CSUN Far From Perfect, So It’s Getting the Practice : College basketball: Matadors to take advantage of rule that allows teams to work out through the end of the NCAA tournament.

With 15th-ranked UCLA next up on the basketball schedule, big changes are planned at Cal State Northridge.

Matador Coach Pete Cassidy is ready to scrap his offense and start over.

Instead of using its usual motion attack, Northridge will attempt to scuttle the Bruins with more structured patterns the Matadors will learn in practice next week.

Never mind that the game won’t be played until Nov. 26.

For the first time, Northridge coaches plan to take advantage of a rule that allows basketball teams to practice through the conclusion of the NCAA tournament.

In its season finale last Thursday, Northridge downed San Diego State, 95-87.

But with the exception of seniors Andre Chevalier, Brent Lofton, Brooklyn McLinn and Chris Yard, the Matadors are expected to report back to practice early next week.

For Northridge, such is March Madness.

When told of their coach’s plans, most Matador players shrugged and laughed it off. “They thought I was kidding,” Cassidy said.

“Every season after the last game he says something like, ‘See you Monday. We’re going hard,’ ” Northridge center Peter Micelli said. “When he first started talking about this, you couldn’t tell. It was kind of the same thing.”

Only this time he meant it.

By installing a more structured offense, Cassidy hopes to customize the Matador attack into a system that best capitalizes on his players’ strengths.

“There are some things I’d like to go over with our guys for next year, some things I’d like them to learn so they can work on them on their own this summer,” Cassidy said. “I think if we can get some things done on the floor at a time with no stress and no worry, that would be helpful.”

Micelli, Northridge’s top returning player, said the Matadors “should be prepared to do whatever we can to help us get better next year. If the practices are basic and we stick to the fundamentals, then I think it will be beneficial.”

Of Northridge’s top five scorers this season, only Micelli retains eligibility.

“We lose a lot of scoring,” Cassidy said. “We need to shore up that area.”

A healthy Ruben Oronoz should provide a boost. The 6-foot-7 Rancho Santiago College transfer was expected to be a top scorer until he was sidelined for the season because of a back injury.

Oronoz averaged 16.2 points for Rancho Santiago as a sophomore. He has recovered from back surgery last fall and has been practicing with the team.

Northridge hopes to bring in additional scoring punch and rebounding strength through its recruiting efforts, Cassidy said. The Matadors have three scholarships to offer, at least two of which will go to junior college players.

A multitalented forward along the lines of Keith Gibbs, a former Northridge standout, is a priority. So, too, is a versatile guard.

Robert Hill, Chevalier’s understudy at point guard, struggled at times when he was placed in control of the offense.

Hill probably is better suited to off-guard, a position in which he would challenge Oronoz and Ryan Martin for playing time.

Another possibility at the point is Trenton Cross, an early signee from Reseda High. Cross was most valuable player in the Northwest Valley League. His season ended last month because of a broken bone in his foot.

Cassidy gave Hill a tempered vote of confidence this week, saying that the junior-to-be from North Hollywood High would be given first look at the job.

“He’s got to learn to do it his way with my help and with the help of everybody else,” Cassidy said. “He’s not Andre, and sometimes he tried to be. Rob can get it done. It just may have to get done a different way.”

Cassidy also would like to add bulk and strength to the front line. “I’d like to get a tough guy,” he said. “You might be surprised who we pick up. I’m real good friends with the Goossens.”

The Goossen family runs a professional boxing organization based in Van Nuys.

Northridge, 8-18 this past season, will need a couple of heavy hitters to improve its record against a list of opponents that includes UCLA, California, Alabama Birmingham, Xavier and Cincinnati.

A boost from a solid recruiting class would help. But Micelli is of the impression that the Matadors can win with what they’ve got--as long as the returning players work hard to improve.

“If everyone comes back not showing a great deal of improvement, it could be a long season,” Micelli said.

“It’s everyone’s personal responsibility to improve. No one on our team is good enough to say, ‘I’m fine. I’m ready for next year.’ We’ll see who wants it.”

Already, Cassidy has made strides from a scheduling standpoint. Of the 23 games he has tentatively scheduled, 11 are at home. Northridge played only eight of 26 games this season on its home floor.