Israeli Puts His Dream on Line : Prep basketball: Cerritos guard came to Southland to pursue a college scholarship.

Gali Horev grew up in Israel dreaming of becoming an American basketball star. Nine months ago, the dream became a possibility when he and his father, Jacob Horev, moved to Southern California.

The purpose of the move was solely to get Horev the necessary exposure to earn a scholarship to an American college.

“If Gali doesn’t get the scholarship he wants,” Jacob Horev said, “then we probably will get on the first plane back to Israel. We moved here for a specific reason, and if it doesn’t happen, then there is no purpose in staying.”

The Horevs arrived in Los Angeles Nov. 27. One week later, Gali enrolled at Cerritos High and immediately joined the basketball team. Although he was a standout for several club teams in Tel Aviv, Horev wasn’t geared for the fast-paced game played in America and saw limited action as a reserve guard for the Dons.

Unaccustomed to sitting on the bench, Horev used the time to study the intricacies of the game. Although basketball is popular in Israel, it is somewhat unsophisticated. It took Horev months to learn all of the different formations and plays.

“I had to completely change my game style,” said Horev, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound off-guard. “In Israel, basically all we did was run up and down the court and shoot the ball. Here, the game is much more physical. I wasn’t used to all of the pushing and shoving. The players also are a lot faster.

“But it was still hard for me to sit on the bench, because I believed I could help the team and make a contribution. I got very anxious, but I realize now that I just wasn’t ready. I’ve really learned a lot since then.”

Horev, 17, has been practicing and playing games almost every day since April. He was selected to all-star squads for three Slam-n-Jam leagues and was invited to the Superstar Camp in Santa Barbara last month. He currently is in West Germany with his high school team playing in a series of exhibitions. The increased exposure has resulted in some attention from college coaches. Horev received his first recruiting letter last week, from UC Davis, a Division II school.

“It was very exciting to get that letter,” his father said. “Let’s just hope there are more on the way.”

Gali Horev grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city with a population of 325,000. He started playing basketball on the playground when he was 10, but was persuaded to switch to the more popular game of soccer two years later. When he found it increasingly difficult to find cleats in his size (he wears a 13 1/2 shoe), Horev decided it was time to take up basketball again.

“Somebody with Gali’s size and ability should be on the basketball court and not the soccer field,” said Jacob Horev.

Gali Horev played for Hapoel, one of Tel Aviv’s top club teams, as well as for a team from his high school and one from a local semipro league. He said he practiced and played games every day for nine months of the year.

“Basketball has been, and is my life,” he said.

Horev’s immediate future in the sport would have been jeopardized if he had stayed in Israel. There are no athletic scholarships. More important, however, everyone must serve three years in the army upon high school graduation. After the military, many players try out for one of several semipro or professional leagues in Israel.

But Horev was luckier than most because he had options. His father was a colonel in the army and a man of moderate wealth. When he retired from the military in 1988, Jacob Horev decided it was time to devote himself to his son.

“I grew up a poor child with little opportunities,” said Horev, who was a mechanical engineer in the army. “Everything I earned, I did with my own two hands. I just didn’t want Gali to grow up and blame me for not giving him opportunities. This whole move was for him. If it doesn’t work out, at least I know we tried. I would have knocked myself until I died if I didn’t at least give Gali the chance.

“Right now, the risks are all on his shoulders.”

The Horevs discussed moving to the United States for a couple of years. Jacob, his wife Shuly, and their three children lived in Boston in 1979-81 while he was working on his master’s degree in engineering at Boston University. Gali Horev enjoyed his time there and perfected his English.

Although the Horevs liked Boston, Jacob decided this time they would move to Southern California because he had traveled here frequently and liked the weather.

“Boston was a bit cold with the snow and all,” he said. “Los Angeles has weather similar to that of Tel Aviv, except without all of the humidity.”

Since Jacob and Gali weren’t certain how long their stay in Southern California would last, the rest of the Horev family stayed behind. Gali said first he wanted to see if he would fit in on an American team before the move was made permanent. Shortly after their arrival, several of Jacob’s friends who lived in the area suggested that they settle in Cerritos. After meeting with Cerritos High’s principal, athletic director and basketball coach, they felt comfortable with what they saw and heard, and decided to stay.

