CdM aims for new heights

Rick Devereux

While the Corona del Mar High boys basketball team isn’t starting

every game down 40 points, it may seem like it.

Pancho Seaborn, Jay Northridge and Adam Frede -- who accounted for

more than 67% of the Sea Kings scoring last year -- have graduated.

The trio averaged more than 40 points per game on a team that

averaged 59.6 and advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern

Section Division III-A playoffs, finishing with a 14-14 record.

“We lost our three leading scores from last year,” Coach Ryan

Curry said. “We have a lot of scoring to replace. But, for the first

time in a long time, we have height.”

The team boasts four players 6-foot-6 or taller.

Seniors Ted Slaughter (6-7) and Bobby Jacobs (6-7), junior Scott

Slaughter (6-6) and freshman Stefan Kaluz (6-7) create the

opportunity to change the CdM offense.

“We used to live and die by the three-pointer,” Curry said. “Now,

we will be looking to go to the low post or penetrate the lane.”

Curry said he did not remember a CdM team with this much height.

“Both of the Slaughter brothers will contribute right away,” he

said. “Jacobs is a post player who will help us out and Kaluz is only

a freshman. Kaluz is a back-to-the-basket type of player and he’s

still growing.”

Ted Slaughter is averaging 8.1 points per game. Scott Slaughter

(4.7 per game), Kaluz (4.6) and Jacobs (2.0) have all been active for

Corona.

The only issue with the four posts is that they have more height

than experience. The combined 26 feet of them did not play a varsity

game for CdM until the start of this season.

The quartet is not alone. Only three current players -- Tyler

Lance, Ryan Lance and Brett Hirata -- have varsity experience.

“I’m looking for kids who can help us win,” Curry said.

Curry said senior Tyler Lance, who averaged 3.4 points in 26 games

last year, is the vocal leader of the squad.

“If I’m looking for someone [to step up and lead], it’s Tyler,”

Curry said. “He broke his foot in football, but he’s back now.”

Lance, a starting tight end and outside linebacker who broke his

foot against Back Bay rival Newport Harbor Sept. 23, has been a solid

contributor for the Sea Kings early on, averaging 5.3 points in eight

games.

Junior Ryan Lance averaged 5.7 points per game as a sophomore. The

6-1 guard is averaging 9.3 points this season.

Hirata, a senior who was limited to nine games last year because

of a broken collarbone, leads the Sea Kings with 11.4 points per game

and 15 three-pointers.

“Tyler started a lot last year and Ryan started as a sophomore,”

Curry said. “Hirata would have started last year if he didn’t break

his collarbone early in the season. Even though we don’t have a lot

of experience overall, I think those three make up for it.”

Curry said the offense has changed due to the influx of height,

but the defense should remain constant.

“Last year we pressed all the time,” he said. “We want to continue

to run man-to-man defense, but sometimes you are forced to switch to

a zone because of the team you are facing or the situation.”

Curry said seniors Brandon Quon and Josh Miller are expected to

make a difference on defense.

“Quon is a guy with tremendous quickness,” Curry said. “Miller has

a long wing-span, which really helps on defense.”

CdM (4-6) opens Pacific Coast League play Jan. 7 against Tesoro,

last year’s league champion, at CdM.