BOYS' BASKETBALL: CAMPBELL HALL ALREADY MAKING A STATEMENT.

Byline: SEAN CEGLINSKY Staff Writer

The Campbell Hall High boys' basketball team showed several glimpses of its immense potential this past week at its second annual tournament in North Hollywood, seemingly answering any questions the naysayers might have had about just how good this group is going to be in the future.

The Vikings defeated Serra of Gardena, Horizon of San Diego and Santa Monica by more than 30 points, upended Thousand Oaks by 14 and then demoralized Sylmar on Wednesday, using a 38-4 run to open the second half en route to a 74-42 victory.

``Things are really starting to come together for us,'' Campbell Hall coach Terry Kelly said.

The one-sided outcomes were even more impressive considering the Vikings didn't play with more than seven players for any one game.

Against Sylmar, they were missing Justin Holiday, out with a dislocated finger, and Deuce Johnson, who's been bothered by a twisted ankle. Justin's brother, Jrue, picked up the slack, scoring 32 points and adding 14 rebounds and Dallas Rutherford finished with 19 in the statement making performance against the Spartans.

``Watching that Sylmar game was pretty amazing,'' said coach Derrick Taylor, whose Taft of Woodland Hills team played earlier Wednesday night. ``Campbell Hall was scoring in bunches. I haven't seen anything like that in 20 years. It was a sensational performance.''

``They're just demolishing people this summer. They're blowing everyone out. Every time they step out on the court, the line should change and they should be minus 35. They're that tough.''

Goal-oriented: Buckley of Sherman Oaks' standout Richie Polan has been plagued by a severely sprained ankle for a majority of the past three months but one might not have ever known after watching him last week in the Crespi Tournament in Encino.

The 6-foot-7 forward scored 31 points against Kennedy of Granada Hills and averaged 27 in four games -- one point below his average this summer -- to leave little doubt about whether he's fully recovered from the injury.

``He's at about 98 percent,'' Buckley coach Mike Hamilton said.

Polan averaged 23 points, 17 rebounds and two steals and two blocks per game as a junior and the goal this summer was to increase his stock in the eyes of Division I recruiters.

Portland, Pepperdine and Stanford expressed varied levels of interest in the past and he figures to benefit from playing travel ball with ARC BTI, which plays in the prestigious adidas Super 64 Showcase in Las Vegas this weekend.

``This is the most important time of the year,'' Polan said. ``I want people to see what I can do.

I'm going out there, regardless, and playing, just trying to improve. I'll do whatever it takes to get to the next level.''

Rocket update: Valenica coach Rocket Collins, 52, was released from Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills a little more than a week ago and is good condition following surgery for a ruptured hernia.

[e-mail]

[phone]