Many Changes Are in Store

Here we go again with the annual list of Who’s Who in Orange County boys’ basketball . . . or should we say, Who’s Where?

Each season it seems as though more players transfer.

Savanna’s 6-2 guard Monroe Moore took his game to Los Alamitos over the summer.

Promising 6-3 sophomore guard Nathan Hair of Ocean View apparently got tired of the daily commute to Huntington Beach and is now closer to home at Aliso Niguel.

Huntington Beach has 6-6 center John Davidson, who used to live in Lake Havasu.

Andy Mogensen, a 6-3 guard, has enrolled at Brea Olinda. He played at Arroyo Grande last year.

Travis Lane, a 6-3 forward, has moved from Pennsylvania to attend Valencia.

Tustin was enriched by the international market with the additions of Belgian exchange student Eric Brismee, a 6-5 guard, and Carlos Lua, a 6-1 guard, from Mexico. But the Tillers lost 6-1 guard Ryan Newby to Foothill.

David Williams, a 6-5 all-league selection at Garden Grove, is now at Calvary Chapel.

Alex Toland, a 6-foot guard who did not play basketball last season, has moved from Santa Ana Valley to Saddleback.

Hawaiian Junior Finai, a 6-4 swingman, landed on the mainland at Westminster.

West Torrance 6-4 junior varsity player Justin Miller is now at Brethren Christian.

El Dorado got sophomores Andrew McMillan, a forward, from Troy and Shane Miyamoto, a guard, from Esperanza.

Matt Erickson, a 6-4 swingman, also left Esperanza for Orange Lutheran.

Guard Lamar Holloway might start at Bolsa Grande for new Coach Mike Anderson after transferring from San Gabriel Gabrielino.

Kennedy landed Tony Jimmerson, a 6-4 sophomore, from Palm Springs.

El Modena could benefit from Mater Dei transfer Nick Soderstrom, a 6-5 prospect. Another former Monarch, Selwyn Mansell, is at Estancia.

Former Servite guard Peter Martinelli will share time with his new teammates at Woodbridge feeding the Chris Burgess scoring machine.

Ryan Webster, a 6-3 guard, left Santa Margarita for Trabuco Hills. The Mustangs also rounded up Jerome Lewis, a 6-2 guard from Michigan.

Ben Shaffer, a 6-2 forward, moved up the coast from Laguna Beach to Corona del Mar, while the Sea Kings also reeled in 6-foot guard Scott Muckley from Manhattan Beach Mira Costa.

Former Edison forward John Fudge (6-5) has moved to Irvine.

Sunny Hills found a bright performer in 6-5 Jim Findlater, who averaged 15 points a game at Heritage Christian.

Jerry Bolton, a 6-3 guard, moved from Memphis to Mission Viejo.

Brazilian exchange student Huber Souza has come to Dana Hills, as has Santa Ana Valley transfer Larry Page, a 6-2 guard. But Brian Sternberg left Dana Hills for St. Margaret’s, as did San Clemente’s Dave King.

Jeff Postlmayer came to Capistrano Valley Christian from El Toro.

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A few months ago this looked like a done deal, but now, according to Southern Section Commissioner Dean Crowley, the issue of whether California will become the first state in the nation to use a shot clock for boys’ basketball is still undecided.

The North Coast and Central Coast sections wanted to use 35-second clocks when the basketball season opened Monday and tried to push the issue to a vote at the October meeting of the State Federation Council in Irvine. But strong objection by the Southern and Sac-Joaquin sections helped delay action until the council meets in late January or early February.

Since then, according to Crowley, the debate has become complicated because clock proponents have split into several camps. Some believe clocks at boys’ games should be standardized with girls’ basketball clocks, which have been set at 30 seconds for years. Others want 35 seconds for boys, because it corresponds with college basketball games. There’s a third group that favors a clock, but wants it set at more than 35 seconds.

The Southern Section cited increased costs associated with buying new hardware as one of its main reasons for fighting the measure

“A lot of those 30-second shot clocks for girls were purchased 12 or 15 years ago,” Crowley said. “There’s a real question as to whether they can be reset to 35 seconds. If not, new equipment would have to be purchased.”

Other possible problems cited by the section include potential difficulties in recruiting and training new timers and implementation of new training for referees.

However, Crowley admitted, reaction to a clock for boys’ games has been generally positive. He pointed to a recent study he conducted in which a majority of Southern Section basketball coaches are for it.

“The fans come to see the game go up and down,” Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight said. “It will make for more scoring.”

But even among coaches, there was division as to how much time should be put on the clock.

Tom Gorrell of Cypress, The Times Orange County boys’ basketball coach of the year last season, said he supports a shot clock. “I’m for bringing it in line with college, but I prefer a 45-second clock.”

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He’s only a sophomore, but 6-3 guard Marqui Worthy already has displayed some of the moves that his uncle, former Laker guard James Worthy, made famous.

A sixth man for Sonora last season, Worthy impressed Raider Coach Mike Murphy with an array of one-handed dunks.

“It looked just like James Worthy in that famous Laker pose of his, where he jumped above the rim from the free-throw line with the ball extended in one hand and he just dunked it,” Murphy said.

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Several coaches are within reach of personal milestones.

Irvine’s Steve Keith needs six victories to get to 350. He has 150 in eight years at Irvine.

Fred Walin needs four victories to reach 300. He has been at Magnolia 23 seasons and coached in Colorado from 1961 to 1969.

Not to be outdone, Brea Olinda’s Gene Lloyd is expected to get the 15 victories he needs to reach 300. He has been on the job 16 seasons.

Here’s a rundown on the century mark:

Jerry DeBusk of Santa Margarita needs two victories to reach 100.

Greg Coombs needs four more to reach No. 100 at Century.

Troy’s T.J. Hardeman needs four victories to reach 100.

Andy Ground of Tustin is five victories short of 100 in his four-year career.

Dave Brown needs seven victories to reach 100.

Ed Matillo of Buena Park needs 10 victories to reach 100.

Eric Hamamoto of Rancho Alamitos needs 11 victories for No. 100. Brett Fleming of Laguna Beach needs 19 to get to 100.

And, finally, a 33-victory season, which isn’t out of reach with the kind of team he has, would earn Woodbridge’s John Halagan his 100th career victory.