Buena Park’s Okoro Thrust Into the Spotlight

He is just 16 years old, a senior who never touched a basketball before high school, but Buena Park’s 6-foot-7 center Matt Okoro, was a topic of conversation Sunday during the annual release of playoff pairings at Cerritos Gahr High near the Southern Section office.

Okoro, who led the county in rebounding, is a sleeper, according to Foothill Coach Bob Thate, who compared him to former Long Beach State power forward Bryon Russell, now with the Utah Jazz.

“If somebody gets him in and works with him he’ll be a great player by the time he is a junior,” said Thate, a 49er assistant when Russell was at Long Beach.

Okoro started on the Coyotes’ freshman team when he was only 5 feet 9. But by his junior year he had grown tremendously, Coyote Coach Ed Matillo said. Because he moved into a foster home midway through last season, however, he hasn’t participated on travel teams like other top players in the county, Matillo said.

Most college coaches are just learning about him. Okoro has scheduled an official visit to UC Irvine and is also interested in UC Santa Barbara. He’s also considering an appointment to the Air Force Academy or to Annapolis, Matillo said. But he’d really like to stay closer to three younger siblings who live with a him in a Westminster foster home. As the oldest child, the other children look up to Okoro, Matillo said.

“He’ll be the first one in his family to go to college, a real role model,” Matillo said. “He’s a great kid. I think he’s still growing, He has size 19 feet, and by the time he catches up in age to other players in college he could be something.”

Buena Park (19-7) opens the Southern Section Division II-AA playoffs Friday at West Torrance (18-8).

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While the winter sports crank up their postseason--boys’ and girls’ soccer playoff pairings are announced today--the spring sports begin practice this week.

But at Newport Harbor, the gym might be half empty for boys’ volleyball Coach Dan Glenn.

That’s because four of his starters and two reserves from a team that should be one of the section’s best, are helping the Sailors through one of the school’s most successful basketball seasons.

Newport Harbor was ranked fifth in the Southern Section Division II-AA boys’ basketball poll last week and the Sailors hope to venture deep into the playoffs.

And that doesn’t bother Glenn one bit.

“I want them to go win CIF,” Glenn said. “I don’t even want them thinking about volleyball right now.”

Matt Jameson, Newport Harbor’s starting point guard, is also a starting outside hitter for the volleyball team. Volleyball starters Billy Clayton, Adam Hearlson and Alan Limon also play key roles for the basketball team.

Dustin Illingworth, the basketball team’s top rebounder, and John Vallejo, should also contribute to the volleyball team.

Glenn would love to see the Sailors reach the state basketball tournament, which could overlap two weeks into volleyball season. Newport Harbor’s volleyball team opens March 6 against Huntington Beach.

“That’s all right,” Glenn said. “We just want to be playing well by the end of the season.”

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Since Southern Section commissioner Dean Crowley resigned last week, a former commissioner offered some insight on what the section would look for in a potential successor.

Former Esperanza principal and former Southern Section commissioner Ray Plutko, now principal at Martin Luther King Jr. High in Riverside which opens in September, said there is much more to the job than it appears.

“Only a handful of people really understand all the aspects of what that job entails,” Plutko said. “Until I sat in that chair, I didn’t see everything.

“Because of familiarity with the section, it will be easier for a replacement to come from within.”

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Laguna Hills Athletic Director Dave Brown said Crowley’s resignation caught him “very much by surprise.”

Brown noted that Crowley helped the section economically as the section basketball championships grew along with its involvement in corporate sponsorship.

“He brought CIF into this new age of hi-tech and marketing,” said Brown, who is also the school’s boys’ basketball coach. “His job is a no-win situation in a lot of ways, but he always did what was best for the entire section.”

Plutko added that Crowley’s diverse background was one of the many reasons he was a good fit for the job.

Crowley has been a teacher, coach, athletic director and assistant principal. He officiated collegiate and high school basketball and football and also worked as a baseball umpire. He was also the section’s associate commissioner for 18 years.

“And he had an ability to interact with athletic directors, principals, anyone, in a personal way,” Plutko said. “Everyone knew he was approachable.”

So was Plutko approached about returning?

“I have no desire to do that again,” Plutko said. “I’ve always wanted to start a new high school, so this is kind of my dream.”

Michael Itagaki contributed to this story.