Despite Defections, Rod Baker Remains Bullish About His Flying Circus

Remember that great sword fight scene in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” when one knight continues to taunt his opponent while his limbs are being chopped off one by one, until he’s just an armor-clad torso trying to bite his foe on the knee?

It brings to mind the situation men’s basketball Coach Rod Baker is in as practice begins today.

Kevin Simmons, Baker’s greatest recruiting coup, the Big West freshman of the year and an All-Big West second-team selection as a sophomore, leaves school and Baker says, “You know me, I just don’t get too wrapped up in negatives.”

Brian Keefe, the team’s captain, top scorer and an all-conference second-team pick, leaves and Baker says, “Hey, the glass is half full.”

Tchaka Shipp, a 6-8 power forward who had transferred from Seton Hall, is dismissed from school after an investigation of alleged cheating and Baker says, “We’ll be fine.”

Clay McKnight, a three-point specialist freshman from Mater Dei who came on strong at the end of the season, leaves school and Baker says, “I think we’re going to be OK.”

In this case, “OK” means the Anteaters have one player--senior forward Paul Foster--who has proved he can compete in the Big West, another--sophomore guard Lamarr Parker--who played decently in very brief relief spots for conference player of the year Raimonds Miglinieks, and a 6-10 center--senior Dan Augulis--who started 22 games but averaged less than two points and two rebounds.

The Anteaters averaged 75 points per game last season, their first winning campaign in eight years. Those three combined for only 10.

“We’ve undergone a little bit of change,” Baker understated last week at the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s College Basketball Tipoff Luncheon. “We’re very, very young. We could very well be starting three freshmen at times.”

Baker says that having a lot of new players is not necessarily a “bad thing.”

“Two years ago, Kevin Simmons and Brian Keefe were new players and they panned out to be good players,” he said. “I envision the same thing for the guys we have brought in this season.”

After the mass exodus last spring, Baker said he would be going back over his recruiting list and talking to “some very good players” who were interested, but wary about playing time because Irvine had so much talent in their positions.

He declined to mention names at the time, but chances are he wasn’t talking about any of the three newcomers who signed with the Anteaters in the wake of those departures.

Wendell Robinson, a 6-8 junior who averaged 11 points and seven rebounds at Santa Monica City College, Andrew Carlson, a 6-10 freshman All-San Diego Section selection from Poway High, and 6-4 Juma Jackson, who averaged 19 points and nine rebounds at Page High in Greensboro, N.C., will all see some playing time and perhaps vie for spots in the starting lineup. But none is considered a blue-chip player.

Brian Johnson, a 6-7 all-state pick who averaged 22 points at Bellflower St. John Bosco, and Phil Negrete, an all-city selection who averaged 23 points at Gardena High, signed before the defections. Both are in contention for starting spots.

“We’re excited,” Baker said. “I think we’ll be exciting.”

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Fostering leadership: Foster started the final seven games and averaged 12 points, six rebounds and shot 64% from the field during that span. But he was merely a nice addition to a team that featured Miglinieks, Simmons and Keefe, a trio of go-to guys.

And that was just the way he liked it. This season, however, he’ll have a new role, a role he doesn’t relish.

“Paul is going to have to assume the responsibility of carrying this team,” Baker said. “He can’t shy away from that. He would much rather just be one of the guys, but there are going to be nights when he will have to ask for the ball.”

If Foster does assume a leadership role, you can bet he will lead by example. He’s not a very vocal guy.

“I think he’s up to 100 words spoken in public,” Baker said.

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Sinking feeling: Baker was named Big West coach of the year and National Assn. of Basketball Coaches District 15 coach of the year by his peers last season, but there appears to be more gory days than glory days ahead.

The Anteaters were 15-12 last season but will be hard-pressed to avoid a 20-loss season this time around.

Baker is in the last year of his contract with no extension in sight and his relationship with Athletic Director Dan Guerrero could best be described as cordial but cool.

A lame-duck coach with a lame team? Baker’s Irvine swan song has all the makings of an ugly-duckling of a season, but don’t be surprised if the Anteaters surprise a few people.

Baker might be at his best when he’s cultivating an us-against-the-world theme.

Anteater Notes

The women’s cross-country team had a perfect, 15-50, victory over UC San Diego in a dual meet at La Jolla Saturday. Redshirt freshman Christy Beckman was first in 19 minutes 15 seconds and junior Kay Nekota was second (19:16). Both the women’s and men’s teams will compete in the Pre-NCAA Invitational at Del Urich Golf Course in Tucson, Ariz., Oct. 29. Thirty-eight women’s teams and 34 men’s teams will participate. Arizona will host the NCAA Championships on the same course Nov. 25. . . . Junior forward Tracie Manz scored the 25th goal of her career during a 2-0 victory over North Texas Friday and is one shy of Kim Cusimano’s school record set in 1984-87. Manz had an assist in a 2-1 loss to USC Sunday, boosting her career points total to 63, No. 2 on Irvine’s all-time list behind Shawna Berke, who had 73 in 1991-94. . . . Freshman midfielder Tyler Theslof has scored a point in each of the last three games for the men’s soccer team, including the game-winning goal in overtime against UC Santa Barbara Friday. He has two goals and three assists and is third on the team in scoring. . . . The water polo team, ranked No. 4 in the nation last week, upset third-ranked Cal at Berkeley Friday with a convincing 9-5 victory and is 4-0 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. But the Golden Bears got back at the Anteaters Sunday in the NorCal Tournament in Stockton, gaining an 8-7 victory by scoring a goal with 27 seconds left to play. . . . The women’s volleyball team plays at Boise State Friday. The Broncos’ coach is Darlene Bailey, who graduated Cum Laude from Irvine. Bailey, who played for the Anteaters in 1968-72, was inducted into the UCI Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985. . . . Sophomore Tandie Wade set a school record with nine service aces against Nevada on Thursday and junior Lara Nelson set an Irvine record Saturday against William & Mary with 77 set assists.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key events this week for UC Irvine:

* Women’s volleyball against Bucknell tonight. The Anteaters, who stopped a 15-match losing streak Saturday with a 3-2 victory over William & Mary, host the Bison in Crawford Hall at 7 p.m.

* Men’s soccer at UCLA Thursday (8 p.m.) and Cal State Northridge Sunday (6 p.m.). Irvine (5-4-2, 1-1-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) earned its first conference victory in overtime against UC Santa Barbara Friday.