Let’s go to the hoop

Tony Altobelli

The football bowl games are in the books, the Christmas presents

have either been played with, broken or returned and I’m still making the

mistake of using a “00” on my dateline instead of “01.”

That must mean it’s basketball season!

In my trek to span the Internet globe for locals playing collegiate

hoops, to find one of the brightest standouts, I only had to look around

the corner to Orange Coast College.

Newport Harbor High grad Kristen Urban, used sparingly as a freshman

on the OCC women’s basketball team a year ago, is making a major impact

on the Pirates’ squad.

The 5-foot-11 forward/center leads the team in scoring with a 13.2

points-per-game average and her 6.2 rebounds per game is second highest

on the squad.

Don’t let the size fool you. Her ability to connect from three-point

land (she has a team-high 40 treys) forces the opponent’s defense to open

up, allowing others to also gain offensive success.

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Karen is the sister of Joe

Urban, who also played at Newport Harbor and is now a senior on the Iowa

State University baseball team.

Former Orange Coast hoopster, David Castleton, is now draining baskets

for the Cal State Fullerton men’s hoops team.

Castleton, ineligible for the first seven of the Titans’ ball games,

is averaging 6.2 points, four assists and 30 minutes per game.

Look for Castleton’s numbers rise, along with the number of wins for

the Titans (1-12).

Former Newport Harbor hoopster, Matt Jameson, has seen his playing

time rise dramatically at the University of Miami (Ohio).

Jameson has started seven of the RedHawks’ 13 games this season,

averaging 3.2 points and 20 minutes of action per contest. He is also

shooting 80% from the free-throw line.

Crossing the Back Bay, former Corona del Mar standout, Cameron Conover

is coming off the bench for Champlain College in Vermont. The 6-0,

180-pound sophomore is averaging 1.4 points in 11 games this year.

Former Estancia High sniper Selwyn Mansell has gone from an Eagle to

an Air Force Academy Falcon. The 5-9, 165-pound guard has started four

games and is averaging 2.5 points in 12.2 minutes of action in 11 games

this season.