Powell Makes Impression

After reaching double digits in three-point baskets Friday night, James Powell’s eyes no longer followed the trajectory of his shot.

“It just felt good every time it left my hand,” said Powell, a senior at Glendora. “A couple times, I was already running down court when the ball was halfway through the air.”

Powell, a 6-foot-2 point guard who signed with UC Santa Barbara, was in a zone against host Chino Hills Ayala. He made 12 of 18 three-point attempts and 16 of 24 shots overall, scoring 53 points in the 79-64 victory.

“I can’t remember seeing anything that impressive,” Tartan Coach Mike Le Duc said.

And Le Duc has coached some impressive players in his 18 seasons at Glendora, including the top three career scoring leaders in Southern Section history: Casey Jacobsen, now in his third season with the Phoenix Suns, scored 3,284 points from 1996 to 1999; Tracy Murray, a former UCLA star and 12-year NBA veteran, scored 3,053 points from 1986 to 1989, and his brother, Cameron Murray, scored 2,842 from 1991 to 1994.

Tracy Murray twice scored 64 points in a game and Jacobsen had 55.

“They could score from a multitude of places,” Le Duc said. “[Powell’s] was just purely outside shooting.”

Powell made all five of his three-point shots in the third quarter and had 47 points by the start of the fourth.

With the victory, Glendora improved to 17-2 overall and 2-0 in the Sierra League. The Tartans have another tough test Wednesday against visiting Diamond Bar, which defeated Glendora last month in the final of the Glendora tournament.

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Most teams that graduate offensive standouts have trouble filling the void the next season.

This winter is no exception, as Long Beach Poly, Mission Viejo and Santa Margarita, all defending Southern Section champions, as well as defending state champion Compton Centennial, have struggled to plug holes in their lineups.

But one team that’s adjusting well is Reseda Cleveland, a semifinalist in the City Section playoffs a year ago.

Cleveland leaned last season on 6-6 forward Nick Young and he responded by averaging 27.2 points and 10.8 rebounds.

With Young now at USC and no player taller than 6-5 on the current roster, returning starters Jason Hill, Corey Duncan and Deandre Myles, as well as a handful of other returning lettermen, have managed to keep Cleveland afloat.

“We have four, five or six guys who can put 20 points on the board on any given night,” Coach Andre Chevalier said. “So it makes it difficult for teams to prepare for us.”

Cleveland had victories last week over West Valley League rival Woodland Hills Taft and Southern Section power Los Angeles Loyola.

“I feel like nobody can beat us if we play our best,” said Hill, a 6-4 senior guard who signed with Cal State Northridge.

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Lakewood Artesia is 7-0 since point guard Derek Glasser returned from a knee injury he suffered in the first game of the season.

Glasser, a 6-1 junior, sprained a knee ligament while pulling up for a jump shot at the Clovis West tournament. It first appeared he would be lost for a much longer time.

“The doctors up there said he did tear [the ligament],” Coach Scott Pera said. “We were pretty upset, but then we came back down here and another doctor said it was only a sprain.”

Glasser, a second-team All-Southern Section Division III-AA selection last season, has been averaging nine points and 5.5 assists since his return.

“Now we’re finally starting to gel,” Pera said of his 14-3 Pioneers.

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La Canada Coach Tom Hofman can earn his 400th victory Wednesday at Pasadena Blair in a Rio Hondo League game. Hofman, in his 19th season, has helped the Spartans (18-0) to the best start in school history.

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Defending Division I state champion Los Angeles Fairfax travels to Westchester, winner of the two previous state titles, Friday for the first of two Western League showdowns. The second game will be Feb. 9 at Fairfax.

Other league rivals scheduled to play Friday include Lake Forest El Toro at Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley in the South Coast League; Santa Ana Mater Dei at Santa Margarita in the Serra League; L.A. Dorsey at L.A. Fremont in the Coliseum League; Moreno Valley Rancho Verde at Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon in the Southwestern League; Rancho Cucamonga at Etiwanda in the Baseline League, and Pasadena Muir at Pasadena in the Pacific League.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

DAN ARRITT’S BOYS’ BASKETBALL RANKINGS

(Records through Sunday)

*--* Rk. Team Rec. Sec.-Div. LW 1 WESTCHESTER 8-2 City 3 2 ETIWANDA 17-1 SS-Div. I-AA 2 3 FAIRFAX 13-2 City 4 4 MATER DEI 17-2 SS-Div. II-A 5 5 LYNWOOD 10-4 SS-Div. I-AA 7 6 DOMINGUEZ 11-4 SS-Div. II-AA 1 7 FREMONT 11-2 City 6 8 HARVARD-WESTLAKE 13-2 SS-Div. III-A 10 9 VILLA PARK 16-1 SS-Div. II-AA 9 10 CALABASAS 16-3 SS-Div. II-A 12 11 TAFT 12-4 City 8 12 DORSEY 14-3 City 11 13 CLEVELAND 12-4 City 21 14 ARTESIA 14-3 SS-Div. III-AA 15 15 COMP. CENTENNIAL 12-5 SS-Div. III-A 14 16 CAPISTRANO VALLEY 17-2 SS-Div. II-AA 16 17 EL TORO 15-4 SS-Div. I-A 17 18 LOYOLA 12-6 SS-Div. II-AA 13 19 CAMPBELL HALL 15-0 SS-Div. IV-AA 19 20 TEMESCAL CANYON 16-0 SS-Div. I-A 20 21 PASADENA 15-2 SS-Div. II-AA 22 22 LA CANADA 18-0 SS-Div. III-AA 23 23 ORANGE LUTHERAN 13-4 SS-Div. III-A 24 24 SANTA MARGARITA 16-3 SS-Div. III-AA 18 25 RANCHO VERDE 16-3 SS-Div. I-AA NR

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