SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Minier Hopes Mission Viejo ‘Slump’ Will End Against Foothill Tonight

The numbers told a different story, but Bob Minier, Mission Viejo High School basketball coach, suggested the Diablos were not playing like a playoff team in their 54-51 regular season-ending win over Irvine.

The Diablos had just won their 20th game, but Minier, sighting his team’s sluggish offensive performance, claimed Mission Viejo was in a slump.

“We need a few days off,” he said. “Then, we’ll try to start the playoffs fresh with some new enthusiasm.”

With three days of rest and relaxation behind it, Mission Viejo (20-6), the No. 2 team from the South Coast League, plays at Foothill (19-6), the No. 2 representative from the Century League, tonight at 7:30 in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

Mission Viejo’s top player is 6-foot 7-inch center Tim Knowles. Knowles and Saddleback guard Bryant Walton were the only players in Orange County to finish among the scoring, rebounding, assist and shooting leaders.

Knowles, who is being recruited by Loyola Marymount, New Mexico State and Boise State, averaged 15 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and shot 60% from the field. He is the key to an attack that lacks a point guard.

Foothill’s top players are guard Derek Johnson and forward Alan Schlines. Johnson is the team’s top scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game.

In other 4-A division games:

Redondo Union (9-13) vs. Capistrano Valley (24-2) at Saddleback College--The Seahawks are one of only two teams (Thousand Oaks is the other) to reach the 4-A playoffs with a losing record. Steve Floretine, a 6-7 forward, is Redondo’s top player. The top-seeded Cougars are a veteran team led by point guard Nathan Call (8.8 assists) and forward Shawn Reed (15.8 points).

Woodbridge (21-6) at Eisenhower (17-9)--The teams met in the Sonora Tournament, and Eisenhower won, 60-58, on a last-second shot. Forwards Tracy Lindsey (15.6 points) and Alex Green (12.7 points) lead a quick Eagle team. Sophomore Adam Keefe averages 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds for Woodbridge. The Warriors are making only the second playoff appearance in the school’s five-year history.

Redlands (14-10) at Santa Ana (19-6)--The Terriers have only one returning starter, Glenn Trunnelle, from last season’s Citrus Belt League championship team. Senior guard Ovid Mady (11.8 points) is the team’s top scorer, and guard John Ramirez averages 11.2 points. Sophomores Bobby Joyce (15.5 points) and Scooti Lynwood led the Saints to the Century League title.

Saddleback (14-12) at John W. North of Riverside (25-1)--The teams met in the Irvine Tournament with North trailing most of the way before pulling out a 58-57 win. Center Andy Johnson, who has signed to play for Portland State, leads the Huskies with a 15-point scoring average. Bryant Walton, who signed to play for UC Berkeley, averages 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.

El Modena (14-10) at Corona del Mar (22-4)--The Vanguards needed a last-second shot by Ryan Rycraw to gain a 50-48 win over Norco in a wild-card game Wednesday night to reach the 32-team tournament. Rycraw averages 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Sea King guard Jeff Fryer was the leading scorer in the county with a 27.8 average, and point guard Tod Bearbower averaged 8.2 assists per game.

El Toro (14-11) at Santa Monica (21-3)--It will be a homecoming for Tim Travers, El Toro coach, who attended Santa Monica and later taught and coached at the school. Travers was a teammate with Cliff Hunter, the current Santa Monica coach. The Vikings have two Division I players in 6-4 guard Carrick DeHart, who signed with UC Santa Barbara, and 6-6 forward Keith Harris, who signed with Kansas.

In the 3-A division:

Montebello (14-7) at Troy (16-8)--The Oilers, who are making only their fourth playoff appearance in the 13 years, have failed to advance past the first round during that span. Matt Smith, a 6-3 center, is the team’s top player, averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds per game. Raul Soto, a 6-2 forward, and Mike Byrd, a 6-3 forward, combined to average 25 points per game. Troy is led by forward Robbie Burrer.

Bolsa Grande (14-8) at Pomona (15-6)--Pomona has one of the tallest teams in the 3-A division with 6-10 center Marcellius Lee, 6-6 forward Tyrone Greer and 6-5 guard Derwin Collins all returning from last year’s team that advanced to the quarterfinals. Lee averages 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5 blocks. Sophomore Joe Small, who averaged 15.5 points and 10.7 rebounds, leads the Matadors.

