Out of the Shadows : Reggie McFerren has quietly played in the background at Crenshaw High. But with a full scholarship to Kansas State, he is poised to step to the forefront.

For the past two years, Reggie McFerren has lived in the shadows of basketball giants.

McFerren has quietly played in the background at Crenshaw High, seeing his efforts dwarfed by more popular teammates, Kris Johnson and Tremaine Fowlkes.

This is unfortunate for the kid they call “Reg” because all three helped reassert the Cougars’ dominance. The Big Three, as they were called by sportswriters, were the driving force behind a juggernaut that rolled to 57 wins in 61 games by last March, ending with a second consecutive State Division I championship.

Fowlkes was given much of the credit for the team’s success last season, just as Johnson had two years before. McFerren had been appreciated for his consistent performance, but it was the flashy exploits of Fowlkes and Johnson that were documented by newspapers and television.

But now, with a full-ride scholarship to Kansas State in the fall, the time has come for McFerren to step into the forefront.

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The story begins in 1992, when the Big Three were among nine basketball transfers to try out for the team.

Johnson came from Montclair Prep, Fowlkes from Culver City and McFerren from Serra, but on the court it seemed as if they had been playing together for years.

From the outset, it was apparent that destiny was at work.

The team finished the 1992-93 season with a 28-2 record that included a 92-71 win over Dorsey in the City Section 4-A final and a 73-66 win over Carmichael Jesuit in the State Division I final.

McFerren and Fowlkes scored 19 points apiece in that game.

But the season belonged to Johnson, who was named 1993 City Section Player of the Year, averaging 22.6 points and 14 rebounds. His buzzer-beater basket in the 63-61 win over Mater Dei in the Division I Southern California Regional sent his popularity skyrocketing.

That year McFerren was Crenshaw’s top three-point threat and one of the area’s best shooters. It looked like the 1993-94 season would be McFerren’s.

But instead the headlines went to Fowlkes.

At Crenshaw games, it became commonplace to see Fowlkes make a one-handed catch of an alley-oop pass from point guard Tommie Davis before bringing the crowd to its feet with an acrobatic slam. Fowlkes, a 6-6 forward, had the best season of any Crenshaw player in nearly a decade, averaging 25.5 points and 16 rebounds. He was named 1994 City Section Player of the Year.

And Johnson, a 6-5 forward, had another solid season.

But McFerren had his best.

Averaging 19.3 points, McFerren was the area’s deadliest shooter from behind the arc. The release and rotation on his three-point shot was textbook, flawless in its execution.

For the first time, the lanky 6-6 shooting guard was named to the 1994 City 4-A first team and to the City Times All-Second Team.

Still, news of Johnson’s early signing with UCLA and Fowlkes’ decision to attend Cal overshadowed McFerren’s accomplishments.

He was Clark Kent between two Supermen.

But McFerren did not go wholly unnoticed, especially by Kansas State Coach Tom Asbury, who formerly coached at Pepperdine.

Asbury appreciated McFerren’s night-in, night-out consistency and his coachability. After home visits and a trip to Manhattan, Kan., McFerren decided to showcase his jump shot in the Big Eight Conference.

And Asbury expects McFerren to come in and play right away. The slower, quieter pace of the Midwest seems to match his laid-back demeanor.

As a member of the Big Three, McFerren learned the work ethic it takes to be a winner. His lessons included how to play as a team member and to get along with other players.

McFerren works out daily with weights in Norwalk with a personal trainer to become stronger.

He knows strength is a trademark of every giant.