CHATTER: CAMERON FOLLOWS IN SISTER'S FOOTSTEPS, RECEIVES DIV. I HOOPS SCHOLARSHIP.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne  Staff Writer

The Cameron family is fast becoming one of the area's first families of basketball.

Jordan Cameron, a 6-foot-5 guard from Newbury Park High and younger brother of USC standout guard Brynn Cameron, has verbally committed to play basketball at Brigham Young University.

He will be the third member of his family to play for BYU. Cameron's father, Stan, and his grandfather, Jack, also played for the Cougars.

``I was going to wait and see if something came along with football, but this was such a good opportunity I had to take it,'' said Jordan Cameron, who averaged 18.6 points and 6.6 rebounds as a junior last year. ``I'm planning to play my freshman year and then go on my (Mormon) mission for two years.''

Jordan Cameron, who also plays wide receiver for the Newbury Park football team, said he'd received an offer to play basketball from UC Santa Barbara and recruiting interest from Utah, New Mexico, Utah State, Cornell, Yale and Harvard.

Brynn Cameron, who will be a sophomore at USC this fall, was the leading scorer for the Trojans last season as USC advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She was invited to try out for the USA Basketball Under-19 team in Colorado Springs, Colo. this summer but declined in order to recover from a hip injury.

``It's pretty cool,'' Jordan Cameron said of he and his sister receiving scholarships to Division I basketball programs. ``My dad taught us well. Growing up, we used to play together at the gym and have 3-point shooting contests.''

-- Former Daily News All-Area softball standout Tori Rocco is planning a comeback at College of the Canyons after two years away from the game.

After graduating from Valencia in 2003, Rocco spent one season at Arkansas Tech but didn't play because of tendinitis in her shoulder and disagreements with the coach.

The right-hander returned home between semesters in 2004 but hasn't pitched since.

-- Bob Hart is the new baseball coach at Burbank, replacing Dan Mitchell. Hart is Burbank's third coach in as many years. Hart's son, incoming freshman Kyle Hart, a promising second baseman, has opted to play for Burroughs instead of Burbank, meaning Bob Hart may eventually coach against his son.

-- Burroughs pitcher Camron Collard has committed to UNLV as a recruited walk-on.

-- Palmdale's deepest run in the Little League Senior League baseball playoffs (16-under) continues Friday when Palmdale tries to secure a berth in the semifinals of the Western Regionals in Portland, Ore. Palmdale, 3-0 in pool play, faces Brookings-Harbor (2-0) of Brookings, Ore., at 5 p.m.

Palmdale's only other remaining pool-play game is Sunday against Idaho, which started 0-2. The top two teams from each six-team pool advances to the semifinals Tuesday. The Regional champion advances to the Senior League World Series in Bangor, Maine.

-- Quartz Hill outfielder Calvin Culver and Simi Valley left-hander Frankie Reed made the all-tournament team at last weekend's SoCal Cup III at Long Beach City College.

-- With its 7-0 victory over Silverado Little League of Las Vegas on Wednesday, the Crescenta Valley 12-and-under softball All-Star team secured a berth in the semifinals of the Western Regionals in Vancouver, Wash.

Crescenta Valley (14-1) is 3-0 in the regional. The semifinals are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, with the regional final at 2 p.m. Sunday.

-- Palmdale will again be the site for the 18-and-under softball Western Regionals, with the five-team tournament beginning Saturday at Dominic Massari Park.

Joining Palmdale are teams from Grand Terrace, Oakland, Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. The tournament ends Wednesday.

Palmdale, which opens against Portland at 11 a.m. Saturday, won the regional title last year, advancing to the World Series in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Erik Boal, Gerry Gittelson and Heather Gripp contributed.