Middleton Is Going, Going . . .

It’s amazing how much hoopla can surround a teen-ager who just happens to be able to throw a basketball into a hoop as easily as most people can throw a rock into the ocean.

Take Larry Middleton, for instance.

Middleton is a good basketball player. He averaged 28 points a game for Valley College this spring. He has made the all-state team twice.

He is also considered to be a nice person. Kind to his mother, respects his coach. He’s even been cordial to sportswriters.

So why was Larry Middleton’s phone off the hook for most of the day and night Wednesday? Simple. The date: April 10. National letter of intent day to everyone who wears high-top tennis shoes.

And it was D-Day for Mr. Middleton, who is a wanted man.

He is wanted by about 75 major college basketball coaches who would like to see him dressed in their colors next season.

It’s been known for the last week that Middleton had narrowed his choices to three: Clemson, Fresno State and the University of San Francisco. But that apparently didn’t stop coaches from hounding him until he finally decided to give everyone the eternal busy signal.

Even Valley Coach Bobby Castagna felt the pressure.

“Geeeez,” Castagna said when reached at home Wednesday evening, “I can’t even eat my dinner. People keep calling me, wanting to know where Larry’s going to go.”

Castagna’s answer: Clemson. He thinks.

“Yesterday when I talked to him, that’s where he said he was going,” Castagna said. “His mom, his dad and myself all gave him our advice and left the decision to him. That was his decision.”

Cliff Ellis, Clemson’s second-year coach was in Los Angeles Wednesday night, presumably to sign Middleton. Efforts to reach him at his hotel, home and office failed.

“He was supposed to be out there signing (Middleton),” said Clemson publicity assistant Tom Bray. “Usually, he’ll call me as soon as he’s signed a player. I haven’t heard anything, though. My experience is, until you see the kid has signed on the dotted line, nothing is for sure. That’s probably why he flew all the way out there.”

It’s hard to believe one 6-2 shooting guard could cause commotion from Southern California to South Carolina.

At least one Valley College player announced his major college decision on Wednesday. Carey Lewis, a 6-9 center, signed with Southwest Texas State.

Southwest Texas is a Division I school that plays in the newly formed Gulf Star Conference along with Nichols State, University of Texas-Austin, Sam Houston State and Southeast Louisiana.

Carey, who played but did not start at Palisades High, averaged 9.5 points and six rebounds for Valley this spring.

Said Castagna: “He’s come a long way and his best basketball is still ahead of him. They got a sleeper.”

Kip Brown was the only Moorpark College player being wooed by Division I colleges, but he did not sign a letter of intent Wednesday.

Moorpark Coach Al Nordquist said that several major universities are still interested in Brown, but only after he earns an Associate of Arts degree. Brown needs to pass the five classes in which he is enrolled this semester--plus two more in summer school--to be eligible to transfer.

“I think Kip would have at least a few offers if they knew he would definitely be able to play next year,” Nordquist said.

Drake, New Mexico State, Hawaii, the University of Seattle and Boise State are among the schools still interested.

Three other Moorpark players have not committed, but appear to close to signing with smaller schools.

Eric Smith, a 6-foot guard from Thousand Oaks High, is leaning toward UC Davis, while David Jacquez, a 6-3 forward also from Thousand Oaks, will probably go to UC San Diego.

Pat O’Herron, a 6-4 forward from Simi Valley High, may join another former Moorpark player, Ambrose Slaughter, at Metro State College in Denver.

At College of the Canyons a lot of people are still wondering where 6-8, 230-pound forward Karl Tompkins will sign.

The question remains even though Coach Lee Smelser says Tompkins has already signed a letter of intent with Cal State Bakersfield. Apparently, Tompkins has changed his mind more than once already.

“It’s been confusing for him,” Smelser said. “At one point he was committing after practically every trip he took. He was changing his mind every day.

“It wasn’t that he was leading schools on, it was just that the recruiting got to him. He liked almost every place he went.”

Smelser said Tompkins signed a Bakersfield letter Wednesday morning, but he was still scheduled to talk to Chapman College coaches last night.

“He kind of committed to Chapman before and he told them he would talk to them before anything became official.”

All this came as news to Cal State Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy, who was also recruiting Tompkins.

“I talked to him this afternoon and he said he hadn’t signed,” Cassidy said. “I knew about Chapman, but I thought we had a good shot at getting him.”

One catch to all this: Although Tompkins signed the letter of intent, his parents must also sign. They live in Alaska. Until the letter is mailed there and signed, nothing is official.

Stay tuned.

Glendale College guard Bill Carr, a sophomore from Hoover High, signed with the University of San Francisco. Carr averaged 16 points a game and shot 51% from the field and 88% from the line.

Toros Yetenekian, Glendale’s only other sophomore starter, is still undecided. The 6-7 forward is considering Northridge, Chapman and Sam Houston State, among others.

He averaged 14.2 points a game and was one of the state’s top rebounders with an average of 9.2 a game.

CSUN failed to sign any players on Wednesday, disappointing Cassidy.

The coach, who figured to have a strong recruiting year coming off a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship, says he is close to signing several good prospects, but doesn’t have anything in writing yet.

Cassidy is looking for a lot of help on the front line. Starting center Tom Ruetten and forwards Dale Brandsberg and Larry White all graduated.

CSUN first baseman Dick Jacquez, when asked if there was something he didn’t miss about former Matador coach Bob Hiegert:

“Yeah, the fines. Coach used to fine us when we’d make mental errors. That was his way of forcing us to think ahead of time so we’d be ready for any situation.”

Apparently, it worked. Last season, which was Hiegert’s last after 18 years as coach, Northridge went 46-21-1 and won the Division II national championship.

No one went broke, either.

The fines ranged from a nickel to a quarter.

Said Jacquez: “Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up.”

Notes

Dion Giuliano broke the Cal State Northridge record in the pole vault last week with a mark of 17-4 at the Fresno Bee Games. Valley College transfer Sue Patterson recorded the fifth best heptathlon score (4,938) in the Division II this year at the same meet. . . . Cal State Bakersfield’s track team features a triple jumper who is also an assistant coach: Jewel Lovelady. . . .

The CSUN baseball team is ranked third in the latest Division II national rankings. . . . The Lady Matadors have won CSUN’s softball Tournament of Champions in each of its three years. In last week’s seven-game tournament sweep, CSUN outscored its opponents, 40-1. Pitcher Kathy Slaten was the tournament’s most valuable player, while Linda Lowande, Stacy Lim, Barbara Jordan, Michey McAnany and Lori Shelly also made the all-tournament team.