Dominguez Doesn't Miss Step Without Otis

By GARY KLEIN

Nov. 30, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

FRESNO — Players on the Compton Dominguez boys’ basketball team sat quietly in the bleachers before their season opener Wednesday night in the Buchanan-Clovis West tournament.

If the Dons were thinking about the absence of their legally embattled coach, Russell Otis, as they watched the completion of another game, it did not show.

Neither was it evident as they lined up and vigorously woofed a chant before taking the court for warmups.

“We’re ready to go,” junior forward Samir Hernandez said as the Dons began jogging onto the floor. “There are no distractions. It’s game-time, baby.”

With 7-foot senior center Tyson Chandler and junior forward Bobby Jones leading the way, Dominguez looked focused during a 68-58 victory over Hanford in the first round of a 24-team tournament that also features powerful Clovis West, Inglewood, Upland and Chino Hills Ayala.

“We were a little jittery,” said Chandler, who scored 15 points. “It was only our first game and it’s going to take us a little time to adapt to each other.”

But can the Dons, who finished last season ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today, continue to maintain their concentration as Otis’ legal situation unfolds?

Otis, 38, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he sexually molested a player. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12.

The plea by Otis, who has guided the Dons to four of the last five state Division II titles, came more than three weeks after he was arrested on allegations that he had sexual contact with a 17-year-old senior who was expected to play on this season’s team. Otis faces felony counts of sodomy by use of force and oral copulation and a charge of misdemeanor child molestation.

If he is convicted on all counts, Otis could go to state prison for more than nine years.

The accusing player, a 17-year-old senior, transferred to Dominguez this fall. The player transferred to another school after Otis’ arrest.

After Tuesday’s hearing, Otis apologized to his players for being unable to attend Wednesday night’s game. Otis, who is free in $100,000 bail and on unpaid leave from his position as a health and physical education teacher at Dominguez, is likely to miss most and perhaps all of the season if the case continues to progress.

“Sorry to my team that I can’t be with them,” he said.

Chandler, who had 11 rebounds and 13 blocked shots, said that Dominguez interim coach Steve Singleton and his four assistants have done a good job so far. “They’ve been great,” he said. “I thought it would be a little more rough, but we’ve adapted well to them.”

Before the game Singleton would not comment on Otis’ situation or its impact on the players other than to say: “They’re focused. They’re ready to play.”

Later Singleton said his players have responded well.

“Everything is going smoothly,” the coach added. “The players are practicing hard, listening and responding, but there’s a difference between practice and a game. We played hard. We just need to play smart.”

Michael Nunez, chief of police for the Compton Unified School District, said players have been instructed only to answer questions about basketball. If asked about the Otis matter, Nunez said they have been told to refer the inquiries to him.

Though there was no taunting by Hanford players or members of the standing-room only crowd Wednesday night, Nunez said Dominguez players have been prepped for potential abuse by fans and opponents.

“There’s always a possibility that you are going to have people who will try to use the situation to make off-color remarks so the kids lose focus on the game,” said Nunez, who has traveled with the team as a district representative for four years. “The kids have been spoken to about that. They’ve been told to do the job their supposed to do and everything will take care of itself.”

Clovis West Coach Vance Walberg, whose team was one of only two to beat Dominguez last season, said that while, “obviously, a head coach is going to be able to motivate his players more,” he added that Otis’ absence probably will not hinder Dominguez.

“I actually think they’re going to be more focused,” Walberg said. “With assistant coaches, there might be a tendency to let up in practice, but in games those kids are going to want to compete.”

It looked that way Wednesday.

Chandler won the opening tip and dunked off an alley-oop pass from Darius Sanders on the first possession. Chandler scored in similar fashion throughout the game.

The Dons led at the end of the first quarter, 19-11, and at halftime, 35-23. Hanford pulled to within 51-45 with 6:10 left but Chandler answered with a slam dunk, ending the threat.

Jones led the Dons with 27 points.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS

CITY SECTION

CITY CHAMPIONSHIP

All games Friday

Crenshaw vs. Carson at Fremont; San Pedro vs. Banning at El Camino College

CITY INVITATIONAL

Gardena vs. Narbonne at San Pedro; Roosevelt vs. Fremont at Wilson

SOUTHERN SECTION

Games Friday and Saturday

DIVISION I