CSUN Basketball Team to Include 3 Walk-Ons

Walk-ons Brooklyn McLinn, Anthony Moten and Enoch Mack survived the cut Friday when Cal State Northridge basketball Coach Pete Cassidy trimmed his roster to 16 players.

Of the 13 scholarship players, Peter Micelli and Zak DeMatteo will continue to practice but are expected to redshirt, reducing the roster to 14.

McLinn was a walk-on for the Matadors in 1989-90, Northridge’s last season at the Division II level. As a 6-foot-1, 165-pound freshman guard, he appeared in eight games for a total of 28 minutes.

Although he remained in classes at CSUN in 1990-91, McLinn did not return to the basketball team.

“A lot of the guys were more physically mature,” said McLinn, who was 17 years old as a college freshman. “I felt if I took a year off and lifted weights I could better myself.”

In the interim, McLinn grew to 6-5 and put on 20 pounds. The left-handed shooter from Taft High hopes to help CSUN at off-guard and point guard.

Moten was one year ahead of McLinn at Taft. In 1988 and ’89 he played at College of the Sequoias. Calf-muscle injuries in both legs limited his playing time during his sophomore year and he was not recruited by any four-year schools.

Moten, an art illustration major, attended classes at CSUN last year but did not attempt to walk on because of the nagging calf injury.

A 6-5, 185-pound small forward, Moten believes he can contribute with his rebounding, passing ability and outside shooting touch.

CSUN forward David Swanson helped bring Mack to Northridge. Swanson was a year ahead of Mack at Glendale College, where they both played basketball and competed in the high jump.

Mack, a 6-3, 185-pound swingman, plans to compete in both sports at Northridge.

Micelli (6-8, 215), a sophomore, and DeMatteo (6-5, 170), a freshman from San Marcos High in Santa Barbara, plan to use the redshirt year to gain strength.