BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW

BEVERLY HILLS

* Coach: Jason Newman, 2nd year.

* Record: 12-13, 3-5 in Ocean League.

* Top Players: Luke Buffum, 6-foot-7, center, Sr.; Kenneth Harvey, 6-0, guard, Soph.; Frank Brown, 6-4, guard-forward, Jr.

* Prospect: If the Normans stay healthy, they expect to be competitive with Culver City and Redondo for the league title. They have a well-balanced team with eight or nine players rotating into the lineup. Buffum, The Times’ 1992 Westside player of the year, averaged 26 points a game.

CULVER CITY

* Coach: Jeff Perry, first year.

* Record: 11-14, 2-6 in Ocean League.

* Top Players: Chris Ellison, 5-11, point guard, Sr.; Louie Biaty, 5-10, guard, Sr.; Sanford Richmond, 6-3, forward, Sr.; Wayne Dooley, 6-4 1/2, center, Jr.; Damon Williams, 6-3, forward, Jr.

* Prospect: With four starters returning and a deep bench, the athletic Centaurs should be at the top of the Ocean League. Biaty (13 points) and Richmond (14 points), both all-league second team in 1992, are scoring threats. With Ellison, a Southern Section second-team honoree who averaged 12.5 points and eight assists, and Williams on the football team, Culver City will not be at full strength until January.

CROSSROADS

* Coach: Daryl Roper, fifth year.

* Record: 24-3, 12-0 in Delphic League.

* Top Players: Baron Davis, 5-7, guard, Fr.; Kejuan Woods, 6-4, forward, Soph.; John Skinner, 6-2, guard, Jr.

* Prospect: The Roadrunners have a 42-2 record in the Delphic League under Roper and will be tough to beat for the league title. Baron Davis may be a freshman, but he has the attributes to be one of the best point guards on the Westside.

FAIRFAX

* Coach: Harvey Kitani, 12th year.

* Record: 18-8, 8-2 in Western.

* Top Players: Terryl Woolery, 6-4, guard, Sr.; Shaphan Roberts, 6-3, guard, Sr.; Duane Davis, 5-11, guard, Jr.; Tony Davis, 6-3, guard, Sr.

* Prospect: The Lions start a four-guard lineup with 6-6 senior Tomar Yachini the only starting forward. Fairfax reached the finals of the L.A. Watts Games. Much depends on the recovery of Woolery, who broke his left arm during the summer.

HAMILTON

* Coach: Dave Uyeshima, 10th year.

* Record: 4-14, 0-10 in Metro League.

* Top Players: Bobby Kassaie, 5-11, guard, Jr.; Alex Carcamo, 6-2, forward, Jr.; Omar Melton, 6-3, forward, Sr.

* Prospect: Hamilton played with eight players last season and had virtually no height. This year’s team has 12 players and is taller. Bobby Kassaie averaged about eight points as a reserve.

HOLLYWOOD

* Coach: David Payne, fourth year.

* Record: 2-15, 1-13 in Northern Conference.

* Top Players: Rick Hernandez, 5-11, guard, Sr.; Umtali Augustus, 5-10, guard-forward, Sr.; Alex Lima, 6-0, forward, Sr.

* Prospect: The Sheiks have no returning players, but are athletic and have quickness. With no player over 6 feet, Hollywood will have to stress teamwork and improve its passing game. If they develop quickly, the Sheiks could be respectable.

LE LYCEE FRANCAIS

* Coach: Jean Sprecher, first year.

* Record: 7-10, 7-7 in Westside League.

* Top Players: Danny Courtney, 6-2, forward, Sr.; Desobry Bowens, 6-0, forward, Jr.; Tarik Mahmoud, 6-2, forward, Soph.

* Prospect: The Lions tied for fourth place in the Westside League and missed qualifying for the playoffs. Courtney, who averaged 16 points, and Bowens, who averaged 12, are the returning starters.

MURPHY

* Coach: Andrew Hunter, fifth year.

* Record: 8-12, 4-4 in Santa Fe League.

* Top Players: Robert Carrillo, 5-10, point guard, Sr.; Aaron Zeleya, 5-11, shooting guard, Jr.; Gibbons St. Paul, 5-9, guard-forward, Sr.; Pier Elize, 6-2, guard-forward, Jr.; Tony Heim, 6-2, forward, Jr.

* Prospect: Although lacking height, the Nobles have speed and athleticism. With their strength in the backcourt, they may play a four-guard lineup. Murphy could give Verbum Dei a challenge in league.

PACIFIC HILLS

* Coach: John Bobich, fifth year.

* Record: 21-8, 6-6 in Delphic League.

* Top Players: Bryan Sterling, 6-3, guard-forward, Sr.; Westley Allen, 6-1, guard, Sr.; Danny Brummel, 6-4, forward, Sr.

* Prospect: Formerly Bel-Air Prep, the Bruins return three starters from last year’s team, which won the Southern Section Division V-A title. Sterling, who averaged 17.7 points and 11 rebounds, was selected to the Division V-A first team. The Bruins expect to challenge Campbell Hall for the Delphic League title.

PALISADES

* Coach: James Paleno, third year.

* Record: 15-6, 4-2 in Western League.

* Top Players: Lamar Tillman, 6-4, forward, Jr.; Cassian Aguet, 6-2, guard, Jr.; Jerome Washington, 6-4, forward, Sr.; Ricky Wilson, 6-3, guard, Jr.

* Prospect: Palisades, which lost in the first round of the City 4-A Division playoffs, returns only one starter--Cassian Aguet. Lamar Tillman, who averaged six points a game as a reserve, is expected to be the Dolphins’ top scorer.

ST. BERNARD

* Coach: Jim McClune, 14th year.

