Oliver Is Leading the Charge for Cypress

Towan Oliver, a sophomore guard at Cypress College, is playing better than he has all season and his teammates have followed.

A sense of urgency has been the key to Oliver’s improvement.

He scored 26, 29 and 35 points in three recent games, all career highs at Cypress.

“I’m just trying to win games,” Oliver said, “If I scored 10 and we won, that would be cool too.”

Cypress (9-11) started well this season, winning six of the first nine games, but then lost seven of eight entering Orange Empire Conference play.

But Oliver, a team captain, has helped Cypress again become a team opponents worry about. The Chargers are 2-1 in conference play.

Oliver, who is 6 feet 3, is Cypress’ leading scorer at 14.5 points a game and is shooting 40% on three-pointers. He also has a quick first step and is a strong inside player.

Oliver is averaging 5.6 rebounds overall but 10.3 in conference play.

“Rebounding is just showing a real passion to go get the ball,” Cypress Coach Paul Bottiaux said. “He realizes this is what he has to do for us to be successful. [Earlier], he wasn’t the complete player we needed him to be.”

Oliver’s strength, as expected, comes from hours spent lifting weights.

But the reason he had time to get so strong is something he isn’t proud of. He was academically ineligible last season and had to sit out. He spent his time going to class, practice, games and the weight room.

But the season off has made a difference. “I can see that he is a lot more mature,” Oliver’s father Mike said.

Last season was the second he spent away from basketball.

Oliver, twice an all-Freeway League selection, graduated from Buena Park High in 1996 and took a year off to work.

He considered playing at Long Beach College during that time but finally elected to come to Cypress.

He started slowly with the Chargers but improved as his freshman season progressed. He was a starter by early in the conference season and went on to average nine points.

But Oliver isn’t looking for any more time away from basketball. If he isn’t playing for Cypress, he is watching a college or professional game on television or playing a basketball video game. Cypress is on winter break from classes.

“My focus is totally on basketball right now,” Oliver said.

WHY TOWAN?

While Towan Oliver’s first name isn’t the most common, there is an easy explanation for it. Towan is also the first name of Mike Oliver’s best friend in high school.

“I just always liked the name,” Mike explained.

SECOND-RANKED

Santa Ana baseball Coach Don Sneddon isn’t sure how it happened, but his team will start the season ranked second in the state, according to Collegiate Baseball.

Sneddon joked that he has only half a starter coming back, but expectations are still high for his team, which is ranked behind two-time defending state champion Sacramento.

Last season Santa Ana lost five pitchers to injuries but still reached the state tournament, where it won a first-round game against Sacramento and wound up finishing third.

Fresno enters the season ranked third. Cypress is fourth, Saddleback eighth and Riverside 10th.

The season starts Feb. 4.