New UC Riverside Style Brings Same Old Success

Judging from its past success, the UC Riverside men’s basketball team didn’t seem like a team that needed to alter its style of play.

For three consecutive seasons, Riverside had reached the NCAA Division II playoffs, and for two of those seasons, the Highlanders finished third.

But with only four players returning and a surplus of outstanding outside shooters, Coach John Masi felt a change was in order.

So, with the help of longtime assistant coach Larry Reynolds, Masi introduced a style similar to Loyola Marymount’s, and the result has been a major success.

The Highlanders are 14-2, 2-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. and ranked No. 7 in Division II. They have averaged 98.8 points and have scored 100 or more points eight times. Their opponents are averaging 77.8.

However, Masi doesn’t want his team’s approach to be confused with Loyola’s.

“We are not Loyola, and we do not play like Loyola,” Masi said. “We’ve borrowed a little from them and that’s it.”

Masi did consult with former Loyola Marymount coach Paul Westhead before he left to become coach of the Denver Nuggets after last season.

Masi said his team’s approach relies a little more on defense.

“They (Loyola) allow the ball to get over the top just to force a pace,” Masi said. “I just didn’t feel comfortable allowing a team to come over the top like that. We don’t try to force the pace at the expense of our defense.”

Masi said his team’s defense is one of the major ingredients in the strategy working so well.

“The way I look at it, what we do is predicated on playing good defense,” he said. “The other factor is we have more depth than we’ve ever had. We have 11 players who can play.”

The Highlanders have used their full-court pressure to force 366 turnovers in 16 games--an average of nearly 23.

Although Riverside isn’t shooting as well as Masi had hoped, having made only 38.2% from the field, it has used its outside shooting ability to make 150 three-point baskets, an average of 9.4. The three-point leaders are guards Gene Altamirano with 39, Chris Hantgin with 28 and Ty Stockham with 26.

Riverside also has received help on the inside from 6-foot-8 center Dave Heckmann, who averages 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds; and forward Anthony Jenkins, a transfer from the University of Washington, who averages 15.3 points and has made 24 three-point shots.

“For this to work you need to have one guy who can score in the post, and we have Dave Heckmann, who is having the best year of his career,” Masi said. “You also have to have at least three guys on the court who can give you the threat of the three-pointer, and we have that as well.”

Masi said the Highlanders are adjusting better to the new approach with each game.

“Every game they learn a little more as to what they have to do to play our system,” he said.

Although the Highlanders have been impressive, Masi says it is too early to rate the new approach.

“A lot of people want to measure success by how they’re doing in January,” he said. “But you know a lot more depends on how well you do in February or March. That’s really the true test.”

Will this be the first season that the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team doesn’t win a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title?

Earlier, the Broncos appeared vulnerable.

But with five victories in the past six games, Pomona appears to be improving at an opportune time to make a run at their 10th consecutive conference title.

They take a 9-6 nonconference record, second to Cal State Dominguez Hills’ 13-2, into their CCAA opener against UC Riverside on Saturday at Pomona, and Coach Darlene May says she has seen positive signs.

“We just seem to be getting stronger and stronger as each week goes by,” she said. “I see us improving even more.”

With the graduation of All-American center Niki Bracken and all-conference forward Marcine Edmonds from a team that finished third in the NCAA Division II last season, May said she expected the team to have its difficulty early.

“We’re still adjusting as a team,” May said. “I think that it’s just taken us a little time because we’re adjusting to a new lineup, and the players have been trying to get adjusted to it.”

Also, the Broncos probably have played the most difficult schedule among conference teams, with four of its six losses coming against Division I schools.

Pomona also will benefit from the return of center Danielle Carter, a freshman All-American selection last season. Carter missed the start of the season after giving birth to her second child last October.