Cal State Fullerton’s Chances Riding on the Great Ike Hope

An injury has kept Cal State Fullerton’s Ike Harmon from living up to his performances of the previous three seasons.

But Coach Donny Daniels said he hopes Harmon can have one more good game against Utah State today in the opening round of the Big West Conference tournament.

“We’re probably going to need that,” Daniels said, “or it could be a short tournament for us.”

Harmon has been slowed by two stress fractures in his left foot. He was sidelined for four weeks during preseason practice, then was out for seven games during the conference season after another fracture appeared.

Still, he has averaged a team-leading 13 points and 6.2 rebounds.

“The foot just hasn’t healed to the point that he’s the Ike of old,” Daniels said. “In all fairness to him, he’s never been able to get in good shape this season because of the injury. It’s a tribute to him that he has been able to do what he has with a certain amount of pain.”

Under an NCAA rule passed last spring, Harmon earned a fourth season with the Titans by graduating in four years last summer, regaining the season he lost as a freshman nonqualifier.

Harmon moved up to become the school’s third-leading career scorer with 1,545 points and its No. 3 rebounder with 653, but isn’t within range of the No. 2 spot in either category.

Harmon averaged 15.3 points in his first season, 15.7 in 1998-99 and 18.7 last season.

Despite the injury, Harmon said he hopes he can still make a good account of himself in his final conference tournament.

“The pain is still there and I know I’m not as explosive as I was, but I’m in better shape now than I was two weeks ago,” Harmon said. “I can run the floor better.

“It’s just going to be a matter of time now before the pain goes away. Unfortunately, I don’t have that time right now. But I want to play as hard as I can and be a leader for this team.”

Harmon didn’t play in the two regular-season games won by second-seeded Utah State (24-5, 13-3 in conference), and Aggie Coach Stew Morrill is wary.

“Harmon gives them a post-up guy who can step out and hit the three,” Morrill said. “He’s so strong and athletic inside. He’s the reason they’ve been playing a lot better lately. Adding a guy like Harmon makes everyone better.”

The Titans (5-22, 3-13) have struggled this season but have won two of their last four games, defeating Idaho, 63-60, and UC Riverside, 70-59.

Fullerton also played close games with Long Beach State and regular-season champion UC Irvine in the past two weeks, losing those two games by a total of four points. Fullerton trailed Irvine, 55-53, with 1:23 left, but the Anteaters held on to win, 58-55.

“I think we’re a better team now than we were when we played [Utah State] the last time,” Harmon said.

Utah State won that game, 58-46, on the Aggies’ home court in February.

The Titans also have received an improved effort lately from junior point guard David Castleton, who didn’t become academically eligible until late December.

Castleton, who has averaged 7.8 points since joining the team, has averaged 12 over the past four games. He had 16-point efforts against Idaho and Irvine.

Junior guard Kevin Richardson has scored in double figures in 15 of the last 17 games and is averaging 11.8 points.

Fullerton’s shooting at the free-throw line also has improved. The Titans have made 76 of 99 (76.8%) since making only 10 of 20 against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Feb. 15.