Irvine’s Parada Rising to Expectations

Adam Parada has earned a few accolades and even broken a school record in his four years as the starting center at UC Irvine.

But when you are the only 7-foot starting center in the Big West Conference, solid production often isn’t enough.

A 7-footer with skill and athletic ability is supposed to be dominant. Parada has been, at times, but Anteater fans have often wanted more.

“I hear some of the criticism,” the senior said. “I don’t hear all of it.... It doesn’t bother me at all. Some of it’s true. Some of it fires me up.”

Parada’s season averages of 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds are similar to his sophomore and junior seasons. How he has arrived at those numbers is decidedly different.

Gone are the days when he would score 28 points one game and two the next. With more than half of the season finished, the once lightly recruited big man has reached double figures in 11 of 15 games.

More important, he already has 23 blocks and a school-record 134. The percentage of fouls he commits per game is down from 3.56 to 3.28.

“I would go on the message boards at UCI and there would be people making bets on what time I was going to foul out,” said Parada, a second-team all-conference pick the last two years. “I kind of took that as a challenge this past summer and made it a point to play more with my feet and less with my hands and not commit stupid fouls.”

Parada spent part of the summer with the Mexican national team playing in the Tournament of the Americas in August. In one game, he found himself matched up against two-time NBA most valuable player Tim Duncan.

“I was a little starstruck when I lined up for the opening ceremonies,” he said. “I saw all these guys I used to have on my wall growing up. Once the game began, all that went away.”

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With an upcoming game against Big West-leading Utah State, Cal State Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell knew he was jeopardizing any chance at a victory by suspending two starters, Chris Davis and Joseph Frazier, and little-used reserve Andre Foy, last Friday after a close loss to Idaho.

Utah State did hammer the Matadors, 83-57. Braswell said he had no qualms about the move after the trio violated undisclosed team rules.

“I wouldn’t be lying to you if the thought doesn’t cross your mind [to play them] when you have three of your biggest games coming up,” Braswell said. “These games are critical but that was easily overruled by the fact that I have a job as a teacher.

“It’s about life. One day, the majority of these guys aren’t going to be playing basketball and I feel it’s my job to help them prepare for that.”

West Coast Conference

Loyola Marymount has lost 10 consecutive games to Pepperdine with its last victory Feb. 3, 1999. The Waves have won those games by an average of 18 points.

Is Saturday night’s game in Malibu the time for a Lion uprising? Loyola is much improved at 10-7 this season while struggling Pepperdine is 7-12.

“Every conference game means a lot,” said Loyola Coach Steve Aggers, downplaying the matchup. “Is one game really more important than the other? You’re playing for seeding in the postseason [conference] tournament.”