Colleges Open Basketball Practice With Blend of New, Familiar Faces

As Andre Chevalier, David Swanson, Keith Gibbs, Shelton Boykin and Brian Kilian flawlessly executed the Cal State Northridge fast break Tuesday, the major difference between this season and last season was underscored.

Last season--the Matadors’ first at the Division I level--the quintet was learning one another’s names on the first day of practice. Five other players were new as were two assistant coaches. None of the players knew the drill nor Coach Pete Cassidy’s run-and-gun philosophy.

Although the reins were pulled in somewhat on the helter-skelter offense as the 8-20 season wore on, Cassidy has not abandoned it.

“When we get the basketball, we intend to run,” he said. “At least push it up the floor and keep the pressure on the defense. If it is not there, then we’ll take high-percentage shots. We will stress shot selection more this year than the early part of last year.”

In other words, a repeat of Kyle Kerlegan’s performance in the season opener against Colorado is unlikely. Not only did Kerlegan connect on three three-point baskets in a 56-second span, he launched 21 attempts from three-point range, sinking a school-record 10.

Kerlegan, who was known to take three-point shots off the fast break, is one of two CSUN starters, along with center Todd Bowser, whose eligibility expired.

A third player, Sean Davis, had one year of eligibility remaining, but did not return to the team and is not enrolled in classes.

Cassidy refused to comment on Davis’ absence except to say: “At times, Sean’s defense and rebounding helped our team. He is a nice young man and I hope things work our real well for him.”

According to Davis, Cassidy informed him in a letter that his scholarship was revoked.

“The coaches acted like chumps,” said Davis on Tuesday. “They could have at least called me. Even without the scholarship, I didn’t get a chance to try out.”

Davis, a 6-foot-5 small forward from El Camino Real High, was sixth man most of the season although he started eight games. He was the third-leading rebounder behind Bowser and Boykin. In several games, including Loyola (Chicago), Wisconsin-Milwaukee and USC, he covered the opposition’s best scorer.

Eight returning players ran through drills Tuesday. Another, center Percy Fisher, was absent because of class.

The group of 19 also included four recruits (junior college transfers James Morris and John Moses and freshmen Ryan Martin and Zak DeMatteo) and seven walk-on candidates.

Cassidy intends to carry 15 players. On first impression, two or three of the walk-ons could make a contribution.

At The Master’s College, a new, yet familiar face turned out for his first practice. But it was a coach, not a player.

Rod Foster, who played for the Phoenix Suns and was a standout at UCLA, will be an assistant on Coach Mel Hankinson’s staff this season.

Foster is content in the close-knit atmosphere of Master’s. “I can’t think of a better situation right now than this program,” he said.

Foster will coach a group of guards that includes senior returners Damon Greer, Bruce Watson and Terry Minnoy.

In all, Master’s has 12 players back from last season’s team, including Tom Bruner, who led the Mustangs with averages of 14.5 points and 6.1 rebounds a game last season.

The three new recruits are freshman Doug Leaman, a 6-1 guard out of Seattle; freshman Travis Pine, a 6-8 forward from Montana; and Phil Sanson, a 6-7 swingman who transferred from Lincoln Land Junior College in Springfield, Ill.

Cal Lutheran, which will be making its debut in the NCAA Division III Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has its top scorer and rebounder back.

Jeff deLaveaga has been among the nation’s top scorers the past two seasons, averaging 26.9 points a game in 1989 and 27.9 points last season.

Simon O’Donnell, a 6-6, 230-pound senior forward from Sydney, Australia, averaged a team-high 8.8 rebounds and added an 18.6 scoring average.

Mike Fenton, a 6-6 freshman from Irvine Woodbridge High, will battle 6-4 Oxnard College transfer Andy Beltowski for playing time at forward opposite O’Donnell.