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LA Times Valley Region Player Of The Year
And All-Valley Teams--(March 27, 1998)

The Los Angeles Times Valley Edition published it's San Fernando Valley Region Players and Teams of the Year on Thursday in a big, splashy feature story. While we may not agree with all of their selections, and think that perhaps a couple of players were overlooked, it was a pretty complete job. Not surprisingly, or maybe a bit surprisingly to some, Ruben Douglas of Bell-Jeff was selected as the Player of the Year; this is in addition to his selection as the Division IV Southern Section Player of the Year.

The Times' Peter Yoon also did a very nice feature story on Ruben to go along with the Team Selection story in which he wrote that Ruben "can shoot, pass, dribble and finish a fastbreak with a flashy dunk" And he also wrote that this year, Ruben learned how to play in the glare of the spotlight when "Game after game Douglas would face difficult challenges--whether it be double teams or triple teams, media scrutiny or questions about his ability." And as we've written before, Douglas averaged a state-high 34.8 points per game this season. He twice scored more than 50 points, and three other times had more than 40. His season total of 1,046 points ranks fifth all-time in Southern Section history and ninth in state history.

This was a year in which Douglas and Bell-Jeff might have won a Division IV State Title had his team stayed intact at the beginning of the year. But before the season could get underway, three players expected to start on the varsity, left the school for various reasons, leaving Douglas and center Mike West as the only experienced players. And considering how well they did, the Times should have given an award to Bell Jeff coach Eli Essa, either for most patient, or for the coach who did the most with a limited number of experienced varsity players. Bell-Jeff didn't win the Santa Fe League title this year, but they did go pretty far into the Southern Section playoffs, losing in a semifinal game.

And Yoon notes that because Douglas committed to Arizona and Lute Olsen before the season began, this added even more pressure to Ruben to perform. "Every night there were fans there looking to see why this guy got this scholarship," Douglas told the Times. "And the other players said the same thing. Every night I had to come to play." And people even questioned the competition he was piling up the statistics against. "I have yet to see a player as scrutinized as Ruben in 12 years of coaching basketball," Essa told the Times. "But he came out with terrific grades. He could've played at any school in Southern California and have been just as good."

Essa didn't get the nod from the Times as it's "Coach of the Year" in the Boys Divisions. That honor went to Jeff Young, coach of Chaminade. Congratulations Jeff.

Here's the 1997-98 "All-Valley Boys' Basketball Team as selected by the LA Times Valley Edition:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Ruben Douglas, Bell-Jeff (6'-4" Sr. G)--University of Arizona

FIRST TEAM

Gilbert Arenas, Grant (6'-3" Jr. G)
Scott Borchart, Chaminade (6'-7 "Fr. C)
Mark Hull, Hoover (6'-6" Sr. F)
Jerrohn Jordan, Valencia (6'-8" Sr. C)
Scott Long, Chaminade (6'-5" Sr. F)
Devin Montgomery, San Fernando (6'-0" Jr. G)
Matthew Moore, La Canada (6'-7" Sr. C)
J.T. Stotts, Hart (5'-10" Sr. G)
Keron Wilkerson, North Hollywood (6'-4" Sr. F)

SECOND TEAM

Jeremy Cartee, Burroughs (6'-3" Sr. F)
Kent Dennis, Cleveland (6'-3" Jr. F)
Emmanuel Evans, Birmingham (6'-3" Sr. F)
Russell Lakey, Harvard-Westlake (5'-10" So. G)
Shawn Lett, Quartz Hill (5'-8" Sr. G)
Harold Shevlin, Taft (6'-4" Sr. G/F)
Josh Speaks, Antelope Valley (6'-1" Sr. G/F)
Rocky Steryo, Montclair Prep (6'-2" Sr. G)
George Wrighster, Sylmar (6'-4" Jr. F)
Kerry Yates, Palmdale (6'-2" Sr. F)

Among the most explosive players in the region, Arenas averaged 29.8 points and 5.7 assists to lead the Lancers to a share of the East Valley League title. He set a school scoring record in 1 1/2 seasons.

At 15, Borchart proved to be one of the best big men in the region, averaging 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds for a talented and balanced 28-2 squad.

Ranked among the region's leading scorers and rebounders, Hull averaged 27.9 points and 13.9 rebounds. He was All-Pacific League three times and was selected co-most valuable player this season.

Among the most athletic big men in the region, Jordan displayed an array of post moves and quickness while averaging 19.1 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Vikings to the Division I-A quarterfinals.

Long led the region's top-ranked team to a Mission League title, a Southern Section championship, and the Division III state quarterfinals, averaging 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds.

The Ribet Academy transfer was as good as advertised. Montgomery, the North Valley League most valuable player, averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 assists, and often handled the ball in crunch time.

Defining the term "inside force," Moore averaged 25.9 points and 9.0 rebounds in leading the Spartans to the Division III-AA semifinals. The four-year starter set school scoring records for a game (51), season and career.

The Foothill League MVP for the second consecutive season, Stotts averaged 23.6 points and shot 42% on three-point attempts. He stepped up in big games, making 11 three-pointers in the game that determined the league champion.

The co-conference player of the year, Wilkerson helped the Huskies to a share of the East Valley League title for the first time since 1994. He averaged 24.9 points.