1995-96 BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW : SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

CAPISTRANO VALLEY: 15-12, 4-6 in 1994-95. Coach: Mark Thornton (15th year, 308-95). Prospects: Starters Randy Shepard, a 6-3 guard who averaged 11 points; Dan Galvanoni, a 6-2 guard; Brad Thornton, a 6-5 forward who averaged 10.4 points, and 5-11 guard Greg Demmelmaier return. Thornton and Demmelmaier missed the latter part of last season because of broken legs. Also back are Ryan Thurlow, a 6-3 forward, and John DiCorpo, a 5-11 guard. Three players 6-4 or taller are coming up from the junior varsity. Then there is Austin Moherman, a transfer from Mission Viejo who was a first-team all-league selection as a junior and the Diablos’ leading scorer and rebounder who is sure to fit in, as he did on the football team, somewhere.

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DANA HILLS: 12-14, 4-6 in 1994-95. Coach: Bryan McSweeney (second year, 12-14). Prospects: The Dolphins have a refurbished gym and lofty goals. McSweeney wants nothing less than a perfect season. That order falls on guard Mike Hutchens, swingman Jeff Barnett and forward Josh Boswer, the three returning starters. Hutchens averaged nearly 10 points, while Barnett scored 11 and added seven rebounds, and Bowser averaged six points and 7.5 rebounds. There’s a half-dozen players up from the junior varsity who are also seeking playing time.

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MATER DEI: 36-1, 10-0 in 1994-95. Coach: Gary McKnight (14th year, 388-30). Prospects: Shea Cotton is at Bellflower St. John Bosco, so only one starter, Kevin Augustine, returns. Still, the Monarchs should win the league title and be in the running for playoff championships. Augustine is one of the top point guards in the county. Mike Vukovich, a solid 6-9 1/2 post player, dislocated his knee in practice last week and could be out three weeks. The supporting cast includes wing Tom Lippold and guard David Castleton, who is recovering from a should separation suffered in football. The Monarchs have won 49 consecutive league games, 30 in the South Coast League.

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MISSION VIEJO: 16-11, 5-5 in 1994-95. Coach: Joe Reid (second year, 27-26). Prospects: The Diablos may miss Moherman, now at Capistrano Valley, but they’re not hurting for talent. Two starters return, a handful of good underclassmen are on hand and a foreign exchange student--Soren Hansen, 6-8, from Denmark--could make this a top-10 team. Don Williams, a 6-7 forward who averaged 8.5 points and 10 rebounds returns, as does Commander King, a 6-3 swing who put up 6.5 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Competing for starting roles are Gabe Burt (6-5), Andrew Miller (6-6), Baron Finneran (6-3) and Christian Ruiz (5-9).

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SAN CLEMENTE: 9-17, 0-10 in 1994-95. Coach: Ed Coyle (third year, 21-29). Prospects: After an injury-riddled 1994-95 season, the Tritons had a great summer, going 19-6. Six players with ample experience return, led by Greg Harlan, a 5-8 senior point guard who was a part time starter last season. Semaj Johnson, a 6-2 sophomore guard, Ian Tatala, a 6-6 junior post player and Eli Engle, a 6-3 senior guard, are also back. Jeff Perry, a 6-7 forward and Adam Fischer, a 6-4 forward, add height. Scott Harlan and Rick Saul are a couple of guards up from the JV.

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TRABUCO HILLS: 19-10, 7-3 in 1994-95. Coach: Rainer Wulf (ninth year, 150-74). Prospects: Back are starters Nick Punto, a 5-11 guard, and Brenton Junge, a 6-5 forward. Punto averaged 12.3 points. Four transfers--Mike Commins (El Toro), Kevin Troy (Centennial Corona), Mile McClain (Illinois) and Chris Majors (Santa Margarita)--figure into the mix with Dan Mertins, coming up from the junior varsity. But with all the new faces, balance could be a problem.