Former Orange County Players Are Trying Out for Timberwolves

Four former Orange County basketball players are trying out this week at the Minnesota Timberwolves’ rookie and free agent camp in Bloomington, Minn.

Forward Wayne Engelstad, who graduated from UC Irvine in 1988, is trying out after spending the 1988 season with the Denver Nuggets and 1989 with the Omaha Racers of the Continental Basketball Assn. Engelstad averaged 15.8 points and 5.7 rebounds for Omaha.

Also in the Timberwolves’ camp:

--Johnny Rogers, a forward who graduated from Irvine in 1986. He played with the Sacramento Kings in 1986-87, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1987-88 and the Valencia club in Spain last year.

--Ron Grandison, a forward who played at Irvine from 1984-86 and graduated from the University of New Orleans in ’87. He was one of the final cuts by the Nuggets in ’87 and was with Boston in 1988-89.

--Richard Morton, a guard who graduated from Cal State Fullerton in ’88. He appeared in just two games for the Pacers in ’88 and played for the San Jose Jammers of the CBA last season. Morton averaged 23.6 points for San Jose.

The Timberwolves’ roster already features two former Irvine players--forward Tod Murphy, who graduated in ‘86, and guard Scott Brooks, who graduated in ’87.

The camp opened Wednesday and will run through July 24.