ORANGE LEAGUE

Anaheim. 9-12, 2-8, in 1996-97. Coach: Marco Castellanos (fourth year, 15-54). The Colonists lack size--their biggest player is 6 feet 2--but their defense and shooting are strengths. The bulk of the scoring is expected to be handled by returning senior guards Tru Nguyen (5-10) and Shu Todoroki (5-8), two first-team all-league choices. Nguyen averaged 18.7 points last season and Todoroki averaged eight points and 9.4 assists. Guards Rommell Figueroa, a 5-9 junior, and Eric Zambrano, a 5-11 guard, also return. Jelani Parham, a 6-2 junior, will be the team’s tallest post player. Jesus Saucedo, a 6-0 guard, might wind up on the front line, along with 5-10 senior guard Joe Smith.

Brea Olinda. 26-4, 10-0 in 1996-97. Coach: Gene Lloyd (17th year, 309-129). Lloyd is hinting that this might be his last season and it should be a dandy. Three starters are back, including 5-10 senior point guard Chris McMillian, a second-team all-county choice. Seniors Reid Carlson, a 6-3 guard, and Rasuli Webster, a 6-3 swingman, were all-league selections on last year’s league champion and Southern Section Division II-AA quarterfinalist. Lloyd has eight newcomers, including sophomore transfer Mike Davern, a 6-2 swingman who was All-Freeway League for Fullerton, and Deonta Birdsong, a 5-10 junior point guard from Long Beach Poly.

Magnolia. 16-11, 5-5 in 1996-97. Coach: Al Walin (24th, 310-339). The Sentinels figure into the county top 10 after a strong summer in which they went 27-4 and won two tournaments. Zamiro Bennem, a 6-3 left-handed point guard who averaged 15 points last season, is being courted by a dozen Division I colleges. Other starters back are senior wings Paul Cabico and Erik McGhee. Senior Anthony Zaragoza, a 6-5 forward who is the quarterback on the football team, plans to come out for the team, as does football teammate, Asi Faoa, a 6-4 junior center/forward.

Savanna. 6-19, 3-7 in 1996-97. Coach: James Honell (first year). William King, 6-0 senior forward, and Mark Watanabe, a 5-11 junior guard, are returning starters and Honell calls his team the dark horse in the league race. “With only three returning lettermen, the Rebels look to improve on last year’s performance,” Honell said. He is concerned about an overall lack of height. Senior forward Mark Watson, last year’s sixth-man, is 6-4. He averaged four points and four rebounds.

Valencia. 18-9, 8-2 in 1996-97. Coach: Dean Yoshimura (fifth year, 57-49). Rich Reynoza, a 6-1 forward who averaged 7.9 points, is the only returning starter, prompting Yoshimura to bluntly say that the team is “too small, lacks aggressiveness, has no leadership and plays soft.” Mike McCowan, a 6-0 senior forward, and Danny Ortega, a 5-9 senior guard, also return. Newcomers from the lower levels include 5-9 freshman guard Chris Bales, 6-0 senior guard Dalen DeMary, 5-11 sophomore guard Eric Dixon, 6-4 junior forward Cesar Gutierrez, 5-9 junior Corell Hollins and 5-7 freshman Emmanuel Ortega.

Western. 6-20, 2-8 in 1996-97. Coach: Conrad Byars (fourth year, 27-49). Despite returning four seniors, including three starters, Western is “young and inexperienced,” Byars said, because the team has 10 sophomores on the roster. He plans an up-tempo, guard-oriented offense that revolves around 6-0 senior Jahan Rana and 5-7 senior Roland Pasion. At 6-4, Tom Peters is the tallest returning player, and 6-0 guard Mike Gastelum, who played in 15 games last season, also is back. Freddy Mejia, a 6-3 forward, is the only player promoted from the junior varsity team that won three games in the last two years. “We have a lot of question marks to answer by January,” Byars said.