MEN’S JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW : Vitale Signs Point to Another Ventura Title

Oh, baby, even Dick Vitale knows about the Ventura College men’s basketball team.

Vitale, the effervescent television basketball analyst, ranked the Pirates No. 2 in the nation behind Odessa, Tex., among junior college teams in his current yearly preseason magazine.

The pressure of such a lofty ranking might unnerve other schools, but not Coach Philip Mathews and the Pirates.

“(Opponents) come looking for us every year,” Mathews said. “We prepare for it.”

That the Pirates were noticed by Vitale, among others, is another indication of how high Ventura’s stock has risen since Mathews rescued the moribund program eight years ago.

A once-successful program that had become a doormat before Mathews arrived for the 1985-86 season, the Pirates won the state title in 1987 and reached the championship game last season, losing to Columbia, 97-88. Ventura was the top-ranked team in California most of the season and finished with a 37-2 record to improve to 222-51 under Mathews.

Key players who helped the Pirates last season have graduated, but those who think Ventura has dropped a notch better reconsider. The Pirates, as Mathews likes to say, have reloaded.

“I think overall we are as talented, but we don’t have the outside shooting,” Mathews said. “We are more athletic and we’ll be better defensively.”

They are also the class of the Western State Conference, which they have dominated the past few years. Last season, the Pirates won their first 21 games and breezed to their seventh consecutive North Division title with an 8-0 record. With their personnel, another unbeaten conference season is almost assured.

Consider the players who return.

There is forward Brandon Jessie, probably the best player in the conference. There is deft playmaker Joey Ramirez at point guard and forward Tracy Lundy, an excellent role player. And there is the formidable Michael Tate at center and sharpshooting D’mitri Rideout at guard, both of whom redshirted last season.

Jessie, a 6-5 sophomore from Edison High in Huntington Beach, was second on the team in scoring during the regular season with a 16.5 average and first in rebounds with a 9.3 average. He was an All-WSC North selection and led the Pirates in scoring and rebounds at the state championships.

“He’ll be heavily recruited this year,” Mathews said. “Vitale picked him as one of the best five JC prospects in the country.”

Ramirez, from Santa Paula High, averaged 11.0 points and 4.8 assists. Lundy typically came off the bench to help on the boards. Tate (6-5, 215 pounds) averaged 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds two seasons ago and Rideout, who played sparingly in 1991-92, will replace All-WSC North pick Stephane Brown in the backcourt.

Brown (12.6 points per game) is now at Oregon State and Calvin Curry, the WSC top scorer (21.1 points) and Ventura’s long-range specialist (119 three-point baskets), is at Oklahoma. Their departure creates an offensive hole. “We’ll do it by committee,” Mathews said.

Ventura will look to 6-7 forward Thomas Gillespie, a transfer from Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyo., and Steve Amar, a 6-4 forward transfer from Oxnard College who averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last season. Tony Smith, a freshman from Hueneme High, will back up Ramirez.

Only three players on the roster were on last season’s squad that barely missed winning the state title, but the newcomers are driven by the same goal.

“Winning it all,” Mathews said. “That’s the motivation.”

CANYONS

* Coach: Lee Smelser, 25th season

* 1992-93: 18-14

In his silver anniversary season with Canyons, Smelser hopes a little D can help collect many Ws.

Smelser, 361-382 at Canyons and 481-442 in a 32-year coaching career, said the Cougars will make defense their trademark.

“That will be our strong point,” Smelser said. “We are going to be (man-to-man) oriented and we will extend down the floor and even come back and play some matchup defense.”

Two sophomores, 6-1 forward Alric Gillette from Fremont High and 6-3 guard Gene Barshtak from Granada Hills, are among the key defensive players.

“They seem to be as good as we got right now,” Smelser said.

Gillette also will be counted on to fill some of the scoring void left by the departure of forward G.C. Marcaccini, who led the team in scoring last season with a 16.6 average (20.6 in conference play) but is now playing professionally in Italy. The Cougars also will miss the shooting of former Crespi standout Rasaan Hall (15.6 points) and center Jason Joynes (15.1), who graduated.

Rex Saputo, a 6-2 freshman swingman from Taft, and Lance Moore, a 5-10 guard transfer from Moorpark College, could provide some scoring. Besides Gillette, the front line will include returners Erik Stephens, a 6-5 forward, and 6-6 center Jagos Medenica. Bryan Camacho, a 5-8 sophomore, is the point guard.

The Cougars have eight sophomores on the 15-man roster, but still are relatively inexperienced. They might struggle to match last season’s victory total.

GLENDALE

* Coach: Brian Beauchemin, 15th season

* 1992-93: 16-15

It hasn’t taken long for Beauchemin to pinpoint what his team needs to become a factor in the South Division race.

“What we’ll have to rely on very heavily is our defensive effort every night,” Beauchemin said. “That’s going to make or break our season.”

Especially since the Vaqueros don’t have a proven scoring threat with the absence of guard Kenny Collins, who is academically ineligible, and the departure of Will Burr, who graduated. Collins was second in the state in free-throw shooting at 90.5% and led the team in scoring with a 17.2 average. Burr was second at 15.8.

“It would have been nice to have him (Collins), but we are moving on without him,” Beauchemin said.

Without Collins, the Vaqueros will look to returners Nick Athanassakis, Jim Evans, Ryan Asplund and James Parker.

“We’ve got some good kids back who either started or contributed off the bench,” Beauchemin said. Evans, a 6-4 forward, averaged 7.5 points and Asplund, a 6-2 guard, averaged 9.2 points. Athanassakis, a 6-6 center, averaged 7.7 points. Parker averaged 3.4 points.

