Fosters Jettison Air Force, Will Play at Junior Colleges

Nick and Paul Foster, twin 6-foot-8 basketball standouts last season for Thousand Oaks High, have dropped out of the Air Force Academy and will play at area junior colleges.

Nick, who returned home last week after two months in Colorado Springs, Colo., said he plans to play at Ventura College. Paul, The Times’ Ventura County Player of the Year, is expected to enroll at Moorpark College, Nick said.

Nick said the brothers made the decisions independently and chose to attend different junior colleges because of their individual needs.

“He made his decision and I made mine,” Nick said.

Nick said he wants to play for Ventura Coach Philip Mathews.

Nick would not elaborate on why he chose to leave Air Force.

“I found it wasn’t really for me, in a lot of ways,” he said. “I really don’t want to discuss it now.”

Dave Kellogg, Air Force sports information director, said he did not know why the Fosters left. However, he said, it is not unusual for appointees to leave shortly after they enroll. Air Force appointees undergo an intensive two-month training period in their first summer.

Paul scored 16.2 points, grabbed 8.0 rebounds and blocked 2.8 shots per game to lead the Lancers to the Division I semifinals and a 26-2 record. Nick scored 11.2 points, pulled down 9.2 rebounds and blocked 3.0 shots per game.

Both were All-Marmonte League and Times’ All-Ventura County selections.