Winning Present is Rider’s Seasonal Wish for Kingsmen

It’s a milestone Rich Rider would have preferred to reach last season. But the Cal Lutheran coach will take it.

As a credit to his program’s stability.

As a product of his players’ dedication.

Rider, in his seventh season, became Cal Lutheran’s second-winningest basketball coach when the Kingsmen defeated La Sierra last week.

Rider is 81-49, passing his predecessor, Mike Dunlap, who was 80-55 from 1989-94.

Don Bielke, who coached the Kingsmen from 1973-83, is the winningest coach with a record of 110-172.

Cal Lutheran (3-2) is trying to return to a winning mode. The Kingsmen are coming off their most disappointing season in Rider’s tenure, a 10-15 mark and seventh-place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

It was the first time in their eight seasons in the conference they didn’t finish first or second.

“We had major graduation losses [in 1998-99], the heart and soul of our team,” Rider said. “We were simply not able to replace those guys.”

Many of the players who struggled as first-year starters last season are back with greater maturity and improved skills.

Although Mike Dulaney, an All-SCAIC forward, was a senior last season, three starters return, including 6-foot-8 center Justin Muth.

Muth, a junior, averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds and made 50.8% of his shots last season. He is off to a strong start, averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.

“Muth is really coming into his own,” Rider said.

Senior guards Pastor Cuenca and Gavin Taylor also return. Cuenca is averaging 14.6 points and Taylor plays strong defense.

Danny Sweeney, a 6-3 junior who can play guard or forward, will be counted upon for scoring. Sweeney, whom Rider considers the team’s best defensive player, averaged 6.9 points as a reserve last season and made 15 of 42 three-point shots.

Freshman Charlie Kundrat has been a pleasant surprise at forward and freshman guard Victor Esquer is a three-point threat.

David Seals, a 6-8 sophomore, gained 25 pounds during the off-season and combines with Muth to make center the team’s strength.

Richard Iskenderian, a junior guard with a good shooting touch, will work into the rotation after recovering from a sprained shoulder.

“We will have very balanced scoring,” Rider said. “It’s too early to judge this team. Some of us still have name tags on. We’ll have to go right up against conference time.”

SCIAC play begins Jan. 12. Cal Lutheran will host two tournaments before then, the Lutheran Brotherhood Tournament on Dec. 29-30 and the Kingsmen Classic on Jan. 7-8.

“We have a competitive nonconference schedule that will benefit us in the long run,” Rider said. “In the short run there will be speed bumps.”