By ROGER UNDERWOOD
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

We all know where Luke Ridnour is.

Unless you've been involved in some sort of biosphere project, you know that the mercurical guard who led Blaine to back-to-back titles in the first two Class 2A state tournaments held in the SunDome is running the point for the Seattle SuperSonics.

And that he's been endorsed by Magic Johnson, that he's regarded as one of the most improved players in the NBA and, as such, that he's considered a main reason why Seattle has elevated from perennial lotto team to having one of the league's best records.

This after a stellar three-year career at the University of Oregon.

But what about other players from other state champions?

What about Phillip Candanoza, who led Grandview to a 27-0 record and the 2002 title?

What about Elyse Mengarelli and LaDonna Downs, who were instrumental among the East Valley Red Devils who, under the late Jack Cleveland, won back-to-back crowns in 2002 and 2003?

Or what about any of the 2004 Hoquiam Grizzlies, who finished their 38-0 championship run by fighting off prohibitive underdog East Valley?

Suffice it to say there were no Ridnours any of those teams. Players of his caliber come along maybe once in a generation, regardless the size of school.

Mengarelli went to Montana State on a basketball scholarship, after graduating from EV in 2002, but left the Bozeman school during her first year, transferred to Central Washington and hasn't played competitive hoops since.

Downs has played two seasons at Yakima Valley Community College, helping the Yaks to successive NWAACC tournaments including a sixth-place finish this past season.

Angie Ibach sat out a year after leaving East Valley in 2003, attended Central, then joined Downs at YVCC, where she was the Yaks' second-leading scorer.

Other members of those teams have chosen what Jami Sharp said she wanted after her final game last year -- to just be a young adult and student.

She's attended YVCC while Jennifer Newland and Angie Mullen are at Central.

None of the 2002 Greyhounds boys played organized basketball last season, although Sean Campos is currently at Columbia Basin College and is considering playing hoops and/or baseball for the Hawks.

Candanoza, the cat-quick, 5-foot-6 catalyst for that team, was a little-used reserve for one season at Big Bend Community College and has since flourished in business.

Grandview assistant Roy Garcia, Candanoza's cousin, said Candanoza has become manager of a Furniture Row store in Lincoln, Neb.

"He's played in some pickup games at the University (of Nebraska), and the coaches have talked to him about turning out," Garcia said.

Point guard Stephen Sanchez went to CBC for a year and now works at the Wal-Mart distribution center near Grandview.

Jaime Fajardo is a student at Spokane Falls Community College, though he isn't playing hoops, and Brent Bottineau is employed at a Best Buy outlet in Kennewick.

From last year's Hoquiam team, tournament MVP Justin Reed played this past season at Grays Harbor College along with ex-Grizzly Jeff Wayman.

"They both played, got a lot of minutes and played pretty well," Hoquiam coach Brian Grun said.

Sky Cearns is also at Grays Harbor, though he didn't play basketball, 6-6 center David Brittinen is a pre-med student at Western Washington and Jeff Niemi is considering a teaching career while attending Central.

All of which serves as evidence that the best small-school teams typically are without big-time stars, but have a cohesive collection of good small-school players -- Blaine and Ridnour being an obvious exception.

And this season there is Chimacum and super-smooth sophomore Steven Gray, whom some say is the best high schooler to play in a Yakima state tournament since Ridnour.

Oh yes. There were two other players on East Valley's 2003 girls roster who are still playing. Tana Stickney and Jessica Huntington were juniors who started and excelled on the Red Devils team that finished 25-2 and placed third in this season's tournament.