Hernandez Constantly Seeking Right Formula

Irvine Valley men’s basketball Coach Jerry Hernandez is consumed by two things as he walks along his bench.

First, Hernandez is instructing his players in the game.

But he’s also scanning his bench for the combination of players who will perform well enough to keep the Lasers in first place.

Irvine Valley is the deepest team in the Orange Empire Conference, but the Lasers are without a standout offensive leader.

Robert Griffin, a sophomore guard, leads in scoring at 12 points per game--16th in the Orange Empire Conference. Matt Houser, a sophomore forward, is averaging 11.6 points and Damian Raibon 11.

Such balance keeps teams from concentrating too much defensive effort on one player but also leaves Hernandez wondering who should get the ball in the closing seconds.

“With this group,” Hernandez said, “I have to figure out who’s clicking. Everyone says we have such great balance, but we also have to determine who’s playing well.”

Last season, Irvine Valley relied heavily on sophomore forward Daryl Todd, who averaged 20 points and was the conference’s most valuable player. Sophomores Brandon Hearvey and J.C. Timmons also made the all-conference team.

“Sometimes Daryl would just win a game on his own,” Hernandez said. “But we always counted on Daryl, Brandon or J.C. to get it done. It’s much different this season.”

Five players have been the leading scorer in the first eight conference games this season; Irvine Valley is 6-2.

The Lasers hold a one-game lead over Fullerton, Santa Ana and Saddleback, which are tied for second. There are six games left in the regular season.

The Lasers beat Saddleback, 75-50, Friday, host Santa Ana Wednesday and visit Fullerton Friday.

“I told my wife before the season that everybody was picking us, but that we could finish anywhere from first to fifth,” Hernandez said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever finished a game with the same combination I started with.”