La Canada Flexes Its Might on All-Area Basketball Teams : Boys’ team: Three players and coach earn distinction after successful 1991-92 season.

The way the La Canada High boys’ basketball team saw it, holiday tournaments and Rio Hondo League play were only a warm-up for the one game that seemed to matter more than any other.

For four consecutive seasons, La Canada had won the Rio Hondo League title and pulled out a few games in the Southern Section playoffs only to stumble in the quarterfinals.

This year, La Canada won another league title, earned a first-round bye in the 3-A playoffs and won four consecutive playoff games to win the school’s first championship.

Senior forward Jimmy Evans, senior guard Ryan Asplund and junior center Richard Mandeville were instrumental in the Spartans’ championship drive.

And all three were voted to The Times Glendale All-Star team.

The 10-player team was selected based on ballots received from area coaches, who were asked to nominate their own players and opposing players and to select a coach of the year. Evans was selected player of the year and Tom Hofman of La Canada was selected coach of the year.

The players along with their parents and coaches will be guests of The Times at an awards breakfast Sunday at the Pasadena Hilton.

Here is a look at the players who were selected to the 1992 team:

Ryan Asplund, La Canada--Asplund, a senior guard, averaged 15 points a game. He was a key player for the Spartans in their run to the Southern Section title.

Thanh Diep, Marshall--Diep, a senior guard, was the Barristers’ most consistent player. He averaged 17 points and led Marshall into the City Section 3-A playoffs.

Jimmy Evans, La Canada--The Spartans had many weapons, but Evans, a senior forward, was at his best in the biggest games of the season, including tournament championship games and the postseason. He averaged 15 points and eight rebounds for a team that narrowly lost to 1991 state champion Estancia in the state playoffs.

Charles Garcia, Eagle Rock--Garcia, a senior forward, averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds for an Eagle Rock team that won its first league championship since 1983 and lost to South Gate in the first round of the City Section 3-A playoffs.

Richard Mandeville, La Canada--Mandeville, a 6-foot-11 junior, was hurt early in the season but he came back to average 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Eddie Powell, Verdugo Hills--Powell, a senior guard who transferred to Verdugo Hills from a high school in Oakland, averaged 24.9 points.

Orville Turner, Ribet Academy--Turner, a junior forward, averaged 22.6 points for the Fighting Frogs, who won the Southern Section Division V championship.

Dave Ulloa, Hoover--Ulloa, a senior guard, was one of the area’s best perimeter shooters. He averaged 22 points.

Josh Willis, Crescenta Valley--Willis, a senior forward, missed some games early in the season because of back problems. However, he was dominant at times when he returned and averaged 24.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Mike Wright, Glendale--Wright, a 6-4 senior, averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.