HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION PREVIEW : DEL REY LEAGUE

St. Francis

COACH: John Jordan, 6th season

LAST SEASON: 8-17; 3rd in the San Fernando League, 5-5

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Golden Knights are as big as any team in the area, featuring five players 6-foot-6 or taller. The biggest is junior center Chris Ott (6-11). Ott began last season on the varsity but was moved down to the league champion junior varsity. Jordan said Ott has bulked up to about 215 pounds and is quick. Two other starters Jordan is sure of are senior forwards Dave Craig (6-6), who averaged 11.7 rebounds last year, and Jaason Pruett (6-6), who led the team with a 12.5 scoring average. Pruett is also a good three-point shooter. Senior John Morales (5-10) or junior Joe Saldana (5-9) likely will be the starting point guard, with Morales holding a slight edge. Both players started occasionally last season. Junior forwards Brett Christofferson (6-6, 215) and Rome Douglas (6-6, 245) also started at times last season and should play more this year. Junior forward-center Braden Weber (6-8) also will play.

OUTLOOK: Coming into a new league with a young team, St. Francis probably has little hope of contending. But the Golden Knights have size and many of their players will be back next year, so this could be the start to a contending team down the road. “We’re just hoping right now to play well and improve the whole year and not worry about where we finish,” Jordan said. “We just want to be better in February than we are in November.”