MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW / CAL LUTHERAN : Rider Plans to Go Deep

Is there life after Mike Dunlap?

The Cal Lutheran men’s basketball team will be searching for the answer tonight when the Kingsmen open their season against UC Santa Cruz in the Menlo College tournament.

Dunlap compiled an 80-55 record during his five seasons at Cal Lutheran before taking a head-coaching position with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League.

During Dunlap’s final season at the helm, the Kingsmen (25-3) had a school-record 15-game winning streak, won a share of their third consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Still, first-year Coach Rich Rider says he feels no pressure to match those accomplishments.

“I’m not worried about that,” he said. “We just want to be the best we can be with the players we have.”

Although 6-foot-4 forward Derrick Clark (15.9 points per game, 7.6 rebounds), 6-6 center Paul LaMott (6.7, 4.0) and 5-9 point guard Dave Ulloa (9.3, 4.3 assists) are returning starters, the Kingsmen have lost the other four members from last season’s seven-man rotation.

Guards Damon Ridley (20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds), the SCIAC player of the year, and Paul Tapp (12.5 points) used up their eligibility last season. Forward Rupert Sapwell (13.1, 7.0) had another year of eligibility remaining, but chose to return to his native Australia after completing his requirements for a bachelor of arts degree. Swingman Jason Smith (9.0, 4.7) has transferred to Westmont.

Despite those losses, depth could be Cal Lutheran’s greatest asset this season.

The Kingsmen have 13 players on their roster and Rider won’t be surprised if each gets plenty of playing time during the first five or six contests.

“We’re going to go with at least a 10-man rotation and maybe more than that,” Rider said. “We can go small or we can go big, depending on what the situation calls for.”

Mike Fenton, a 6-6 senior forward, and Mark Heerema, a 6-2 junior guard, saw limited playing time last season, but are expected to join seniors Clark and LaMott, and junior Ulloa in the starting lineup.

John Pletsch, a 6-8 senior center-forward, Nick Athanassakis, a 6-6 junior forward from Glendale College, and Christian Dunbar, a 6-foot junior guard, head the list of reserves.

Pletsch, a 1990 graduate of Antelope Valley High, is the most-improved player on the team, according to Rider.

“It’s nice when you can say that about a guy who’s 6-8,” he said. “Normally, it’s the 5-5 point guard who’s shown the most improvement.”

Cal Lutheran will play its home opener against UC Santa Cruz--the second of three games against the Banana Slugs this season--on Nov. 26 and begins SCIAC play at home against Redlands on Jan. 11.