NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Pepperdine Basketball Program Gets a Boost With Signing of Marcaccini

Monte Marcaccini, who gave up a basketball scholarship to Indiana to play in Italy last summer, signed last week with Pepperdine.

Marcaccini, 19, was The Times’ San Fernando Valley player of the year in 1993 while at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High.

He is the first player signed by new Wave Coach Tony Fuller.

The 6-foot-6 Marcaccini averaged about 25 points a game for the Benetton United Colors, which won the Italian junior national championship. He led Notre Dame to the Southern Section Division III-A championship in 1993, averaging 19.7 points and 11.4 rebounds.

Marcaccini turned down a scholarship offer from UCLA to sign with Indiana, but decided to play in Italy before the start of the 1993 fall semester.

Because he played for an Italian amateur team, Marcaccini will have four years of eligibility at Pepperdine.

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Dorsey High continues to be a pipeline of talent for the West L.A. football program.

When the Oilers began practice Aug. 15, 20% of the team’s players came from Dorsey.

Former Dons include Norman Ysaguirre, a two-time All-City Section tackle, defensive backs E.Z. Anderson, tackle Wakiee Brady and running back Chris Phillips.

Other newcomers include receiver Antonio Carrion, running back Jermaine Gibson, linebacker Derrick Ridgeway, receivers Chris Miller and Rashad Turner and defensive backs Ghali Wadood, Jesse Belvin and Max Kaleem.

Returning former Dons include linebacker Dempster Jackson, kicker Omar Moreno and running backs Ronald Peebles and Maurice Collins.

The Oilers also employ former Dorsey assistants Darryl Holmes, Tracy Atkins and Eugene McAdoo.

The Oilers, 3-8-1 in 1993, are scheduled to scrimmage against Mt. San Jacinto College and University of Redlands on Sept. 3 at Redlands.

“We’ve been fortunate to attract their assistant coaches and their players,” Coach Rob Hager said.

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Malaika Naulls and Joi Thomas took first place in the inaugural Amateur Athletic Union National Championship beach volleyball tournament at San Pedro.

Naulls and Thomas defeated Summer Arnado and Silvia Zambon, 15-11, in the 18-year-old and under division.

Naulls, 14, is the daughter of former UCLA basketball standout Willie Naulls. Her sisters Lisa, 29, and Shannon, 24, were All-Southern Section volleyball players at Marymount and Brentwood, respectively.

Jonah Naulls, 20, Malaika’s brother, played basketball at Beverly Hills and UCLA.

Dana Haddad and Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report.