Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, Idean Shahangian: Showing the way

Barry Faulkner

Ask any Southern California basketball fan old enough own a

driver’s license about “Showtime” and the response figures to exclude any

reference to a cable television movie channel.

Corona del Mar High senior Idean Shahangian is among those heavily

influenced by the up-tempo, high-drama Magic (Johnson) act that helped

the Los Angeles Lakers dominate the NBA during the 1980s.

“I tried to develop a little show in my game,” said the 6-foot-1 Sea

King guard, who, until recently, had obscured his playground flair behind

a curtain of self-doubt.

“It’s been an evolutionary process,” CdM Coach Paul Orris said of

Shahangian’s adjustment to the more structured approach Orris prefers.

Recent results indicate the transition is nearly complete.

Shahangian scored 41 points in a pair of Pacific Coast League

victories last week, including a 56-50 upset of preseason title favorite

Northwood. Shahangian’s scoring prowess helped the surprising Sea Kings

earn a share of the PCL lead, heading into the second week of action

Wednesday. It also earned him Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week honors.

“We’ve talked to him a lot about not forcing the issue, being patient

and looking for his opportunities within the confines of the offense,”

Orris said. “But I’ve given him a little more rope, because we knew he

could be productive for us, offensively.”

Shahangian’s production (12 points per game) has nearly doubled in his

last six games, heading into Wednesday. He posted back-to-back

career-high outputs of 22 and 23 points in tournament wins over Riverside

of Notre Dame and Mary Star, followed by a 27-point explosion in a

victory over El Monte.

In the six games prior to Wednesday’s PCL meeting with Estancia, he

averaged 20.8 points. Not coincidentally, the Sea Kings won five of those

games, reversing a 3-9 start and positioning themselves as a probable CIF

playoff team.

“Early in the season, there were times when I was trying to be Michael

Jordan,” Shahangian said. “I tried to carry the weight of the world in my

hands.”

Shahangian, however, discovered letting go of this burden, unlocked

his ample talent.

“I used to think too much,” he said. “I would ask myself ‘If I shoot

this way, will coach get mad?’ But, eventually, I just decided to relax

and see what I can do.”

He can do plenty, shooting from three-point range, slashing to the

basket, even breaking down the defense to create shots for his teammates.

“He’s definitely a scorer,” Orris said. “He doesn’t overwhelm you with

his physique, but he’s pretty quick and he can get off the ground.”

Shahangian said he feeds his hoop passion by playing virtually every

day, year-round.

“There are pictures of me holding a basketball when I was 2 or 3 years

old,” he said. “I play pretty much every day and I usually play against

guys who are older than me. I like the challenge.”

Shahangian also said he liked the challenge of helping his teammates

prove naysayers wrong.

“You have to win to have fun and I’m having tons of fun,” he said.

“People were telling us we wouldn’t accomplish anything this year, which

has encouraged us to do our best to show them up.”

Showtime, indeed.