California notebook: Five to watch this year

High Hopes at Ventura

Coming off an appearance in the state tournament, with two returning starters plus a starter from 2003-04 returning from injury and a pair of key reserves ready to take on an expanded role, expectations would figure to be big in Ventura. Add 7-foot-8 Sun Ming Ming to the equation, however, and the Pirates are thinking about more than just their 5th straight WSC-North division title.

Once again, Ventura is a virtual lock to dominate their division of the WSC, which is nothing new. But the addition of Sun Ming Ming, who reportedly considered entering the NBA draft and is almost certainly the tallest player to ever play JC basketball, makes them even more formidable.

All-conference selection Charles Dillon, a 6-2 off-guard, and 6-1 starter David Van Someren return from last year's team that finished 25-5 after losing to eventual undefeated champion Fresno in the state quarterfinals. Dillon's future likely will be on the gridiron, but he does plan to play this season on the hardwood. Hylas Smith, a 6-1 point guard with a smooth 3-point stroke, returns after missing last year with an ankle injury.

6-6 forward Danny Mena, a cousin of last year's star Moses Gonzalez, will enter the starting lineup. He had several strong performances off the bench for Ventura in 2004-05, including a 10 point, 9-rebound, 5-assist game in the playoffs vs. Mt. San Jacinto after starter Gary Nunez fouled out early in the second half. And last year's backup point guard, Kenji Rockett, should have a chance for meaningful minutes in the backcourt as well. He provides strong defense and a burst of energy that can change the tempo of a game.

Other top prospects for the Pirates include 5-8 point guard Trevor Breland from New York City and 6-7 Danny Tavares. They reportedly performed quite well in the recent Showcase in mid-October. And burly Djadji Daffe, a 6-5, 305-pound power forward (and offensive tackle on the football team) provides depth and muscle up front.

Habel heads class at SBVC

San Bernardino Valley, the defending Southern California champ and state finalist, had some key losses to graduation but once again looks absolutely loaded.

6-10 Jerome Habel, one of the top frontcourt prospects in the nation, joins the lone returning starter, 6-2 combo guard DeWayne Pettus for Coach Phil Matthews. Add talented combo guard Rishawn Norwood, a 6-3 freshman, and super-scorer Brent Humphrie to the mix and SBVC shouldn't have much trouble scoring points. Humphrie, a 6-1 sophomore, is a deadly streak shooter who starred in the summer showcase (15 pts, 3 threes in a win over West Valley) and the LA Pro City summer league (16 points off the bench in an early season game).

And on the defensive end, sophomore wing Jamal Vandy is one of the top defensive specialists around; he last played for Mt. San Antonio in 2003-04. Plus, athletic forward Tommy Posey, an undersized power forward at 6-3, is adept at banging away on the boards. He posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in an early-season game last year against Santa Monica. And there's also 6-11 center Ephraim Williams, who transfers in after a disappointing season at Ventura last year but who is considered to have a lot of potential.

Best backcourt at Chaffey?

One of the more exciting teams in Southern California figures to be Chaffey. And the Panthers have one of the top backcourt tandems in the state as well in 6-0 Larry Dew, who transfers in after playing for Victor Valley in 2003-04, and 6-1 T.J. Smith.

Dew is a scoring machine, and he showed his offensive prowess in the LA Pro City league the last two summers. He posted a game-high 27 points in the game I saw this year, and had 20 points and 8 assists in a game in the same league in 2004. He teams with Smith, who poured in 28 points on 10-of-16 from the floor in the California JUCO Showcase this past July. Smith also knocked down 4 three-pointers en route to Most Outstanding Player honors for the event.

And this year Chaffey has some strength inside as well. 6-7 Jason McClure, a transfer from Citrus, figures to start in the middle. He showed his value with 6 points plus team-highs of 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in backstopping the Panthers to a 14-point win over Long Beach in the July Showcase. McClure was a teammate of current Pac-10 freshmen Darren Collison (UCLA) and Jeff Pendergraph (Arizona State) at Etiwanda HS and helped that team to the Southern California Division I regional final. And freshman Nick Bright, a 6-6 shot-blocker extraordinaire, adds athleticism inside. He had 8 blocks in a HS all-star game in April and 3 rejections in a 12-point win for Chaffey over Riverside in the Beach Basketball Camp in June.

Plus, there is a strong cast of returning support players. 6-0 guard Vince Alvarado, 6-2 small forward Chris Brown, 6-3 shooting guard Mike Moreno and 6-3 swingman Ronnie Bullock all played important minutes for the Panthers in 2004-05.

Chaffey might not be able to match SBVC in terms of size, but their pressing, trapping system makes them tough to play against. And with their ample supply of excellent guards and the combination of McClure and Bright anchoring the inside, the Panthers figure to be the top challenger to SBVC in the tough Foothill Conference.

New coach at Citrus

In the WSC's Southern Division, one of the teams to watch this year is Citrus. First-year coach Rick Croy has assembled a strong team, and his chances of unseating 2-time defending divisional champion College of the Canyons may hinge on a player from COC's virtual back yard.

The marquee player for Citrus this year will be point guard Tron Smith, a 6-3 sophomore from Canyon Springs HS. As a senior, he teamed with Andre McGee (Louisville) and Richard Cobbs (Saddleback CC) before heading to Arizona State for his freshman year. After redshirting last year, Smith joins Citrus and showed his total game with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 4 steals in a Showcase game against Saddleback in July.

But another key player for Citrus comes from Valencia HS, just across town from College of the Canyons. 6-4 freshman Chad Allan was one of the most talented and versatile players in the Foothill League the last two years, starting at Center as a junior and at off-guard last season as a senior. He should have little trouble adjusting to the JC level with his athleticism and skill level, as his 10-point, 9-rebound effort against Saddleback in July suggest. He showed that was no fluke with a 13-point, 8-rebound game later in the Showcase against Fullerton.

Pierce could surprise

Another team to keep an eye on in the WSC is LA Pierce. Though the Brahmas will be hard-pressed to challenge Ventura in the division race, they should be much-improved and could surprise some people this season.

Coach Ed Babayan, in his first full year at Pierce after taking over in midseason last year, has assembled an interesting team. Swingman Leon Jacobs<.b<, a member of Compton's 2004 State Championship squad, transfers in to lend some skill, intensity and leadership. In the July showcase, he registered totals of 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while matched up against Antelope Valley's top scorer (Deonte Huff). And he held Huff in check on the defensive end, holding the dynamic scorer to just 12 points in a 19-point Pierce victory.

But there's more talent here than just Jacobs. 6-6, 265-pound power forward Camel Drummond knows how to use his strength, as his 10 points and 7 rebounds against AVC suggest. 6-6 sophomore Donald Lee banged the boards for 11 rebounds as well. And Jonathan Johnson, a 6-1 freshman off-guard, showed shooting range (2 threes), passing ability (3 assists) and defensive awareness (2 steals). 5-9 Duane Hicks mans the point. He's a pass-first floor leader who dished out 3 assists while grabbing 3 steals vs. AVC.

And…Coach Babayan claimed that day that much of his team was absent (as sometimes happens in summer events). After the 52-33 dismantling of AVC, one can only wonder what his full squad will look like.

We will run a weekly notebook on California junior college hoops throughout the season. It will appear on JucoJunction every week through the season.

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