CONSISTENCY MAKES HOFMAN A WINNER.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

LA CANADA - Short of putting his fist through the window screen, La Canada High boys' basketball coach Tom Hofman tries everything to get his office computer to work properly Monday.

``Of all the days for this thing to start acting up ...,'' Hofman says.

Across campus, Hofman's undefeated Spartans are preparing for practice and he doesn't want to keep them waiting.

You'd think after 19 years of coaching at the same school, 14 Rio Hondo League championships, one Southern Section title and 399 career victories - against 122 losses - Hofman has earned some peace of mind about arriving late to practice. But as he fidgets in his seat while waiting for his computer to work, it's obvious Hofman is in a hurry to get to the gym.

``Darn thing,'' Hofman mutters.

Modern technology - even with its flaws - is one of the few things that's changed since Hofman, 52, arrived at this sleepy little school nearly 20 years ago. Not that it takes a fancy computer to figure out how deep an impact Hofman's made over the years.

When La Canada (18-0, 3-0) plays at Blair of Pasadena tonight at 7, only 32 minutes will separate Hofman from career victory No. 400, a remarkable milestone considering it will occur in fewer than 20 seasons.

This is not a mark of longevity - as these things can be - as much as a record of efficiency and philosophy.

Hofman's teams have averaged 21 victories during his career, annually beating more-talented teams with a roster of hometown kids buying into a team-first, motion-offense system passed down to them by older brothers and friends, then cultivated over the years while attending numerous Spartans summer youth camps.

By the time players reach high school they practically know the system inside and out.

``Screen down, screen away,'' said Jim Evans, the starting power forward on the Spartans' 1992 Southern Section Div. III-A championship team and one of Hofman's varsity assistants. ``Screen down, screen away. You know how many times I heard that?''

Current guard Craig Ballard agrees.

``I've been knowing coach Hofman and his system since I was just a little kid,'' said Ballard, whose two older brothers, Brent and Tim, also played at La Canada. ``I grew up in this program dreaming of putting on the La Canada uniform. Around here, that's just the way it is.''

And the way it will remain, as long as Hofman sticks around.

And that might be awhile.

``Now that we're at 400, why not 500?'' said Hofman, who decided long ago he wanted to end his career here in the shadows of the Foothill Mountains.

What makes tonight's potential milestone more special is that it will happen with perhaps the best team in Hofman's career. The 1992 team, with Evans, Brent Ballard and future Indiana University standout Richard Mandeville, beat San Dimas in the Southern Section Div. III-A championship game. That team finished 27-3 and won a school-record 22 games in a row.

But this year's team might be better, having won three tournament championships for the first time in school history and passing difficult nonleague tests against Valencia and Bishop Montgomery of Torrance.

Ballard (13.9 ppg), Philip Anderson (15.5 ppg) and Rhett Anderson (14.2 ppg) have the ability to score 20 points in any given game, and they'd likely average that many playing for any other team. But Hofman convinced the three to put the team ahead of any individual goals.

``He's able to do that because he's had so much success over the years,'' said St. Francis of La Canada coach John Jordan, a coaching foe for more than 18 years. ``If he was winning 10 games a year that might be a tough sell on kids. But when you win 20 games a year it's a whole lot easier to tell kids, `this system works.' And it does.''

As usual, the Spartans can shoot the ball from long range - they've made 115 3-pointers and are shooting 45 percent from that distance. And with the 6-8 Philip Anderson and 6-7 Rhett Anderson controlling the inside defensively and dominating on rebounds, opponents have a difficult time achieving offensive consistency.

``We've got some size, and that helps,'' said Hofman. ``And they compete, which always helps. No doubt, this team is really good.''

How good remains to be seen, but already there is talk about the first unbeaten team in school history and surpassing school records in victories for a season (27) and consecutive wins (22) set by the 1992 team.

``It's not something we really think about or pay much attention to,'' Philip Anderson said. ``Not to say we don't know all that stuff is out there for us. But coach does a great job of keeping us focused on the immediate task at hand.''

A potential roadblock is coming up against Colony of Ontario, the third- ranked team in Div. II-A, at the Reebok Southern California Shoot-Out at Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

``That's going to be a tough game,'' Hofman said. ``But it will be a great test for us. We're looking forward to it.''

Beyond that, the path is open to a clean sweep of the Rio Hondo League, in which the Spartans have a 36-game winning streak. In the playoffs, the top challengers will be top-ranked Santa Margarita and Artesia of Lakewood.

``The key is taking it one step at a time,'' Hofman said. ``We'll worry about all that other stuff later. Right now we're worried about Blair.''

The competitive fire that burns within Hofman was ignited early. Growing up in Pasadena with three brothers and two sisters, he was forced to compete at just about everything.

``Very, very competitive,'' is how Hofman describes his Pasadena childhood.

It's a state-of-mind that remains intact. Hofman began his coaching career soon after graduating from Chico State, where a wrist injury ended his playing career. Before that, he played at Pasadena High under legendary coach George Terzian and at Pasadena City College.

Away from the court Hofman's quiet and shy by nature. But when the games start, he's an intense competitor.

``He's been known to let us know how he's feeling pretty loud,'' Philip Anderson said. ``He knows how to get our attention.''

Like the time he flung a cell phone during a summer league game against Campbell Hall of North Hollywood.

``The thing broke into a million pieces,'' Anderson said. ``But we started playing a lot better right after he did it, so obviously it worked.''

It's been working. For 399 wins and counting.

Vincent Bonsignore, [phone]

vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com

TOM HOFMAN, LA CANADA HIGH

--Career record: 399-122.

--Rio Hondo League titles: 14.

--Southern Section Championships: 1 (1992).

--Most career coaching wins in California: Mike Phelps, 843 (St. Joseph of Alameda, 1971-78, Bishop O'Dowd of Oakland, 1979-90, 1992-2003).

--Last undefeated team in California: Modesto Christian, 1997, 33-0.

--Last undefeated team in the region: Glendale, 1985, 28-0.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) La Canada High veteran boys' basketball coach Tom Hofman can earn career victory No. 400 tonight.

(2) La Canada's Tom Hofman has one of his best basketball teams in his 19-year coaching career.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

Box:

TOM HOFMAN, LA CANADA HIGH (see text)