THE COLLEGES / MIKE HISERMAN : Northridge Adopts a Chevalier Attitude

Although he makes far too many unforced errors, Andre Chevalier is the most influential player on the Northridge basketball team. Anyone who disagrees has not been paying attention.

When Chevalier plays well, he plays very well. When Chevalier plays poorly, he plays very poorly. And the rest of the Matadors seem to follow suit.

The freshman from Cleveland High is Northridge’s best ballhandler (true, that’s not saying much), but, more importantly, his development into a competent Division I point guard has allowed CSUN Coach Pete Cassidy to move Keith Gibbs to an off-guard position in which he seems immeasurably more comfortable.

Chevalier is listed as 6-foot, but he must have been measured while wearing three-inch platform heels. Still, he is fearless when driving the key and, with his quick hands, can be counted among Northridge’s best defenders. He also averages 10 points a game and leads the Matadors in assists (73) and steals (38).

Oh, and about those assists? You probably could double that number if Northridge post men didn’t fail to deliver on so many layup attempts.

Accepting donations: College basketball programs from around the country should make contributions toward the salvation of the United States International men’s basketball team.

USIU is bankrupt, and after the conclusion of this season the school no longer will compete at the Division I level. There is even a chance the sport might be dropped altogether, and that’s too bad.

The Soaring Eagles are not the best major college team in the land. In fact, with a 1-21 record, they might well be the worst. They are, however, entertaining.

USIU runs and guns and its players, mostly fellows who would not find a place on a Division I basketball team anywhere else, try awfully hard.

College basketball needs teams like USIU, which has a wide-open style and attracts crowds wherever it plays.

When USIU visited Northridge on Monday, spectators saw the Matadors score a school-record 123 points and were brought to their feet on several occasions by stylish dunks and passes. They also witnessed a 53-point performance by USIU’s Kevin Bradshaw, the NCAA’s leading scorer.

If not America’s Team, the Soaring Gulls should at least be considered America’s Opponent.

Memory lapse: Sam Edwards has committed to play football for Memphis State, but before he did, the standout safety had planned to take a recruiting trip to Arizona.

Edwards, you might recall, transferred to Valley College after receiving a two-year suspension from Arizona. The suspension stemmed from three misdemeanor-assault charges brought against Edwards in connection with a series of altercations in Tucson on the night of March 8, 1989.

Still, it appears that Edwards, for a short time anyway, seemed interested in returning to play football for the Wildcats. Then he suddenly canceled the trip, Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero said.

Perhaps the possibility of being handcuffed as he stepped off the plane had something to do with his decision. After all, according to Pima County district attorney’s office, a warrant for Edwards’ arrest is still outstanding.

Wonder if Edwards checked to make sure Memphis State didn’t have road games at Arizona or Arizona State.

His minor is geography: It appears as though Josh Oppenheimer’s basketball-playing days at Northern Arizona are over.

Oppenheimer, a junior, was suspended by Coach Harold Merritt after Northern Arizona lost at Northridge on Dec. 1. The suspension was supposed to end last month, but the former Notre Dame High player declined an invitation to rejoin the team.

Oppenheimer already has transferred once, having started his collegiate career at the University of Rhode Island. Strangely enough, his major at Northern Arizona was . . . communication.

Running on empty: Northridge can play bash-ball with any college baseball team in the nation, but the Matadors appear to be missing a key ingredient in any championship team’s mix: speed.

Greg Shockey is the Matadors’ best base stealer, and he swiped only 14 last season. David Prosenko, a junior transfer from San Jose City College, was recruited to add speed to the top of CSUN’s batting order but has not been able to hit his way into the lineup.

Craig Clayton, Northridge’s leadoff man, sprays the ball, has gap power and does not strike out. He had only five steals last season.

As a result, the Matadors must rely on the long ball. But the problem is that during times of a power outage--and there will be those days--Northridge has no other way to manufacture runs.

Men at work: Scott Sharts has been around a bit, having played baseball for a season at Miami and the past two summers for Wichita, Kan., a top amateur team in the National Baseball Congress.

In his travels, he has talked a lot of baseball with a lot of players from a lot of different teams. He has yet to hear about a college baseball team that works as hard as Northridge.

“All the guys I met, I ask them how their practices are and what they do,” Sharts said. “It’s like chicken scratch. It’s nothing compared to us.”

Sharts, a pitcher and power-hitting first baseman, said he considers Northridge and Miami to be at opposite poles in terms of work ethic.

“Here I think is better for a ballplayer because they work you harder and you get more time with the coaches and you’re around the team more and it’s a better environment,” Sharts said.

“This is nothing against the guy at Miami (Ron Fraser), because he has built an incredible reputation, but coming from a program like Miami where you don’t see the coach every single day and he doesn’t know your name for the first two weeks, coming here is an entirely different story.”

Briefly: Old whatshisname, the baseball coach at Ventura College, was saying the other day how much he enjoyed seeing local athletes receive recognition in sports sections. Then he wouldn’t identify his players for a reporter gathering information for a season preview, saying, “they have to make their own names.” Go figure. . . .

Is it just my imagination or has Stuart Epperson been playing better basketball since Joe Jon Bryant--Epperson’s old high school buddy in North Carolina--joined him in The Master’s lineup?. . .

Scratch that start-of-the-year prediction that had Antelope Valley College quarterback Marty Washington transferring to Pierce. Sources on the Pierce coaching staff say it won’t happen. However, that is not to say Washington didn’t make an inquiry. . . .

If early reports are accurate, Northridge might have filled its void at tailback by recruiting Bill Harris out of Harbor College. Harris is big (6-2, 200), fast (he ran track at Long Beach Poly High) and can catch the ball coming out of the backfield. Moorpark College also can attest to his abilities as a kickoff return man. Harris took the opening kickoff 87 yards against the Raiders last season. Harris rushed for 773 yards and six touchdowns in 180 carries. . . .

Northridge has only nine football games confirmed for next season, but expect the Matadors to add Southwest Missouri State to their schedule soon. . . .

Coach Bill Kernen went three for three in Northridge’s 12-2 decision over Grand Canyon in a baseball game last Saturday. Three of his junior college recruits--Ken Kendrena, Mike Teron and Marty Kilian--pitched well.