It was late Friday in Berkeley, and...

It was late Friday in Berkeley, and Richard Branham was back at his apartment for the night.

Outside, the village where student dissent had resounded in the ‘60s was silent, but “craziness” still rang in the consciousness of Branham--a Cal basketball player from Cleveland High.

Craziness. That’s the word Branham used to describe the aftermath of the Feb. 8 firing of Coach Lou Campanelli. The shock waves rolled across campus, through town and into the national sports community.

Campanelli was 123-108 in seven- plus seasons at Cal. He had elevated the Bear program, landed the nation’s top point-guard recruit in Jason Kidd and signed highly regarded 6-foot-10 forward Michael Stewart for next year. Then he was told to clean out his desk and leave.

Now a national coaches association has publicly condemned Campanelli’s midseason dismissal.

Campanelli, however, is also the man who deemed Branham a career substitute player. The once-promising 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward is now a fifth-year senior with the clock running out.

At 11 p.m., Branham’s phone rang. A reporter was on the line. Would Branham defend the coach? The team being 11-7, 4-5 in the Pacific 10 Conference, did he think the firing was justified?

Branham had no selfish words.

“Something that drastic . . . at the time that it came,” Branham said of the firing, “I was shocked, and in ways disappointed. But . . . we have to go on. We have to finish the season.”

After four years of platoon work in the Pac-10 trenches, Branham shows an enduring esprit de corps. He suffers for his team only, and he squelches the notion that Todd Bozeman, Campanelli’s replacement, could give him more playing time.

(“These are) hard times we’re going through now,” said Branham, 22. “This is no time for huge changes.”

Branham once came off the bench for 11 points and seven rebounds against Nevada Las Vegas. He did that as a freshman, against the eventual NCAA champion, going one-on-one with Stacey Augmon, a future No. 1 draft choice.

Is Branham less a player now than he was then? Who knows? But somewhere along the way Campanelli cast him aside as a possible starter. At the time of the firing, Branham had 11 starts at Cal, none this year, and had attempted only 33 shots this season.

“I can’t complain,” he said. “I’ve played a key role in some big games, and I’ve been there when the situations were tough. I like my role.”

Add Branham: His two notable games this season came against San Francisco (10 points, five rebounds) and Washington (11 points, two three-point baskets). Branham need not look far to find a role model in pro sports. His brother, George Branham III, competes on the Professional Bowlers’ Tour.

Checking the fax: If New Orleans (18-2) falls from No. 21 in the Associated Press poll, it probably won’t be Tony Madison’s fault. Through Friday, he had played 371 minutes this season, committing only three turnovers. Madison (Antelope Valley College) had 14 points in 18 minutes in an 81-63 victory over Pan American on Friday . . . Whatever happened to Cleveland’s Tim Bowen? The 5-8 point guard who helped the Cavaliers to a three-year record of 67-10 went to Indianapolis, where he has become Butler’s all-time assist leader (447 through Friday) . . . Jeff Garner (Rio Mesa) has landed at high-scoring Hawaii-Hilo via Western Wyoming Junior College. The 6-4 junior wing leads the Vulcans in scoring (17.8 ppg.) after averaging 21.4 last year. Hawaii-Hilo hit the 100-point mark twice in its first 18 games then scored 166, 134 and 158 in Games 19, 20 and 21.

Team MVP candidates: Sara Wilson (Hart) leads Oregon in minutes, points and rebounds. Suzanne Carey (St. Bonaventure) leads Cal Poly Luis Obispo in blocks and steals and is second in rebounding and third in scoring. Nikki Brodowy (Hart) and Barbara Tanner (Thousand Oaks) form a one-two punch for Pepperdine. Junior forward Brodowy averages 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds, senior center Tanner 11.3 and 4.9.

Westmont’s Mike Spears (Hueneme) is second in NAIA District 3 field-goal accuracy at 59.8%. . . . Freshman guard Brandon Martin (Cleveland) totaled 17 points in 30 minutes for USC during a recent three-game span. . . . Sophomore Ali Peek (Hart) ranks ninth at St. Mary’s in scoring average (3.2) but is second in field-goal percentage.