Theus upbeat on Paras

MANILA, Philippines - California State University at Northridge head coach Reggie Theus said the other day he’s looking forward to 6-6 Kobe Paras playing three years with the Matadors varsity and expressed confidence that the former La Salle Greenhills star will develop into an impact college standout.

Theus said what caught his eye in recruiting Paras was his athleticism. “Kobe played on a high-powered AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team (Compton Magic) in high school and you had to be a very good player to be on that team,” said Theus who was in Manila to attend an NBA 3x event last weekend. “Many nights, he was the best player on that team. I really liked him as a high school player so to get the chance for him to play for me is a blessing.”

Theus, 59, said Paras has a future to go anywhere he wants. “It depends on how hard he wants to work,” said Theus, a 13-year NBA veteran. “We’ll push him. He has an opportunity and all the tools he needs to be successful.”

Paras will sit out this season with the Matadors to establish residency after transferring from Creighton University. Theus said Paras has a lot to work on during his redshirt year. “Kobe has to continue to get better defensively and develop a consistent shot,” said Theus. “Those are the two things he has to work on. Those things will come. He’s young, he’s only 19.  He has three more years to play college ball and a lot of time to work on his game.”

Paras played two years with the La Salle Greenhills varsity in the NCAA juniors then moved to Cathedral College and Middlebrooks Academy in Los Angeles to finish his high school studies. He initially committed to UCLA but Bruins coach Steve Alford left him out of the roster to trigger his transfer to Creighton. As a Division I rookie, Paras averaged 1.3 points in 15 games. 

Theus has coached the Matadors to a combined 47-81 record in the last four years. The school has produced only one NBA player, 6-4 Paul McCracken who saw action for the Houston Rockets in 1972-73 and 1973-74 and the Chicago Bulls in 1976-77 before joining Galleon in the PBA in 1980 with import partner Larry Jackson later replaced by Jeff Wilkins. Another former Northridge star was Michael Dorsey, a Japanese-American known as Maikeru Takahashi in the Japan league.

As a player, Theus was the Bulls first round pick in the 1978 NBA draft and suited up for Chicago, Kansas City, Sacramento, Atlanta, Orlando and New Jersey in a career that ended in 1990-91. Among his teammates were Artis Gilmore, Scott Skiles, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Moses Malone and Drazen Petrovic. He coached the Sacramento Kings in 2007-08 and partially in 2008-09.

Theus said he learned key lessons in life on the basketball court, citing teamwork, camaraderie, cohesion, competing, winning and losing as the elements for success. “It’s not about just basketball, it’s about being successful,” he said. “Everything you learn on the court, you bring with you the rest of your life because you can utilize those things in everything you do.”

Theus said the game has changed a lot from when he played. “Obviously, there are no more big men today because everyone’s a perimeter guy,” he said. “Now, you play the game outside in whereas when I played, it was inside out. I still think it’s supposed to be played inside out but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a center. You just have to get to the rim.”

Theus said the window is open for Filipino players to improve. “They have a lot of talent but not a lot of size,” he said. “As long as they’re working hard, having fun, they’re growing, the NBA keeps coming over and everybody’s loving the game, they’re going to get better. It’s a process, it won’t happen overnight. If I were a coach in the Philippines, it will take a little time to learn your players but I would find a way to make them win.”