Santa Ana Valley’s Mann Is Flashy--Right Down to His Socks : Basketball: Since transferring from Mater Dei, sophomore guard has shown a flair for the spectacular.

Santa Ana Valley boys’ basketball Coach Rich Prospero was in no mood for jokes. With basketballs pounding in the gymnasium at 7 a.m. on an October morning, a girl crossed the floor to talk to him.

“The girls’ basketball team was practicing and this girl comes up to me and says, ‘Boy, are you going to get a great transfer. My brother is leaving Mater Dei,’ ” Prospero said.

The girl was Candace Mann, a freshman at Santa Ana Valley. Her brother is Olujimi, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who quickly has established himself as one of the finest point guards in the county.

Although Mann played a significant role in helping Mater Dei win the Southern Section Division I-A championship last season, he transferred to Santa Ana Valley in October.

“My family couldn’t afford to send me there anymore,” Mann said. “It’s the best program in Southern California, and it felt like a college program, but it just cost too much to go there.

“I’ve been going to public schools all of my life, so for school, it’s been an easy transition leaving Mater Dei and coming here.”

On the court, Mann is also doing fine. He has averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists while helping the Falcons, ranked third in the county, to a 13-2 start. The losses have come against Lynwood and Bellflower St. John Bosco, both ranked among the top 10 of the state’s preseason poll.

While Prospero enjoys watching Mann quarterback his offense, his first experience with him wasn’t a pleasant one. Mann helped Mater Dei destroy Santa Ana Valley, 111-31, in the semifinals of last season’s Daily Pilot Tipoff classic.

“Olujimi played some that night, but I don’t remember much; the whole game was a nightmare,” Prospero said.

It didn’t take long for Prospero to see why scouts were raving about the sophomore guard.

“When you first see him, you might think, ‘Well, there is this 6-4 point guard who is a great athlete, but maybe his shooting is a weakness,’ ” Prospero said. “But right off the bat, his shooting impressed me. He’s near 50% on three-point shooting.”

Those talents prompted Mann’s former coach, Gary McKnight of Mater Dei, to say last season that Mann could average triple-doubles--double figures in points, assists and rebounds--by his senior season.

Mann has been compared to former NBA star Reggie Theus, and according to Prospero, Chapman University Coach Mike Bokosky told him Mann could develop into the “finest player ever to come out of the county.”

But Prospero is guarded when speaking about Mann.

“I think you could say things that would be unfair to Olujimi in terms of expectations because he’s so young and so talented,” Prospero said. “He’s a very unique individual. He loves basketball and I think he always will work to improve on his weaknesses.”

One of those weaknesses could be Mann’s flair for the spectacular.

With his quick, lanky frame, Mann can dribble behind his back without missing a beat, then find an open teammate with a no-look pass or simply swish a three-pointer.

And like Magic Johnson, one of his idols, Mann has a thirst for crowd-pleasing play.

“Getting out to lead the fast break and setting up my teammates, I love that,” Mann said. “That gets me hyped.”

But with the flashy successes come some turnovers and ill-advised shots, things that would make some coaches scream and holler. But Prospero takes them in stride.

“As coaches, we have to guide players so I subtly remind him of things I don’t like,” Prospero said. “I think he needs to tone down his turnovers and not be as flashy, but that’s something he’s going to learn on the court; how he can make himself and the team more productive.

“And the big thing is Olujimi always tries to make his teammates better. So since he does that, I don’t have any squabble with him.”

Mann’s flashiness goes right down to his wardrobe.

His superstitious secret to success? It’s gotta be . . . the socks ?

On his left foot, Mann has one sock pulled all the way up to his kneecap. On the right, a mismatched sock stays just above his ankle.

So what gives?

“Last year during the Tournament of Champions, Coach McKnight put me in and I just forgot to pull one up,” Mann said.

In the one-sock-down mode, Mann scored 13 points and helped Mater Dei defeat Huntington Beach, 64-46, in the semifinals.

“Since then, I’ve always worn my socks that way,” Mann said.

And socks up or down, Prospero will stick with his enthusiastic young leader.