COLLEGE BASKETBALL ‘94-’95 / SMALL COLLEGE MEN’S PREVIEW : Postseason Play Aside, Chapman Still Wants to Improve

Before playing a game this season, the Chapman men’s basketball team was eliminated from contention for an NCAA Division III playoff spot.

No, the Panthers haven’t been caught leasing cars for players or scalping tickets--remember, this is the purest level of college athletics--but the NCAA has ruled Chapman ineligible for the postseason because it didn’t play a Division II schedule last year.

It seems the 1993-94 Panthers, who were still technically a Division II program despite not having a player on athletic scholarship, needed to play at least half of their games against other Division II teams.

Coach Mike Bokosky knew the rule and scheduled mostly Division III teams anyway. It was a matter of mercy. In Bokosky’s first year, Chapman played in the Division II California Collegiate Athletic Assn. and finished 4-10, 7-19 overall.

Last year against mostly Division III teams, Chapman finished 17-8, the program’s first winning season since 1988-89.

Bokosky was willing to lose a shot at the playoffs this year to have a successful season last year. The players gained confidence and it would have been a gamble last year to assume the 1994-95 team would be good enough to qualify for the playoffs if eligible.

“Throw the dice, for what? I didn’t even have enough money to bet,” Bokosky said.

“We don’t have three seasons like most teams--the preseason, the conference season and the hope for postseason play.

“We have one season.

“Our guys are disappointed of course but I don’t think people are going to decide to come here because of the lure of the NCAA tournament. It would be a nice bonus.”

A closer look at local teams:

CHAPMAN

1993-94: 17-8

With a solid returning nucleus in Stefan Mumaw, a 6-foot-8 center, Edgar Diaz, a 6-6 forward, swingman Toby Curto and guards Adam Dzierzynski and Anthony Gonzalez and a strong recruiting class, Bokosky believes this team has the potential to be better than last year.

The Panthers absorbed a blow when Umahl Anderson, who averaged 10 points last season, injured his knee in a pickup game this fall. Anderson had reconstructive surgery and is a redshirt this season.

But leading scorer and rebounder Mumaw (15.7 points, nine rebounds) is excited about his senior season, mostly because of how fast sophomore point guard Dzierzynski is pushing the pace.

“He absolutely will not walk the ball up the court ever,” Mumaw said. “He’s going to push it and push it and push it, and the other teams are just going to die.”

New Panthers who should contribute are Greg Vanden Ordel, a 6-9 center who played for Fountain Valley High and Golden West College; Corey Klinke, a 6-7 forward who played at Trabuco Hills, Rancho Santiago and was a redshirt last season at San Diego State; Jim Falletta, 6-5 from Troy High and Cypress College, Jeff Reeves, a guard who played for Southern California College and Mira Costa, and Ramin Bastani, a first-team, All-Sea View League guard from Corona del Mar High.

CONCORDIA

1993-94: 17-14, 5-7 in the Golden State Athletic Conference

Coach Greg Marshall returns for his fifth season with the Eagles, who finished in a three-way tie for fourth last season. With only one starter--leading scorer Craig Martin (16.1 points)--and one other player who received significant playing time--Tim Morris, a 6-8 forward--returning, Marshall needs some immediate help and he thinks he has found it.

“We just need to fit together,” Marshall said. “We were picked fifth in the conference coaches poll and we are working really hard to improve on that.”

Inside, Pharoh Jones, who averaged 19.8 points for Los Angeles Southwest, is 6-4 and 226 pounds and Jeff Putnam, from Phoenix College, is 6-7. Guard Tarik James, also from Phoenix College, averaged 15 points.

Danny Barajas, a first-team All-Southern California Conference selection at East Los Angeles College, will probably start at point guard after he recovers from an injured hand. Sam Sabbara, from Western High, Cypress College and UC Riverside, and Kevin Christian, a freshman from Bellflower St. John Bosco, are also strong additions.

PACIFIC CHRISTIAN

1993-94: 25-14, 10-1 in the California Coastal Conference

The Royals lost in the title game of the National Christian College Athletic Assn. Division II tournament last season; this time they might have the team to win.

Two-time NCCAA All-American Charles Ross returns for his senior season. Ross, a 6-3 guard/forward, has averaged 32 points and 15.5 rebounds in the last two seasons. Chuck Henderson, a 6-4 honorable-mention All-American who averaged 18 points also is back, but seniors Eric Bajus and Ruxton Schmietenknop aren’t, each deciding he needed to work instead.

Coach Lee Erickson has added three freshmen who will play a lot: Mike Schanzenbach, a 6-4 forward from Sacramento Foothill, the Division III State champion; Paul English, 6-3, from Phoenix and Dan Shields, 6-2, from Seattle.

Stephen Tillett, a 6-2 guard from Fresno College, should also help. Steve Siefken, who transferred from Cypress last season, is the Royals’ most improved player and is starting at point guard.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE

1993-94: 14-17, 3-9 in the Golden State Athletic Conference

The Vanguards were decimated by injuries last season and posted a losing season for the first time in Coach Bill Reynolds’ 12 seasons at the school.

Reynolds got some help by bringing in Chris Kostoff, a long-range shooter from Capistrano Valley High, Irvine Valley College and University of San Diego; Chauncey Woolridge, a 6-5 forward from Santa Ana High, Cal State Fullerton and Orange Coast; Mike Guevara, a point guard from Santa Margarita High and Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) College, and Kevin Carlson, a 6-5 forward from Katella High and Fullerton College.

Medical redshirts Mike Ruble, a 6-8 center, and guard Jon Naro also return and Mike Weitala, a 6-9 transfer from Christian Heritage, will become eligible in January.

But Reynolds worries that other conference teams might have improve more than the Vanguards and that the coaches who picked SCC to finish last in the conference again might know what they’re talking about.

“It’s going to be a real challenge to improve our league standing a lot, but I think we will have a better ball club,” Reynolds said.