Ventura Basketball Sidelined for Season

Rather than scramble to patch together a men’s basketball team only one week before the start of the regular season, Ventura College President Larry Calderon announced Friday the suspension of the once-proud program for one year.

“After talking to the players [Thursday] and reviewing all the facts, it appears that suspension is the best course of action at this time,” Calderon said in a statement released by the school.

Ventura’s program, in disarray since former Coach Virgil Watson was dismissed in March, last month was placed on a two-year probation and banned from postseason competition by the Western State Conference. The sanctions were imposed after Ventura was found to have violated several state rules, including providing players with money, free or reduced-rate meals and access to campus telephones, facilities and vehicles.

But some players, many of whom came to Ventura to compete for a perennially powerful team that won state championships in 1995 and ‘96, disagreed that disbanding the team was the best solution.

“I feel like they stuck a dagger in my heart and cut off my head,” freshman forward Danny Herrera said. “All the guys are upset with the administration. I have no respect for them for what they did.”

Said sophomore Exavien Browder: “It’s like a movie script, but this time, the good guys didn’t win.”

After talking with Calderon and holding a heated closed-door meeting Thursday, several players said they would transfer or sit out the season rather than compete for Ventura. Six others said they were willing to suit up.

Compounding the problems was the absence of Coach Glen Hefferman, who abruptly moved to Chicago last week after Ventura’s appeal of the sanctions was rejected by the conference.

“We don’t have a coach,” Calderon said. “Hefferman has left the area and has been calling in sick daily with no indication of when or if he’s going to return.

“Since the team [is] on probation, it would deny those players in their year of eligibility any opportunity to be scouted beyond the conference.”

Hefferman, speaking by telephone from Chicago, said it wouldn’t be “fair to place a bunch of kids on probation.”

The state Commission on Athletics said Ventura players can transfer to Moorpark or Oxnard and have immediate eligibility.

Oxnard Coach Ron McClurkin was contacted by two Ventura players he declined to identify.

“If I am able to help some of the kids, I will,” McClurkin said. “I have to talk to my assistant coaches. You have to ask what this does to team chemistry and all the kids who have been here.”

Moorpark Coach Remy McCarthy said he is sympathetic but unwilling to add players.

“I just feel really good about our team right now and where it is,” McCarthy said.

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This story did not appear in some editions of The Times on Saturday.

Staff writer Steve Chawkins and correspondent Dawn Hobbs contributed to this story.