Guarded Look at Marmonte Race

Forget the talented exchange students.

Forget the prominent transfers.

Well, OK, don’t forget those high-profile elements of the Marmonte League boys’ basketball scene. But set them aside for a moment.

The real strength of a league that has never been stronger is its guards. All eight teams have at least one excellent guard, and several teams have two or three.

“The sheer number of quality guards is phenomenal,” Newbury Park High Coach Steve Johnson said.

Sure, Australian exchange student Pero Vasiljevic, a 6-foot-9 center, has made Simi Valley unbeatable so far. And Argentine exchange students Leo Espelet and Mariano It give Camarillo exceptional depth.

Yes, Jeremiah Nesbitt, a 6-8 center, transferred his 14.2 points and 5.7 rebounds of a season ago from Thousand Oaks to Westlake. And defensive specialists Scott Schnetzler and Eric Plummer make already strong Royal even better after transferring from Simi Valley.

But, oh, those guards.

“Every team has at least one nice guard and many teams will be better off with a smaller lineup, stepping up the pace,” Camarillo Coach Mike Prewitt said.

Besides It, a flashy point guard, Prewitt has three returning guards: three-sport star Joe Borchard, Jon Jordan and Jason Allen. All four are juniors. Borchard averaged 5.8 rebounds last season.

At Westlake, three-year starter Steve Aylsworth, last season’s league player of the year, is joined by Jason Gaines and Jake Stewart to give the Warriors a trio of sharpshooters. Aylsworth averaged 17.1 points and 4.4 assists last season.

At Royal, Coach Larry Wiksell believes his senior point guard, Marques Pena, is among the best players in Ventura County. Pena averaged 12.2 points and 6.0 assists last season. A top ballhandler as well as scorer, Pena also has the advantage of being surrounded by talented teammates, including 6-5 forward Ryan Nielsen.

Agoura’s Brian Laibow is a three-year starter who averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 assists last season, when the Chargers tied Westlake for the league title.

Another three-year starter is Thousand Oaks senior Mike Lauer. Demonstrative and competitive, Lauer plays a well-rounded game. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.1 assists last season.

The top-scoring guard in the league probably will be Newbury Park senior Brent Bush, who already holds the school’s single-season and career three-point shooting records. Bush set a record at the Thousand Oaks tournament last week with 22 three-point baskets.

The ideal complement to Vasiljevic is Simi Valley’s Scott Blough, a steady, mature player who seldom lets his game get out of control. Blough’s backcourt partner is junior Tony Campanario, who has been a pleasant surprise.

For sheer speed, look to Channel Islands, where Coach Gary Abraham encourages his youthful guards to run wild. Charles Merricks, a junior three-sport standout, averaged 11.9 points last season, and O.J. Thomas, a sophomore point guard, averaged 5.5 assists.

Coaches in the league enjoy talking about opposing guards nearly as much as discussing their own.

“Aylsworth, Gaines and Stewart are great guards, but I’m not sure we have a big edge there,” Westlake Coach Gary Grayson said. “Laibow and Lauer are so experienced. Pena is a great floor general. Blough is improved. Bush can shoot. Merricks and Thomas are dynamite.”

But all the guards might balance each other out, leaving centers and forwards to decide the outcome of games.

That’s where Vasiljevic, Nesbitt and Nielsen come in. Espelet, a 6-8 center, is talented but has been inconsistent. Scott Sheridan, Thousand Oaks’ 6-8 center, has shown flashes of good play but is recovering from a foot injury and will miss at least two weeks.

The wild card in the matchups is Camarillo forward Josh Hill, a 6-7 forward who is the top scorer among returning players. Hill, a hard worker and versatile player, averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Hill’s partner in the frontcourt is 6-3 Nathan Kaup, who averaged 15.8 points a game last season. If point guard It can play even with Aylsworth, Pena, Laibow, Lauer and the rest, the Scorpions will challenge for the championship.

Otherwise either Simi Valley or Royal should win the title. The emergence of forward Rod MacLean gives the Pioneers balance, something the Highlanders have shown since summer league play.

One thing is certain: No team can afford a letdown.

“Every team has the athletes to beat you unless you are playing at the top of your game,” Thousand Oaks Coach Ed Chevalier said.