COLLEGE DIVISION PREVIEW MEN : Chapman Is Gearing Up for Last Turn in Division II

Reason says the Chapman men’s basketball team is in for a rough season.

The evidence:

--The Panthers lost their entire front line--including career-scoring leader Rog Middleton--from a team that was 7-19 and finished last in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

--Because the university decided to eliminate athletic scholarships and drop from NCAA Division II to Division III next season, first-year Coach Mike Bokosky was unable to offer scholarships to his first recruiting class.

--Chapman will be playing its final season in the CCAA, the conference in which the Panthers have won only seven of 40 games during the last three seasons.

But Bokosky bucks the conventional wisdom, arguing against convicting Chapman to the CCAA cellar for a fourth consecutive time.

“In a way, we’re in a win-win situation,” he said. “We’re expected to finish last. I’m not going to make any predictions but our goal is to make the tournament and that is the top four teams.

“I think it’s a good goal to have and I think it’s realistic. I don’t think it’s out of line.”

Of course, former Coach Bob Boyd said he had similar expectations at the beginning of each of the last three seasons, but Bokosky has the advantage of knowing that this is his first and only shot at success in the CCAA, which is arguably the toughest Division II conference in the nation.

Although the front line of Middleton, Frantz Reyes and Alan Schlines is gone, Bokosky was left with a solid core of senior guards.

Brian Kenney and Jeff Gardner started most of the games last season and Vern Broadnax and Mike Vaughn each started several and got significant playing time off the bench.

Gardner, who is 6-3 and also plays small forward, rebounds and drives to the basket well. In Chapman’s first two games this season, Gardner has averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds, leading the team.

Despite not being able to offer scholarships, Bokosky was able to bring in some talented newcomers, most notably four community college transfers:

--Rod Summers, a 6-4 forward who averaged 13 points and seven rebounds at Fullerton College last season.

--Glen Greene, an All-Orange Empire Conference guard from Rancho Santiago.

--Aaron Cornell, a long-range shooter who averaged 19 points for Rio Hondo.

--Paul Robinson, a 6-6 post player from Barstow College.

Furthermore, Richie Bethune, a 6-7 post player who transferred from Southwestern College in Chula Vista but was ineligible last season, will become eligible Dec. 18, giving the Panthers their first true center in years.

“They may not be the most talented players in the league but they’ve all come from programs that have won and they know what it’s all about,” Bokosky said. “I really think we can make that tournament. If we do I’m the happiest guy in the county. If we don’t, I’m going to be as positive as I can.

“I’m going to try to make practice fun even if we lose. I’m not going to take it personally. I’m really into giving these guys a nice college experience.”

A look at the three other local teams:

CHRIST COLLEGE IRVINE

1991-92 record: 14-16, 5-7.

Conference finish: Fourth (tie) in Golden State Athletic Conference, eighth (tie) in NAIA District 3.

In his third season at Christ College, Coach Greg Marshall has put together his most talented team. D’Andre Brown, a first-team All-District 3 selection as a junior, averaged 17.4 points and 8.5 rebounds last season, leading the Eagles to their second consecutive appearance in the district tournament.

Besides the addition of point guard Darren Lax, who missed last season with a broken foot, the Eagles will be bolstered by a pair of transfers: Agustin Heredia, a 6-1 guard from Orange Coast and Estancia High, and Brian Tollefson, a 6-7 post player from Phoenix College.

“In my first year, there were 13 teams in the district. We were picked to finish 11th,” Marshall said. “Last year we shot up to 10th in the rankings. This year we’re picked to finish sixth in the coaches’ poll. Whether or not we finish there is yet to be seen, but our goal is to win the conference and I think that’s a realistic goal.”

PACIFIC CHRISTIAN

1991-92 record: 24-18, 7-3.

Conference finish: First in Western Christian Athletic Conference, second in California Coastal Conference.

The Royals lost a four-overtime game to San Jose Christian in a National Christian College Athletic Assn. regional and missed their usual trip to the national tournament, but instead they went to the National Bible College tournament and finished third.

This season, PCC lacks size because Ime Odouk, a 6-8 Nigerian, is transferring to play at Loyola Marymount and Phil Garcia, also 6-8, has left school.

The Royals, who are 3-1 this season, are counting on Charles Ross, a 6-3 transfer from West Coast Christian in Fresno who is averaging more than 40 points.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE

1991-92 record: 22-10, 7-5.

Conference finish: Second (tie) in Golden State Athletic Conference, fourth (tie) in NAIA District 3.

Coach Bill Reynolds has arranged one of the Vanguards’ toughest nonconference schedules in years. SCC will play at least two NCAA Division I teams--Cal State Long Beach and UC Irvine--and with an upset victory over the Anteaters in the Freedom Bowl tournament, it would play Georgetown . Yikes.

The Vanguards, who are 1-1 this season, have only one starter back from last year’s team: Mike West, a 6-3 scrapper who averaged 10.9 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Danin Bryant, a transfer from Solano College, is playing point guard. Tony Hyner, a redshirt senior who transferred from Sacramento State, is playing post, despite being only 6-2. Scott Campbell, who led Orange County in scoring for La Quinta in 1989 and played for Golden West last season, provides long-range shooting.

“We believe that we will have to be extremely scrappy just to be competitive,” Reynolds said.