KEEPING TABS

As a 6-foot-6, 245-pound basketball forward who doubles as a disc jockey on a campus radio station, Alvin Brown might be the closest thing to a student-celebrity at University of San Francisco.

He is simultaneously in the public’s eye and ear. Be it basketball or compact discs--when Brown plays, people watch and people listen.

One night last year, listeners were treated to the jovial big man’s confidential gossip about some USF classmates--his voice riding over the musical fare on KDNS-AM. Apparently, he had forgotten to turn off his microphone.

“A lot of people listen to the show,” said Brown, lamenting the occasion, “and we were talking about (girls).”

Such are the pitfalls of high profile. People watch, people listen.

Brown came out unscathed. Fact is, the former Granada Hills High player has made few mistakes since.

His 6-to-8 p.m. time slot, titled “The House Party Show,” is a hit with classmates. On the court, he has helped restore some glory to Memorial Gymnasium.

He played a key role in two recent USF victories that moved the Dons to within a game of first-place Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference. Brown, a senior who averages 10 points and 5.2 rebounds, had a season-high 11 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals in a 64-60 victory at Loyola Marymount on Sunday. He had 10 points and five rebounds in a 75-72 victory at Pepperdine on Saturday when the Dons (14-7, 4-2 in WCC play) ended the first-place Waves’ conference-record 38-game winning streak.

Courtship of Eddie’s father: Washington State athletics department sources say that every 10 minutes at a home basketball game, the main telephone on press row rings. The call is long distance from Atlanta, and the calling party is not an editor, a Pacific 10 Conference official or someone from a wire service. It’s Eddie Hill’s father.

Like clockwork, the sources say. When George Hill, father of the Cougar guard, calls, they’re ready for him. George calls press row, the coach’s office, Eddie’s dorm room. Daily.

Good thing George wasn’t phoning court-side with 57 seconds left in the Stanford game. Eddie lost control of the ball, turning it over on a backcourt violation, and Coach Kelvin Sampson ripped his tie off his collar in rage.

“Maybe I heard the phone ring and my dad calling,” Eddie, 19, cracked. “Broke my concentration.”

Hill, a junior, came back to hit three free throws in the final 28 seconds to key a 64-59 victory over the Cardinal. He finished with 20 points. Two nights later at California, Hill struck for 28, one point short of his personal high, and the Cougars (4-3 in the Pac-10) came back from a 20-point deficit to win their fourth conference game in a row.

Good news for George Hill: Eddie’s switching from shooter to scorer.

“I think I’ve lifted (my game) to a new level,” said Hill, a former Cleveland High player who has averaged 20.3 points in the past four games after averaging 14 through the first 12. “I’m looking to do more offensively. I’m driving to the basket now, taking the short jumper and getting to the line a little bit. I’m a veteran here, I’ve been through it. I’m starting to step it up now that league’s here.”

And George, father of 10, keeps calling to hear the latest about his precious son. And Eddie said his father’s monthly phone bills average $3,200.

Around the key: Quote: “I’ve always liked Lucious Harris. He’s a fine player. I wish we could have got him.” -- Kansas Coach Roy Williams, after Cal State Long Beach upset then-No. 1 Kansas, 64-49, Jan. 25. Lucious Harris (Cleveland High), who scored 24 points, was heavily recruited by Williams.

Quote: “Wow. The Final Four . . . national championships . . .,” -- Lucious Harris, when asked about passing on the chance to play at Kansas.

It took seven attempts--three in high school, four in college--but Alvin Brown’s team finally beat old-friend Dana Jones’ team in USF’s victory over Pepperdine. After playing junior-high ball together at Los Angeles CES, Brown attended Granada Hills and Jones enrolled at North Hollywood. Jones, a 6-6 junior forward, leads WCC players in rebounding (9.6), field-goal percentage (65.5) and is second in scoring (16.4).

Former Antelope Valley College guard Tony Madison has committed only three turnovers in 320 minutes at New Orleans. The Privateers (15-2) are off to a fast start. But if Madison sank his three-point attempt at the buzzer against Arizona on Jan. 23, New Orleans might have made it 16-1. They lost to the Wildcats, 72-69.

Kurt Schwan, Westlake High’s career scoring and rebounding leader, withdrew from Weber State two years ago and wound up at Lewis-Clark State (an NAIA school in Lewiston, Idaho), where he made an immediate impact. The Warriors (14-12) have a 7-3 record when the 6-9 center gets 10 or more rebounds. He has been the top rebounder in 17 of their 26 games.

Reggie Bell (College of the Canyons) is putting up MVP-type numbers for Quincy (Ill.) College. He leads the Hawks in scoring average (17.4), shooting percentage (61.3) and rebounds a game (9.1). He has been Quincy’s leading scorer in 10 games and leading rebounder in 10 games. His season high in rebounds is 18, and in points 32 (twice). David Langley (Canyons) is averaging 10.9 points, third on the team.

If Brigham Young’s Nick Sanderson had his way, the Cougars would schedule more opponents from Utah. Sanderson (Bell-Jeff High) has had his best games against Southern Utah (18 points) and Utah State (20 in one game, 30 and 11 rebounds in another). BYU won all three games.