Grant’s Riney Gets Passing Grade in Summer School

The days when Gino Riney of Grant High could show up at a gymnasium in virtual anonymity are about to end.

He has transformed himself from an unknown junior varsity basketball player into a 15-year-old sophomore point guard capable of competing against the best.

“He seems to rise to every talent level he’s gone against,” Coach Howard Levine said.

After 10 weeks searching for the most improved high school athletes this summer, Riney stands out like a red rose blooming in the desert.

The 5-foot-10 Riney didn’t play varsity as a freshman, but he was immediately inserted into Grant’s lineup this summer.

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” he said. “I can play against any type of talent. I’m a basic player. I’m not the type who dribbles between his legs for no reason.”

His exceptional court vision, ability to create scoring opportunities, unselfishness and willingness to play defense are signs of a future impact player.

“I think it’s a great start to a great career in front of him,” Levine said. “His arms are down to his feet, he has good instincts, he makes sharp passes. He’s still going to have to go through his bad times to survive. But I think he has the makeup to take a negative moment and turn it into a positive.”

Riney is friends with Gilbert Arenas, former Grant guard who plays at Arizona and serves as a role model.

“Every time before a game, I picture myself as Gilbert,” Riney said. “It makes me calm.”

Riney doesn’t have Arenas’ scoring skills or explosiveness, but comparisons are coming sooner than anyone imagined.

“Gilbert was our starting point guard as a 10th grader,” Levine said. “I think Gino might be able to do a few more things with the ball at this point, but Gilbert’s tremendous acceleration, nobody teaches that.”

Summer is a crucial period in the lives of high school athletes. It’s the time improvement can occur in leaps and bounds, whether because of a growth spurt, increased strength and speed, added experience or better physical conditioning.

Something suddenly clicks, and players start performing at a higher level. It happened to Riney.

“When I look back this summer, I can say I learned a lot,” Riney said.

Other most improved athletes:

* Ben Olson, Thousand Oaks, junior. If anyone has the talent to keep moving up to the next level, it’s Olson, a quarterback with extraordinary skills.

He’s 6-5, possesses speed and athleticism. When he wasn’t flinging precision spirals, he was pulling down rebounds for the basketball team. He has gone from a player with potential to a player ready to produce in a big way. It won’t be long before Leigh Steinberg, agent of super quarterbacks, starts paying attention.

* Billy Griffin, Ventura, senior. Whether building up muscles in the weight room or practicing snaps during summer passing leagues, this 6-2, 255-pound center was doing everything possible to become a top lineman. Nose guards better be prepared to face one mean, tough, blocking machine.

* Dyana Thompson, Royal, sophomore. The 5-10 outside hitter is trying to make the jump from starter on the freshman-sophomore girls’ volleyball team to varsity contributor. Based on her improvement as a passer and hitter, she projects as a player to watch in the coming years. “She has all the potential,” Coach Travis Ferguson said.

* Ryan Braun, Granada Hills, junior. Eight home runs as a sophomore isn’t bad. But Braun’s breakthrough was proving he could hit against elite pitchers this summer. He did so at the Area Code tournament. If he can keep improving as a fielder, whether at shortstop or center field, he’ll receive a college scholarship in 2002.

* Tim Cantu, Alemany, senior. When you bat .284 on a last-place team, nobody takes notice. Cantu struggled as a junior, never fully recovering from a shoulder injury. But he was healthy this summer and played brilliantly at shortstop while batting .450 in American Legion ball. He hit a three-run home run in the all-star game and distinguished himself in the Area Code tournament.

* Justin Cassel, Chatsworth, sophomore. Mark down Chatsworth as the favorite to win the City Championship next spring, with Cassel’s development a major reason. The right-handed pitcher improved his velocity and let everyone know he can pitch well in pressure games.

* Gilbert Infante, St. Bonaventure, senior. It’s difficult for small schools players to prove themselves, but that’s what Infante did when he defeated Van Nuys in a complete-game pitching victory during the Legion playoffs. College coaches no longer can ignore his 10-1 record and 1.08 earned-run average from last season.

* Jonathan Oller, Crespi, senior. Will the real Oller please stand up? Is it the one who batted .570 last summer in Legion ball? Is it the one who slumped to .292 in high school ball? Is it the one who batted .511 this summer with 43 RBIs in Palomino ball and had a 1.96 ERA as a closer?

* Ian Feldman, Hart, sophomore. Feldman, a catcher and pitcher, went 2-0, gave up one run in nine innings and batted .647 for the Los Angeles 14-and-under Maccabi team that won the gold medal in Richmond, Va. He was one of Hart’s best hitters on its 20-2 freshman team last season. “He’s going to be a real good player,” Coach Jim Ozella said.

* Johnny Gray, Agoura, senior. Told to direct the team, the 6-foot Gray responded by averaging more than 20 points per game as a point guard. He’s quick, smart and instinctive. “I honestly believe he’s one of the top three point guards in the county,” Coach Joe Riccio said.

* Marty Matthies, Harvard-Westlake, sophomore. Matthies is on the verge of pulling off a rare feat--starting in water polo and basketball. He’s 6-2, full of energy and determination.

Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.