Odell Meets Challenge, Turns Azusa Pacific Program Around

In the summer of 1991, Bill Odell made a risky career move when he decided to leave Millikan High in Long Beach to coach basketball at Azusa Pacific University.

Odell had coached at Millikan for 20 years and was the winningest coach in Long Beach history with 350 victories. Azusa Pacific had had only one winning season since 1981.

“I needed a new challenge,” Odell said. “I had done all I could [coaching high school], and I wanted to turn a program around.”

Now in his fifth season at Azusa Pacific, Odell has a 114-36 record and has led the Cougars to three consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference championships.

This season, Azusa Pacific is 15-3 after defeating Fresno Pacific and Point Loma Nazarene last week. The Cougars are ranked fourth in the NAIA and have been in the top 25 in 31 of the last 35 polls.

“This is such a great place to teach and coach,” Odell said about Azusa Pacific. “The competition in the GSAC is really strong, and the level of play has improved every year that I’ve been here. I know this is not Division I and we’re not on television, but there are some outstanding coaches in the conference who have some really good teams.”

In 1993 and 1994, Azusa Pacific made consecutive appearances in the NAIA national tournament, and the Cougars were ranked No. 1 for three weeks in 1993.

Players respond to him.

“Playing for Coach Odell has been my best experience, as far as playing basketball, because he allows you to do what you do best on the court,” said Eric Wattree, a senior forward who transferred to Azusa Pacific after two seasons at Wyoming. “He doesn’t try to make you a robot.”

Wattree, a standout for Fremont High in Los Angeles, is an example of the type of player Odell attracts. He was recruited by several Division I schools in high school, chose Wyoming, then left after Coach Benny Dees had left and playing time decreased.

“I liked Wyoming but I decided that I needed to go somewhere else to play, so I started contacting schools,” said Wattree, who is averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. “I knew some guys who played at Azusa because we played on the same summer league teams.”

At Azusa Pacific, Wattree joined a balanced team that featured an up-tempo offense. The Cougars have six players averaging more than 9.5 points.

“The competition may not be at a Division I level every night, but it is very competitive,” Wattree said. “I’m happy that I decided to transfer because I’m graduating on time and this experience has been great.”

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Cal State Dominguez Hills is off to a strong start in both men’s and women’s basketball.

The Toros will conduct a rare doubleheader Thursday night against UC Riverside, the women’s game starting at 5:45, followed by the men.

The Dominguez Hills women’s team is 12-4 and has the second-best defense in Division II, giving up 51.4 points a game. The Toros are led by Faye Hagan, a senior from Cerritos Gahr High, who ranks sixth in Division II scoring with 24.3 points a game, and 26th nationally in rebounds with 11.1 a game.

The Dominguez Hills men’s team is 11-2, the Toros’ best start since 1980. Michael Whittiker, a senior guard from Dominguez High in Compton, is averaging 16.2 points and has a team-high 48 assists. Chris Boyd, a junior from Paramount High, is averaging 15 points and 4.9 rebounds.

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La Verne, the first Division III school to have a schedule entirely of Division I volleyball opponents, opened play at home Tuesday with a 15-4, 15-4, 15-11 loss to sixth-ranked USC. La Verne will also play preseason No. 1 Hawaii, No. 2 Long Beach State and No. 4 UC Santa Barbara.