Cal State Fullerton Notes : Former Fairfax Player Will Join Titans

J.D. Green, a 6-foot-6 guard-forward who played on the Fairfax High School basketball team that included Sean Higgins and Chris Mills, said Tuesday he will transfer to Cal State Fullerton.

Green graduated from Fairfax in 1987, and has played at Southern Methodist the past two seasons. He started six games last season and averaged six points and three rebounds a game for SMU, which posted a 13-16 record. He decided to leave SMU to play closer to home, he said.

“I guess it was just a little bit too far away,” Green said. “I was kind of homesick. I’d been there two years and it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.”

Under National Collegiate Athletic Assn. transfer rules, Green will be required to sit out next season. He will become eligible for the 1990-91 season.

“I’ve always thought J.D. was a fine player,” Fullerton Coach John Sneed said. “He was heavily recruited off that Fairfax High team. We lose Cedric Ceballos and Mark Hill after next year, and J.D. should be a great wing player and scorer for us.”

Green said he chose Fullerton because he likes the Big West Conference, the Titans’ running-game style and because he knows several Titan players.

Three former Fullerton football players who were not taken in the professional draft have signed contracts with National Football League teams. The three are punter Jim Sirois (Houston Oilers), offensive lineman Matt Fitts (Minnesota Vikings) and cornerback James Howard (Cincinnati Bengals).

Cornerback Tony Williams and receiver Wade Lockett have signed with Ottawa of the Canadian Football League.

Rod Gatlin, former El Toro High quarterback, said he is leaving Fullerton and transferring to Cal State Northridge.

Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said Gatlin was dropped from the team during the 1988 season for failing to follow team study hall rules. Gatlin passed for 945 yards in his senior season at El Toro, and had played sparingly as a receiver at Fullerton.