The Valley’s Big Three Expect to Hold Court Again : High schools: Traditional powers Muir, Glendora and Pasadena again favored to be dominant forces in 1990-91 basketball season.

Muir, Glendora and Pasadena highs, three traditional boys basketball powers in the San Gabriel Valley, are preseason favorites to again dominate play when the season gets under way this week.

Glendora has enjoyed the most success of the three teams over the past two seasons, reaching the CIF 4-AA Division final the past two seasons.

But Muir, with an experienced lineup returning, may have a slight edge over Glendora and Pasadena at the start of the season.

Other schools that fall among the valley’s top echelon include Pomona, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Bishop Amat, Ganesha, Alhambra and Nogales.

Here’s a look at the top 10:

1. Muir (Pacific League; 4-AA)--There’s a good reason why first-year Coach Rocky Moore is eager for the season to start. This team has the potential to be one of the best ever for the tradition-rich Mustangs.

“It’s just a very exciting team to be around,” Moore said. “On paper, I think we can compete with anybody.”

With four NCAA Division I prospects on the team, the Mustangs should be one of the most talented teams in Southern California.

The top player for Muir, which was 15-11 last season and reached the second round of the 4-AA playoffs, may be the youngest: sophomore point guard Jacque Vaughn. A starter as a freshman, Vaughn made his biggest impression last summer when he finished in the top 15 at the prestigious Superstars Camp at UC Santa Barbara.

In addition to Vaughn, the other major-college prospects in Muir’s starting lineup are 6-foot-6 senior forwards Erid Scott and Darren Greene and 6-4 senior guard Philip Turner. Two other standouts for the Mustangs are forwards Reuben Jones, a 6-3 senior, and Donald McIntire, a 6-4 junior.

“I have a lot of confidence in our kids and I can see the confidence growing within our kids,” he said. “I think that’s going to make a difference as the season gets going.”

2. Glendora (Baseline League; 4-AA)--The Tartans lost five starters from a team that went 28-6 and won the 4-AA championship--the school’s first division title--last season, but there is little cause for alarm.

Not with the surplus of talented underclassmen on the squad.

“It’s a completely different team,” Coach Mike LeDuc said. “We probably have more talent this year, but we’re so young. This is the youngest team I’ve ever coached and I’ve coached 12 years.”

Eight of the team’s top 11 players are underclassmen.

Perhaps the most talented is 6-1 freshman point guard Cameron Murray, whose older brother Tracy established numerous CIF scoring records with the Tartans and starts at UCLA. “He’s very good right now but I think he’s going to become a lot better,” LeDuc said.

The only senior in Glendora’s starting lineup is expected to be 6-5 center Jay Zuhlke. The other starters are expected to be 6-5 junior Tracey Thompson at forward and 5-10 junior Scott Jacobsen at guard and 6-1 sophomore guard Adam Jacobsen, a cousin of Scott who made 85 three-point baskets and averaged 10 points last season.

3. Pasadena (Pacific League; 5-A)--Throughout much of the 1980s, the once mighty Bulldog basketball program had to struggle simply to keep its record above .500.

But in the past two seasons, the winning tradition appears to be resurfacing. The Bulldogs have won 47 of 56 games during that span and reached the 5-A semifinals both seasons.

Even with the graduation of All-Division I players Todd Lewis and Don Mitchell from last season’s 23-6 squad, the Bulldogs seem to be in good position for another excellent season.

“Last year we weren’t favored (in our league) at the start of the season and this year we’re not favored again,” Coach Bill Duwe said. “But last year’s team matured fast and we were ready when league rolled around in January. If we grow up and mature, we’re hoping we can jell again by January.”

The Bulldogs will have outstanding quickness led by returning starters Raymond Maberry, a 5-10 guard, and Kenric Marshall, a 6-3 forward. Maberry averaged 14 points last season. Other top players for Pasadena include 6-3 guard Lydell Hill, 5-10 guard Byron King, 5-10 guard Greg Sumpter and 6-3 sophomore forward Treyvone Towns.

4. Pomona (Montview League; 3-AA)--The Red Devils displayed flashes of brilliance in winning their second consecutive Montview League title last season on their way to a 20-7 record.

But Coach Ed Taylor is hoping for a better end result than last season, when the Red Devils were eliminated in the second round of the 3-AA playoffs.

“They have the potential of being a great team and going a lot farther than they did last year,” he said. “They just have to keep working at it.”

In an effort to improve the team’s chances, Taylor has arranged a more difficult nonleague schedule and focused more on defense in practice.

Pomona already has ample experience, quickness and offensive capability with the return of eight lettermen, including two-time All-Division III guard Johnny McWilliams. The 6-6 senior averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists last season and is regarded as one of the top college prospects in the state.

The Red Devils also return 5-10 guard John Smith, 6-foot guard Anthony Jones, 6-1 1/2 forward Darius McJimpson, 6-3 forward Ed Comeaux and 6-3 forward Dedrique Taylor, the coach’s son. Another returning player is 6-1 guard Tony Campbell, an outstanding three-point shooter and a receiver on the football team.

5. West Covina (Sierra League; 5-A)--After winning the Sierra League title last season and finishing second the season before, Coach Ed Coyle said the program is starting to develop the pride that only success can bring.

“Our program is showing a lot of pride,” Coyle said. “It’s gotten to the point that our players expect to be right there.”

