HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ‘94-’95 : Northwest Valley Conference : North Valley League

Birmingham

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 9-11 6-6 4th

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Alan Bennett 6th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Scott James G 5-10 Sr. Scott LE Winter G 5-10 Sr. Jamal Marks F/G 6-1 Sr. Mark Ellis F 6-0 Sr. Ilya Kurnits G/F 5-10 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Dan Petrovic C 6-4 Sr. David Redmond C/F 6-5 So. Mark Agajanian C 6-10 Sr.

OUTLOOK

The Braves’ back court is solid, with returning starters James (12 ppg) and LE Winter (8 ppg), who should carry the team in its first season since moving from the Valley Pac-8 Conference. Birmingham has good size in Petrovic and Redmond. Agajanian played sparingly last season but is improving and should see some action. Marks, Ellis and Kurnits give the team a solid senior nucleus.

El Camino Real

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 5-9 0-6 4th

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Neils Ludlow 3rd

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Marvin Jones F/G 6-0 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Jermel Jones F 6-2 Jr. Mike Lew C 6-5 Sr. Cameron Henderson C 6-4 Jr. Roderick Crow F 6-1 Jr. Ofilio Guttierrez G 5-10 Sr. Jason Johnson G 5-9 Sr. Byron Carnes G 5-10 Jr.

OUTLOOK

The Conquistadores don’t yet have their gym--earthquake repairs are still under way--but Ludlow hopes it will be ready by Jan. 1. His team? That’s another question, because Marvin Jones is the only returning player. Henderson should be good and Guttierrez was a big scorer for the junior varsity last season. Taylor moved to the area from Georgia.

Granada Hills

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 6-11 2-4 3rd

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Lou Cicciari 2nd

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR William Ruffin F 6-4 Sr. Ernest Quinley F 6-3 Jr. Chad Hess F 6-2 Sr. Matt Stolze G 6-2 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Ricky Thomas G 6-2 Sr. Jason Ascencio G 6-1 Jr. Jimar Wilson G 5-8 Sr. Tony Lewis G 6-2 Jr. Josh Smith F 6-1 Sr.

OUTLOOK

Ruffin and Quinley are the team’s top players. Ruffin probably will start at center, though Cicciari has experimented with the versatile player at point guard. Quinley is a post player and does his damage around the basket. Thomas is a transfer from Kennedy, Lewis a transfer from Dorsey. The Highlanders lost Marlon Black (6-6, 230 pounds), who has moved to Bakersfield.

San Fernando

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 9-12 3-3 2nd

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Mick Cady 1st

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Larry Logan G 5-11 Jr. Marty Trinidad F 6-2 Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Dawayne Lucas G 5-10 Jr. Tehran Price F 6-3 Sr. James McCray G 5-11 Jr. Miguel Mancilla G 6-0 Jr. Richard Barrios G 5-11 Sr.

OUTLOOK

Cady, the former Notre Dame High coach, is back after a year layoff from coaching and has a team with hardly any varsity experience or size, but good athleticism and quickness. “I’d rather have a quick team than a big, slow team,” Cady said. “I think high school big guys are overrated.” Lucas and Trinidad likely will post decent numbers. Logan was the quarterback on the Tigers’ football team.

West Valley League

Chatsworth

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 13-8 5-1 1st

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Bill Whiting 1st

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Eddie Miller F/C 6-7 Jr. Jerome Joseph G 5-11 Jr. Tariq Hill G/F 6-3 Sr. T.J. McCoy G/F 6-2 Jr. Lee Larsen F 6-4 Sr. Darrell Mitchell G 5-11 Sr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Daryl Lewis G 5-6 Sr. Langston Wallace G 5-10 Sr.

OUTLOOK

Whiting, former coach at Eagle Rock and an assistant at Occidental College the past three seasons, takes over a team with potential--embodied in Miller. “When he learns to work consistently, he’ll be a world-beater,” Whiting said. Joseph is an excellent point guard, and Hill is a swingman who can score in bunches. Wallace is a transfer from Kennedy.

Cleveland

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 14-9 4-2 2nd

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Kevin Crider 12th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Junior Brignac F 6-3 Jr. Rasheen Smith G 5-11 Sr. Eric Bible F 6-0 Sr. Frankie Henry G 6-4 Sr. Donald Holt F 6-5 So. Darryl Smith C 6-6 So.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Tony Hoggatts G 6-5 Jr. Rasool Raheem C 6-5 Sr. Marcus Baldwin G 6-2 Jr. Dwayne Winrow G 6-1 Sr.

OUTLOOK

Crider faces many more questions than answers. The Cavaliers are loaded with size and ability--but several players’ academic eligibility is in question. After sitting out of school for a year while trying to transfer, former Faith Baptist star Hoggatts is back. Transfers include Raheem from Fairfax, Baldwin from Washington and Winrow from Kennedy.

Kennedy

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 7-11 2-4 4th

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Yutaka Shimizu 12th

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Tre Scott G 5-8 Sr. Dante Jones G 5-10 Sr. Jelani Janisse G 6-2 Sr. Nakia Gordan C/F 6-2 Sr. Keith Brydon C/F 6-3 1/2 Sr. Marque Wilburn G 5-11 Sr. Aki Kawamata G 5-8 Sr. Steve Osgood C 6-4 Sr. Andrew Urdvarnoki F/G 6-2 Jr.

OUTLOOK

Kennedy’s strength is balance and experience--nine players return from last season’s team, including all five starters. averaged 15.3 points a game and was all-league. The Golden Cougars are quick and will go with a three-guard lineup, likely Scott, Jones and Janisse.

Taft

1993-94 OVERALL LEAGUE PLACE 12-8 3-3 3rd

COACH YR. AT SCHOOL Mark Drucker 1st

TOP RETURNEES POS HT YR Miles Blake G 6-2 Sr. Alton Arrington F 6-2 Sr. Maurice Harris F 6-3 Sr. Ron Campbell F 6-1 Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS POS HT YR Colin Jamerson G 6-2 Sr. Ricky James G 5-9 Sr. Adam Davenport F 6-1 Jr. Danny Modaberpour G 5-8 Jr.

OUTLOOK

Drucker, the girls’ coach last season, switched jobs with longtime boys’ Coach Jim Woodard. Taft is undersized and inexperienced, but Drucker said they can shoot well. Blake, the only player who played regularly last season, has great shooting range, as does Jamerson, the junior varsity’s most valuable player.

Kennedy Cosgrove, Jeff Fletcher, Dana Haddad, Vince Kowalick and Michael Lazarus contributed to these capsules.