SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONALS : Guards Point the Way in Estancia-Servite Rematch : Division III: Eddie Rubio, a junior who always keeps his cool on the court, runs the Friars’ patient offense.

The subject of conversation at Estella Rubio’s manicurist table in La Palma these days isn’t the Donald Trump-Marla Maples affair or Oprah’s diet.

The ladies are talking Servite High School basketball. They’re talking about Rubio’s only son, Eddie, who helped Servite win the Southern Section Division III-A title last weekend and will be in the starting lineup at 7:30 tonight when the Friars play Estancia in the Southern California Division III Regionals at Cypress College.

Generally, it’s a one-sided conversation with mom telling her customers about how her son withstood the pressure of Morningside’s full-court press in a frantic final quarter as Servite upset the top-seeded team, 49-46.

“She’s got all the newspaper clippings and my school pictures at her desk,” Rubio said. “It’s kind of embarrassing, but then I have to keep reminding myself that she is my mom.”

Rubio, a 6-foot-1 junior, is the type of student-athlete any parent would be proud of. He excels in a college honors program at Servite, maintaining a 3.0 grade-point average. Rubio’s curriculum includes pre-calculus, Spanish II and chemistry this semester.

While many players will be attending basketball camps this summer, Rubio has tentative plans to enroll in college extension courses at either UCLA or UC Santa Barbara.

“I went to basketball camps last summer,” Rubio said. “I’d like to become an accountant someday, and my No. 1 priority now is in the classroom.”

Well, almost. First, there’s the business of settling a score with Estancia. Last year, Estancia defeated Servite, 51-49, in overtime in the Southern Section Division III-AA title game. Estancia guard Agustin Heredia hit a shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, then made five free throws to win the game.

Rubio, a backup point guard last season, played 11 minutes in the title game and scored one point. Servite was given a second chance last year when it was invited to the regionals as an at-large team. The Friars responded by winning the state title.

Rubio failed to score in a 67-51 victory over Mount Eden in the championship game at Oakland, but then how many sophomores get to play in a state title game?

“Eddie and Adam (Anderson) were the only sophomores on the team last year, and they gained valuable experience in the playoffs,” Servite Coach Richard Smith said. “We brought Eddie up to the varsity after his freshman year basically because of his maturity.

“He has the perfect temperament for a point guard. He never gets frustrated and rarely shows any emotion on the court. We live and die with him sometimes. When Morningside stole the ball from him a couple of times at the (Los Angeles) Sports Arena, he became a competitor. He didn’t get rattled.

“But above all else, Eddie Rubio is a winner. He sees the court amazingly well and is the perfect team player. I’m sure he’d love to play on a run-and-gun team, but he’s made some sacrifices for this team.”

Rubio took a crash course in playing the point as a freshman. He was a post player at Walker Junior High in La Palma before enrolling at Servite.

“I was always the tallest kid in my class, so I played center,” Rubio said. “I could always dribble the ball, so I figured if I was going anywhere at Servite, my best shot was being a guard.”

Rubio started a couple of playoff games for Servite last year when Smith went to a four-guard lineup, and then claimed a starting position after the graduation of Jamie Rosenkranz last spring.

“I still feel I have a lot of improvement ahead of me,” Rubio said. “I need to work on my dribbling and shooting. When I first got here, I used to sort of sling my shots. I worked a lot on my technique with Coach Smith.

“I think I’m a pretty good passer. I enjoy a good pass as much as making a basket. Sure, I’d like to run, but we won 23 of 29 games last year using our methodical style, so I’m not complaining.”

Rubio credits much of Servite’s playoff success to the Friars’ tough schedule. Servite competed in the prestigious Tournament of Champions and then finished second to Mater Dei in the Angelus League.

“Our league was as strong as it’s ever been this year,” Rubio said. “We played a lot of close games, and those type of games get you ready for the playoffs.”

Rubio had a family section full of rooters Saturday in the Sports Arena. Among the crowd were his parents, grandparents, two uncles and his older sister and her friends.

“They all went to Oakland last year,” Rubio said. “My family has always supported me in whatever I do. They want to see me achieve in everything. They’ve made some sacrifices so I could go to Servite.”