The Bulldogs lost all-valley players Clyde Jordan and Sherrod Belton from their team that went 19-7 and made the playoffs last season.

“We lost some pretty good players but I think we’re going to be pretty good again,” Coyle said. “I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen so far. This is the best chemistry they’ve had here. They really work hard and they want to repeat as Sierra League champions.”

The Bulldogs will not have as much size as they did last season and return only one starter, 6-4 senior guard Mark Whitney.

But Coyle is pleased with what he has seen from the younger players, including 5-10 sophomore point guard Jameel Mahmud, 6-2 junior guard James Parker and junior forwards Humberto Ceballos and Steve McHenry, both of whom are 6-3.

6. Diamond Bar (Sierra League; 5-A)--The prospects are very good for the Brahmas this season.

They have four starters returning from a squad that went 15-11 and reached the 5-A playoffs last season. They will add three sophomores from an outstanding junior varsity team, but Coach Bill Murray doesn’t want to get too carried away about the team’s chances.

“It’s a nice group we have back but we still have to find the right fifth and sixth people,” he said. “On paper, we look pretty good but we have to see how we can perform on the court.”

The Brahmas will revolve around their four returning senior starters, 6-3 forward Damian Hyams, 6-4 forward Oliver Chamberlain, 5-10 guard Tre Wheat and 5-11 guard Chad Matz. Hyams was the team’s leading scorer last season and Chamberlain, nephew of Wilt Chamberlain, was second.

The newcomer in the starting five is expected to be 6-6 sophomore Keith Van Horn. Two other sophomores who will see considerable playing time are 6-5 forward Olin Chamberlain and 6-4 forward Damon Hendrick. Chamberlain is Oliver’s brother and Hendrick’s brother Brian is a former Brahma who plays for UC Berkeley.

7. Bishop Amat (Angelus League; 4-AA)--With no seniors among the top nine players, this is easily Coach Alex Acosta’s youngest team ever at Bishop Amat.

By it could also wind up as one of his best teams.

Bishop Amat is expected to be led by guard Jelani Gardner, a 6-3 freshman who starred on the same youth team with Glendora’s Cameron Murray.

“He’s the best freshman I’ve ever had,” Acosta said. “I don’t think there could be five better freshmen in the state than this kid.”

The Lancers, who finished 17-11 and advanced to the 4-AA quarterfinals, are expected to alternate between 6-4 junior Karim Webb, 6-2 junior Randy Edwards, 5-10 junior Rashid Strode and Gardner in the backcourt.

Bishop Amat’s front line will include 6-4 junior Scott Fields and 6-5 Brandon Lee at forward and 6-8 David Ng at center. Fields, an outstanding athlete, is also one of the top running backs in the valley.

“We think we have a pretty good rotation among our top seven players,” Acosta said. “The key will be our inexperience but I think by January we’ll be all right.”

8. Ganesha (Hacienda League; 4-A)--First-year Coach Mel Sims sees a lot of similarities between this season and his first with the Muir High girls’ team two years ago.

It was a young Muir team that went on to reach the 4-AA finals in 1988-89 and finished second in the state Division II final last season.

With only two seniors on a 17-player roster and a team that finished 13-11 and reached the playoffs last season, Sims sees the same potential for the Giants.

“I’m really excited about their potential and capabilities,” he said. “I personally feel like I’ve walked into a gold mine. As soon as I get a few wrinkles with the team worked out, we’re going to be very successful.”

Senior center Damon Boykin, who is 6-8, averaged 17 points and seven rebounds last season. Senior point guard Anthony Ferguson, who is 5-11, averaged 15 points and five assists.

The best of the junior class include 6-foot forward Carl Amones, 6-3 forward Gerald Wright and 6-1 forward Damien Helms and 5-10 guard Ronnie Randle. Helms averaged 12 points last season and Wright eight.

9. Alhambra (Foothill League; 5-AA)--Jim Wetmore has grown accustomed to having one of the shortest teams in the valley.

The Moors didn’t have a starter taller than 6-1 last season and the lineup this season isn’t much taller.

“We know that we’re going to play against taller guys and we just take it as a fact of life,” Wetmore said. “So we just try to play as a team--five guys as one. If we do that I know we’ll be OK.”

The coach’s strategy worked to perfection last season when the Moors finished 20-6 and reached the second round of the 5-AA playoffs behind 5-8 guard Hung Duong, who averaged 25.5 points.

Duong has graduated, but Wetmore thinks the Moors still have the potential for another outstanding season.

“Last year we were pretty one dimensional,” he said. “Hopefully we can spread it around a little more this time.”

Alhambra’s hopes will probably center around returning guards Bryan Lui, a 5-11 senior, and Hon Trieu, a 5-9 junior who averaged 15 points last season. The Moors also figure to start 5-11 seniors Tim Yarnell and Sean Yoshimoto at forward and 6-2 senior Stuart Patterson at center.

10. Nogales (Sierra League; 5-AA)--It was business as usual last season for the Nobles, who finished 21-6 after losing in the first round of the 5-AA playoffs.

Nogales has a new coach in Bob Withers, who takes over from Steve Ludlam. But it will not come as a major surprise if the Nobles win at least 20 games and make the playoffs this season.

The Nobles will rely largely on lettermen such as center Tally Christopher and guards Caine Wilson, Trevin Owens and Adam Contreras. Wilson averaged 14 points and Christopher 10.8 last season.