Two Commit to UC Irvine in Basketball

Dee Boyer, a Saddleback College center, and Todd Whitehead, an All-City guard from Los Angeles Fremont High School, said Thursday they had made oral commitments to play basketball at UC Irvine during the 1992-93 season.

Boyer, 6 feet 10 and 255 pounds, averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds a game last season as a freshman for Saddleback. Boyer, from Oceanside El Camino, was considered one of the top big men in the state during high school, and this year was being recruited by DePaul, among other schools.

“I like the coaching staff and the location,” Boyer said. “It’s close to home and that’s important to me.”

Whitehead was the second-leading scorer as a junior on a Fremont team that reached the State Division I championship game last season before losing, 67-61, to Alameda St. Joseph, which was led Jason Kidd, one of the nation’s premier high school players.

Whitehead, a 6-4 shooting guard, averaged 16 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for Fremont, the City Section 3-A champion.

Whitehead said he chose Irvine because the school had been persistent in recruiting him, and because “I’m comfortable with the coaches and players.” He said he wanted to decide on a school early so he could concentrate on academics this year.

Whitehead and Boyer said they intend to sign intent letters during the early signing period, Nov. 13-20.