Baker, Henry Join List of Basketball Players Leaving CSUN Team

Jemarl Baker and Andre Henry will not play basketball for Cal State Northridge this season, bringing to eight the number of players with eligibility remaining who have not returned to the program.

Baker, a senior who would have been the team’s top returning scorer, left for personal reasons, according to CSUN Coach Pete Cassidy. Henry, a junior who started nine games last season, also cited personal reasons for his departure, said former teammate Erik Cooper.

“(Baker) felt it was best to dedicate the time he has to fulfilling his degree requirements and taking care of responsibilities in his personal life,” Cassidy said.

A 6-foot-2 starting guard from Manual Arts High, Baker averaged 9.1 points and 2.5 rebounds a game in 1989-90.

“It surprised me that Jemarl isn’t playing this year,” Cassidy said. “But I’m not surprised that he would take care of his priorities, his education and his personal problems outside of the basketball program and school itself.”

Henry was a walk-on point guard from Fairfax High.

“It is very disappointing, especially not to have friends back,” Cooper said. “It is good to know they are still behind you, though. They’ll still support us along with the rest of the school.

“This is a big adjustment for us, between having all these new guys and going to Division I.”

Neither Baker nor Henry was available for comment, but Cooper said that both are staying in school.

Cooper, Kirk Scott and Eugene Humphrey are CSUN’s only returning players heading into the school’s first Division I season.

“I am aware of how it looks in other people’s eyes,” Cassidy said. “Anytime anything occurs in this program that might affect its image in a negative way, I’m concerned. But at no time will I compromise a player.”

Since the end of last season, four CSUN players have transferred to schools below the Division I level.

Junior Kendell McDaniels, formerly of Chatsworth High, took his averages of 11 points and 6.5 rebounds to Cal State Bakersfield; sophomore guard Bill Mazurie, who averaged 7.3 points per game, went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; junior Sandy Brown, a forward from Manual Arts, transferred to Occidental; and 6-8 sophomore Shanan Rosenberg joined the UC Davis program.

Also, Percy Fisher, one of the team’s most promising players, is academically ineligible, and sophomore Brooklyn McLinn left the team although he is in school.

In anticipation of some departures, Cassidy landed recruits including former Cleveland High standout Andre Chevalier, former Glendale College player David Swanson and El Camino College transfer David Keeter.

Todd Bowser, a 6-8 senior, rejoined the squad after sitting out last season for personal reasons. Another recruit, Troy LeBlanc, a forward from Skyline Community College, did not receive his associate of arts degree and therefore is not enrolled at CSUN.