Larry Gordon was on Greg Kamansky’s radar but the Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball coach will admit there were other prospects he coveted more.

The coach went to see Gordon’s Montclair High School team square off against Colony but it was more because of his interest in some of the Colony players. But Gordon stole the show with 50 points, changing Kamansky’s plans.

“It was an under-control 50. That was the amazing thing,” the Broncos coach recalled. “It wasn’t like he was the only guy taking shots or he was forcing stuff up. That’s when I knew how much I wanted him.”

The 6-foot-5 forward then became one of Kamansky’s priorites and the Broncos were able to lure him away from others including local rival Cal State San Bernardino.

That has paid off as Gordon has led the Broncos (6-7, 5-3) back into contention in the CCAA. They face a formidable foe today as defending champion Humboldt State (12-3, 6-1) comes to Kellogg Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. showdown.

Gordon ranks second in the conference in scoring (17.8 ppg), rebounding (9.2 rpg) and free-throw percentage (.887), is sixth in field goal percentage (.529) and eighth in blocked shots. He should draw consideration for conference player of the year to be handed out later this season.

The Broncos struggled early but have moved into contention by winning four of their last five games. Gordon has been consistent from the start but the Broncos are finally getting contributions from others, most notably senior sharpshooter Angelo Tsagarakis and sophomore forward Donnelle Boooker.

It has been Gordon’s play more than his words that have been the catalyst for the recent showing.

“He doesn’t say a whole lot but he doesn’t have to,” Kamansky said. “The guys see how hard he plays. The only bad thing is sometimes they enjoy watching him a little too much. I have to remind them `Guys you can play too.'”

Gordon was a two-sport standout for the Cavaliers, also excelling in football. He played wide receiver which draws a chuckle from Kamansky, who often teases his star player about his “bad hands.”
Several lower level Division I schools were interested but Gordon never thought of football as anything more than a hobby. Basketball has always been his first love.

A handful of CCAA schools wanted him. The pivotal factor was the opportunity to play as a freshman. He liked Cal State San Bernardino’s track record and its impressive venue but the Coyotes have always leaned heavily on junior college transfers and Division I bouncebacks while the Broncos field a smaller squad and aren’t afraid to throw their freshmen into the mix.

“I really wanted to play right away,” Gordon said. “I hope it doesn’t sound too cocky but I thought I was good enough to play with those guys instead of sitting out a year.”

Gordon rewarded the Broncos for their faith in him. He averaged 6.7 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds as a rookie, earning CCAA Freshman of the Year honors.

He thinks one reason he was able to contribute right away was that he has always played with older athletes, whether it was in his neighborhood or at his high school as a freshman. He grew up competing with cousin Brandon Hogan who was six years older and played at Garey.

“I always trying to prove I could play with him and his friends,” Gordon laughed. “They would always pick on me because I was younger so I was always had to prove myself.”

Gordon had an even better sophomore season, earning first-team All-Conference honors and averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.

That set the stage for the season he is now having. Gordon has scored in double figures 13 straight games with a career-high of 24 coming on the road at Cal State Stanislaus two weeks ago. He has recorded eight double-doubles, with a high of 14 rebounds coming against Cal State San Bernardino. He comes into tonight’s contest against the Lumberjacks having made 14 straight free throws over three games.

Not surprisingly he has earned the respect of his adversaries.

“He is one of the premier player in this conference,” Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. “He has expanded his range to where he is now hitting 3-pointers which makes him even more dangerous. And he has always been a terror on the glass.”

This weekend’s games are crucial in the conference race. Sonoma State follows Humboldt in and will be the opponent on Saturday.

Gordon is happy his team is finally living up to its preseason hype. The Broncos were picked to finish second behind Humbdolt in the conference in a poll of member coaches.

“We got off to a shaky start but we’re finally playing hard and playing together,” he said. “We almost waited until it was too late but now we’re going in the right direction.”

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