BOYS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: RICH GETTING RICHER ON COURT.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

At the risk of sounding simplistic, Adam Rich's dramatic increase in scoring average for the Hart High boys' basketball team this year is a basic case of arithmetic.

Rich sat down one day and did the math, and the rest is history.

The final tally went something like this: Get to the foul line more often, watch the scoring average grow and grow.

Rich, one of the top players in the Foothill League, averaged 12 points last season while getting to the foul line about five times a game. This year he's averaging 25 points and getting to the line just more than 10 times each game.

Crunch the number and it's obvious from where the extra points are coming.

``It's something that's been stressed to me for quite some time, and something I definitely decided to do something about,'' Rich said. ``For me, getting to the free-throw line is extremely important.''

Of course, it's not as simple as it sounds. Rich had to work hard to expand his game so opponents would respect him enough to challenge him defensively. During a busy summer playing with the RockFish travel team, Rich spent countless hours working on his jump shot, hoping an improved outside stroke would force defenders to come up on him.

The ramifications of that are two-fold. First, when a defender guards a jump shooter close, it creates opportunities to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. When that happens, it increases the chances of being fouled.

Rich's improved jump shot and increased quickness to to the basket have resulted in a more dangerous scorer, and someone opponents must respect defensively.

``He's added stuff to his game every year he's been here,'' Hart coach Tom Kelly said. ``But the biggest thing he did this summer was play with (RockFish). He got to see a whole different type of basketball, a quicker, more athletic game, and it forced him to work on his weaknesses.''

By addressing the weaker points of his game, Rich's confidence has soared. He admits to playing a bit intimidated in the past but said those days are long gone.

``Now I just go out there and play, I'm not really nervous or anything,'' Rich said. ``It's a good feeling.''

Almost as good as Hart's 11-2 record. The Indians' two losses were to Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta and Cleveland of Reseda. The Cleveland loss was in the final of the Hart tournament Tuesday.

``I still think we could have won both of those games, but the good thing is it showed us what we need to work on,'' Rich said. ``And if you're going to learn lessons like that, it's better to get them out of the way now rather than during league.''

--Saugus marching along: Most Foothill League coaches identify Saugus as the front-runner for the league crown, and the Centurions have done nothing to change that opinion. Their 10-4 record includes two close losses to regarded Oxnard, which pounded Harvard-Westlake of Studio City two weeks ago.

``I'm pleased with where we are,'' Saugus coach Jeff Hallman said. ``I like the effort we've been getting, and I like the way we're playing as a team.''

Saugus took fifth place in the Santa Barbara tournament, which ended Tuesday, losing to Oxnard by three points and winning big against Santa Monica, Westlake and Archbishop Mitty of San Jose.

Saugus center B.J. Willkomm was named to the all-tournament team.

Willkomm, who is averaging 16 points and six rebounds, was challenged by Hallman to improve his rebounding and responded with better efforts the past two games.

``He's playing great,'' Hallman said. ``We talked about him picking his rebounding up and he definitely responded. I expect as the season progresses that he'll pick it up even more.''

Vincent Bonsignore, [phone]

vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com