Parker To Lead RBV : Boys’ basketball: The Longhorns are still looking for a center, however.

The runover of the high school football playoffs always seems to upset the early part of the boys’ basketball season, and this year is no different. Five of the top 10 basketball schools--Rancho Buena Vista, El Camino, Morse, Chula Vista and Kearny--are still active in the football playoffs as the basketball season gets under way this weekend.

The fact that a number of key basketball players are football players as well illustrates the kind of athletes the county has to offer. There are some talented, multi-skilled athletes, though not much height to speak of.

Darryl Parker of Rancho Buena Vista is one such player. Parker and a strong supporting cast make up The Times’ top-ranked preseason team.

Another factor to consider is geographics. The North County has three of the top four teams, and the city leagues have five schools represented.

The Times’ boys’ basketball San Diego Section preseason top 10:

1 RANCHO BUENA VISTA

1990 Record: 15-10

League: Palomar

Coach: John O’Neill

Four starters return and one of them is super-talent Darryl Parker, who was being recruited by Georgetown when he signed a national letter of intent with UC Santa Barbara. Parker (6-6) can do it all, but the Longhorns lack a true center. That doesn’t bother O’Neill’s outlook on offense, but concerns him defensively. Fred Aliipule, who clogged the middle on defense last year, is a football player who will spend the winter selecting a university instead of playing basketball. Brad Grubaugh (6-4) averaged 19 points last year and is joined by junior point guard James VanderVeer (6-0) and Bond Schoeffel (6-4), who lacks the flash of his teammates but provides steadiness inside.

2 EL CAMINO

1988-89 Record: 23-7

League: Avocado

Coach: Ray Johnson

Starters Shaun Scurry, a 6-5 forward who averaged 14 points per game last season, and Jeff Reeves (6-2 guard, 11 points per game), return from last year’s Division II championship team that lost to Ed O’Bannon and Artesia by four points in the Southern California Regional tournament. Also returning is 5-11 point guard Heath McCoy, who came off the bench to score 14 points against Artesia. Johnson said McCoy could become one of the top guards in the county. Junior Russell White, a 6-6 center, played sparingly last year, but Johnson said he is much improved. Bryant Westbrook, a 6-1 leaper, rounds out the starting five.

3 MORSE

1988-89 Record: 12-14

League: City Eastern

Coach: Ron Davis

There was nothing spectacular about this team last year, but eight players return. The Tigers are experienced and tall. Center/forward Darnell Cherry (6-10) started last season and averaged 14.2 points a game. Jamar Lavender, a 6-5 guard, has started the past two seasons and averaged 12 points and eight assists last year. Brothers Gary and Cary Taylor should provide a boost when they’re finished with football. Morse has a tough schedule, particularly at the the beginning. The Tigers open with Crenshaw, the second-ranked team in the state, and then play Banning, a highly regarded Los Angeles team. “I’ll play anybody, anywhere in order to get a good game,” Davis said. “I may be the only coach in San Diego to go out and try and get the best games. I’m only concerned about my record in the end.”

4 POWAY

1988-89 Record: 18-7

League: Palomar

Coach: Doug Wealch

Key players are back, but the big man on the bench is not. Former coach Neville Saner, who won four titles in seven years, resigned after another successful season last year. Replaceing Saner is the man he succeeded, Doug Wealch, who has a full cupboard, including three returning starters: junior center Kyle Milling (6-7), and seniors Bill Rarity (6-3) and Frank Garrett (6-3). Forward Matt Fletcher (6-2), last year’s three-point specialist, point guard Mark Wuchner (5-10), Kirk Hipple (6-5) and five players from a 22-2 junior varsity team should make Wealch’s transition easier.

5 LINCOLN

1988-89 Record: 22-9

League: City Central

Coach: Ron Loneski

Don Ballard, last year’s workhorse on the boards, was injured in an auto accident and Anthony Miller, a promising transfer from Morse, may be unavailable, but Loneski always seems to come up with a strong team with the pieces available to him. Berry Randell, a transfer from Crawford, is a rarity at Lincoln--a true basketball player. Loneski always laments the lack of basketball players at Lincoln, saying he puts together a team of great athletes with few basketball skills. Loneski will be counting on two other transfers, Alex Davis and John Akridge, both from Hoover. Lincoln has no returning starters. Akridge and Steve Edens are the only seniors. The rest are juniors.

6 UNIVERSITY CITY

1988-89 Record: 23-5

League: City Western

Coach: Tom Medigovich

The Centurions will lose a lot of explosiveness and scoring ability with the graduation of all-county point guard Anthony Hill as well as Chris Whitehead and Jerome Price. But they have 6-5 forward Ray Hooper (19.0) and a talented replacement at point in Ian Krebs (6-1). Look for center Elliott Alexander (6-5) to blossom. One of University City’s strong points last year was depth, which should provide a solid starting lineup.

7 CHULA VISTA

1988-89 Record: 21-8

League: Metro

Coach: Mike Collins

The loss of all-county guard Carnell Penn, who moved to Virginia, will hurt Chula Vista, as will graduated starters Derek Chapman, who is playing quarterback at Southwestern College, and Trenell Hicks. The Spartans will also be without a number of football players for at least a few more days. What is Chula Vista doing in the top 10? “We’ve still got some good talent,” Collins said. “I like the way we’re going to be.” Shane Howell, a 6-5 senior, and Jermome Green, a 6-2 sophomore, will be counted on most until football players Donnie Edwards (6-3), Ken McDuffy (5-9), LaMar Bailey (5-8) and Allan Delos Reyes (6-0) are available.

8 KEARNY

1988-89 Record: 14-8

League: City Western

Coach: Bill Peterson

Some say Kearny had the most talent of any team in the league last year. That’s saying a lot, considering City Western champion University City reached the Division II final. Back are 6-3 forward Darnay Scott, who averaged more than 16 points and 13 rebounds last year and should be even better, and 6-7 center Mike Oviedo. Damion Victor, James Curtis and Derrick Hotchkiss move up from a junior varsity squad that lost only one game last season.

9 SAN DIEGO

1988-89 Record: 19-5

League: City Central

Coach: Dennis Kane

San Diego will miss the graduated Clark James, but Kane says he will make up for the absence by putting several players on the floor who can all score 10 to 15 points a game. They are 6-5 forward J.R. Greer, a standout as a sophomore, who did not play last year; 6-2 guard John McKenna, a 20-point scorer for Madison last year; 6-4 forward Mike Watson, who averaged eight points and 10 rebounds last year as a junior; Marlon Wells, last year’s top junior varsity player who averaged 18 points; Brian McGowan, a 6-3 transfer from Arizona; 6-2 guard Marino Bowman, who averaged seven points last season; and Jeff Smith, the starting point guard.

10 MT. CARMEL

1988-89 Record: 23-6

League: Palomar

Coach: John Marincovich

Mt. Carmel reached the Division I finals but lost its nucleus, including all-county center Shane Knight. Still, two starters return--point guard Dana Pope (6-2), the team’s offensive and defensive catalyst, and Ryan Wootton (6-4), who showed steady improvement and is the Sundevils’ strongest rebounder. Bill Landry and Jon Young are also back. Chris Goode (6-5), a transfer from Oxnard Channel Islands, and sophomore Scott Schoenwald (6-6) solidify the front line. Dan Kirby (6-0) and Andy Shantz (6-3)--up from the junior varsity with Aaron Harmon (6-3)--and Young are outside scoring threats.