He’s Mr. Everything for El Camino : Basketball: Forward Michael Houck is not a flashy player, but his versatility makes him indispensable.

Michael Houck is not a big scorer, but when it comes to three-point shooting in South Coast Conference play, he is second to none.

The El Camino College forward leads the league in that category, making nearly half of his attempts. But that is not all he does well.

He is surprising opponents with his ballhandling ability, is a consistent rebounder and always hustles on defense.

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Houck is third on the team in scoring (12.3) and has made 77% of his free-throw attempts.

“He can play anywhere,” El Camino Coach Ron McClurkin said early in the season. “We can’t seem to get by without a guy like him. We really count on him to do a lot.”

With no returning starters from last season’s 24-11 team, Houck was expected to be one of the team’s leaders this season. He was named team co-captain along with freshman guard Major Whitlock, a redshirt transfer from the University of Montana, because he was the most experienced of the five returning sophomores.

Houck started 20 games as a freshman and helped the Warriors reach the semifinals of the state tournament, where they lost to eventual state champion Rancho Santiago.

McClurkin puts Houck in the same class as former El Camino standouts David Keeter (Cal State Northridge) and Zlatco Josic (Clemson University and Chapman College).

“Those are guys that can move around inside and outside and they can rebound and help bring the ball up court,” McClurkin said. “Mike doesn’t play at the post much, but he can do it all. He’s playing awfully hard for us. He helps us in so many ways it’s unbelievable.”

Houck’s versatility extends beyond the basketball court. He was also a baseball player in high school. At Redondo he played two years of varsity baseball and three years of varsity basketball. He was a South Bay All-Star in both sports as a senior in 1988-89.

That season Houck led Redondo’s basketball team in scoring (19.4) and he was second on the team in rebounds (9.4) and assists (3.9). The Sea Hawks, who finished 18-9, were runners-up in the Ocean League and advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section 4-A Division playoffs.

“Mike is a solid player who always gets the job done,” Redondo Coach Steve Shaw said. “He fits in the role and he fits in the system, but he can also shine.

“He’s the kind of kid that’s not a real superstar, but he’s the kid that will play at a Division I school next year, not a big school, and somewhere on their schedule they’ll play a top-ranked team. Mike will have a big game and the coach will say to his assistant, ‘Why didn’t we recruit this kid?’ ”

Coaches, scouts and even his parents believe Houck is a better baseball player. As a senior he was Redondo’s best hitter and pitcher. Houck batted .384, played shortstop and had an 8-2 record as a pitcher. He was drafted by the Houston Astros as a pitcher in 1989 and again in 1990.

“I just love basketball that much more,” Houck said. “I love the excitement. People tell me I have so much more potential in baseball and I agree. But I made up my mind. I want to play basketball.”

He says if he can’t play Division I basketball next season he may return to baseball. The Astros remain interested, although he hasn’t pitched since high school.

“We will continue having interest until age becomes a factor,” said Doug Deutsch, a scout for the Astros. “He’s got size and the arm. I think he has a chance to make it with enough dedication.

“He definitely looked like a guy who had a chance to be a power pitcher. He had a fluid delivery and he threw nice and easy. We didn’t feel he was ready to go to pro baseball at that time, but we thought he could go to a junior college and make progress. That’s why we wanted to sign him and maintain his rights.”

Houck started playing baseball and basketball in Redondo Beach youth leagues when he was in second grade. His older bother Hank played baseball at El Camino, and his younger brother Kyle, an offensive lineman at Redondo this year, will play football for the Warriors next season.

Houck says his dream is to play Division I college basketball. Several Big West Conference schools expressed interest out of high school, but none pursued him. This season Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach have shown interest.

“I’d rather go to a small Division I school and play than a big Division I school and sit on the bench,” Houck said. “Really, all I want is to play basketball.”