Recruiting Bodes Well for Braswell

The recruiting efforts of Bobby Braswell, Cal State Northridge’s first-year basketball coach, have impressed Dave Pump of the California Cage Report, a West Coast scouting publication.

Northridge has commitments from four high school players: Carloes Harper, a 6-foot-4 swingman from Canoga Park High; Brian Heinle, a 6-9 forward from Eugene, Ore.; Carl Holmes, a 6-1 guard from Eugene; and Jermar Welch, a 6-6 forward from Canyon Springs High.

“I would say all four are top 50 players on the West Coast, no question,” said Pump, who is based in Chatsworth. “If you look in three years, when these kids are juniors, [Northridge] will be tremendous.”

Pump said Harper, the City Section 3-A co-player of the year last season, is the third-best senior in the San Fernando Valley, surpassed only by the Collins twins--Jason and Jarron--at Harvard-Westlake.

“Pete Cassidy [Northridge’s former coach] did a great job, but he was never able to get this good of high school kids this early,” Pump said.

Braswell’s first recruit, freshman Jeff Parris from Long Beach Jordan High, has been so impressive in preseason practice that the 6-5 forward is challenging for a starting job.