent that does it, it’s got to be from the heart.”

That seems to be a prerequisite for success in other sports as well. Among water polo matches, Harvard will play host to Chadwick at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Glendale will open against Damien at 3 p.m. Saturday at Bell Gardens.

In volleyball, Chatsworth, the City Section 4-A Division champion, will play Boys Republic; Van Nuys will play Canyon. All volleyball matches will be held at North Torrance and will begin Sunday.

Royal will play Bell at South Torrance in one of the 32 first-round boys’ soccer matches. Burroughs will play Don Lugo in a girls’ soccer match. Each of the eight girls’ matches will be played Saturday at El Camino College.

Today’s baseball schedule includes L.A. Baptist vs. San Fernando at El Camino College, Chatsworth vs. Duarte at Grant, Alemany vs. Bassett at Grant, and Grant vs. Sierra Vista at Grant.