Thousand Oaks Center Accepts CSUN’s Offer

Paul Brandt, a center from Thousand Oaks High, on Monday became the second basketball player to verbally accept a scholarship to attend Cal State Northridge.

El Camino Real outfielder Justin Martin (Nevada), Simi Valley pitcher Bill Scheffels (Nevada Las Vegas) and Rio Mesa girls’ basketball player Summer Peterson (Nevada Las Vegas) also made oral commitments Monday.

Brandt, a 6-foot-11 center, is the tallest high school recruit in Northridge history. He chose the Matadors over Boise State, Columbia and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

All four athletes are expected to sign a letter of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA-sanctioned fall early signing period.

As a high school junior, Brandt averaged three points and three rebounds per game for Thousand Oaks after recovering from a preseason stress fracture in his leg.

“Paul has come a long way since last season,” Thousand Oaks Coach Ed Chevalier said. “He’s become a good player and he is improving all the time.”

Last week, Trenton Cross, an All-City guard from Reseda High, also committed to Northridge.

Scheffels, a right-handed pitcher, chose UNLV over UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Fullerton. He was 11-2 with a 1.16 earned-run average for Simi Valley, which finished as the Southern Section Division I runner-up last spring.

“The conditions there were ideal for me,” Scheffels said.

Martin chose Nevada over Cal State Fullerton, San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara and North Carolina. A speedy outfielder, Martin hit .426 and stole 14 bases last spring for El Camino Real, which won the City Section 4-A championship.

“It was away from home, where I can get the opportunity to grow up on my own,” Martin said of the program in Reno. “It’s an up-and-coming program that is supposed to be pretty good.”

Peterson, a 6-foot-2 1/2 center for the Spartans, was an All-Channel League and Times’ All-Ventura County selection last year, when she averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds per game for Rio Mesa.

A four-year varsity player, Peterson chose the Rebels over San Francisco and Montana.

*

Staff writer Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report.