2006-07 GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW:Vaqueros look for promising results

GLENDALE — OK, so they don’t resemble some of the downtrodden junior college basketball programs that have struggled mightily for years.

Glendale Community College men’s basketball Coach Brian Beauchemin won’t let that happen to his program, but he would like to avoid missing the postseason for a fourth consecutive year.

With a promising blend of talent — which will feature several key returning players and a cast of incoming athletes — Beauchemin will look for his team to maximize its potential this season following a disappointing 2005-06 campaign. The Vaqueros suffered some key injuries last season en route to finishing 10-20 and 4-8 in the Western State Conference’s Southern Division.

Glendale college will expect to reverse those numbers during the next four months. The Vaqueros opened their season Friday with a 72-55 victory against visiting Miramar College in a Vaquero Tip-Off Tournament contest.

“There’s no real secret formula,” said Beauchemin, who took over the program in 1979. “We certainly want to avoid all of those injuries that we had last year, and we are looking for our players to be competitive and show improvement.

“I don’t think we are where we want to be, so we have to pay attention and be ready for anything thrown at us. The early-season games are very important, so we get to see how we can improve at this level.”

The Vaqueros, who finished tied for last place with L.A. Valley College in the division last season, will have three returning players in the mix this season.

Forwards Owen Duckworth, Jamar Eubanks and Allen Major will be counted on to provide leadership and muscle for the Vaqueros. Duckworth averaged 19 points per game last season and earned all-conference first-team honors. Eubanks averaged nearly 14 points per game in 2005-06 and Major will give the Vaqueros experience.

Glendale college will also regain the services of sophomore guard Antony Phillips and sophomore forward Tyler Rose after the duo chose to redshirt last season. Phillips and Rose helped the Vaqueros finish 16-11 and 6-6 for third place in the division in 2004-05.

Phillips suffered a foot injury in the spring of 2005 and Rose, who is the son of baseball legend Pete Rose, decided to concentrate on academics. Phillips and Rose averaged about eight and 12 points, respectively, two seasons ago.

Beauchemin will rely heavily on a core of freshmen that will be counted on to make the necessary adjustments to competing at the collegiate level.

In addition to Duckworth, Eubanks and Major, the front-court athletes will include Burroughs High graduate Kevin Deeb, Ralph Monday, Curtis Outten, Jonathan Adling, Ramall Goodrich, Robert Cotton and Gerrell Finney.

Deeb, who will also see time as a shooting guard, averaged 17.3 points per game last season for Burroughs. He earned all-area first-team, All-Foothill League first-team and All-CIF Division II-AA second-team accolades.

The guards will be freshmen Robert Valentine, Brandon Robnett and Tyrell Hillman.

The point guard will consist of Deeb, Goodrich, Finney and Phillips.

Beauchemin said the Vaqueros, who averaged 64.8 points per game last season, have the ability to succeed.

“Our sophomores will have to do their best at creating a tempo and have the freshman emulate that,” said Beauchemin, who predicted that College of the Canyons and Bakersfield and West L.A. colleges would be among the elite squads in the division this season. “It’s a huge chore getting kids to play at that next level.

“Things will fall into place for us, and we are tired of playing against each other.”

Glendale college will take part in five tournaments through Dec. 30. Two of those events will be held at Glendale college, beginning with the Vaquero Tip-Off Classic today that will also feature, Victory Valley and Santa Barbara City colleges. The Vaquero Classic will run from Dec. 13-16.

The Vaqueros, who will also compete in tournaments in the Antelope Valley, Whittier and San Diego, will start conference play at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 3 against L.A. Valley College.