UCI seeks fifth straight

Steve Virgen

One thing Cal State Fullerton Coach Donny Daniels knows about the

UC Irvine men’s basketball team is that the Anteaters have size. And,

it appears the Titans won’t have their big men to match.

Fullerton’s 6-10 junior center Pape Sow, who had been averaging

15.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, was suspended indefinitely

after being arrested for stealing a knit cap from Titan Bookstore

Dec. 17. He will be in a hearing today with school officials, who

will determine to lift or sustain the suspension.

“I would say he would not be in the lineup (Wednesday),” Daniels

said Tuesday. “The university is going to take some time to make that

decision. He has to go through the appeal (process). We won’t know

how severe it will be for him (Wednesday). I would assume he won’t be

ready for this weekend.”

Sow, who was caught stealing from a department store a little over

a year ago, pleaded guilty at his arraignment for the recent arrest

and will be on probation for three years and will have to perform

community service.

The Titans (3-8, 1-1 in the Big West Conference) got a lift last

week with the return of 6-4 sophomore guard Ralphy Holmes, who scored

23 points and led Fullerton to a 57-55 overtime win at UC Santa

Barbara Saturday. Holmes had been out for two weeks with a shoulder

injury, yet he was a force against the Gauchos, last year’s Big West

Tournament champions and this year’s preseason favorite to win the

conference title.

However, in addition to Sow’s anticipated absence tonight, the

Titans also have four players, including 6-11 Babacar Camara, out

with injuries.

“(The Anteaters) have tremendous size,” Daniels said. “With (Adam)

Parada and (Stanislav) Zuzak, they’re both big and they can catch and

score. They have Greg Ethington, who is a good player. (Matt) Okoro

is big and athletic. We have to be concerned with him. He got our

attention last year.”

Daniels also mentioned UCI’s freshman guard Jeff Gloger, as

someone the Titans will have to be prepared for. Gloger, who led UCI

with 17 points, five steals and three assists, guided the Anteaters

to a 69-52 win over Long Beach State in the conference opener for

both teams.

Gloger is ranked third in the nation in steals with a 3.6 average

in the NCAA Division I statistics released Tuesday. Gloger has 36

steals in 10 games and 29 in the past six contests. Gloger has at

least three steals in seven games this season. His 36 steals are over

halfway to the UCI single-season record of 66 set by Scott Brooks in

28 games in 1986-87.

“It’s been a surprise what he’s seen in the passing lanes as a

defender,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said. “He’s come out strong. I look

for (Gloger and Mike Efevberha) to hit their stride in the second

half of league play.”

Efevberha, who has been the starting guard for UCI during its

four-game winning streak, struggled at Long Beach State Saturday,

scoring one point, and shooting 0 for 3 from the field.

Douglass said the starting lineup he initiated against Saint

Mary’s Dec. 22 has resulted in UCI displaying its depth, as Parada

and Zuzak have come off the bench to make key contributions. Parada

scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, plus he stayed out of foul

trouble, against Long Beach State, while Zuzak also scored 12 points

off the bench. Ethington and Okoro started in place of Parada and

Zuzak, yet the starters played less minutes than the two reserves.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Adam started in the near future,”

Douglass said. “(The starting lineup) might vary from game to game.

We’re very fortunate to have Okoro and Ethington. They have spurred

(the former starters) to pick up their game.

“It’s been a motivator for kids who need to pay attention to

detail.”

Nic Campbell, a 6-6 freshman who scored eight points in UCI’s

first two games, remains sidelined with a lower-back injury.

“I can’t foresee him playing the rest of the season,” Douglass

said. “He has two bulging discs on the back.”

Douglass said it’s possible Campbell will be able to receive a

medical redshirt for this season.