Northridge Dealt Another Cruel Blow : Basketball: Father of guard McLinn dies five days before luckless team’s opener.

A heavy-hearted Cal State Northridge basketball team wearing black jersey bands will play a preseason exhibition game against the New Zealand national team in Matador Gymnasium on Friday at 7 p.m.

After an off-season of misfortune in which Northridge lost its top front-line recruits because of injury (Geoff Gorham, broken leg; John Flowers lost both legs in a car accident) and academic ineligibility (Victor Camper), the Matadors were stunned this week by another tragic development.

Lloyd McLinn, father of guard Brooklyn McLinn, died Sunday night of a heart attack.

“With all the other things we had happen to us, all the bad luck, for this to happen right before the season started, it’s devastating,” said Andre Chevalier, McLinn’s backcourt mate and close friend. “It seems like everything has piled up against us. . . . now death.”

McLinn, a 6-foot junior from Taft High, missed practice Monday but is expected to be in the lineup Friday along with Chevalier, guard James Morris, forward Chris Yard and center Peter Micelli.

The news of the death hit Chevalier and Morris particularly hard. “The three of us are like brothers,” Chevalier said. “We feel the pain too because we’re so close to him.”

The New Zealand team, winless on a West Coast tour, has a size advantage over the Matadors.

Yard, a 6-6 transfer from Lassen College, and Micelli, a 6-8 sophomore who sat out a year as a redshirt last season, will face a front line of Glen Denham (6-6) Neil Stephens (6-8, 254 pounds) and Peter Pokai (6-8, 243), with Riki Strother, a 6-10 swingman, in reserve.

New Zealand’s starting guards are Nenad Vucinc (6-4) and Ralph Lattimore (6-3), who will oppose Chevalier (6-0) and Morris (5-8).

Anthony Moten, a 6-5 senior swingman, will not play for Northridge. He sustained a fracture in his left hand during practice three weeks ago. Ryan Martin, a 6-3 sophomore guard, has recovered from an ankle sprain and will play as a reserve.

The Matadors are attempting to put adversity behind them, Chevalier said.

“We’re not looking at this season as a total loss,” he said. “We can’t upset people if we don’t have confidence in ourselves. It’s time to move on with what we have.”

Northridge, which finished 11-17 last season after an 0-10 start, will open the regular season Tuesday at Fresno State.