Newcomers include 6-5 guard Maurice Sowells from Lakewood and 5-11 guard Maurice McIntosh from Monroe. Returning 6-6 forward Mike Macchia (10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds) also figures to play.

The Vaqueros were 5-5 in conference play and qualified for the Southern California regionals, but lost in the first round to Antelope Valley, 93-72.

MOORPARK

* Coach: Al Nordquist, 27th season

* 1992-93: 18-14

There are 11 freshmen on this season’s squad but at least two should make an impact and help the Raiders reach postseason play again.

Nordquist snatched highly regarded freshmen Paul Foster and Jade Peterson for a front line that also includes 6-4 sophomore Danny Alexander and 6-5 freshman Rahmid Stinson from Fremont.

Foster, a 6-8 forward, was an All-Southern Section selection last season and led Thousand Oaks High to the Division 1-A semifinals. He averaged 16.2 points and 8.0 rebounds. Peterson, a 6-8 center from Rio Mesa, averaged 15.0 points and 7.1 boards.

Only one starter returns but he is a good one. Sean Martin, a 6-foot point guard from Agoura, was second on the team in scoring last season with an 11.7 average and second in the conference in assists with a 6.8 average.

Newcomers include guards Michael Smith from Alemany and Jim Harbour from Camarillo and 6-5 center Jeff Feinman from Agoura.

Moorpark lost three of eight division games--two to Ventura--and lost in the first round of the Southern California regionals.

OXNARD

* Coach: Ron McClurkin, 1st season

* 1992-93: 16-14

To say that last season turned into a disaster for Oxnard is an understatement.

The Condors were only 2-6 in the North Division after showing enough promise early in the season to look like strong candidates to push Ventura for the title.

In fact, Oxnard lost to Ventura, 70-68, in overtime, in the first game between the teams last season, but three days after that game sophomore center Art Wallace quit the team and freshman forward Steve Amar was dismissed by Coach Remy McCarthy for disciplinary reasons.

Freshman point guard Chris Cole then suffered a season-ending separated shoulder and McCarthy resigned after the season. Amar, guard Lance Fay, who led the team in scoring with a 14.1 average, and forward Andy Saint later transferred to Ventura.

Now, McClurkin will try to pick up the scattered pieces.

“They had a real talented team (last season),” said McClurkin, who coached El Camino College from 1988 to 1991 and was the South Coast Conference coach of the year his first two seasons with the team. He also coached Los Angeles City for two seasons. “I’ve got some good players, but they are not as talented (as last season’s).”

Only two players return--5-11 point guard Jason MacLean from Rio Mesa High and 6-6 forward Israel Fuentes from Hueneme High. The other nine are freshmen, including cousins Wendell and Tim Nunnery; Ramon Franklin, formerly at Hueneme but who played his senior season at Oakton High in Washington, D.C.; and Larry Reed, a 6-4 forward from Washington High who McClurkin says is the best player on the team. Along the baseline, the Condors will have 6-10 Jerome Archie, who played high school ball in North Carolina.

The Condors have quickness but lack depth, and McClurkin hopes defense can overcome the shortcomings. “That (defense) will always be the strong point,” McClurkin said. “That’s what we’ll concentrate on because good defense will keep you in ballgames.”

VALLEY

* Coach: Doug Michelson, 1st season

* 1992-93: 7-22

After six seasons as the Monarch women’s coach, Michelson takes over the men’s program. He replaces Jim Stephens, who retired after last season, and inherits a team he says is extremely deep.

“We are really in a great situation,” Michelson said. “We are two-deep at every position.”

The Monarchs have quickness up front, with returning 6-foot-7 wing Wayne Carlisle and 6-5 center Brian Jackson providing muscle and scoring punch. Carlisle, an All-WSC South Division pick, averaged 17.3 points and 6.2 rebounds, and Jackson averaged 13.0 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Also in the front line are Athesis Harris, a 6-4 freshman wing from Kennedy, and 6-6 sophomore center Eric Grayson from Van Nuys.

Other freshmen expected to play are 6-6 center Ronen Oren from Tel Aviv, Israel; 6-6 forward Darius Moses from Bishop Noll High in Gary, Ind., and 6-4 center Troy McLeod from Grant.

Three players will compete at point guard: Robert McGee, a 5-10 sophomore from Van Nuys High; Tooki Akinloye, a 5-7 freshman from Cleveland High, and Dewauen Nunnery, a 5-9 freshman from Channel Islands. “We have real good decision-makers playing the point,” Michelson said.

Whoever handles the point-guard duties will shoulder the responsibility of executing Michelson’s quick-tempo offense.

Valley finished last in the WSC South Division last season with a 2-8 record. But if someone can turn those numbers around it is Michelson, who coached the women’s team to six conference or divisional titles.

ANTELOPE VALLEY

* Coach: Newton Chelette, 5th season

* 1992-93: 24-9

In his four seasons with the Marauders, Coach Newton Chelette won Foothill Conference titles with his first three teams and finished tied for second last season with Mt. San Jacinto, a game behind San Bernardino Valley.

With only two returning players, the Marauders might find it a bit more difficult to challenge for another conference championship.

Leading the charge is 6-1 point guard Danny Prince, the fourth-leading scorer on the team last season with a 12.6 average. He was fourth in the conference and led the team with 89 three-pointers.

Also returning is 6-4 forward Marcus Cross, who averaged 5.5 points and had 100 rebounds in a backup role.

Freshmen include 6-5 forward Mike Salser from Paraclete High and 6-4 forward Brian Burleson from Highland.