Oilers Team Up to Get the Job Done : Basketball: New philosophy adopted by Tommy Walden and his teammates at Huntington Beach is paying off in a string of victories.
Much of the success the Huntington Beach High School boys’ basketball team has had this season can be traced to a team meeting at a local pizza parlor last November.
It was there, between slices of pepperoni and black olive, that the players decided to bury the past and adopt a team concept of playing basketball.
“We got our feelings out in the open,” guard Tommy Walden said. “Last year, there was no chemistry on this team. Everyone was out for themselves. I got up at the meeting and told the guys, ‘We need to play as a team.’
“This year, there’s no one demanding the ball. The teamwork has really paid off. It was very gratifying to go through the Sunset League undefeated.”
Huntington Beach (24-3) heads into its second-round playoff game against Moreno Valley Valley View (17-8) tonight, riding the second-longest winning streak in Orange County.
The Oilers have won 18 in a row since losing to Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va., in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational. Kennedy, winners of 23 in a row, has the county’s longest streak.
Walden has personally benefited from Huntington Beach’s emphasis on team play, increasing his scoring average and assists over last season’s. Walden, who plays the No. 2 spot, averages 10.6 points and 3.2 assists.
“Tommy’s biggest asset is his versatility,” Huntington Beach Coach Roy Miller said. “He can play the No. 1 or No. 2 spot. UC San Diego is looking at him as a point guard. He’s a very athletic kid.”
Walden is also the team’s top outside threat. He has made 36 of 85 three-point shots, averaging 42% from behind the 19-foot-9 line.
“I like playing the No. 2 spot,” Walden said. “I like shooting the open jumper or the three. I also like defending a team’s best guard.”
Miller has maintained that the key to the Oilers’ success has been 32 minutes of intense defense. Some critics claim Walden is “too soft” to play college basketball, but Miller points to Walden’s defense when answering the critics.
“He’s not a physical player by any means, but look at the job he did on Jimmy Harris in both of our games,” Miller said. “He shut down Harris (holding him to five points below his average in each game) and held his own in two games against (Mater Dei’s David) Drakeford.
“Tommy’s quickness allows him to defend anyone. He can turn the speed on or off at any time.”
Still, Walden, who has a 3.78 grade-point average, has yet to receive a scholarship offer.
“I get frustrated at times because I haven’t gotten an offer, but right now, I’m not looking that far ahead. I plan on becoming a doctor, and my parents have already told me that they’d take care of my education.”
Walden’s father, Tom, is radiologist at FHP Hospitals in Fountain Valley. Tommy used to spend Saturdays in his father’s office.
“I was a fly on the wall, sitting, listening and observing,” Walden said. “It’s (becoming a doctor) something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Walden has applied as a premed major at UC San Diego, UCLA, California, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. Will he continue playing basketball in college?
“I hope so,” he said. “I’ve been playing basketball since the seventh grade. I love the game.”
But an era will end when Huntington Beach’s season ends. Four seniors--Walden, Matt Ambrose, Chris Jones and Bryan Chang--have started since their sophomore seasons.
“It’s going to end eventually,” Walden said. “The season has been gradually building the last couple of weeks. More and more people are coming to the games. I just hope we end it all in a good fashion.
“I’d like a shot at the (Division I-A) title. Mater Dei has my utmost respect. We’ve talked about a third game against them (the Oilers have lost twice to the Monarchs), and hopefully, we can make it to the finals and play them one more time.”