1993 PREP BASKETBALL / LOS ANGELES TIMES ALL-STARS : In Banner Boys’ Season, Five Players Are Repeat Selections : South Bay: Morningside’s Boseman and Ellison, Bishop Montgomery’s English, San Pedro’s Tutt and South’s Williamson lead the honorees.

John Mihaljevich knows a good thing when he sees it. And according to the recently retired coach, the quality of prep basketball played in the South Bay last season was the best he has seen.

“There was more quality spread out over more schools than I can remember in all the years that I coached,� said Mihaljevich, who had a 421-207 record in 26 seasons, the last two at Peninsula High. “It was a banner year for the South Bay.�

A banner season, indeed.

Serra (26-7) won the school’s first state championship. Morningside (29-6), boasting one of the most talented teams in area history, repeated as Southern Section and regional champion. South Torrance (28-4) was recognized Tuesday by the Torrance City Council as the most successful boys’ basketball team in the city’s history after reaching section and regional finals.

And the list doesn’t end there. Banning (17-12) came on strong at the end of the season to win the City Section 3-A Division title. Chadwick (21-8) got to section and regional finals on the small-schools level. Other teams that distinguished themselves with multiple postseason victories included Bishop Montgomery (22-3), Peninsula (20-8), Mira Costa (20-8) and Inglewood (19-10).

“If you go through the whole state, there wasn’t a better, more successful basketball program in such a small geographical area,� Mihaljevich said. “I don’t think there’ll be another year where you can top all of that success.�

The cream of the area’s bumper crop of basketball talent is represented on The Times’ South Bay All-Star team. Players were chosen based on the opinions of coaches, scouts and sportswriters. Ballots were sent to every area coach.

Players named to the 10-player first team will be guests of The Times at an awards breakfast at 9 a.m. April 18 at the Guest Quarters Hotel in Santa Monica. Winners of the South Bay player and coach-of-the-year awards will be announced at the breakfast. UCLA basketball player Mitchell Butler is scheduled to be the guest speaker.

Many coaches expected the South Bay to reap the benefits of an excellent senior class this season. Last year’s all-star team included six juniors, five of whom are repeat selections--Morningside’s Stais Boseman and Donminic Ellison, Bishop Montgomery’s Andre English, San Pedro’s Raymond Tutt and South’s Jimmy Williamson.

“This was pretty much predicted a couple of years ago,� said South Coach LaMont Henry, who was South Bay coach of the year last season. “In talking with (Mira Costa Coach) Glenn Marx, he said it would be an interesting year because there were a lot of good guards.�

Five of the 10 all-stars--Ellison, Tutt, Williamson, Torrance’s Michael Dean and Mira Costa’s Shane Willis--are guards, and Boseman, a forward, moved into the backcourt from time to time last season. Dean and Tutt were the Nos. 1 and 2 scorers in the state, and Williamson was chosen to the all-state third team by Cal-Hi Sports. Boseman was a second-team selection.

“It was particularly rewarding to see the Jimmy Williamson and Michael Dean type of kids step up and show what they can do,� Mihaljevich said. “Williamson gave (the South) program a big shot in the arm, and I look for (Dean) to broaden his game and be an excellent college player.�

The area also had its share of impressive front-court players. Three centers were named to the all-star team--English, South’s Kyle McIntosh and Serra’s Akeli Jackson.

Morningside and South, which met twice in section and regional finals, lead the all-star team with two selections each. Morningside also placed two players--forward Dwight Curry and center Corey Saffold--on the second team.

Mihaljevich said Morningside’s starting five, which also included point guard Sean Harris, might have been the most talented lineup in the area since the 1980 Inglewood team led by guards Ralph Jackson and Jay Humphries. The Sentinels were 29-0 and won the mythical national championship that season.

Perhaps most important to the area’s success, Mihaljevich said, has been the influx of several dedicated coaches in recent years. He cited South’s Henry, Bishop Montgomery’s Doug Mitchell and Serra’s Dwan Hurt as coaches who, through hard work, have turned their programs around.

Other coaches who made an impact last season included North Torrance’s Bill Atkinson, Redondo’s Jim Nielsen, Inglewood’s Patrick Roy and Banning’s Marc Paez.

“There are some outstanding young coaches stepping into various programs,� Mihaljevich said. “It says a lot for South Bay basketball. As I look upon this coming year, there seems to be a good depth of juniors to step in. I don’t know if there are any Bosemans out there, but there are a lot of good kids coming back.�

Here is a player-by-player look at the all-stars:

Matt Acres, Peninsula

The 6-foot-7 forward followed the footsteps of his older brothers, former Palos Verdes standouts Mark and Jeff, to develop into one of the area’s top players. Acres led Peninsula in scoring and rebounding with averages of 16.8 and nine, respectively, and helped the Panthers reach the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I-AA playoffs. The left-hander, who possesses a soft shooting touch and deceptive quickness, scored a game-high 24 points Dec. 11 in a 59-55 victory over Serra. Acres was named most outstanding player in the Bay League and was selected to the All-Division I second team.

Stais Boseman, Morningside

A three-time all-star selection and the South Bay player of the year as a sophomore and junior, Boseman finished his high school career with another outstanding season. He led Morningside in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, to help the Monarchs repeat as champions of the Ocean League, Southern Section Division III-AA playoffs and Southern regionals. Regarded as the area’s best athlete, Boseman was named Division III player of the year and was selected to the first-ever, 10-player All-Southern Section team. The 6-4 forward is expected to play guard in college. He signed a letter of intent with USC.

