Northridge May Land Washington Transfer

University of Washington forward Sam Allen says he is transferring to Cal State Northridge, which is news to Matador Coach Pete Cassidy.

It will be good news if it happens, but Cassidy has not yet received confirmation that it will.

“I hope that’s true,” Cassidy said. “But there has to be a release from their athletic director to ours, and we haven’t received anything like that.”

Allen, a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in almost 16 minutes a game last season.

The paperwork is merely a formality, he said. The Sacramento native said he is leaving Washington to play closer to home.

NCAA rules require athletes who transfer from one Division I school to another to sit out a season.

Allen, who retains one season of eligibility, said he will finish the spring semester at Washington, then transfer to Northridge and use next season as his redshirt year. “I’m going where someone really wants me, and that’s always good,” Allen said.

Allen signed with Washington last spring after a standout sophomore season at American River College in Sacramento.

Allen started nine of Washington’s 27 games, but his top performance--a 17-point, 14-rebound effort in an overtime loss to Montana--came off the bench.

Allen also played well in the Bay Area. In the Huskies’ Pacific 10 opener at Stanford, Allen scored 16 points. The next night at Cal, he scored 17 points.