Serving The Master’s : Chatsworth High’s Joseph Helps Mustangs Reach National Tournament as Freshman

Tulsa, Okla., might not conjure up the cosmopolitan images of Indianapolis.

And the Mabee Center on the campus of Oral Roberts University might lack the recognition of the Hoosier Dome, where the semifinals and championship of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament will be played this month.

But point guard Jerome Joseph of The Master’s College is excited about playing in Tulsa when the Mustangs (21-10) open play today in the 32-team NAIA Division I tournament against eighth-seeded Birmingham-Southern (26-5).

Joseph, a 6-foot, 190-pound freshman from Chatsworth High, dreamed of playing at the NCAA Division I level while growing up. But when no Division I program presented him with a satisfactory scholarship offer during the recruiting process, he signed with Master’s, a Christian school of approximately 850 students whose small campus is bisected by rural Placerita Canyon Road, west of the Antelope Valley Freeway.

“Every high school player’s dream is to go Division I,” Joseph said. “But that didn’t work out for me and I wanted to stay close to home so I chose Master’s and I’m happy with that.”

After averaging 24.9 points and 6.4 assists a game during his senior season at Chatsworth, Joseph was named to the All-City Section 4-A Division team.

He took recruiting trips to USC and Northern Arizona and made unofficial visits to Cal State Northridge and UC San Diego, but didn’t receive offers to his liking from any of those schools.

“Nothing ever went through,” he said. “I did receive some offers, but things had been added or subtracted that my parents and I didn’t like.”

Master’s Coach Bill Oates, who has guided the Mustangs to the NAIA tournament in each of his four seasons at the school, was excited to sign a player of Joseph’s caliber because he figured he could make an immediate impact.

Joseph hasn’t disappointed, starting every game and averaging 12.5 points and a team-leading 5.4 assists.

“He started slowly, but he’s improved as the season has gone along,” Oates said. “I think he’s become more aggressive about running the offense and better at distributing the ball since the start of the season.”

Joseph attributes much of his improvement to gaining experience as the season progressed and to the tutelage of senior teammate Mike Penberthy.

Penberthy, the second-leading scorer at the NAIA Division I level with a 27.5 average, was the Mustangs’ point guard during the previous two seasons, but he moved to shooting guard this season.

“Mike is the person I look up to on the team,” Joseph said. “He’s the one I looked toward for help and advice, especially when I’m struggling. Mike ran the point last year, so he’s the guy I talk to when I’m struggling.”

Joseph says he’s had little trouble adapting to campus life at Master’s, despite the differences between a large public high school like Chatsworth and a small, conservative college like Master’s.

“I was a Christian throughout my high school career,” he said. “I went to church on a regular basis so there really hasn’t been much of a change. The school’s Christian background played a big part in my decision to come here.”

But does Joseph ever regret coming to Master’s, especially now that March Madness is in full swing?

“I’m happy with my decision,” he said. “[My teammates and I] talked about getting back to the NAIA tournament and winning the national title at the start of the season, and now that we’re here, that’s still our goal.”

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NAIA DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

WHO: The Master’s (21-10) vs. Birmingham-Southern (26-5) in the first round.

WHEN: Today, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Mabee Center, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Okla.

WHO TO WATCH: Forwards John Woods and Ken Richards are the top scorers and rebounders for eighth-seeded Birmingham-Southern, which has won six consecutive games. Woods, a 6-foot-6 junior, is averaging 17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds a game and 6-5 freshman Richards is at 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. Master’s is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the 32-team tournament, but with its lowest seeding (25th) yet. Senior guard Mike Penberthy is second in NAIA Division I with a 27.5 scoring average. Leo Gorauskas, a 6-9 senior center, is averaging 16.4 points and 6.7 rebounds and shooting 64%.

FAST FACT: Birmingham-Southern is making its 11th appearance in the NAIA tournament and won national titles in 1990 and ’95.

RADIO/TV: KBET-AM (1220). Pregame show starts at 10 a.m.