1994-95 BOYS’ BASKETBALL / ORANGE LEAGUE : Lindemeyer Expects Better Days Ahead : Basketball: Western might just be on its way back. The senior center wants to play a key roll in the rebirth.

“Things . . . just fell apart.”

Paul Lindemeyer lets the sentence hang in midair, as if that’s the only analysis needed to explain how Western could go from Orange League champions his freshman season to last place last year, his junior season.

But that doesn’t begin to fully reveal the consternation that might be going through Lindemeyer’s mind, considering he will be playing for his third coach in four seasons--this year’s model, Conrad Byars; or that several players who left during the 1993-94 season devastated a team that lost 14 of 25 games.

The scars are sheathed in optimism for the upcoming season, one in which Lindemeyer is expected to assert himself as one of the league’s better players.

His 11-point average is expected to rise. Byars plans to give his center every opportunity to be a force. While the Pioneers have only one other returning starter--guard Richard Mackie--there is a core of juniors and seniors who’ll serve as the team’s foundation.

“We’ll use him as a main option,” Byars said of Lindemeyer. “At 6-4 in the post, he’ll be undersized, but he can use quickness and strength to get around bigger players. And we can use him on perimeter. He shoots pretty well from 17 feet in. Mackie will take pressure off him and vice versa.”

So it indeed could be a breakout year for Lindemeyer, right?

“It’ll be a challenge, but I’ve always tried to meet my challenges,” Lindemeyer said. “We have a lot of scorers, so there will be times when different people shine. We may go inside sometimes, but the team is balanced.

“To have a good year, we have to play together as a team. And I think things are looking good right now. I think we have the right chemistry. And I think we’re mature enough to understand we have to be together because for most of us this is it--our last high school year.”

They at least want to get back to the standards set in Lindemeyer’s first year, when the Pioneers dominated most of the Orange League. It will not be simple--Lindemeyer says the level of play is so balanced there will be a fine line between winning and losing. And he would like to go out a winner because he has no definite college plans.

“Right now I’m more concerned with getting my grades up,” Lindemeyer said. “I’ve gotten one letter, but I’m not really talking to anyone.”

At least he begins the year healthy. In the summer leagues, Lindemeyer was hampered by a separated left shoulder, but says he is fine now.

Byars, who spent the last 10 years at Anaheim--and who impressed enough people with a 7-17 team last season to be named league coach of the year--will get the chance to rebuild Western.

Lindemeyer likes what he has seen.

“Coach Byars challenges you in a variety of ways to get you going,” Lindemeyer said. “He won’t say, ‘If you don’t do this, you’ll sit.’ He’ll say, ‘I’d like to see you try this.’ He’ll motivate you into doing it yourself. But you still know who the boss is.”

Byars, who spent his time devising ways to stop Lindemeyer when he coached at Anaheim, also said he has been impressed with what he has seen.

“He created all kinds of problems because he’s big and strong,” Byars said. “I’ve also discovered he has a real good work ethic. For a young man with three coaches in four years, he is a coachable player. We will do some things differently than last year, and he is trying hard.”

Just as much as Lindemeyer is trying to forget how--and why--things “fell apart” last season.

1993-94 / IN REVIEW

Standings

League Overall School W L W L Magnolia 8 2 19 8 Valencia 8 2 14 11 Savanna 7 3 15 12 Anaheim 3 7 7 17 Western 2 8 11 14 Brea-Olinda 2 8 6 19

Highlights

Magnolia and Valencia tied for the league title. Valencia’s performance was a surprise under then first-year Coach Dean Yoshimura. Eight of Valencia’s 14 regular-season victories came in league play. The other Orange League playoff representative was Savanna, which advanced to the Division III-AA semifinals before losing to Santa Margarita, 82-59. Magnolia was stopped in the second round by Servite, 66-57, and Valencia dropped a first-round game to Katella, 44-41. The other surprise was the downward turn taken by Western, winning only two of 10 league games to tie Brea-Olinda for last place. Among county statistical leaders, Magnolia’s Frank Henderson (17.4 points), Magnolia’s Brandon Hearvey (15.7) Savanna’s Todd Wilson (15.7) and Savanna’s Jermaine Moore (14.1) ranked 13th, a tie for 25th, and 44th in scoring. Hearvey (8.8) ranked 17th in rebounding. Moore (5.3) ranked 15th in assists. Hearvey (60.8%) ranked seventh and Savanna’s Dan Avila (53.8%) 21st in field goal percentage. Postseason honors were awarded Henderson, who was a second-team Southern Section Division II selection. All-league first team honorees included Henderson, Hearvey, Moore, Wilson, Anaheim’s Frank Castillo, Valencia’s Erik Jackley, Max Zamora and Jason Miele, Magnolia’s LaShaun Neal and Savanna’s Conway Nguyen. Henderson was voted player of the year, and Anaheim’s Conrad Byars coach of the year.