When Push Comes to Shove, Stetson Is Near the Action

Rob Strickland, James Madison’s 6-foot-11, 285-pound center, tried to post up against UC Irvine in the men’s basketball game on Dec. 20. He received a two-handed shove that sent him away from the basket.

Bret Jepsen, Brigham Young’s 6-11, 250-pound center, raised his hands to ask for the ball in the key on Dec. 22. He was grabbed and thrown under the basket.

Yes, Adam Stetson, Irvine’s no-nonsense junior forward, is back.

“Those were big guys,” Stetson said. “I had to let them know they couldn’t do those things to us all night.”

Stetson’s return after recovering from a torn tendon in his left foot did not result in bushels of baskets. But there were little things--and some big shoves--that had been lacking.

Basically, the 6-7 Stetson doesn’t back down. That attitude was desperately needed on a team primarily consisting of wide-eyed freshmen.

Strickland knocked Stetson to the floor, and scored a layup, on James Madison’s first possession. Stetson let him know that was unacceptable behavior a few minutes later by driving Strickland from the basket.

Jepsen also tried to muscle Stetson on the Cougars’ first possession, but missed the layup. Stetson sent him a message moments later, sending Jepsen stumbling out of bounds.

Southern Oregon didn’t have anyone 6-11 on Monday night, so Stetson had to settle for muscling through two 6-7 players to get to a loose ball.

These things may not always get noticed by referees, but are by Anteater Coach Pat Douglass.

“Adam gives me a 230-pound guy with some strength,” Douglass said. “He’s a guy who has been through a lot and has some game experience.”

That is not to say Stetson is a goon. He was the team’s leading scorer last season, averaging 12 points. He has a light touch, as a passer and a shooter.

Against BYU, he fed Jerry Green on a give-and-go that gave Irvine a 64-60 lead. Moments later, Stetson dropped a three-pointer for a 67-60 lead. In three games, he is averaging 10 points and has made five of 12 three-pointers. But it is his attitude that the Anteaters needed the most.

“We definitely became a lot more aggressive when Adam came back,” freshman center Mark Gottschalk said.

Stetson plays the quiet Texan--he doesn’t do a lot of talking, but doesn’t take a lot of sass.

Last season, he and Pharoah Davis, Utah State’s 6-6, 230-pound center, got tangled up going for a rebound. An angry Davis went through several hand gyrations and talked some smack before noticing that Stetson just stood and stared at him . . . jaw to jaw. Davis ended his dance routine.

That panache the Anteaters were lacking while Stetson anguished on the bench for six games with his foot injury. How much he was needed was clear when Douglass started him against James Madison, Stetson’s first game back. He played 26 minutes.

“It was a struggle to get up and down the floor,” Stetson said. “I have to get in better shape.”

Maybe so, but as Strickland and Jepsen found out, Stetson is hardly soft.

*

Since last spring, Douglass has been preaching that his team is young.

“We are still developing in a lot of areas,” he said. “Our freshmen are gaining experience.”

A standard Douglass quote.

But this season could be more than just a learning experience, considering how pitifully Big West Conference teams are playing, especially those in the western division:

* Long Beach State has the talent, but lacks the direction. Coach Wayne Morgan can take heart that there is life after the Big West. Rod Baker, who guided Irvine to a 1-25 record two years ago, is an assistant for fourth-ranked Cincinnati.

* Center Michael Olowokandi is sweating out the NBA lockout after making conference coaches perspire the last two years. Now, Pacific, which won back-to-back western division titles, has as many greenhorns as Irvine.

* San Luis Obispo claimed to be heir apparent to Pacific’s throne. A 39-point loss at Portland State shows the Mustangs may not be.

* UC Santa Barbara lost its first eight games before beating Western State (Colo.).

* Cal State Fullerton is the division’s most consistent team. A scary thought since the Titans were just thumped, 84-59, by San Jose State, a WAC doormat.

So possibilities remain for Irvine, even if Douglass would prefer people think his team is a year away.

“We’re still young,” Douglass said. “We just need to get better each week.”

*

The drive to put a referendum on the ballot this spring to help with athletic scholarships will begin in earnest next quarter, according to Irvine senior Sasha Strauss, who is among the students pushing for it.

The proposed referendum was to be pitched to the student legislative council in early December, but will now be brought to it sometime this month.

The referendum, if approved, would raise student fees and generate between $400,000-$600,000, or 40-60 in-state scholarships--tuition is about $10,000 for California residents and about $17,000 for those from out of the state. Details have not been worked out yet, but fee hikes of $10, $15 and $20 are being considered.

A $20 fee increase could allow the school to add a softball program and bring back baseball, which was dropped in 1992.

*

Chris Foster can be reached at (714) 966-5904, fax 966-5663 or e-mail chris.foster@latimes.com