Chapman’s New Look Leaves Boyd Optimistic

Still searching for his first winning season at the NCAA Division II level, Chapman University men’s basketball Coach Bob Boyd says he’s cautiously optimistic about the season that begins Nov. 22.

After 11-16 and 12-15 seasons at Chapman, Boyd and assistant coach Jerry DeBusk brought in nine recruits to try build a team that can win in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

“I have guarded optimism,” Boyd said. “I think because of the quality of people we’re dealing with, we have reason to be optimistic.”

Only three players from last season’s team--forwards Rog Middleton, Alan Schlines and Frantz Reyes--are on the Chapman roster. Reyes is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery and probably won’t play until January, so Boyd is looking for a starting lineup in the practices that started Tuesday.

“We know one guy who’s going to start at this time--Roger,” Boyd said. “I don’t know who else it would be, because of all the uncertainties and particularly because we don’t know that much about our new players.”

Middleton, a 6-foot-4 two-time first-team All-CCAA player, has been the Panthers’ post player by default the past few seasons, but that should change after the addition of three big men:

--Marcell Driver, a 6-8 center who led the state in scoring in the 1988-89 season at Citrus College in Glendora.

--Richie Bethune, a 6-7 transfer from Southwestern College in Chula Vista.

--Leonard Rhodes, a 6-5 transfer from Mt. San Jacinto College.

At guard, Boyd will choose from four community college transfers; Mike Vaughn, a transfer from Grand Canyon University, and Brad Grubaugh of Rancho Buena Vista High, the team’s only freshman. Most notable of the community college guards are Vern Broadnax, who played on two state championship teams at Rancho Santiago; Cypress’ Brian Kenney and Jeff Gardner of Lee College in Baytown, Tex.

Boyd, who is entering his 30th year of collegiate coaching, has had winning seasons in the Pacific 8, Pacific 10, Southeastern and Orange Empire conferences, but in his two seasons coaching in the CCAA, Chapman finished last.

“It would seem like if you could win in (Kentucky’s) Rupp Arena and Pauley Pavilion, you should be able to win a game or two in this league,” Boyd said. “Quite frankly, we haven’t done the winning in this league that I would like to do and I think our school and its supporters deserve better winning, if there’s such a thing.

“I hope to do that.”

The Chapman women’s volleyball team fell out of a first-place tie with UC Riverside, losing to the Highlanders, ranked fourth in the NCAA Division II poll, in four games Tuesday at Riverside.

The Panthers (15-9, 3-1 in the CCAA) were ranked as high as 11th, but have fallen out of the rankings for the first time in three seasons largely because of a disappointing performance in a tournament in Texas.

Because of a series of injuries, the Panthers haven’t done well when they have to play more than one match a day.

They have been more successful in non-tournament play, winning four consecutive matches, including victories over defending Division III champion UC San Diego and No. 8 Cal Poly Pomona, before losing to Riverside.

The Panthers have four more CCAA matches before trying another tournament, the Air Force Tournament, Nov. 1.

Climbing toward respectability, Chapman’s water polo team finished second at its own tournament last weekend. After losing to Whittier, 8-6, and Loyola Marymount, 20-5, Friday, Chapman won three consecutive games Saturday--its longest winning streak of the season.

The Panthers beat Dayton, 12-9, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 7-6, and UC Riverside’s B team, 12-8, to improve their record to 11-14. Chapman will play at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Friday and at the UC Santa Cruz tournament Saturday and Sunday.

College Division Notes

Former Chapman softball player Leslie Burke has been hired as Christ College Irvine’s softball coach. Burke played four years for the Panthers and was team captain in 1988 and 1989. . . . Chapman men’s soccer player Eddie Soto is leading the CCAA in scoring with 27 points. Soto, who has 11 goals and five assists, is 11th in the nation in scoring.