Michael Dean, Torrance

The leading scorer in the state, Dean averaged 33.6 points for the 13-14 Tartars. An aggressive player who consistently followed his shots, Dean also led Torrance with averages of 11.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists. The 6-foot guard scored a career-high 54 points Dec. 16 in a 107-106 upset of Morningside and scored 47 points Feb. 19 in an 83-70 first-round playoff victory over Burroughs of Burbank. Dean was named to the All-Division II first team and signed a letter of intent with Azusa Pacific.

Donminic Ellison, Morningside

Regarded as one of the area’s best outside shooters, Ellison averaged 16.6 points and 3.9 assists. The 6-foot guard led Morningside in its last two games, scoring 31 points on 11-for-15 shooting in a 91-82 victory over South Torrance in the Division III regional final, and scoring 18 in a 79-59 loss to Palo Alto in the state final. Strong, quick and a good leaper, Ellison was named to the All-Division III first team for the second consecutive season. He signed a letter of intent with Washington State.

Andre English, Bishop Montgomery

The Mission League most valuable player, English led Bishop Montgomery with averages of 22.4 points and 11.5 rebounds, placing him among the South Bay leaders. The strong inside play of the 6-6 center helped Bishop Montgomery win the Mission League title over a competitive group of teams that included eventual Southern Section Division III-A champion Notre Dame, Division I-A quarterfinalist Loyola and Division IV-AA finalist St. Bernard. The Knights reached the Division III-AA semifinals before losing to South Torrance, 65-62, a game in which English scored a team-high 25 points.

Akeli Jackson, Serra

The tallest player on the all-star team, the 6-foot-8 Jackson led Serra to its first-ever state championship. He had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the Cavaliers’ 67-44 victory over Palma of Salinas in the State Division IV final at Oakland. Jackson ranked third in the area in scoring with a 23.2 average and was the leading rebounder, averaging 14 a game. A versatile player, Jackson was effective inside but also displayed an accurate mid-range jump shot. He was named Division IV player of the year and was selected to the elite All-Southern Section team. He signed with Cal State Long Beach.

Kyle McIntosh, South Torrance

Along with Serra’s Jackson, McIntosh was considered the best center in the area. The 6-7 senior led South in scoring and rebounding with averages of 20.5 and 13.8, respectively. His rebounding average ranked second only to Jackson’s among area players. McIntosh’s inside play was instrumental in helping South (28-4) win its second consecutive Pioneer League title and reach the section and regional finals for the first time in school history. He was named co-most valuable player of the Pioneer League and was selected to the All-Division III first team.

Raymond Tutt, San Pedro

The leading scorer in the City Section, Tutt averaged 32.5 points for San Pedro. The 6-4 guard had to carry the offensive load for the Pirates (5-19). Tutt, a two-time All-City selection, averaged 24.2 points as a junior. This season, he scored a career-high 47 points in a 95-91 loss to Pius X of Downey and had 45 points in a 94-77 loss to Inglewood, the Bay League champion. Tutt was San Pedro’s second-leading rebounder with a 7.3 average.

Jimmy Williamson, South Torrance

The catalyst behind the best season in South history, Williamson finished his high school career with a series of impressive playoff performances. The 5-10 point guard had 29 points in a 65-62 victory over Bishop Montgomery in the Division III-AA semifinals, 24 points in a 65-62 loss to Morningside in the section final, 25 points in a 54-47 victory over San Dimas in the regional semifinals, and 33 points and nine assists in a 91-82 loss to Morningside in the regional final. For the season, Williamson averaged 19.5 points and an area-leading 10.3 assists. He was named to the elite all-section team and is being recruited by several Division I schools.

Shane Willis, Mira Costa

The only junior on the senior-dominated all-star team, Willis led Mira Costa in scoring with at 17.9 and ranked second in assists at 3.3. “The best scorer in the area, including Mike Dean,� said one area coach of the 6-foot Willis. The left-handed guard had a knack for creating shots. He finished the season with a game-high 30 points in the Mustangs’ 61-56 loss to Kennedy of La Palma in the Division II-A quarterfinals. Named to the All-Division II second team.

BOYS Name: Matt Acres School: Peninsula Year: Senior Height: 6-7 Avg.16.8 Name: Stais Boseman School: Morningside Year: Senior Height: 6-4 Avg.17.9 Name: Michael Dean School: Torrance Year: Senior Height: 6-0 Avg.33.6 Name: Donminic Ellison School: Morningside Year: Senior Height: 6-1 Avg.16.6 Name: Andre English School: Bishop Montgomery Year: Senior Height: 6-6 Avg.22.4 Name: Akeli Jackson School: Serra Year: Senior Height: 6-8 Avg.23.2 Name: Kyle McIntosh School: South Torrance Year: Senior Height: 6-7 Avg.20.5 Name: Raymond Tutt School: San Pedro Year: Senior Height: 6-4 Avg.32.5 Name: Jimmy Williamson School: South Torrance Year: Senior Height: 5-10 Avg.19.5 Name: Shane Willis School: Mira Costa Year: Junior Height: 6-0 Avg.17.9

Boys’ Second Team

Player School Yr. Ht. Avg. Michael Boyd Serra Sr. 6-5 22.1 Dwight Curry Morningside Sr. 6-2 16.9 Bryan Hill Banning Sr. 6-7 13.5 Dan Hyde Redondo Sr. 6-4 18.7 Robert Isaacs Gardena Sr. 5-10 18.6 Jimmy Miller North Torrance Sr. 5-8 17.4 Jason Pickett Banning Jr. 6-1 20.3 Corey Saffold Morningside Sr. 6-7 12.6 Sam Turks Inglewood Jr. 6-0 13.7 Frank Zeno Mira Costa Sr. 6-5 15.2