Parris Shakes Off Bad Ankle

Jeff Parris was back on the basketball court Friday, much to the relief of Cal State Northridge, which feared losing its offensive catalyst to a sprained right foot Thursday in a 71-67 loss to Alabama-Birmingham in the opener of the Nike Festival at Hawaii.

Parris, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, practiced with the team Friday and was in the starting lineup against Hawaii for the second of three tournament games in as many days at Stan Sheriff Center.

Parris left the arena Thursday with his foot wrapped in ice and did the same Friday after a light workout. But it will take more than a sprain, he said, to keep him on the bench.

“I have a sprained ankle every day,” Parris said. “It’s no problem.”

Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell left the decision to Parris and the team trainer. With the start of Big Sky Conference play less than two weeks away, the coach might have opted to rest Parris as a precaution. But Braswell said he is confident Parris is healthy.

“In a situation like this, you let the trainers make that decision. That’s what they’re paid to do,” Braswell said. “If the trainer feels there will be no long-term damage, the guy can go on it. Jeff has to make that decision with the trainer and tell him what his pain level is. Obviously, it’s not something serious.”

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Backup center Dan Read is hobbled by a sprained left ankle that prevented him from playing in Monday’s 84-70 victory over James Madison.

Read returned against Alabama-Birmingham, playing two minutes. He was in uniform against Hawaii and is expected to play an increased role Saturday against Georgia State.

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Northridge appeared fatigued against Alabama-Birmingham, although players and coaches were reluctant to point to their itinerary as the reason.

The Matadors traveled from James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va., to Hawaii on Monday, an 18-hour trek that included stops in Cincinnati and San Francisco.

Two days earlier, Northridge’s trip to Virginia was extended because of a canceled connecting flight that forced the team to fly into Washington, D.C. and travel by bus to James Madison.

“I looked at the film [Thursday] night and I did think we were a little worn down,” Braswell said. “Two of the coaches in the tournament said, ‘You guys just look tired, coach.’ ”

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When in Hawaii . . . .

Braswell and his assistants, usually attired in coats and ties during games, donned Hawaiian shirts on the sidelines for the tournament.

“It’s a hang-loose tradition here in Hawaii,” Braswell said. “When you come here, you kind of go with the flow.”

Braswell even loosened his long-standing edict that coaches and players wear coats and ties while traveling. Players were allowed to wear sweats on the trip from Virginia--a welcome change for Read, given his discomfort during air travel.

Read, the Matadors’ tallest player at 6-10, is a tight fit in most airline seats.

“I’m starting to get used to it,” Read said. “I try to get an aisle seat and stick my feet out and get up and walk around.”