CSUN to Sign Top JC Guard to Basketball Letter of Intent

It has been a long and sometimes frustrating year for Al Jackson, who would have preferred to accept a college basketball scholarship last April.

Ditto for Pete Cassidy, men’s basketball coach at Cal State Northridge, who was ready and willing--but not able--to tender an offer to Jackson last year.

Jackson, a point guard who helped West Valley College to a 24-6 record and a berth in the state tournament in 1988, needed an extra year of junior college class work to meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements.

But today, on the first day of the NCAA signing period for winter and spring sports, the frustration ends.

Cassidy gets his playmaker and Jackson his scholarship.

Jackson said Tuesday that he will sign a letter of intent with Northridge this morning because, “I wanted to go someplace where they really wanted me.”

Jackson averaged 11 points and 5.5 assists for West Valley as a sophomore.

Also expected to sign with the Matadors today are Shanan Rosenberg, a 6-foot-8 forward from St. Francis High in Mountain View, Calif., and Percy Fisher, a 6-7 forward from San Francisco Riordan High.

Northridge, which is attempting to sign two more junior college guards, already has secured the services of Bill Mazurie, a 6-3 guard from Capistrano Valley High, who signed in November.

In soccer, Northridge Coach Marwan Ass’ad said he will sign Teddy Davila of Reseda High today and is still awaiting final word from several other recruits.

In other Valley-area signings, Cleveland High’s Tim Bowen has accepted a basketball scholarship to Butler (Ind.) University, a Division I school in the Midwestern Conference, making him the fourth Cavalier to sign a letter of intent. The others are Lucious Harris (Cal State Long Beach), Warren Harrell (New Mexico State) and Adonis Jordan (Kansas), each of whom committed in November.

In baseball, five Valley-area players have committed and are expected to sign today: Hart catcher Casey Burrill (USC); Monroe pitcher/first baseman Tim Costic (Fresno State); Chatsworth shortstop Jason Evans (Cal); St. Francis shortstop Mark Loretta (Northwestern); and Chatsworth pitcher Derek Wallace (Pepperdine).