* Record: 14-17, 6-8 in Mission League.

* Top Players: Gregory Metoyer, 5-11, guard, Sr.; Leonard Jefferson, 6-3, forward, Sr.; Sanford Howie, 6-0, guard, Sr.; Dominic Zumbrun, 5-11, guard, Sr.

* Prospect: The Vikings, who lost to Corona del Mar in the Southern Section Division IV-AA final, have a small lineup. The Vikings expect the bulk of their scoring to be spread among three players.

ST. MONICA

* Coach: Leo Klemm, 11th year.

* Record: 9-13, 4-6 in Camino Real League.

* Top Players: Herman Schultz, 6-1, guard, Sr.; Gabe Pagtama, 5-11, guard, Jr.; Kenny Jackson, 6-3, forward, Sr.; Adrian Klemm, 6-5, forward, Jr.

* Prospect: The Mariners had their worst record and missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years under Klemm. They expect to rebound around the play of Herman Schultz (11 points), Gabe Pagtama (12 points) and Kenny Jackson (seven points).

SANTA MONICA

* Coach: Ken Sprague, fifth year.

* Record: 13-12, 3-5 in Bay League.

* Top Players: Arthur Tillett, 6-3 1/2, point guard, Sr.; Shelton Sharpe, 6-1, guard, Sr.; Damyuhn Campbell, 6-5 1/2, forward, Jr.; Michael Jackson, 6-3, center, Sr.

* Prospect: The Vikings return eight of 12 players and five starters. Tillett, a four-year starter, averaged 15 points and is a good defensive player. Jackson, the 250-pound football standout, has the quickness and strength to be present troubles for opponents. The Vikings are capable of beating the best teams in the Bay League.

UNIVERSITY

* Coach: Jim Nakabara, 11th year.

* Record: 11-13, 3-7 in Coastal Conference.

* Top Players: Daryl Ray, 5-11, guard, Soph.; Nicholas Strouse, 6-2, forward, Soph.; Craig Taniguchi, 6-0, guard-forward, Sr.; Esmond Trimble, 6-3, forward, Jr.

* Prospect: Warriors are young, may lack speed and do not have much height. The team will be built around Taniguchi, the only player with varsity experience. The remaining players will have to learn fast for the Warriors to survive in the competitive Metro League.

VENICE

* Coach: Thermon Moore, fourth year.

* Record: 11-8, 3-7 in Coastal Conference.

* Top Players: Rasheed Hazzard, 6-0, point guard, Sr.; Larry Atkins, 6-3 1/2, guard, Sr.; Quintin McCowen, 6-5, forward, Jr.; James Archer, 5-10, guard, Sr.; Derrick Anderson, 6-3, guard, Soph.

* Prospect: The Gondoliers are ready to make a run in the playoffs. Hazzard (12.5 points, 6.3 assists), Atkins (15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds) and McCowen (10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds) have attracted interest from Division I colleges. The team was 9-1 last season before McCowen became academically ineligible. He has returned an inch and a half taller and improved his play by 80%, according to Coach Moore. Newcomer Anderson, described by Cal-Hi as one of the state’s best sophomores, will be the first player off the bench.

WEST L.A. BAPTIST

* Coach: Walter Fujita, third year.

* Record: 11-8, 8-3 in Westside League.

* Top Players: Daniel Gaynor, 5-10, guard, Sr.; Andrew Alexandre, guard, Soph.; Al Cairns, 5-11, forward, Sr.

* Prospect: The Dolphins finished second in the Westside League and expect to finish at least third and qualify for the playoffs. Gaynor averaged 25 points and was selected to the all-league first team.

WESTCHESTER

* Coach: Ed Azzam, 14th year.

* Record: 22-7, 6-0 in Western League.

* Top Players: Ben Sanders, 6-3, guard, Jr.; Danny Walker, 6-1, guard, Soph.; Damon Smith, 6-3, forward, Jr.

* Prospect: The Comets are the best bet to unseat Crenshaw for the City 4-A title. Westchester lacks size, but has two outstanding underclassmen in Sanders and Walker.

WILSHIRE WEST

* Coach: Donald Barnes, second year.

* Record: 7-9 overall.

* Top Players: James Logan, 5-9, guard, Jr.; David Boyd, 5-10, guard, Jr.; Michael Gearring, 6-1, forward, Sr.

* Prospect: The Blue Dogs fell a game short of reaching the playoffs as a free-lance team. James Logan (16 points), Boyd (18) and Gearring (10 and 8.5 rebounds) are returning starters.

WINDWARD

* Coach: Ken Asher, fourth year.

* Record: 4-15, 0-10 in Liberty League.

* Top Players: Ryan Groman, 5-7, point guard, Sr.; Daniel Treiman, 6-1, forward, Sr.; Eric Groman, 5-9, guard, Soph.

* Prospect: Wildcats have only one returning starter, but Treiman, who chose to play soccer last year, is back after averaging 12 points as a sophomore. He should be among the strongest frontline players in the league. If young players can develop ball-handling skills, Windward could be respectable.

YESHIVA

* Coach: Ed Gelb, third year.

* Record: 13-9, 6-4 in Liberty League.

* Top Players: David Perl, 5-10, point guard, Sr.; Michael Strapp, 6-1, forward, Sr.; Josh Parver, 6-2, forward, Sr.; Mark Hecht, 5-10, guard, Sr.

* Prospect: The Panthers have talent and experience with all-league players Perl (16.0 points, 8.0 assists) and Strapp (11.0 points, 7.0 rebounds) returning. The team has quickness and can match height with any league opponent. Yeshiva won its first playoff game in six seasons by defeating St. Margaret’s, 61-58, in Division V-AA.