HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION PREVIEW : FREE-LANCE TEAMS

Kilpatrick

COACH: Jeff Fortes, 5th season

LAST SEASON: 11-11

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The battle to make the starting lineup is wide open because the school, a Los Angeles County youth correctional facility, has new players every season. The Mustangs’ strength will be their speed, Fortes said. He said the best players so far appear to be shooting guard Dennis Miles (5-foot-9), guard Tywann Oliver (5-7), point guard Willie Walden (5-9) and small forward Namarion Brown (6-1). Forward Ronald Smith (6-3), point guard Bryan Calvero (5-6) and forward Jason Robbins (5-7) also should play. Most of the players have no organized basketball experience. As a free-lance team, the Mustangs must post a .500 record to make the playoffs.

OUTLOOK: Fortes has been happy with the team’s progress, saying the players are more attentive than past Kilpatrick teams. They still have some progress to make in their fundamentals, though. “We’ve got a couple of guys who just camp out in the lane because they don’t know about the three-second rule,” Fortes said. “We’re teaching them the basics now.”

Montclair Prep

COACHES: Howard Abrams and Bob Webb, 8th season

LAST SEASON: 24-1; 1st in Alpha League, 10-0

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Mounties have lost every significant player from last season, including Alpha League Player of the Year Kris Johnson, who transferred to Crenshaw. “We lost about 90% of our scoring, rebounding and defense,” Webb said. Only two part-time starters return, and one--senior point guard Kimo Atkins (5-11)--likely will be with the Montclair Prep football team for the start of the basketball season. The other is senior forward Keith Nemcher (6-2), who started until he slumped and the Mounties switched to a three-guard offense late in the season. Nemcher was replaced by senior forward Les Sweet (6-4), who played well enough to earn a place in this season’s starting lineup. Junior center Greg Rosen (6-6) is being counted on to replace some of the inside scoring and rebounding lost because of Johnson’s departure. Junior guard Blake Sonne (5-10) will play point guard until Atkins returns, then will move to the No. 2 slot. Junior guard Ethan Parker (6-1) and senior guard Dmitry Khilkivich (5-10) also will play. The coaches are looking to a pair of freshmen guards--Jerome Joseph (5-11) and Akil Anderson (5-9)--for contributions.

OUTLOOK: Webb said the practices have been intense because of so many openings in the starting lineup, and that could work to the Mounties’ benefit. Their schedule includes every former Alpha League opponent (except L.A. Baptist), plus St. John Bosco, Crossroads and Campbell Hall. Montclair Prep will need a .500 record to qualify for the playoffs.