Teams Forgotten but Not Gone

UCLA had no sooner exited the NCAA basketball tournament last week than local sports-talk radio returned to its favorite subject: the Lakers.

Meanwhile, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly Pomona and Azusa Pacific, all with basketball programs used to being in the shadows, continue their runs to postseason glory.

The three have such small followings that, put together on a good day, they would not come close to filling Pauley Pavilion, much less Staples Center. But that hasn’t kept them from success.

In Fullerton’s case, it’s been one milestone after another. The Titans, with their 21-10 record, have reached a 22-season high in victories, and their two victories in the National Invitation Tournament are the most in a single postseason since their 1978 run to the NCAA Elite Eight.

There also have been some setbacks, and as they head into tonight’s second-round game at Georgetown, the Titans have another to contend with. They lost leading scorer and rebounder Ralphy Holmes to a knee injury in their victory Friday at San Francisco.

“Unfortunately, they just keep dropping,” Fullerton Coach Bob Burton said. “Obviously, it’s a devastating blow. But we’re still playing.”

The hill is much steeper now, though. The athletic forward continued his big senior season in the NIT last week with 27 points and a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot in overtime against Oregon State in the opening round.

Holmes then had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the first-round win over the Dons, despite suffering a torn ligament and cartilage in his left knee early in the first half.

The Titans missed out on an NCAA berth after losing to Utah State in the semifinals of the Big West Conference tournament. Burton wasn’t counting on a call from the NIT, but Fullerton has made the most of its first appearance since 1987.

Burton said the Titans’ will had been strengthened by numerous debilitating injuries that have left them with a roster that now includes only six scholarship players. Senior transfer Lloyd Walls, expected to be their starting center, was not cleared to play this season because of multiple concussions.

Fullerton, which also didn’t have Holmes and starting forward Jamaal Brown for the first five games, lost its emotional leader and top defender Hardy Asprilla to a season-ending knee injury in January. Asprilla was also the team’s leading rebounder at the time.

“Our attitude is the same as it has been all the time,” guard Bobby Brown said. “We just play hard with a lot of passion and love for the game. We’ve got to.”

Cal Poly Pomona is in the Division II Elite Eight for the second time in three years, an accomplishment at a school known more for its women’s program.

The Broncos (24-6) advanced with a 65-58 victory over Alaska Fairbanks in the West Regional final Saturday at Bellingham, Wash. Pomona plays Tarleton State of Stephenville, Texas, on Wednesday in the quarterfinals at Grand Forks, N.D.

Fifth-year Coach Greg Kamansky has led the Broncos to three consecutive postseason appearances, a first in school history. Kamansky adopted a Division I approach when he took the job, bringing in a number of freshmen instead of depending on transfers from larger programs or junior colleges.

Senior forwards David Sybesma and Jeff Bonds are two major examples of a philosophy that has brought rewards. Sybesma, a three-year starter, was the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. player of the year this season, and Bonds was an All-CCAA player for the third consecutive season.

“Keeping a core group for four or five years makes a big difference,” Kamansky said. “It is a D-I approach, and not too many schools do it like that.”

Azusa Pacific has been one of the top teams in the NAIA for many years, but the Cougars’ run to the national-title game qualifies as a major surprise.

Despite a 28-9 record, their season included a 28-point home loss to the Master’s College, the worst defeat of any kind in six years and the worst in the Golden State Athletic Conference in 15 years.

There were also three consecutive GSAC defeats in the second half of league play. But the Cougars, who have won nine of their last 10, bounced back and edged rivals Biola, Cal Baptist and Concordia of Irvine for their 12th regular-season league title.

“We’ve had situations this year,” Azusa Coach Bill Odell said. “There were times when the guys could have just phoned it in, but they got it back on track. We’re definitely an overachieving group.”