Sparse Cast of Old Hands Marked by High Quality : Men: Antelope Valley’s J.R. Rider heads small but talented group of returning starters among seven area teams.

The returns are in and the turnout is sparse.

Only seven of the 35 players who started for the seven area teams in 1989-90 are back this season. In the two-year eligibility span of junior college athletics, a certain amount of turnover is expected, but Moorpark is the only school welcoming back more than one starter.

Several regulars return to their teams after sitting out a season, and numerous sophomore reserves will step forward. Nonetheless, area coaches will be well-equipped to test the adage that the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.

“Whose freshmen step up might determine who wins some games,” Glendale Coach Brian Beauchemin said. “We’re all in the same boat.”

Although the quantity of sophomores is low, the quality is high. Three players--Sam Crawford of Moorpark, Lester Neal of Ventura and J. R. Rider of Antelope Valley--are among the top players in the state.

The 6-foot-5 Rider has Antelope Valley coaches jumping for joy with his 41-inch vertical leap and scoring ability. Rider, a transfer from Allen County (Kan.) College, averaged 31 points a game last season and is considered one of the top players in the country.

Antelope Valley (27-7 overall and Foothill Conference champion at 11-1 last season) has one returning starter, 6-2 Tony Madison. Perhaps the best shooter in the region, Madison averaged 16.2 points a game and made 107 three-point baskets. Antelope Valley will open with a home game against Glendale on Monday.

High-flying sophomore Nick Sanderson (6-4) of Canyons moves from forward to guard, a position to which he probably is better suited. He averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, and Lee Smelser, Canyons’ coach, believes that Sanderson should be among the top players in the conference.

After sitting out most of last season because of ankle problems, Jeff Dorst (6-5) will start at center. Sophomore Chris Dyer (6-1) will play point guard.

“We do have some athletes, but we don’t have the big ones,” Smelser said.

Canyons (12-20, 5-10 in the Western State Conference) will open with a home game Saturday against defending state champion Rancho Santiago.

Last spring, Glendale took Rancho Santiago down to the wire in the state tournament before losing, 86-84, in a game the Vaqueros believe they should have won. Memories will fade quickly, though, because five sophomores started for Glendale (24-12, 10-5) in that game.

Beauchemin counts nine freshmen on his 12-man Glendale roster but says he has his quickest team yet. Chris Cooke, a 6-8 sophomore, can shoot like a guard and is one of the best shot blockers in the area.

Beauchemin said that Enoch Mack (6-3) “has improved more than anyone I’ve coached in quite a while,” and will start at small forward.

Moorpark advanced to the state final eight, further than any other local team, and might have enough talent to make a return trip. The Raiders can go as far as 5-9 point guard Crawford takes them.

Crawford (20.4 ppg, 12 assists per game) will be joined in the backcourt by former Westchester High teammate Damian Wilson, a 6-1 freshman who was an All-City Section 4-A Division selection last season. Mike Waggoner, a 6-5 forward who averaged 8.3 points, returns.

After confounding opponents with its half-court trap last season, Moorpark is planning to extend its defense even farther.

“We’ll play up-tempo,” Coach Al Nordquist said. “If we get the ball in Sam’s hands, we’re just going to create.”

Moorpark (24-11, 9-5 in WSC) will tip off Friday in the Mt. San Antonio tournament.

Oxnard (16-14, 7-7 in WSC) lost its top two players, Chicago products Randy Carter (now at Northern Illinois) and Joe Daughrity (DePaul). However, Coach Remy McCarthy believes he has another talented Chicagoan in 5-11 guard Shawn Talley.

Art Santana (9.3 ppg, 47 three-point baskets) of Santa Clara High started at guard last season, and McCarthy calls Tim Thomas, a 6-2 freshman from South Bend, Ind., “probably our best talent.”

Oxnard has only nine players.

“I think most of the time all nine will play,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to put a lot more pressure on the ball than in the past.”

Oxnard’s first game is Friday against San Diego City at Santa Clara High.

Rick Garrick, a 6-1 point guard (5.4 assists per game), is the sole regular back from Valley’s Western State Conference championship team, but he will be joined by Tory Stephens (6-2), a starter from two years ago, in a talented backcourt.

“There won’t be better guards in the state,” Valley Coach Jim Stephens said.

Guard Andre Harrell was named the WSC player of the year last season, and Stephens says: “Tory is going to be every bit as good as him.”

Valley (22-11, 13-2 and WSC Northern Division champion) has 14 freshmen on its 16-player roster. The best in the group and one of the best freshmen in the area is 6-5 Russell Baldwin, a Times All-Valley player from San Fernando High.

Lester Neal (18.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 61.4% from the field) is the only returning starter at Ventura. The fourth-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder in the WSC, the 6-5 1/2 Neal is considering USC, UNLV, Arizona State, Washington State and Oklahoma.

Coach Phil Mathews said that Neal is among the best big men in the state: “He’s a very dominating player.”

Dijon Bernard (6-3) and Uba Satterfield (6-3) are two sophomores who will contribute.

“I expect for us to be very good by the middle of the season,” Mathews said.

Ventura will tip off with a road game against Riverside on Monday.