Heenan blossoms into consistent weapon for Tars

maleathleteweekThe high-scoring senior has improved all facets of his game and looks primed for a big year.Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst knew Dennis Heenan had it in him. It was just a matter of when he would come into his own.

Five games into the season, Heenan has answered that question. The 6-foot-6 senior has not scored fewer than 18 points in a game so far this season for the Sailors (4-1).

Heenan has led the team in scoring every game. He capped off a stellar week by netting 31 points as the Sailors beat La Serna, 65-62, to take third place in the Bill Reynolds Classic Saturday at Fullerton High.

Heenan is not just getting it done shooting the ball from the outside. He has also improved his defensive skills and is more aggressive going after rebounds and driving to the basket than he’s ever been.

“It’s kind of what we’d been hoping for with Dennis,” Hirst said. “He entered the program as a guy who just shot the ball. Now he’s getting the ball into the paint, getting points at the free throw line. He’s second on our team in assists. He’s playing defense.

“He’s not one-dimensional anymore.”

If the Bill Reynolds Classic was a coming out party for Heenan, this could be a breakthrough season for the lanky senior.

“It’s an accumulation of everything he’s worked on for four years,” Hirst said. “He’s more of a complete player. It’s what every coach would hope to see -- that kind of transformation. We’ve taught him the same things we’ve taught all of our players. It’s just that some kids buy into it, some don’t.”

Heenan’s 31-point effort looks even more impressive when you note he had just two points in the first quarter and made just two three-pointers. He was driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line.

“It’s a tribute to him and to his teammates,” Hirst said. “He felt he was getting good shots and his teammates understood that Dennis had the hot hand. They were setting screens for him and getting him the ball.”

Heenan said his big game was a team effort.

“Guys got me open on the fast break for easy layups,” Heenan said. “The guys on the team were looking for me.”

During the summer, Heenan realized he needed to be more of an offensive force.

“I figured out I needed to score more -- hit open guys or shoot if I’m open,” Heenan said. “I worked really hard on my outside shot. I worked on going to the basket. I worked on basically letting the game come to me. I’m getting a lot better at rebounding -- going after the ball. My dribbling has improved. Basically, my overall game has improved.”

With Heenan’s hot hand and a stingy defense -- in the early going, the team is giving up just 49.1 points per game -- Newport Harbor is going to be a tough team to beat.

“Everyone is unselfish -- no one cares who scores,” Heenan said. “Everyone is doing things to help everyone else out. So I can definitely see us having a great year.”

Dennis Heenan

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 185 pounds

Sport: Basketball

Position: Shooting guard

Coach: Larry Hirst

Favorite food: Chicken and pasta

Favorite movie: “Prefontaine.”

Favorite athletic moment: “Winning the Chula Vista Tournament last year in San Diego.”

Week in review: Heenan scored 31 points in the third-place game of the Bill Reynolds Classic, leading the Sailors to a 65-62 victory over La Serna. Heenan averaged 22.2 points per game in the tournament.20051217IH1M3M68No Caption20051217irmjglncDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / DAILY PILOT(LA)