BASKETBALL : Moorpark and Ventura Coaches Play Favorites in Attempt to Get Position Before Tournament

Al Nordquist, coach of the Moorpark men’s basketball team, and Phil Matthews, coach at Ventura, describe themselves as friendly adversaries in their recruiting of Ventura County players.

So it wasn’t surprising to see them politely passing each other off as the favorites in the 18th Moorpark tournament this weekend at Moorpark.

Speaking at a press conference sponsored by the Camarillo Kiwanis on Tuesday, Moorpark cast his vote for Ventura (4-0).

Matthews, with five sophomore starters in his second season at Ventura, accepted the challenge.

“I have a veteran team, and we’re coming in looking to win this tournament,” he said.

Matthews’ choice for the team with the best chance to knock off Ventura?

“Moorpark,” he said, shifting the spotlight back to Nordquist.

The Raiders enter the tournament at 2-2 after losses to Pasadena City and Saddleback in last weekend’s Pony tournament at Saddleback.

“Hopefully, playing these kind of teams now will help us later,” he said.

Moorpark could see more of those teams in the later rounds of its tournament. Harbor and Pasadena, quarterfinalists at the state tournament last season, join Ventura and Citrus (3-1) in a strong field.

The Raiders, however, are matched in the same bracket with Rio Hondo, which returns only three players from last year’s 20-12 team, and West Los Angeles and Valley, who have a combined record of 1-8.

Valley and West L.A. meet in the tournament-opener today at 3 p.m. Moorpark opens with Rio Hondo at 7.

Cal State Northridge made only 37% of its shots against Utah on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, including 34% in the second half. The Utes, meanwhile, shot 60% and made 6 of 12 three-point shots. The Matadors, 0-4, improved their shooting Monday night against Weber State when they made 25 of 55 shots. But they made only 12 of 21 free throws.

After beating Christ College, 79-71, on Monday night, Cal Lutheran is 2-1 under Coach Larry Lopez. James Faulk, a 6-3 forward, is averaging 17 points and nine rebounds for the Kingsmen. He leads the team in both categories.

Although Northridge has lost four straight, Coach Pete Cassidy and assistant Rusty Smith are optimistic. Cassidy has allowed transfers Ray Horwath and Kennard Moulden and freshmen Todd Bowser and Cliff Barnes a lot of playing time. “Wait until January,” Smith said, “then see what happens.” CSUN opens conference play in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. next month.

Bowser, a 6-7 freshman center from Montclair Prep, got six points and eight rebounds in his first college game Monday at Weber.

In the final minutes of CSUN’s game against Weber State, Cassidy, who looks like former UCLA Coach John Wooden, and Weber Coach Larry Farmer, a former Bruin coach, held rolled-up programs in their hands the way Wooden used to.

Said Cassidy: “The difference was, I was using my program to hit my players on the head.”

The Master’s will play in the Redlands Tournament in Redlands which begins tonight and runs through Saturday. The Mustangs, who are led by senior forward Pete Coeler, have lost four straight games.