Braswell Has Team Headed in the Right Direction

Thank you, Bobby Braswell.

You’ve become a masterful teacher and coach, and every Cal State Northridge alumnus and fan is grateful.

An 85-81 defeat in overtime to Northern Arizona Saturday night in the Big Sky Conference tournament final doesn’t detract from the positive direction Northridge is headed in men’s basketball.

It could have been a breakthrough moment if Northridge (20-10) had earned its first NCAA tournament berth in 10 years of Division I competition.

Northridge fans will be playing the final seconds of regulation over and over in their heads. Markus Carr was airborne down the lane trying to make a short shot. It was the right call and the right player. But it didn’t fall.

Northern Arizona (20-10) deserved to win because of its marvelous exhibition of three-point shooting (16 three-pointers). Ross Land’s 80-foot one-handed heave at the end of the first half will be a week-long SportsCenter moment.

Luck wasn’t with the Matadors this time, but an NCAA appearance is coming soon as long as the 37-year-old Braswell sticks around.

He once was the youngest high school basketball coach in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Fresh from getting his degree at Northridge, he took over the Cleveland High program at age 23.

Over the next four seasons, he received the greatest training imaginable. He was toughened and tested by coaching against the likes of Willie West of Crenshaw, Jim Woodard of Taft, Harvey Kitani of Fairfax and Yutaka Shimizu of Kennedy.

He reluctantly left his friends at Cleveland to pursue college coaching, joining Long Beach State, then Oregon as an assistant. He came back to Northridge in 1996 as head coach, armed with more basketball knowledge, new contacts and a unique understanding what it would take to build a winning program at Northridge.

“When we started this thing, no one thought we would be [in the NCAA tournament],” he said. “That’s what motivated me--to do something nobody thought could be done. When I took the job, I was told by a couple of people, ‘You’re committing professional suicide.’

“There were a lot of doubters. I always felt Northridge was a great university who’s a sleeping giant if the resources could be tapped. Lord knows, it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been very rewarding.”

Twice in the last four years, the Matadors have come within seconds of gaining an automatic NCAA berth. They’ve put together consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1989.

This is a maturing coach and a rising program. Braswell stresses discipline, team unity and pressure defense and seems at peace with himself.

“I needed to go through this in order for me to be the type of coach I am,” he said. “I have a lot of friends who have gone on to Kansas and the next big job and the next big job. They’ve never had to rebuild things. It forces you to really learn how to deal with reality.”

In 10 years of competing in Division I, Northridge has enjoyed its share of magical moments. The baseball team reached the NCAA West Regional final in 1991. The men’s volleyball team was runner-up to UCLA in the 1993 NCAA final. The softball team was runner-up to Arizona in the 1994 NCAA final. The women’s basketball team overcame much adversity to make the NCAA tournament last season.

Had Northridge had won Saturday, it would have been the most significant victory in school history considering the local and national ramifications.

That day will come with Braswell at the helm.

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What’s going on in the Alpha League? All five football coaches have resigned since the season ended. . . .

Spring football practice begins Monday for Tennessee, giving Casey Clausen, former Alemany quarterback, the chance to impress his new teammates. . . .

Quarterback Kyle Matter of Hart has a scholarship offer from California and recently talked with Coach Tyrone Willingham of Stanford. He has a 4.6 GPA.

“Matter is looking awesome,” Coach Mike Herrington said.

Herrington said Kyle Boller, former Indian quarterback, wouldn’t mind Matter joining him in Berkeley.

“I think Boller wants him to come there to help him with his homework,” Herrington joked. . . .

Kevin Flahavan scored 22 points and K.C. Croal had 21 points to lead St. Mel’s to the Valley Catholic Elementary School basketball championship. The two eighth-graders were also the top players on St. Mel’s unbeaten flag football team. They could end up at Notre Dame in the fall. . . .

Pitcher Jamie Shields of Hart remains sidelined indefinitely because of a pulled muscle in his lower back. He’s still suffering pain despite therapy and will undergo an MRI on Monday as a precaution and see a specialist at the Kerlan-Jobe clinic.

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Final basketball observations:

Senior forward Aaron Tunney of Crespi took 38 charges this season. . . .

Top juniors: 1. Cody Pearson, Notre Dame; 2. Scott Borchart, Chaminade; 3. Dustin Villepigue, Simi Valley; 4. Nicholas Curtis, Oxnard; 5. Anthony Davis, Cleveland; 6. James Jenkins, Crescenta Valley; 7. Kyle Kegley, Thousand Oaks; 8. Michael Luderer, Notre Dame; 9. Mike Charleston, Grant; 10. Andrew Moore, Crespi; 11. Jeremy Murphy, Oak Park; 12. Keith Jarbo, Burroughs; 13. John Valdez, Sylmar.

Top sophomores: 1. Frank Robinson, Littlerock; 2. Craig Weinstein, Harvard-Westlake; 3. Dave Anderson, Thousand Oaks; 4. Chris Tarne, Crescenta Valley; 5. Lewis Darby, Sylmar.

Top freshmen: 1. Steve Smith, Taft; 2. Jimmy Goffredo, Crescenta Valley; 3. Robert Locke, Campbell Hall.

Top boys’ teams for next season: 1. Chaminade, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Thousand Oaks, 4. Sylmar, 5. Crescenta Valley, 6. North Hollywood.

Top girls’ teams for next season: 1. Buena, 2. Newbury Park, 3. Burroughs, 4. Antelope Valley, 5. Alemany, 6. Chatsworth.

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Jerry Cord , former Poly High baseball coach, has retired after 37 years as a teacher in the L.A. Unified School District, including 32 years at Poly.

Three times his baseball teams reached the City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium.

He is respected among coaches for the way he treated others.

Cord has been battling Hodgkin’s disease. He was in remission but recently resumed treatments after a relapse.

“It ain’t going to beat me,” he said. “How many battles have I won? It isn’t going to happen.”

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Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com