SHE’S THE ONE

Ebony Hoffman walked around on one side of the court. Diana Taurasi stood on the other.

About 50 feet separated arguably the nation’s two best girls’ basketball players. Hoffman, a senior forward for Harbor City Narbonne, knew Taurasi, a senior guard for Chino Don Lugo, was considered the best by some publications.

On that stage, Hoffman felt it was time to change some perceptions.

“I want to be the best,” Hoffman said. “Sorry to say this about Diana, but she’s standing in my way.”

On that December night in a tournament at Chino Hills Ayala High, Hoffman scored 30 points and had 15 rebounds in Narbonne’s 71-41 victory over Don Lugo. Taurasi had 26 points before fouling out.

It was a typical performance by Hoffman, the best player on the nation’s best team.

Narbonne is 33-0, ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today, and chasing a mythical national championship.

Two weeks ago, the Lady Gauchos defeated Palisades to win the City Section title. Last week, they beat Hanford to win the Southern California regional of the state tournament.

On Saturday, Hoffman and her teammates try to earn the Division I state championship when they play Berkeley at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Narbonne won the City and state championship games in 1998 but was stripped of those titles for violations related to residence issues.

The Lady Gauchos also were ruled ineligible for the playoffs last season.

Hoffman wants a state championship trophy, one to hold and keep.

“It will be a glorious thing, especially to know that this one won’t be taken away if and when we do it,” she said. “It will mean the world to me.”

Hoffman has always tried to be the best. Her zest for achievement was instilled by her parents and it shows on the basketball court.

Her brother, Elliot, also played a role in her development.

“My brother was my inspiration,” she said. “When I was younger, I would always watch him and the guys play. They never let me on the court.

“It was very motivational for me. I wanted to get out there and show them what I could do.”

Hoffman, who has signed with USC, has demonstrated excellence since she arrived at Narbonne. As a freshman, she played on a team that advanced to the City final and state regional final before losing to Crenshaw in both games.

In 1998, Hoffman helped Narbonne defeat Palisades in the City championship game and Berkeley in the state Division I final. Last season, she averaged 18.5 points and 15 rebounds.

This season, Hoffman has been out to prove that Narbonne is the best team and that she is the best player, in the nation.

Narbonne Coach James Anderson said Hoffman’s effort against Don Lugo and Taurasi was a breakthrough performance.

It was no accident.

“She’s worked hard to get where she’s at,” Anderson said. “Everything hasn’t just come to her. She runs track in the off-season. Some big kids don’t want to do that.”

At 6 feet 2, Hoffman has the strength of a center and the agility of a guard.

“She’s the best rebounder in the country,” Anderson said. “There’s nobody even close. I’ve seen Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson and they’re an inch or two taller than her. [Ebony] goes to the rack as hard as they do.”

Along with the power is a soft touch.

“What was more impressive about her was that she could shoot from the outside,” Don Lugo Coach Larry Webster said of Hoffman’s performance against his team.

“I thought we could hold our own against her by denying her the ball. She made two threes in the second quarter and one in the third. I didn’t know she could go outside.”

USC Coach Chris Gobrecht focused on recruiting Hoffman after watching her during her sophomore year. It led the coach into an intense battle with Tennessee, UCLA and Ohio State along with many other schools for the prized forward.

Gobrecht, who calls Hoffman the school’s most important recruit since Leslie, could barely control her emotions when Hoffman told her she wanted to be a Trojan over dinner in November.

“It was huge, no question,” said Gobrecht, who credits Hoffman’s signing for landing another top USC recruit, Berkeley’s Aisha Hollans. “Since I arrived in L.A. my whole thought process was ‘I want to get her.’

“I felt like I absolutely had to have her to get this program going.”

Hoffman said she was impressed by Tennessee’s national titles. She has seen UCLA emerge in recent years. She also knew USC hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament since Thompson left in 1997.

In the end, none of that mattered.

“It was a big decision and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Hoffman said. “USC is a great school. I’m not going there just for athletics. I know that I’m going to get a great education and as a female athlete, I know I have to look past college.

“I know when I picked USC, some people criticized me. It was how I felt around the team. I fit in so well that I almost committed that night [of the recruiting visit].”

Hoffman already feels like a part of USC’s team. She kept track of the Trojans as they pulled off upsets of UCLA, Arizona and Oregon this season.

In the meantime, Hoffman is trying to end her high school career with the ultimate team honor.

Afterward, she’ll start concentrating on taking USC into the top 25. In four years, she would like to be playing in the WNBA.

If that final goal doesn’t work out, Hoffman doesn’t plan to be far away from the game. She has another goal in mind.

“I do have a plan B,” Hoffman said. “I’m going to major in television and communications. I’m going to take Robin Roberts’ job.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

BOYS

* Div. I: Fresno Clovis West (39-2) vs. Concord De La Salle (30-1), Saturday.

* Div. II: Compton Dominguez (34-2) vs. Newark Memorial (32-0), Friday

* Div. III: Torrance Bishop Montgomery (27-5) vs. Pleasanton Foothill (29-4), Saturday

* Div. IV: Playa del Rey St. Bernard (26-7) vs. Tamalpais (32-2), Friday

* Div. V: Price (32-1) vs. Hoopa Valley (31-3), Saturday.

*

GIRLS

* Div. I: Harbor City Narbonne (33-0) vs. Berkeley (29-2), Saturday

* Div. II: Brea Olinda (28-6) vs. Pleasanton Amador Valley (27-5), Friday

* Div. III: Torrance Bishop Montgomery (28-3) vs. Petaluma (30-6), Saturday

* Div. IV: Playa del Rey St. Bernard (26-5) vs. Stockton St. Mary’s (33-3), Friday

* Div. V: Solana Beach Santa Fe Christian (30-5) vs. San Lorenzo Redwood Christian (24-5), Saturday