CS Northridge Hopes Division I Basketball Will Be Fan-tastic

After playing before 9,198 spectators at New Mexico State’s Pan American Center on Monday, Cal State Northridge returns to Matador Gymnasium on Saturday to take on Northern Arizona.

The capacity of CSUN’s gym is only 3,000, but finding a seat has never been a problem.

Last season, the Matadors drew only 4,939 at home, an average of 353, including a season-low 135 against Colorado-Colorado Springs. The season-high was 589 for a game against UC Riverside.

The Matadors can only hope Division I means larger crowds at home too.

“With the style of ball we’re playing and all the new faces and the whole Division I move the school is making, that by itself will draw more people to support the team,” assistant coach Wayne Fluker predicted.

“Once they see (the fast-paced system) they’ll be hooked on it. Then, who knows what’ll happen in terms of attendance.”

Hot seat: Newspaper reporters from Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Tex., questioned CSUN player Shelton Boykin about the statements he allegedly made to the NCAA regarding rules violations during his freshman year at Texas El Paso, 1987-88.

“That’s their problem, not mine,” Boykin said. “I don’t know nothing about it. My life’s in California.

“(Attending UTEP) was a learning experience and I’m glad I went through it. I went to JC (Valley College) and paid my dues. I think I showed the people in this area that I can play, though I’m not an All-American.”

In 18 minutes, Boykin scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds in CSUN’s 120-62 loss to New Mexico State.

Not impressed: Although he appeared pleased with his own performance, Boykin was not won over by the play of Shaun Vandiver, Colorado’s highly regarded 6-foot-10 center: Vandiver scored 27 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in 25 minutes.

“He had a game, but I wasn’t really that impressed. He did a job like he should,” Boykin said.

Shooting stars: Tony Madison broke his Antelope Valley College single-game record with 10 three-point baskets against Santa Barbara City on Saturday night, finishing with 37 points. . . .

Kenny Hicks, formerly of Notre Dame High and now a sophomore reserve guard at Stanford, was named to the all-tournament team at the Stanford Invitational last weekend. Hicks had eight points, five rebounds and four assists in a 93-66 win over Rider and added 10 points in a 69-51 championship victory over Yale.

Charity run: After struggling from the foul line early in the season, Glendale made 22 of 23 free throws against East Los Angeles and 28 of 32 against Rio Hondo.

Coach Brian Beauchemin has changed his practice routine to include more running for missed free throws and says that his players “are concentrating a little bit more.”

Help from afar: The four players selected by the Oxnard, Moorpark and Ventura coaches to accompany them to the Moorpark basketball tournament luncheon Tuesday--arguably the best players on their respective teams--all have roots in the Midwest.

Oxnard brought point guard Shawn Talley, a freshman from Chicago, and forward Tim Thomas, a freshman from South Bend, Ind. Ventura center Lester Neal, also from Chicago, and Moorpark point guard Sam Crawford, who spent his childhood in the Chicago area, rounded out the group.

False advertising: Bobby Webster has either grown 3 1/2 inches in the past week or the Western State Conference is trying to build his appeal among four-year colleges. The 5-foot-5 1/2 freshman tailback is listed at 5-9 on the WSC’s All-Northern Division team roster released earlier this week.

Webster, who rushed for a school-record 1,360 yards and 21 touchdowns during the regular season, was correctly listed at 175 pounds.

Times change: Saturday’s schedule for the Moorpark College basketball tournament has been moved up two hours because of the Western State Conference football bowl game, which will be held at Moorpark at 7:30 the same night.

The basketball championship is now set for 6 p.m. with the third-place game at 4 and the consolation final at 2.

“If we continue to be as successful in football as we have been, we may change the date” of the tournament, said Paul Dunham, Moorpark’s athletic director.

On the road again: Moorpark tailback Freddie Bradley said he has scheduled an official visit to Colorado for the weekend of Dec. 6-7 and that he plans to visit Arkansas the next weekend. He has not scheduled the other three paid visits he is allowed under NCAA rules.

Among the schools paying increased attention to Bradley are UCLA and Washington.

Curtain call: Marianne Dixon, a fifth-year senior who plays outside hitter on the Northridge volleyball team, said she was counting down the days of practice as the regular season came to a close. But not because she was impatient for the season to end; when it ends, so does her collegiate career.

“When it comes down to the end, you even enjoy those,” she said of the practices.

She’s a hit: Dixon’s .363 hitting percentage places her among the top 20 players nationally, according to CSUN Coach Walt Ker.

“She’s had an amazing year, especially considering the strength of our schedule. A lot of the players ahead of her haven’t played the type of teams we have.”

Add Dixon: Marianne and twin Kathleen, both fifth-year seniors, have never been on a team that did not make the playoffs.

Beth Welch, the only other senior on the Northridge volleyball team, had never been on a playoff team before this year. She is a transfer from Washington State.

All-American: Pittsburgh’s Brian Greenfield, a former Notre Dame High and Glendale College standout, has earned first-team All-American honors on the Football Writers Assn. of America and Walter Camp Foundation squads.

Greenfield, a senior, punted for a 45.6-yard average this season.

All-American, Part II: Teresa Poy of Cal State Los Angeles, who transferred from Cal State Northridge in 1988, finished 17th in the NCAA Division II cross-country championships in McKinleyville, Calif., on Nov. 17.

Poy, who placed 19th in last year’s Division II cross-country championships in Marshalls Creek, Pa., earned All-American honors for the second year in a row.

Finishers among the top 25 U. S. citizens are considered All-Americans.

Trying times: Former Northridge football players Keith Wright, Richard Ane, Steve Dominic and Willie James are scheduled to be among 100 to 125 prospects participating in the World League of American Football’s invitation-only tryout Sunday at Occidental College.

Royal treatment: The transition from Division II to Division I basketball does not just mean that the Northridge women’s team will play a tougher schedule.

Julie Arlotto, a forward for Northridge, says it also adds a special atmosphere.

“It hasn’t been made apparent yet,” Arlotto said, “but as athletes we are being better taken care of. I don’t know if it is money or what. It is a better atmosphere, more respectful, like stepping up a class.”

Steven Herbert and staff writers Theresa Munoz, John Ortega and Brendan Healey contributed to this notebook.