Sea Kings’ dynamic duo

It’s nowhere near the 2010-11 boys’ basketball season, but Danny Cheek and Clayton Ragsdale can’t help but get excited when someone mentions next year.

The Corona del Mar High junior standouts believe they left some unfinished business on the court.

Sure, the Sea Kings (24-4) won the Pacific Coast League championship with a 10-0 record. But they think they could’ve gone further than the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division III-A playoffs.

CdM accomplished a great deal of success this past season, but Cheek and Ragsdale want more.

What they did in the 2009-10 season was certainly stellar with regard to the Newport-Mesa area.

Cheek and Ragsdale have been named Daily Pilot Dream Team Co-Players of the Year.

It’s hard to say which player means the most to the Sea Kings, CdM Coach Ryan Schachter said. He’s just grateful to have both.

The 6-foot-2 Ragsdale, who led CdM with 6.3 assists per game, can be viewed as the natural leader of the Sea Kings, simply because he’s the point guard. Plus, he also does his best to lead a defensive mind-set for the CdM players. He’s the one who usually sparks the Sea Kings’ full-court pressure defense.

Conversely, when the opposition is pressing, it’s best to put the ball in Ragsdale’s hands.

“Clay is a great ballhandler,” Schachter said of the PCL Player of the Year, who scored 11.8 points per game, third-best on the team. “Defensively, he’s as good as they come. I don’t see too many guys in high school who can defend like he can. He has the strength to drive to the basket … He’s very difficult to stop.”

Cheek, a first-team All-PCL selection, can be a difficult player to guard, too. He led the Sea Kings in scoring, averaging 13.8 points per game. This past season, he picked up his game as a defender, making himself more valuable to the Sea Kings, Schachter said.

“Danny matured a lot over the year,” Schachter said of Cheek, who is 6-3 and can play guard or forward. “He learned how to be a consistent force on both ends of the floor. He showed a lot of growth on the court. He’s very athletic and now he’s definitely a big-time lock-down defender.”

Both Ragsdale and Cheek were named to the All-CIF Division III-A second team. They feed off each other. Their games are different, but there’s one thing they have in common. When most people, especially Schachter, describe the pair, the “P” word comes into play: Potential.

Even Ragsdale chimes in about Cheek’s future.

“The sky’s the limit for that guy,” Ragsdale said of Cheek. “It’s just going to be scary when he gets on the court next year. He’s just really aggressive on both ends of the court.”

What does Cheek have to say about Rasdale?

“He has the ability to see the floor really well,” Cheek said. “He just knows what’s going on. He knows what his players can do.”

Away from the court, Ragsdale and Cheek are friends. They get along despite the fact that they’re fans of different teams.

Ragsdale loves the Celtics and Kevin Garnett’s his favorite player.

“I love the Cavaliers,” Cheek said. “I’m a LeBron [James] fan. We talk about that and mess around about it all the time. I think his dad’s a Lakers fan, so that makes it fun too.”

Ragsdale and Cheek know their chemistry on the court is what matters most. That will be key for a run at a CIF section title next season. If their team remains intact they believe they can contend.

Here is the rest of the Daily Pilot Dream Team:

Ramon Mejia

Corona del Mar junior

The 6-2 guard averaged 12.3 points per game, which ranked second on the team, on his way to collecting first-team All-PCL honors. He led the team with 65 steals and was second on the team with 79 assists.

Mejia’s return to the Sea Kings remains in doubt, as CdM is filing for a hardship waiver that would grant him eligibility. He had to repeat his freshman year when he attended school in Massachusetts.

Mejia’s clearance is key for the Sea Kings, as he would make CdM one of the top teams in Orange County and Division III-A.

Kohl Jones

Estancia senior

Despite missing the final four regular-seasons games with torn ligaments in his left ankle, the 6-3 guard still led the Eagles (15-12) in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game. He made it back for Estancia’s lone playoff game in CIF Division IV-AA.

He earned second-team All-CIF Division IV-AA honors, as well as first-team All-Orange Coast League recognition.

Davon Joyner

Estancia junior

At 6-3, the guard-forward caused matchup problems for opposing teams, as he possesses a nice mid-range game to go with solid post moves.

He averaged 12.2 points per game, second on a team that finished runner-up in the Orange Coast League.

He was named MVP of the John Glenn Tournament and was a first-team All-OCL selection.

He is expected to be the Eagles’ go-to guy next year and perhaps the league’s top player.

Mark Loper

Sage Hill junior

The 6-0 guard had a laid-back demeanor away from the court, but didn’t show any signs of being passive on the court. He was the Lightning’s leading scorer, averaging 14 points game to go with 4.5 assists per contest. He earned first-team All-Academy League honors, as he helped Sage Hill (17-8) to a second-place finish in league and a second-round appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division V-AA playoffs.