Jacob Horev quickly secured visas and began working on getting his family reunited. He took a job as a systems engineer with ZMD American in Paramount. After an eight-month separation, Shuly and the Horevs’ other son, Nimi, finally moved to Cerritos earlier this month. Nirit, the eldest of the children, stayed in Israel to fulfill her military obligation.

Everything did not go smoothly for Gali Horev in the beginning. His course load included classes in English composition, Spanish and American history.

“I knew how to speak English pretty well,” he said, “but trying to learn Spanish at the same time was very difficult. My counselor told me I needed a foreign language to get into college, and I asked if I could take Hebrew. They didn’t offer Hebrew at Cerritos, so I was stuck with Spanish.

“It was tough, but I made it.”

Horev finished the spring semester with a 3.0 grade-point average.

The Cerritos basketball team, coached by Jim Chapel, welcomed the arrival of Horev. Players went out of their way to help him with drills and to familiarize him with plays. Chapel said he brought Horev along slowly to make the transition easier.

“When Gali arrived, he was completely an international type of ballplayer,” said Chapel, in his fourth year at the school. “He didn’t have a whole lot of structure to his game. I definitely saw potential with him, but he had to learn our system. He had to adapt.”

Cerritos finished second in the traditionally strong San Gabriel Valley League at 21-6 and was eliminated by Mater Dei in the second round of the Southern Section Division 5-A playoffs. Horev can recount every game he played and the excitement of going to the playoffs.

When the season finished in March, Chapel told Horev about several recreational leagues and camps. Horev opted to play for Slam-n-Jam and was placed on three different teams. With the Bears of the Saddleback midweek league, Horev averaged 23.4 points in seven games and was selected to the all-star team. Horev also played 30 games with his high school team, which played in two summer leagues.

“Gali is getting the playing time he so desperately needed,” said Issy Washington, director of Slam-n-Jam. “He has all the tools to be a good player, so now it’s just a matter of getting used to our style of basketball. He’s very eager and persistent, which will go a long way in helping him get a college scholarship.”

Horev, who has grown two inches and gained 25 pounds since December, has been a regular starter in spring and summer league play. He routinely finished in double figures in scoring and rebounding. His strength is his shooting, and he is particularly accurate from three-point range.

Jacob Horev, who rarely misses a game, said: “Parents are coming up to me and putting their arms around me and telling how well Gali is doing. It brings tears to my eyes because I’m so proud of his achievements. He just has to keep working and getting better.”

Said Mark Flick, a 6-9 center at Cerritos: “When Gali first got here, everybody wanted to take him around and make him feel welcome. I introduced him around, but pretty soon he knew more people than me. He’s always got a smile on his face and he’s very friendly. The whole school knows who he is now. He’s very popular.”

Despite the popularity among his peers and improvement on the court, Horev hasn’t forgotten the reason he came to America. His goal remains a college scholarship. Since he didn’t arrive at Cerritos until the middle of his junior year, Horev has gotten a late start in the recruiting game. Most Division I recruits will sign a letter of intent in November, months before they even finish their senior season.

Scouts were unaware of Horev until recently, which means if he is offered a scholarship, it probably will be in the spring.

Chapel and Washington agree that Horev has the size and skills to play college basketball, but they aren’t sure at what level.

“He’s probably a Division II prospect right now,” Washington said. “But when a kid is improving as rapidly as he is, anything can happen. He might blossom all of a sudden and take everyone by storm. That kind of thing happens all of the time.”

Cerritos will have a strong contingent of players returning, headed by Flick, who is considered a Division I prospect. Chapel said he expects Horev to be in the starting lineup as the team’s main shooting threat from outside.

“People keep telling me I’m getting better,” Horev said. “I’m flattered by the compliments, but for me, the proof of all that will be getting a scholarship. I won’t be satisfied until I achieve that. And I’ll be disappointed if I don’t.”