True, Basketball Team Has Grit but There’s Room to Grow

The Big West basketball Media Day is today in Los Angeles, and it won’t be a surprise if the Cal State Fullerton men’s team is ranked at or near the bottom of the conference in the coaches’ preseason poll.

The Titans were ninth a year ago, and they aren’t likely to be picked higher this season.

But if Monday night’s 94-93 exhibition victory over High Five America is any indication, the Titans aren’t likely to be a walkover for anyone in the conference.

“We showed a certain grittiness, and that’s one of several things I liked about the way we played,” Coach Bob Hawking said.

High Five America, which lost to Long Beach State by six points the night before, didn’t look like a team going through the motions. Its roster included Orlando Williams, Oregon’s talented three-point shooter of a year ago, and Eathan O’Bryant, Nevada’s first-team All-Big West guard last season.

One encouraging aspect to Hawking was Fullerton’s shooting percentage (55.4). The team’s only senior, Chuck Overton, was 10 of 17 with 28 points. Junior Chris St. Clair was six of 12 with 18 points. He was four of five on three-pointers, including the one that won the game with nine seconds left. Sophomore Chris Dade was seven of 11 with 17 points.

That’s a big difference from last season when the Titans averaged only 40.7% from the floor.

“It sure cures a lot of ills when you shoot the ball well,” Hawking said. “Chuck seems to be a lot more comfortable shooting the ball this year. He’s playing the way a senior should, and that’s fun to see. He’s come a long way in the past year.”

The point guard play also looked promising with freshman Kenroy Jarrett rotating with Ali Nayab, a junior who was out last season with a back injury. Hawking was generally pleased with them, but noted: “It’s a big jump to Division I for Kenroy, especially at that position.”

The Titans had 15 turnovers in the first half, but only four in the second.

The inside play was less impressive. Dirk Rassloff struggled at center with six points and five rebounds. Sophomore DeVaughn Wright, who started at power forward, was scoreless and had only two rebounds in 34 minutes.

But the inside game could get a lift when transfer John Williams and freshman Mark Richardson are added to the mix. Hawking said he held both out because of nagging injuries.

“There’s no question that we had some difficulty with their strength inside, but adding Richardson and Williams will give us a wider rotation, and that will help,” Hawking said.

*

The men’s soccer team ends its regular season Thursday at San Diego and a victory would give the Titans a 12-8 record.

Coach Al Mistri says that should be good enough to give Fullerton consideration for a spot in the NCAA tournament. Six defeats have been by one goal, with two coming in overtime.

Fullerton has won three of its last four matches, including Saturday’s 2-0 victory over eighth-ranked Fresno State. The Titans also defeated fourth-ranked Brown, 1-0, in the recent UCLA tournament.

“If we win at San Diego, I think we would have to be regarded as the sixth-best team in the West regional,” Mistri said. “I can think of only one time in recent years when six teams from the West haven’t made it. That was in 1988 when they took only five.”

The men’s pairings will be announced Monday, and the Titans have the advantage of being familiar to the selection committee after reaching the NCAA semifinals two years ago and the quarterfinals last season.

The Fullerton women’s team finished with a 14-5 record but failed to make the tournament field.

Mistri said he thinks the Titan women were hurt by preferential treatment given to more established programs. The Titan women’s program is in its third year.

“If the committee decides that there are certain strong teams, and they lose to one another they call it a ‘good’ loss, which means it doesn’t hurt their rating as much,” Mistri said. “I have trouble with that. And this isn’t a Fullerton issue, it’s a college soccer issue.”

Washington, whose coach was a member of the regional advisory committee, made the field with an 11-7 record.

*

The Titan baseball program has won early recruiting battles for a couple of highly regarded prospects.

Shortstop Ryan Owens of Sonora High and center fielder Pete Fukuhara of Canada College have indicated they will sign with the Titans in the early signing period that begins today.

Owens had been recruited by Miami and USC. It came down to Fullerton and Miami, Owens said.

Owens, who hit .400 as a junior last season, was the leadoff hitter on the Sonora team that won the Southern Section Division II title. Owens had two doubles, drove in two runs and scored three in the championship game.

The Titans beat out Oklahoma for Fukuhara, a first-team community college All-American last season.

Titan Notes

Freshman Dolores Browning finished third in the nation and first in the West Region among women soccer players in goals with 24. She was tied for 10th nationally in points with 51. Amber Dickey had 12 goals and 25 points. . . . The women’s volleyball team scored its first victory over San Jose State last weekend. Heather Bassett had 36 kills in the match, one short of the single match school record. Fullerton is 9-18 and can reach double figures in victories for the first time since 1988 with a victory this weekend. The Titans play Utah State Friday and Saturday at Titan Gym. Both matches start at 7:30 p.m. . . . The wrestling team will open its season Saturday in Titan Gym in the All-California Open tournament. “Since it’s an open tournament, everyone will wrestle and we’ll have a better idea of the strength of our team after that,” Coach Ardeshir Asgari said.