Northridge’s Braswell Has Big Challenge

Cal State Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell believed that an athletic and experienced lineup would result in the Matadors’ first big impact in the Big West Conference since its run to the NCAA tournament three years ago.

Instead, it has been Braswell’s most difficult of his eight seasons at Northridge.

Last Friday, Braswell suspended junior starters Chris Davis and Joseph Frazier, along with reserve Andre Foy, for the remainder of the season because he said they violated unspecified team rules on the team’s trip to Idaho on Jan. 16.

Davis, a 6-foot-9 forward, and Frazier, a 6-2 guard, will keep their scholarships; Foy, a walk-on, will not return to the team.

Davis and Frazier were averaging a combined 23.2 points and 8.6 rebounds.

Without them, Northridge has lost three of four games to fall to 7-10 overall, 3-6 in conference play.

Northridge also didn’t have leading scorer Eto Onyenegecha for its first six games because of academic issues.

“You work so hard at trying to teach these guys to be responsible, to represent us with class and do things the right way,” Braswell said. “Having said all this, I know they’re still young. I know they’re going to make mistakes.”

Northridge is in a four-way tie for sixth place in the Big West with key road games tonight at Long Beach State and Saturday night at UC Irvine.

Braswell originally said he would review the suspensions on a weekly basis, but he decided to make them season-long after a chance meeting with former player Jermar Welch, with whom he didn’t always get along.

“The last thing he said was, ‘Don’t change a thing. Don’t stop emphasizing character,’ ” Braswell said. “I think what we did was right. I know there are some fans and everybody else who want these kids to play. But I’m a teacher, and this is a college. I’m blessed to have these guys at an age where [I] can make a difference.”

Frazier was at practice Tuesday. Davis wasn’t, but Braswell expected him to return to the team soon.

“I’m going to be here for my team even though I won’t be here [playing],” said Frazier, the team’s best defender.

“I’m glad this happened now and not later. I’m going to be a better person after this experience.”

A silver lining for the Matadors has been the reemergence of junior Ian Boylan as an offensive force.

The former Big West freshman of the year has scored 47 points, leading the Matadors in scoring the last two games after being the high scorer only twice previously.

“I’m just being more aggressive,” Boylan said. “When everyone was here, we didn’t have a problem scoring, and so I didn’t need to score.”

Said Braswell: “What’s even better is, I didn’t have to tell him to do that. Ian saw what the need was, and he said to himself, ‘I’ve got to be the guy.’ ”

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UC Irvine will play New Mexico State on Feb. 21 at Las Cruces, N.M. The game is among 23 played that day in an effort to spotlight mid-major programs across the nation. However, it will not be among those televised by ESPN. Both teams are 9-9.

New Mexico State, now a member of the Sun Belt Conference, was in the Big West from 1983 to 2000.