PREP BASKETBALL ‘92-’93: EMPIRE LEAGUE

ESPERANZA

1991-92 RECORDS OVERALL: 17-11 LEAGUE: 9-1

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL

Mark Hill: 61-46

RETURNING STARTERS YR. HGT. P Rashaan Clark Sr. 6-5 F Mike Oliver Sr. 5-10 G Mike Thimgan Jr. 6-3 G

TOP RETURNERS YR. HGT. P Jeff Campau Sr. 6-2 G Jeremy Gress Jr. 5-11 G Nate Harrison Sr. 6-3 G/F Carl Latting Jr. 6-2 G Mike Lawson Jr. 6-6 C

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. HGT. P Marcus Jones Sr. 6-4 G/F Bryan Werner Sr. 6-6 C

OUTLOOK

Esperanza, league co-champion along with Los Alamitos, is determined to take the league title outright this season. Eight players are back from last season’s team that advanced to the second round of the Southern Section I-AA playoffs. Don’t expect any drastic changes in the league race this season. Esperanza and Los Alamitos should be near the top again. Esperanza lost an All-Southern Section player to graduation, Matt Kordik, a 6-7 forward, who averaged 22.8 points and earned second-team honors. Clark, Oliver and Thimgan form a solid nucleus of returning starters, and should make the Aztecs one of the league’s top teams. Oliver, the point guard, is a seasoned ballhandler who controls the pace of the game well enough. Thimgan, the shooting guard, provided some scoring punch by averaging 10 points last season. He earned second-team all-league honors. Clark averaged six points playing at the small forward position. Lawson started a handful of games last season and should be the team’s starting center. Hill’s picks: “Los Alamitos will be the favorite again. Katella looks strong this year.”