Anaheim Scores Coup With Miller

Guard Stephen Miller had a “quiet season” in 1998-99. He led the county in scoring, averaging 23.7 points, but hardly anyone noticed because Orange fell out of title contention early in the Century League and finished with 10-15 overall record.

Miller’s says he’s ready to defend his scoring title after transferring out of Orange, but he didn’t exactly choose a high-profile basketball program when he enrolled at Anaheim. The Colonists were 9-15 last season.

So why the switch?

“I led the county in scoring,” Miller said. “How many people knew? I came here because I want to win.”

That’s what many coaches believe the revived Colonists will do this season after they won a school-record 30 summer league games. If Miller is hot, they should challenge perennial favorite Brea-Olinda and resurging Savanna for the Orange League title.

“We’re not the same Anaheim team,” Coach Jose Marco Castellanos said. “We used to keep it close in games. This year, we will actually come to play.”

Castellanos said Miller has fit in well with his new teammates, including his 6-6 freshman cousin, Manuel Thomas. Three starters also return.

“Stephen had the quietest 23.7 points you have seen,” Castellanos said. “He told me how he just wanted to win this year. We have a legitimate shot at going into a game now and beating anyone.”

SPEED THRILLS

The Freeway League looks more competitive than ever. Troy, which won four summer tournaments and returns three starters, is the favorite.

“We have strength and speed and the most significant thing is that we have a lot of good mental attitudes,” Coach T.J. Hardeman said.

Hardeman also believes he has the “best freshman class we have ever had.”

Part of the summer success can be attributed to the Warriors’ work with a speed trainer.

“We won those tournaments and a big reason why was that, in the end, all of the players seemed stronger,” Hardeman said.

NOT A CLASSIC MOVE

There will be no Wooden Classic for prep basketball this year.

In previous seasons, the high school event has taken place a day or two before the collegiate doubleheader, which this year features Stanford vs. Auburn and USC vs. Duke on Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond.

But the Southern Section forbids high school basketball teams to play until Nov. 29.

“We attempted to get a waiver from the section, but they were in the process of hiring a new commissioner and the timing wasn’t right,” said Peter Daropick, the Classic’s director of operations. “We plan to have high schools back in it next year.”

NEW KIDS ON THE COURT

Northwood intends to field three levels of boys’ basketball teams this season. If everything goes as planned, the TimberWolves will begin varsity competition in the Pacific Coast League in 2000.

That’s in sharp contrast to the school’s football team, which probably will delay its entry into the Pacific Coast League until 2001 and play a freelance schedule next season.

Boys’ basketball Coach Tim O’Brien said he doesn’t expect to have a single senior on next year’s first varsity team. But he said he’s not fearful of competing on the varsity level.

“Our junior varsity is going to play one varsity tournament at La Habra this season,” he said, “and we’re looking around to get the JV into one more varsity tournament.”

MATA-MAR TOURNAMENT

Pacifica and Bolsa Grande have joined forces to put on the Matador-Mariner tournament, which begins Monday with two games at each location.

“Bob Becker and I are good friends,” Bolsa Grande Coach Michael Anderson said. “You may think we don’t like each other because we compete in the same league, but that’s not the case and so we decided to do something to promote the league and both schools.”

The tournament will feature 12 teams in pool play, which will allow each team to play a minimum of three games. But if a team advances to the finals, it could play as many as five games in the course of a week. The Southern Section counts a tournament as only two games against a team’s maximum of 20 regular-season contests.