Point Guard Deal to Play at Northridge

Kevin Deal, a guard from College of the Sequoias, said Thursday he has accepted a basketball scholarship from Cal State Northridge and will sign a letter of intent during the NCAA early signing period, starting Nov. 9.

For Northridge that means one Sequoia guard down, another to go. The Matadors also are close to securing the services of former local scoring champion Joe Wyatt, who averaged 30.6 points as a Kennedy high senior in 1992-93.

Wyatt, who is 6-foot-3, last season led Sequoias with a 16.3 points-per-game average. He said he is “really leaning toward” accepting a scholarship offer from Northridge. “Basically, I want to go back home,” he added.

Deal averaged 14.6 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists while earning All-Central Valley Conference honors as a freshman during the 1992-93 season at Sequoias.

A muscular 6-foot, 220 pounds, Deal was considered among the top junior college guards in the state until he suffered torn ligaments in his left knee in a collision with an opponent near the end of his first season. He redshirted last season while rehabilitating.

“It doesn’t bother me at all anymore,” Deal said of the injury. “I’m all the way back. I just need to lose about 10 pounds.”

Deal and Wyatt must earn their Associate of Arts degrees from Sequoias by the end of next spring in order to be eligible next year at Northridge.

A point guard, Deal figures to share playing time with Robert Hill and Trenton Cross when he joins the Matadors. Wyatt is an off-guard who also can play the point.