Chapman Limping Into League Play : Inconsistency, Key Injury Leave Panthers CCAA Long Shot

Among the eight basketball teams that open California Collegiate Athletic Assn. competition tonight, Chapman College owns the poorest non-conference record at 4-8.

The Panthers also rank last among CCAA teams in field-goal percentage (.449) and enter their 8 p.m. opener against Cal State Dominguez Hills in a tailspin, having lost five of their last six games.

Now, for the bad news. . . .

When the Panthers step onto the Hutton Sports Center floor tonight, there’s a good chance that Jon Samuelson--Chapman’s leader in scoring, rebounds, assists and shooting percentage--won’t be among them. A sprained thigh muscle has kept Samuelson out of practice this week and, at the very least, figures to keep him out of the starting lineup tonight.

“I saw Sam walking around campus,” Coach Kevin Wilson said Wednesday, “and he couldn’t even do that without hobbling.”

Wilson said Samuelson injured the leg late last week and tried to play Saturday night against Point Loma. “It affected his play noticeably,” Wilson said.

Samuelson, who averages 13.9 points and shoots 52.7% from the field, scored just three points on 1-for-4 shooting against Point Loma. Chapman lost by nine.

“He hasn’t been able to practice since, and he definitely won’t start (Thursday),” Wilson said. “We’re not sure if he’ll be able to play at all.”

That’s a somber report for the struggling Panthers, who were 4-7 with Samuelson healthy.

And that’s not all of it. Chapman’s other starting forward, Kelly Huston, has been bothered by dizzy spells in practice and was examined Wednesday morning for strep throat. Wilson says Huston won’t start, either.

With the exception of Samuelson, the Panthers have been maddingly inconsistent during the non-conference portion of their schedule. Exhibit A: guard Mike Kelly.

Kelly, an All-CCAA selection and the Panthers’ best shooter last season, is shooting just 42% from the field this year. He was 1 for 12 against Point Loma.

“Mike can make five or six or 10 in a row and then miss some,” Wilson said. “Against Point Loma, he was setting up for bombers from the outside rather than looking for the good shot.

“His shot selection hasn’t been the greatest, but he has shown he’s a great shooter. He led the CCAA in free-throw shooting last year.”

That’s one thing Chapman does well. From the line, the Panthers are shooting 75.8%--tops in the conference and among the best in the nation in Division II.

But free throws count for only one point at a time. When the other guy is getting two points almost every time down the court, that isn’t enough to keep up.

Wilson admits the Panthers will probably be on the outside looking in when it comes to the CCAA championship race. Four teams enter their conference opener with nine victories or more, including last year’s last-place finisher Cal Poly Pomona (9-4).

“Bakersfield, Cal State L.A. and Riverside are the class of the league,” Wilson said. “But the rest of it is up for grabs. From No. 4 to No. 8, there isn’t that much of a difference.”

This year, for the first time, there is something to grab for the CCAA also-rans. The conference has instituted a four-team postseason tournament, with the winner earning a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Wilson has his eyes on that fourth spot.

“A 9-5 record should be good enough for fourth place. Or, maybe even 8-6,” Wilson said. “I’d say that’s definitely possible for us.”

Possible? Definitely.

Probable? Don’t bet the mortgage on it.

Fifth place sounds about right . . . unless Samuelson’s injury takes a turn for the worse.

A look at the rest of the CCAA, with current records in parenthesis:

UC Riverside (10-3)--The Highlanders’ front line has been bolstered by the addition of TCU transfer Paul Kapturkiewicz, who is shooting 65% from the field. But the strength of this team is its backcourt, consisting of returning starters Andre Greer (12.3 ppg) and Brad Huson, whose 5.8 assists average is best among CCAA players. Riverside is shooting 52.4% from the field and suffered two of its losses on the road against Texas and Texas-San Antonio.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (10-3)--Those 10 wins have been convincing, with the Mustangs outscoring the opposition by an average of 12 points a game. San Luis Obispo is shooting 53% as a team, with three players averaging in double figures--Sean Chambers (13.4), Chico Rivera (11.4) and Jim Van Winden (10.0).

CS Bakersfield (9-4)--Two Division I transfers have the been the solution so far for the Roadrunners, who endured a rare off-year in 1984-85. Mario Williams, a 6-6 forward from Utah, leads the team in rebounds (8.2) and Paul Phifer, a 6-9 forward from San Jose State, is averaging 13.2 points. Holdover guard Leonard Brown is averaging 15.2 points and 5.5 assists.

Cal Poly Pomona (9-4)--The Broncos went 1-13 in the CCAA last season, so a lot of people are wondering what Pomona is doing at 9-4. Chapman’s Wilson believes the Broncos’ record is a mirage. “They’ve played Seattle U., Pomona Pitzer, Fresno Pacific, Azusa Pacific--a lot of Division III and NAIA schools,” Wilson said. “If I had played Pomona’s schedule, I’d be 8-5 or 9-4, too.” The Broncos’ first real test comes tonight at UC Riverside. Darren Suttle, a 5-10 guard, leads Pomona in scoring at 15.5 points a game.

CS Northridge (7-5)--CCAA player of the year Mike Almeido is gone, along with three other starters from last season’s conference championship squad, but the Matadors have made the most of their home-court advantage--going 7-0 in their home non-conference games. Paul Drecksel, a transfer from BYU, leads the team in points (17.1) and rebounds (6.3).

CS Los Angeles (4-3)--The Golden Eagles have won four straight since losing on the road against Sam Houston State, Northwestern and Wisconsin. Cal State L.A. has the leading scorer (Sam Veal, 20.7) and leading rebounder (Tony Brown, 11.5) among CCAA players in non-conference play, plus a talented playmaking guard in Shawn Holiday (4.5 assists).

CS Dominguez Hills (5-8)--The Toros are rebuilding, a fact clearly illustrated by their starting lineup. Coach Dave Yanai starts two freshmen--one (Tony Akins) who leads the team in scoring with a 19.8 average and another (Anthony Blackman) who is averaging 5.8 rebounds a game. Willie Alexander, a preseason Division II All-America in one poll, is averaging 15.5 points.