Matadors Will Play Far and Near in the Future

Bobby Braswell sat with nine other Southern California college basketball coaches Tuesday at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, trading good-natured gibes and talking about talent.

But while the others looked no farther than down the table for rivals that draw large crowds and interest from television, the Cal State Northridge coach could only look skyward.

As in Big Sky-ward.

Northridge is the only Southern California member of the Big Sky Conference and will face only three Division I teams from the area in nonconference games: Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and San Diego of the West Coast Conference.

No Pac-10 opponents.

No Big West Conference opponents.

Braswell purposely scheduled games at Arizona State and Ohio State to give his team needed experience playing in hostile arenas before the Matadors head north for conference games. He also recognizes the value of establishing rivals close to home.

“Next year we will play UCLA and we are talking to Long Beach State, UC Irvine and Santa Barbara,” he said. “There is no reason we can’t play local schools. With Fox Sports West 2 pushing in that direction, there is interest in local rivalries.”

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Each coach took a turn at the podium outlining his team’s prospects, but only Braswell spoke on a personal note, mentioning that his father and brother died during last season, when Northridge advanced to the Big Sky tournament championship game.

“It was a difficult year for me emotionally,” he said. “It changed me as a person and as a coach. I would like to impress on my friends and colleagues that although this is a business and we are very competitive people, we need to go out of our way to shake hands and speak to one another.

“What I learned last year is that the most important things are at home. You’ve got to tell your family how much you love them.”

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Expected to rave about his five transfers, including recognizable names Jelani Gardner (Cal) and omm’A Givins (UCLA), Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar instead reminded everyone of the return of Gerald Brown.

Brown, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, redshirted last season to rehabilitate his right knee, but was an All-West Coast Conference selection as a sophomore and junior.

Two seasons ago, Brown averaged 17.8 points, and added 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

“Gerald is one of the most underrated players on the West Coast,” Romar said. “People don’t know what he can do. I’m very excited about getting him back.”

Brown spent last season watching the Waves stumble to a 6-21 record in Romar’s first year.

“When you redshirt it gives you time to reflect on what you can be doing to help the team,” Romar said. “Gerald did a lot of that and now he’s raring to go.”

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Romar broke up the audience by saying: “I had a terrible nightmare last night. I dreamed my team went 6-21 in my first year.

“I’m awake now and I feel much better as I begin my first year as coach.”

Enduring a rookie season in which Pepperdine was last in the WCC in scoring, assists, free-throw percentage, field-goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage had an upside for Romar.

“I welcome what happened because you have to go back to the drawing board so many times it makes you a better coach,” he said.

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San Diego Coach Brad Holland had effusive praise for junior guard Brock Jacobsen, and not because both attended Crescenta Valley High.

Jacobsen, WCC freshman of the year two seasons ago, is the only returning Torero to play in all 28 games last season, averaging 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

“Brock can play all the guard positions and he contributes in so many ways,” Holland said. “He makes the players around him better.”