With five returning starters, Arcadia basketball coach Nick Wallace made it clear at Monday’s Pacific League media day that he expects his team to compete at a high level this season.
Ditto for Pasadena, which returns 6-foot-11 Josh Irving, a Texas A&M commit, and has added high-scoring guard Tim Anderson from Blair.
One of the most intriguing players for Arcadia is 6-8 sophomore Owen Eteuati Edwards. He had a busy summer playing basketball and pitching for the Dodgers’ scout team. Yes, he’s tall and throwing fastballs at 92 mph.
Edwards explained why he thought the Dodgers won Game 7 of the World Series.
“It goes back to leadership in the locker room. I feel they all bought in,” he said.
Edwards has his 6-4 older brother, Noa, on the basketball team, and the two continue to have some intense one-on-one games. “It goes back and forth,” he said. “They’re always fun battles.”
As to which sport he likes more, Edwards said, “I always say I’m a basketball player playing baseball.”
He’s keeping his options open.
As for Pasadena, adding Anderson is huge. He averaged 31.4 points per game last season at Blair. Combined with returnee Troy Wilson, the Bulldogs will have more offensive power. And there will be plenty of dunks. Irving has a 36-inch vertical jump and has improved dramatically in his fourth year at Pasadena.
The Pacific League, which will disband after this season when it combines with the Rio Hondo League, has two new head coaches in DoVall Boykins at Crescenta Valley and Jason Weatherall at Burroughs.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
