BOYS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: HART LOOKS TO TAKE-CHARGE GUY.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Brian Elledge has waited a few years for this chance. Now, the Hart High basketball/football standout heads into his senior year with this primary goal: to be a leader.

``It's a role I really accept and look forward to,'' Elledge said.

That responsibility will be especially important on the Hart basketball team. The Indians were hit hard by graduation, with only Elledge and Adam Rich the most experienced players coming back. Elledge, a power forward with a nasty streak, hopes to bring his younger teammates along with his hustle and hard-nosed style.

``Now that I'm a senior, it will be easier to step up and play the way I like to play, which is high intensity and tenacious,'' Elledge said. ``Hopefully that will be an example for the rest of the team to follow.''

Hart coach Tom Kelly thinks Elledge - along with Rich - are the ideal players for teammates to try to emulate. In fact, Kelly thinks he did Elledge a disservice a year ago by limiting his playing time. Kelly did so because the Indians were a deep team with quite a few seniors.

``I probably made a mistake by not playing him as much, especially when I watch him play right now,'' said Kelly, who is impressed with Elledge's tough-guy approach to the game. ``He's got long arms and he runs the floor well, and even though he's only 6-foot-2, he's tough as nails and can defend bigger players just because he plays so hard and with so much intensity.''

Elledge and Rich are obviously important components. Hart was gliding through a recent summer tournament in San Diego, only to suffer a major setback when Elledge went out with a bruised oblique, a loss compounded by the fact that Rich, a Mormon, was unavailable to play Sunday, the final day of the tournament.

``It just shows you how important those guys are to us,'' Kelly said.

--Top newcomer: Canyon has a promising newcomer in sophomore big man Kris Rincon, who likely will earn a starting job in his first year on the varsity level.

Rincon has played well so far this summer. The Cowboys have used him primarily at center, with projected starting center Nate Longshore tied up with his quarterback duties on the Canyon football team.

When Longshore returns for good in the winter, the 6-foot-5 Rincon will slide over to power forward. For now, he is happy getting as much playing time as possible.

``Everything is going great so far, it's been a productive summer,'' Rincon said.

Rincon, who played last season on the Canyon freshman team, was a late call-up to the Cowboys' varsity during the playoffs. He played a few minutes in a second-round game, and he credits the experience with his confidence this summer.

``It was great just being able to practice with the older players and to get some time in a big game,'' Rincon said.

Still there are some adjustments to make.

``The major thing is how much more physical everything is at this level,'' Rincon said. ``And it's a lot faster, too. It's a lot different than what I am used to on the freshman team.''

--Familiar face, er, voice: Valencia sophomore K.C. Arbogast, the son of longtime USC broadcaster Pete Arbogast, is a promising power forward who could earn a job on the Vikings varsity next season.

Arbogast is playing with the Vikings junior-varsity team this summer, and his scoring and rebounding eventually could mean a promotion to the varsity.

``The teams haven't been picked yet, but I hope I can play on the varsity team,'' Arbogast said.

Vincent Bonsignore, [phone]

vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com