El Dorado (19-5) at Canyon of Canyon Country (17-7)--Golden Hawk forward Jim Sammon finished as the county’s second-leading scorer with a 26.9 average. He is also the team’s leading rebounder at 8.6 per game and shot 55% from the field. Canyon, co-champion of the Golden League with Burroughs of Ridgecrest, is led by forward Butch Mettinger (21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds) and guard Darrin Moloznik (16.1 points, 7.1 assists).

El Segundo (15-10) at Brea-Olinda (22-4)--A pair of 6-5, 215-pound forwards, Scott Talanoa and Darryl Griffin, pace the Eagles, the third-place team from the Pioneer League. Talanoa averaged 12 points and 11.5 rebounds, and Griffin averaged 10.5 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Walker, who averaged 26.7 points per game this season, holds every Brea scoring and rebounding record.

Los Alamitos (17-6) at La Serna (14-7)--The Lancers have won 12 consecutive games and feature one of the top scorers in Southern California in three-year starter Robert Stone. Stone averaged 24.5 points, and 6-4 sophomore Tyler Austin is considered the team’s top inside player. J.T. Snow of Los Alamitos holds seven school records and is now second in career scoring behind former Griffin star Rick Quinn.

Fullerton (16-9) at Morningside (16-7)--Monarch center Elden Campbell, a 6-9 senior, is being recruited by Kansas, Oregon State and Clemson. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 9 blocked shots, and he has recorded a triple-double in 10 games. Fullerton gained a 60-57 overtime win over Western in a wild-card game on Wednesday night to reach the playoffs. Guard Ralph Tallant averaged 15.7 points for Fullerton.

La Quinta (9-11) at HH Wilson (22-3)--Many consider Wilson center Scott Williams the premier player in the state. The 6-11 senior, who has signed with North Carolina, averaged 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game. Two talented sophomores--guard Kenny Bennett and forward Ari Buford--have helped the Aztecs win five of their last six games.

Etiwanda (14-9) at Valencia (13-10)--The Eagles qualified for the playoffs in only their third year of existence. Barry Howard, a 6-5 junior, and 5-10 guard Dion Tolbert are the team’s top players. Valencia counters with the balanced offense of Dennis Burbank (11.9 points), Kevin Jones (11.6) and David LaRue (11.4).

Damien (19-7) at Rancho Alamitos (15-8)--The Spartans have qualified for the playoffs for seven consecutive years. Damien guard Kevin Partington is the school’s career scoring leader with 1,159 points in three seasons. Partington averages 22.4 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Rancho Alamitos relies on the scoring of guard Randy Morales (19.2 points) and forward Roger Carter (17.8).

Buena Park (11-11) at Centennial (10-10)--The Apaches have qualified for the playoffs for three straight years. Junior guards Trent Allen (5-9) and Dwight Thomas (6-1) combined to average 32 points. Eric Nelson, a 6-6 forward, is Centennial’s tallest player. Buena Park figures to have problems with Centennial’s quickness, but will have a decided height advantage thanks to 6-8 center Mike Kotzin and 6-7 forward Tony Toscano.

Quartz Hill (6-15) at Katella (21-3)--The Rebels are making only their second appearance in the playoffs in the school’s 25-year history. Two juniors--6-4 forward Joe Harris and 5-10 guard Scott Weiss--are the team’s top players. Harris averages 15.2 points and 8 rebounds, and Weiss averages 10.4 points and 3 assists. Bob Erbst, who has signed to play at USC, averages 21.5 points for the Knights, who are making their 20th straight trip to the playoffs.

In the 5-A division:

St. Bernard (16-6) at Fountain Valley (13-12)--The Vikings are seeded fourth, but were assigned a road game after finishing second to Serra in the Camino Real League. Junior David Whitmore averaged 23.5 points and is shooting 58% from the field. Kirkland Howling, a 6-4 forward, has scored 20 or more points in his last four games. Guard Todd Hanson leads Fountain Valley.

Verbum Dei (17-8) at Edison (15-9)--The Eagles have qualified for the playoffs 20 consecutive years and have reached the final four 14 times during that span. Returning All-Southern Section guard David Jones averaged 26 points and forward Kevin Williams averaged 19. Three-year starter Ken Ammann (18.1 points) leads Edison.

Marina (14-12) at Serra (20-4)--The host Cavaliers have not lost a home game in two years in their tiny gymnasium, which has a capacity of about 600. Serra has scored more than 100 points in its last four games and averages nearly 90. Forward Keith Malone averaged 25 points and Alemany transfer James Moses averaged 23. Mark Georgeson, a 6-8 junior, is the Vikings’ top player.