HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ‘93-’94 : MISSION LEAGUE

Alemany

‘92-93 RECORD

OVERALL: 7-17

LEAGUE: 3-11

COACH: Robert Webb

YEAR: 1st

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Chris Engler Sr. F 6-5 Jackie Chavez Sr. G/F 6-2 David Zufelt Sr. G 6-1

TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Adrian Pantoja So. F/G 6-3 Nick Hennessy Sr. G 5-11 Brian Armedilla Sr. C 6-4 Luis Quispe Jr. G 6-1 John Placencia Jr. F/C 6-5 Jose Cruz Jr. G 5-11

OUTLOOK

Everything is new at Alemany, from the coach to the uniforms to the gym floor. The practice jerseys, in fact, are inscribed, “Alemany basketball: Under Construction.” Webb is convinced this will be a turnaround season. “Our biggest strength is people are going to underestimate us,” he said. “Unfortunately, the past few years we’ve gotten the reputation as kind of a whipping boy.” Engler is the top returning player, but Webb said Pantoja has been showing up his more experienced teammates in practice. Webb, 25, is starting his first season as a head coach after being an assistant at Alemany, Glendale College and Muir. Webb said a reasonable goal is fourth place, behind Loyola, Bishop Montgomery and St. Bernard.

Chaminade

‘92-93 RECORD

OVERALL: 7-16

LEAGUE: 3-11

COACH: Rob Kurowski

YEAR: 4th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT John Gunn Sr. G 6-2 Casey Cote Sr. F 6-1

TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Mike Yang Jr. G 5-10 Carmine Rossi Jr. F 6-2 Clint Tanner Sr. C 6-3 Kevin Norton Sr. G 5-11 Tony Castleberry Jr. G 5-11 Torey Ellis So. G 5-11

OUTLOOK

The Eagles have only two returning players--Gunn and Cote--but they were starters. Both averaged about seven points a game. Yang will be another top scorer. All are good three-point shooters, Kurowski said. Making threes will be a key for Chaminade. The long shots also should provide long rebounds, the kind a team with no one taller than 6-foot-3 can handle. As with seemingly all of the league’s area teams, lack of size and inexperience are weaknesses. Kurowski hopes quickness and long-range shooting can be the edge the Eagles need to make the playoffs.

Crespi

‘92-93 RECORD

OVERALL: 12-13

LEAGUE: 8-6

COACH: Paul Muff

YEAR: 1st

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Brett Nordyke Sr. F 6-3 Brian Flahavan Sr. G 5-10 Marc Lubaska Jr. G 6-2 Mike Jacques Jr. G 6-1

TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Nick DiPasquale Sr. F 6-3 Chris Hunt Jr. F 6-4 Bryan Spaulding Jr. G 6-1 Pete Soule Jr. G 6-0 Eric Hammerschmitt Jr. F 6-1

OUTLOOK

Muff, 197-115 in 13 years coaching the Celts, is back at the helm after taking off the past four seasons. “It’s almost like starting over,” Muff said. Nordyke is the only returnee who played a significant role last season. The other starters are likely to be Flahavan, Lubaska, DiPasquale and either Jacques or Spaulding. Hunt, a transfer from Notre Dame, also may be a contributor. Look for DiPasquale, who didn’t play basketball last season, and Lubaska to be the scorers. Small and inexperienced, the Celts fit in well in the second tier of the league and have as good a chance as anyone at the final playoff spot.

Harvard-Westlake

‘92-93 RECORD

OVERALL: 5-20

LEAGUE: 1-13

COACH: Greg Hilliard

YEAR: 9th

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Scott Garson Sr. G 6-1 Ben Robbins Jr. G 6-0 Don Donester Sr. F 6-2

TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Jarron Collins Fr. F-C 6-8 Jason Collins Fr. F-C 6-7 Ari Isaacson Jr. F 6-3 Bobby Ahn Sr. G 5-9

OUTLOOK

The obvious improvement for the Wolverines is the addition of the Collins twins. Last season, Harvard-Westlake played most of its games with no one taller than 6-2. “They are very gifted kids,” Hilliard said of the twins. “They are so tall and still very coordinated and polished in their games, but they are just 14 years old, and we have to remember that.” The other three starters will be Garson, a returning all-league player, Robbins and Donester. In their second year in the league, the Wolverines have modest goals. “We would like to be more competitive and make a strong run at one of the playoff spots,” Hilliard said, “but we are just hoping to improve over last year.”

Notre Dame

‘92-93 RECORD

OVERALL: 25-7

LEAGUE: 11-3

COACH: Pete Cassidy

YEAR: 1st

TOP RETURNEES YR POS HT Tom Zapata Jr. G-F 6-3 Rich Igou Sr. G-F 6-3 Andy Waldrip Sr. G 5-10 John Garcia Jr. G 5-7

TOP NEWCOMERS YR POS HT Jabbar Craigwell Sr. G 5-9 Dave Sobel Jr. F 6-4 Greg Morgan Jr. F 6-3 Oscar Soltero Jr. C 6-3

OUTLOOK

The only significant member of last season’s Southern Section III-A championship team to return is Waldrip, a part-time starter in 1991-92. Even the coach is gone. Cassidy, no relation to the Cal State Northridge basketball coach of the same name, takes over for Mick Cady, who resigned to pursue a graduate degree. Cassidy coached this year’s seniors as freshman, and he called that group one of the hardest working he has seen. Lacking size and experience, the Knights will rely on intangibles like crowd support, Cassidy said. One senior from the student body will wear jersey No. 6 for each game this season, commemorating the “sixth man.” Notre Dame should contend for the final playoff spot in the league.