Daley’s Best Move Off Court

In one of basketball player Kevin Daley’s plans, he would have been a senior at UCLA this season. Instead, while the Bruins struggle, Daley is looking to lead another team to a national championship.

Daley is a senior at Azusa Pacific, playing on a team ranked fifth in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Cougars are aiming for their eighth consecutive conference championship and third consecutive trip to the NAIA’s final four.

A decision Daley made two seasons ago--trading in national exposure for a chance to play more--is paying off now.

A 1995 graduate of Lakewood Artesia High Daley attended Nevada as a freshman. But feeling homesick and not playing as much as he wanted, he returned to Southern California and transferred to UCLA.

As a transfer, Daley sat out the 1996-97 season, then played some as a sophomore in 1997-98, but not enough, by his reckoning.

So he talked to Wayne Merino, his high school coach at Artesia. Merino, who also has coached Charles and Ed O’Bannon, Jason Kapono and Avondre Jones, suggested Daley visit Azusa Pacific and Coach Bill Odell.

“I had no idea about Azusa Pacific,” Daley said. “I had never heard of the school before I came here last year.”

But after visiting the school and talking to Odell, Daley decided to trade the glamour of UCLA for the relative obscurity of Azusa Pacific and a chance to play.

Now, in his second season at Azusa, Daley is comfortable with his decision.

“Sometimes I picture what might have happened if I’d stayed at UCLA,” he said. “But I don’t wish I was there. Some people don’t believe I can be happy here. But would I be happy at UCLA?

“I still might not be playing there.”

He’s playing now.

Daley is averaging 21.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while making 50% of his shots, 41.8% from three-point range. Daley, who also has made 83.1% of his free throws, had 31 points and nine rebounds in the Cougars’ 79-73 loss Thursday night to fourth-ranked Biola.

And his contributions go beyond statistics. Daley is the main source of leadership for the Cougars.

“He’s a different player than last year,” Odell said. “His shooting’s so much better from long range and the free-throw line. He’s become the complete player.”

And Odell said that Daley is now the kind of player who would fit in at Westwood.

“He would be able to provide more consistent shooting, which I feel UCLA has needed the last few years,” he said.

said.

UNIVERSITY DIVISION

The fifth-ranked USC men’s volleyball team ended a 13-match losing streak against UCLA when it defeated the top-ranked Bruins, 13-15, 15-10, 6-15, 15-6, 15-11, on Friday in the 23rd Kilgour Cup at Pauley Pavilion. Brook Billings had a match-high 33 kills as the Trojans beat the Bruins for the first time since 1991.