New neighborhood

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Having spent 13 seasons in the ultra-competitive

Sea View League, Corona del Mar High boys basketball coach Paul Orris has

truly learned to appreciate the “second season.”

For while Orris has coached the enrollment-challenged Sea Kings in four

CIF Southern Section championship games in the 1990s, he has only one

league crown in the decade. And he had to share the latter.

Orris, in fact, has as many section titles as league championships (two)

in his varsity coaching career.

But, with a shift to the Pacific Coast League this year, Orris and his

players are poised to kick off the new millennium as legitimate league

title contenders.

“It’s going to be a very interesting league,” Orris said of the five-team

circuit, which includes Newport-Mesa District rivals Estancia and Costa

Mesa, as well as University and Laguna Beach.

University likely owns the favorite’s tag. But CdM, with standout

returners Kevin Hansen and Alec Hanson leading the way, figures to make a

run.

Hansen, who committed recently to play volleyball at Stanford, averaged

10.8 points as a junior swing man on last year’s CIF Southern Section

Division III-A finalist. He was second-team All-CIF, second-team All-Sea

View and All-Newport-Mesa District, helping the Sea Kings finish 18-12,

despite a 4-6 Sea View record.

Mainly a perimeter player a year ago, the 6-foot-4 standout will see some

time inside, according to Orris.

“He’s developed more of an inside game and he can be pretty nifty and

creative around the basket,” Orris said. “He’ll be pretty hard to guard.”

Hanson, who assumed the point guard role in the playoffs last year,

should run the show all season. He averaged averaged 7.9 points as a

junior, but 11 per game in the postseason.

“He gives us great stability and he can score,” Orris said. “He and (best

friend) Kevin really play well together, so we’ll try to utilize them on

the same side of the floor.”

Joining the “Hans(eo)n brothers” as primary scoring threats will be

returner Brooks Morris.

The 6-3 senior scored just 45 points in limited action last season, but

has impressed Orris with his shooting touch.

“Those guys are probably the best three shooters I’ve had on one team in

awhile,” Orris said.

Joel Templeton, a 6-7 senior up from the junior varsity, should be

imposing at the defensive end as the starting center. Orris also hopes he

can continue to develop into a scoring threat.

“From there, the fifth (starter) could be a lot of different guys,

depending on whether I want to go smaller or bigger,” Orris said.

Returners Eric Snell, a 6-1 junior, and Elliott Patterson, a 6-3 senior,

will be in Orris’ rotation, as will 5-10 junior Idean Shahangian.

Senior Jay Bottom, a 6-3, 220-pound football standout, is giving

basketball another try after sitting out the last two seasons. Along with

Garrett Bowlus, a 6-6 junior up from the JV, Bottom will provide

front-court flexibility.

Charlie Alshuler, a 6-2 junior who joined the team for the playoffs last

season, will add depth, as will 6-3 senior Judd Hietbrink, junior Evan

Dorian and senior Jason Owen.

“It’s going to take some time to incorporate everyone, but that’s typical

for us, because we’re usually adding kids from other fall sports,” Orris

said.

“This is a good group, which works hard, and I think we have some

possibilities. I think we should score some points, but we’ll need to

focus on the defensive end and get a little tougher physically.”

Orris (194-174) as a varsity coach, needs six wins to surpass his former

mentor, the late Jack Errion, as the CdM and Newport-Mesa District career

victory leader.

The Sea Kings open at El Monte, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

CDM ROSTER

4 Alec Hanson Sr.

5 Idean Shahangian Jr.

10 Elliott Patterson Sr.

13 Jason Owen Sr.

21 Brooks Morris Sr.

25 Evan Dorian Jr.

31 Eric Snell Jr.

32 Kevin Hansen Sr.

33 Judd Hietbrink Sr.

41 Charlie Alshuler Jr.

44 Jay Bottom Sr.

45 Joel Templeton Sr.

50 Garrett Bowlus Jr.

Coach: Paul Orris