GOING SOLO : Valley’s Stephens Emerges From Shadow of Flamboyant Backcourt Mates

Tory Stephens has grown accustomed to spending time in the shadows of more flamboyant backcourt teammates.

At San Fernando High, Stephens and Joe Mauldin both averaged more than 20 points a game last season and gave the Tigers the most talented guard tandem in the Valley.

Stephens was smooth, but Mauldin’s flashiness--and his outstanding quarterback skills on the court and the football field--made him a magnet for the attention of fans and college coaches.

This season at Valley College, Stephens took a back seat to point guard Joey Manliguis, a free-wheeling Kirk Gibson in high-tops who captured the fancy of observers with his reckless disregard for defenders, and occasionally, his own teammates.

Earlier this week, however, Manliguis dropped out of school because of academic difficulties, ending an exciting but stormy chapter in the Monarchs’ season.

Manliguis’ departure may have cleared the way for the first solo performance for Stephens, who is averaging 19 points a game. Sergio Peralta, a freshman from Granada Hills who until now has played sparingly, will replace Manliguis.

Stephens figures to attract a crowd of defenders tonight when Valley plays host to Santa Monica in a Western State Conference game at 7.

“It’s going to be hard because they’re probably going to key on me,” Stephens said. “I’ll just have to work harder at creating my own shots.”

Stephens, 18, is best known for his outside shooting, which has kept Valley in numerous games and helped the Monarchs to a 17-10 record overall, 7-3 in the WSC. But he also is an effective rebounder and defender.

“Tory has worked as hard as anybody to improve his skills,” Valley Coach Jim Stephens said. “But he needs to become a little more consistent shooter. If you want to play at the Division I level, when you’re open, you have to hit it almost every time.”

Based on the opinion of other WSC coaches, Stephens the coach may have blurred vision when it comes to Stephens the player.

“He’s certainly one of the best shooting guards in the conference,” said Santa Monica Coach John McMullen, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau. “I haven’t seen him have too many bad streaks. If he gets a good look a it, it’s going to go.”

Glendale Coach Brian Beauchemin is similarly impressed--almost to the word.

“He can strike from a lot of areas with his jump shot,” said Beauchemin, whose team visits Valley Wednesday night. “He’s very dangerous when he gets a look at it.”

Since arriving at Valley, Stephens has changed his look. He no longer sports the funky diagonal-grooved hair style and occasional shaved head he favored at San Fernando. Instead, he sports a more conservative, close-cropped coiffure.

“That was high school,” said Stephens, who missed the opportunity to earn a college scholarship because of inadequate American College Testing scores. “I can’t worry about haircuts, I just want to play basketball and get an education.

“I don’t want to be a bum. I’ve seen guys from San Fernando that didn’t make it and now they’re selling drugs. I don’t want to do that.”

Stephens also has altered his style on the court.

“I’m more disciplined to take better shots than I did in high school,” Stephens said. “At San Fernando, I could shoot anytime I wanted. It’s different here.”

When Stephens first came to Valley, one of the few things coach and player had in common was the spelling of their surnames. That much became clear during one early season practice when they exchanged verbal salvos.

“A lot of the kids like Tory have never really been yelled at,” said Valley assistant Dana Pump, who was an assistant at San Fernando last season. “Jim gets in their face and, at first, Tory didn’t understand that he was just trying to make him a better player.”

The message, however, apparently has been received.

“Sometimes I get frustrated and say things I don’t mean,” Tory said. “Coach sits me down and tells me what I’m doing wrong.

“He stays on you. If you don’t do it right, he doesn’t put up with it. I like that.”

Santa Monica (26-3 overall, 11-0 in the WSC) defeated Valley, 82-76, in the teams’ first meeting. The six-point margin of victory was the Corsairs’ smallest in conference play.

“Tory knows he’s going to have to pick up the slack and he’s ready for it,” Pump said. “He knows he’s going to have to shoot more and he’s going to have to work his butt off to get those shots.”

Stephens said that he’s ready for the challenge.

“Santa Monica is tough but I think we can beat them,” he said. “I know I’m going to have to be more aggressive and we’re all going to have to play well. You can’t do it alone.”