Rhondi Naff

Barry Faulkner

A head for figures and the athletic skills to amass them on the

basketball court have made Rhondi Naff someone the Costa Mesa High

girls team can count on.

The 6-foot senior, whose favorite subject is math, leads the

Mustangs in scoring (18.8 points per game) and also tops her team in

steals (45) and blocked shots (21). Her rebounds (5.2 per game) and

assists rank second on the squad.

“There are very few people who can help you in all aspects of the

game,” Mesa Coach Jim Weeks said. “But Rhondi is so versatile on both

ends of the court, she does a lot of things for us.”

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week’s favorite thing is scoring

and she proved as much in Golden West League victories over Santa Ana

(Feb. 11) and Saddleback (Thursday).

She scored 17 of the Mustangs’ 21 first-quarter points against the

Saints, en route to a game-high 27. She then scored a game-high 29

against Saddleback, helping Costa Mesa sweep the two games and secure

a third-place finish.

The Mustangs (15-11) will make their 14th straight appearance in

the CIF Southern Section playoffs, opening tonight at La Canada. Most

agree they would not have made the playoffs, if not for Naff.

“Last year, she worked in the team concept (she averaged 16.4

points, en route to first-team All-Pacific Coast League honors). But,

this year, she has pretty much been a mainstay,” said Weeks, who

worked with Naff to improve in the offseason, anticipating extra

defensive attention her senior campaign.

“We worked on getting her to go to her left and elevating on her

jump shot,” said Weeks, who typically positions Naff in the high

post. “She improved more between her junior and senior year than

almost any player I’ve ever coached.” Weeks said her rare blend of

size and quickness makes Naff a difficult matchup for opponents.

“If you’re tall enough to guard her, you’re usually not quick

enough. And, if you’re quick enough, you’re going to have problems

with her size,” Weeks said.

Despite defensive focus, including gimmick schemes like the

box-and-one, Naff has been consistently productive. She has scored in

double figures in 21 of her 24 games this season, including nine

games of at least 20 points. Her season and career high came in the

first game against Saddleback, Jan. 27, when she pumped in 38. She

has led the Mustangs in scoring in all but two games this season,

after posting the high point total in 26 of 27 games as a junior. She

needs 31 points to reach the 500 plateau this season.

“I’ve always been a scorer,” said Naff, who comes from a “family

of basketball fanatics,” and began playing in the third grade. She

did not, however, begin serious offseason training until after her

junior year.

Her work ethic -- Weeks said she is by far the hardest worker on

the team -- and her ample talents have helped generate recruiting

interest from UC Riverside, Concordia University and Orange Coast

College.

Weeks believes Naff’s best basketball is ahead of her.

“I think she’s going to blossom in college,” he said. “She loves

basketball and she’s willing to work at it.”

Naff said she takes pride in her defense, rebounding and

all-around game, but admits she enjoys the game more when she’s

hitting her preferred 10-foot pull-up jumpers.

“When I’m scoring, my whole game flows better,” she said.