FABULOUS FRESHMAN AVC'S WEBB MAKING PRESENCE FELT AS GUARD.

Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Staff Writer

The Saddleback College men's basketball team just watched Mike Webb drive down the lane, stopping just inside the free-throw line to raise up over the defense and make a seven-foot, pull-up jump shot.

The next time down the court Webb made the same move, challenging his opponents to make him alter his shot and miss. They couldn't.

In fact, few teams have been able to stop the Antelope Valley College freshman point guard.

``Mike has stepped in and done a lot of things that not many freshmen can do,'' AVC coach Newton Chelette said. ``There's been times when he just refuses to let us lose. You can see it in his eyes. He just takes over.''

The Marauders entered the season without a reliable or experienced point guard. It was a glaring weakness but one Chelette thought could be filled by Webb, primarily a shooting guard when he played at Lancaster High.

And though the 6-foot-1 Webb has a scorer's mentality, he's easily made the transition to the ball-handlers role.

Chelette calls the plays, like he's been doing for the program's past 14 seasons. Sidney Melvin scores, averaging a team-best 14 points per game. Brandon Murray and Jonathan Holland rebound, both averaging more than five a game. Trae Fortier and Kerry Yates fill the lanes on the fast break, often finishing with high-flying dunks.

All Webb is expected to do is distribute the ball and take what the defense gives him.

``I've had to get used to the speed of the game and that's been a big adjustment,'' said Webb, who has led the team in assists in half of its games. His 67 assists are more than twice that of the next closest Marauder.

``I like having the ball in my hands, I have control of what's going on,'' Webb said. ``It's a lot easier playing when you have teammates who are unselfish. We don't care about numbers. We want to win. We all have the heart to win.''

And Webb's versatility is a significant reason why the team is 22-4, the top-ranked team in Southern California and No. 2 in the state.

He's averaging 13 points per game, makes 38 percent of his 3-point attempts and is 46 percent overall from the field.

``The second he stepped on the floor he's handled things real well. I knew he would hold it down,'' said Melvin, a sophomore and the lone returning starter from a season ago. ``He gives us an advantage because not many players can shoot like he does.

``At the beginning, he wasn't vocal. But he's talking on the floor now. It takes us by surprise because you don't expect him to say much. But when he does, people listen.''

Being surrounded by so many talented and experienced players has enabled Webb to settle into his role at his own pace. And though he's shown glimpses of consistency, there's room for improvement.

For someone who's proven to be effective from outside on the perimeter, some might find it difficult to understand why Webb struggles from the free-throw line, where he's made 52 of 77 attempts (67 percent).

And with so many options, one might think he'd make good decisions each time down the court regardless of which direction he passes the ball. But not all has gone well, as he's made more turnovers (68) than assists.

``His first job is to get everybody involved in the offense. After that he's a scoring threat,'' Chelette said. ``A lot of people put merit into the assist-to-turnover ratio, but he's not an assist point guard. He's a scoring point guard and I haven't had many players capable of doing that.

``He's been tutoring, learning on the job this year and he's done a good job for us. He gets better every game and is making better decisions. He's showing leadership qualities, and the longer the season goes on the more comfortable he'll be. I'm glad I have him for another year.''

AVC's opponents most likely think otherwise.

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AVC's Mike Webb has been the team leader in assists this season with 67, to go along with 13 points a game.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer