The Good, The Bad, And The Really, Really Ugly:
Regional Player Tidbits--(Jan 11, 2001)

We awoke this morning to both the LA Times and the LA Daily News blaring across their respective prep pages a disturbing trend:  Players, some of them notable and with big-time reputations, getting kicked off their teams (er, um, guess the word is "relieved" or "released" rather than "kicked off").  Here's what we know:

Kicked Off:  The LA Times reports that Jordan Farmar, a sophomore guard at Birmingham who was averaging 20 points, has been "removed" from the team by coach Al Bennett.  Why?  Farmar "revealed plans to transfer on Feb. 1 to Woodland Hills Taft."

Kicked Off: The Daily News reports that Taft coach Derrick Taylor "removed" two players and "suspended" another from the Taft Toreadors, including talented point guard Mustafa Asghari, one of the region's top point guards. Why?  "Philosophical differences" with the coach [read, doesn't want to pass to teammates and run the offense the way the coach wants....].   Also "removed" was starting power forward Tyrone Melton and "suspended" was Christ Catoe.....Hey, has Taft heard that Jordan Farmar is available?

Suspended:   We've been seeing references to this on our message board, but no one has put out the details, but today's LA Times prep section reports that 11 varsity players at LA City Section San Pedro were "suspended for a minimum of four games for breaking a team rule two weeks ago during a trip to Alaska for a tournament."  The Times story didn't mention what the rule was, but 11 players?  At some small schools, that's would be an entire team..... The Times notes that San Pedro's first game without the players involved was a 21 point loss to Carson this past Wednesday.  San Pedro suited up two JV players and four varsity players not involved in the violations.

Ejected:  Ryan Zike of Valencia (Valencia) was awarded two technicals against Calabasas, and was forced to sit in the next game against Saugus, the team's league opener, which Valencia lost.  According what Valencia Coach Rocket Collins told the Daily News, "he's been a lot better ever since."   Good.  

Wants Him Removed But It Ain't Gonna Happen:   There's a war going on between Reseda and Sylmar, which is getting close to bordering on the ridiculous, and even the Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore picked up on it in today's edition:  Reseda Coach Mike Wagner isn't happy that Frank Robinson was permitted by the LA City Section to transfer to Sylmar.  The paper notes that "Wagner wasn't happy when Spartans forward Frank Robinson left Chatsworth after getting into a fight and was able to transfer and play at Syulmar a little more than a month later.  Wagner has voiced his displeasure often, saying that by letting Robinson on the team, [Sylmar Coach] Escoto and Sylmar are sending a wrong message.   Escoto says Robinson made a mistake, is sorry for it and was disciplined appropriately. Furthermore, Robinson is playing with the full and legal clearance of the LA Unified School District."     Bonsignore notes that the two teams are scheduled to play a league game at Reseda on January 19, which the Daily News predicts will be the "game of the week."  Apparently Reseda's displeasure has extended so far as to making multiple requests to the LA City School district social workers to make repeated visits to Frank's new residence. . .  Why, we're not exactly sure, but gee, what a great way to spend our (the taxpayers') money, especially after Frank was cleared by the City Section already. 

Still Living That Dream Of  2.5 Kids, a chicken in every pot, and families that never move:  Eric Sondheimer of the LA Times has been looking for a team, somewhere, anywhere, that has had success without players transferring in,   and he finally found it in Palm Desert, with Chase McQuillan, Josh Zazulia and Donald Brady, all of whom have scored more than 1300 on the SAT and each of which has a GPA higher than 3.9.    Eric notes that "Palm Desert (14-4) is one of those rare basketball teams in Southern California comprised mostly of players who grew up down the street from one another.  Their parents are contractors, teachers, nurses, construction workeers, businessmen and homemakers. . . ."   According to coach Donald Brady, Sr., (father of one of the players, "These aree the players who live in the area.  We're doing it how high school basketball is supposed to be played--the high school you watched as a kid growing up your playing for   and not driving 1 1/2 hours to play on a team."    While it's all well and good to have stability, favorable economics, and a settled home life, not everyone everywhere is so fortunate.  Does this say something about "the way basketball is supposed to be played, or about the 1950's American Dream..... Of course, it's great when a team has success and good chemistry because the players have known each other forever, and Palm Desert has got that going for it as it's achieved a 14-4 record and is one of the best teams in their division, ranked by SoCalHoops as the No. 2 team, just behind Artesia, which of course is noted for just about anything but stability with it's players in the past few years.  Should be interesting when the two teams meet. . . .

Speaka de English?-- In contrast to Eric Sondheimer's story, the LA Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore chose to highlight Sergi Lepiashinski, a transfer to LA Reseda HS from Belarus, Russia, who is averaging 25 ppg, and Nick Stiggers, who transferred to Montclair Prep, from Memphis, Tennessee.     Lepiashinski only had a few words when he first played last season "My bad, coach". . . . And about Stiggers, Bonsignore got this quip from Tyrone Fuller, MCP's head coach:  "When you watch him and see the way he's built, you think about Jamal Mashburn.  He's that kind of player." 

 
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