CSUN Gets Experienced Hand in Backcourt : Basketball: Transfer Higgins had 72 steals last season at Colorado.

Keith Higgins already has helped turn the tide for one university’s basketball program. Now he’ll try it again at Cal State Northridge.

Higgins, the 6-foot-4 brother of Matador basketball recruit Derrick Higgins, said Friday he will transfer to Northridge from the University of Colorado.

As a starting guard for the Buffaloes last season, Higgins made 72 steals, third-highest total in school history.

“He was terrific defensively,” Colorado assistant David Moe said. “He would guard the best guard on the other team, and I can’t think of any player in the Big Eight [Conference] or all year that Keith didn’t do a good job on.

“He’d get big steals at big times. He sparked a lot of rallies with his defense.”

Moe credits Higgins with a large role in the Buffaloes’ 15-13 record and berth in the National Invitation Tournament.

Colorado was 10-17 the two seasons before Higgins transferred in from Bellevue (Wash.) Community College. The NIT bid marked Colorado’s second postseason appearance in 25 years.

“He had a great impact on us having a much better team,” Moe said. “It was tough letting him go.”

NCAA rules require that Higgins be a redshirt next season. He retains one season of eligibility.

A left-handed shooter, Higgins started all but two of the Buffaloes’ 28 games. He said he asked Colorado officials for a release from his scholarship after a disagreement with Coach Joe Harrington.

At Northridge, Higgins will be united with his brother, a 6-2 swingman who signed with the Matadors in April out of Los Angeles City College.

“I have one year left,” Higgins said. “I wanted to play with my brother and be in L.A. I wanted to make my life happy.”

Derrick Higgins helped L.A. City to the State tournament semifinals by averaging 13 points and shooting 69%--the best percentage of any junior college player in the state.

Keith Higgins shot only 38.8% (59 of 152) for Colorado, 61.5% (40 of 65) from the free-throw line.

He scored a season-high 14 points against Nebraska and made a high of seven steals against Hofstra.

“He was a much better shooter in junior college than he was in the Big Eight,” Moe said.

“He’s a nice shooter, he really has a good shot. He has nice range, but he struggled early and never got his confidence back.”

Higgins attended Bellevue after graduating from Locke High in Los Angeles.

As a college sophomore, he averaged 15.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists.

Higgins also accomplished the first quadruple-double in school history--an 18-point, 10-rebound, 14-assist and 12-steal performance.