Freshman Braxton Is Ayres’ Long-Range Development Project

The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team is filled with young players this season, including eight freshmen.

Coach Debbie Ayres is hopeful they’ll develop as the season goes along, although she already knows it’s not going to happen overnight.

One freshman, 6-foot center Dee Braxton, is even less experienced than the others.

An illness prevented her from playing as a junior at Downey Calvary Chapel High and limited her to half the season as a senior, even though she averaged almost 27 points. Ayres is especially optimistic about her long-range potential.

“I look at her as a real diamond in the rough right now,” Ayres said. “It’s just going to be a matter of time before she becomes a fine player for us.”

Braxton developed a thyroid problem, known as Graves’ disease, during her junior year in high school.

“I seemed to be tired all the time, and my aunt noticed my throat being swollen at a family gathering, and said something about it,” Braxton said. “I went to the doctor and he was concerned about me continuing to play at that stage since the thyroid gland is one of the glands that regulates the heart.”

Initially, the doctor tried to treat the problem with medication, she said, but later decided either surgery or a special treatment to eliminate the affected gland was needed.

“I chose the medication treatment, which involved taking a radioactive iodine pill,” she said. “I had to take two of the pills only once, but because of the kind of pill it was, I couldn’t go to school for two weeks. I guess they thought it might have exposed other people to it.”

The special treatment worked, and Braxton was able to return to the basketball court.

“I’m happy that it has worked out fine, and I’m able to be back playing again,” Braxton said. “I really love the game.”

Ayres was impressed with Braxton when she saw her at the first Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball camp four years ago.

“It was obvious to us then that she had a lot of potential,” Ayres said. “You could tell right away she had a lot of natural athletic ability.”

An older brother played football at UCLA.

Ayres said she hesitated about signing Braxton at first.

“We didn’t feel comfortable about signing her in the early signing period because we hadn’t had a chance to see her play, but we decided later that she definitely was worth the chance,” Ayres said.

Ayres hopes that decision will be a good one in the long run.

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Eddie Soto, who set several school scoring records last season, is working out regularly and hoping to play in the Major Soccer League, which is scheduled to start next spring.

Soto said he considered playing last season in the Continental Indoor Soccer League but decided against it.

“I’ve really never liked the indoor game that much,” Soto said. “And I didn’t want to be classified as an indoor player.”

Soto said the Splash showed some interest in him, but he decided to play outdoors for the Salsa last summer.

“I haven’t received an invitation to try out with any of the new teams yet, but I expect to have that opportunity, and I wanted to be ready for it when the time comes,” he said.

Soto, who graduated in May, said he has been working out while helping in his father’s garment manufacturing business.

“There’s going to be an open tryout for the new L.A. team in December, but I’ll probably just wait for the camp the new league is having in January,” he said. “All the coaches will be there for that, and I expect to be invited.”

Soto set school records for career and season goals and points in 1994.

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The recent surgery on gymnast Alexis Lott’s injured knee went well, according to Coach Lynn Rogers. That encouraged Rogers that Lott will be able to make a strong comeback in the 1996-97 season.

“She’s already walking around with no braces and no crutches,” Rogers said. “There was less damage than what we had anticipated. The medial collateral ligament wasn’t torn, and that was really good news. We just have to hope now that she can continue to rebound well.”

Lott, a junior who was co-gymnast of the year in the Big West Conference last season, will retain two years of eligibility.

Lott was injured in October in a workout on the uneven bars. She was the conference individual champion in the event.