CSUN NOTEBOOK: EXHIBITION LOSS A WAKEUP CALL.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer At least it didn't count. The Cal State Northridge men's basketball team can take comfort in that after its 90-88 exhibition loss to the California Southwest All-Stars team Monday. However, the game did serve as a warning: Nothing will be easy. Not its schedule, which includes road games at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX and UNLV UNLV University of Nevada, Las Vegas next week. And not in living up to expectations everyone has for the Matadors, who were picked to win the Big Sky Conference. No one is particularly pleased with how the team has split in its two exhibition games. ``The bottom line is we can't just show up,'' CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge coach Bobby Braswell Bobby Braswell, an American basketball coach, is currently the head coach for Cal State Northridge. Braswell was named the fourth head coach in Northridge history on April 30, 1996, succeeding the retired Pete Cassidy. said. ``I told them, `If we think we can just show up and it's going to happen, it's not. We're going to lose.' This is what it's all about.'' CSUN opens the regular season against Howard University Howard University, at Washington, D.C.; coeducational; with federal support. It was founded in 1867 by Gen. Oliver O. Howard of the Freedmen's Bureau, to provide education for newly emancipated slaves. A normal and preparatory department was opened the same year. at 5 p.m. Sunday at Northridge Gym. ``We're going to be ready for sure,'' center Brian Heinle said. ``We'll be ready for this week. We have to be. As long as we put the effort into it, we'll be all right.'' John Burrell John Buster Burrell (born November 22, 1940 in Fort Worth, Texas) was an American football wide receiver in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football for Rice University. , a transfer from the University of Nevada University of Nevada could refer to either of the universities in the Nevada System of Higher Education:
``We're not ready for the season, I'll be straight out,'' Burrell said. ``There's some steps we need to take to be ready. But I'd rather lose now than lose Sunday. This was a wakeup call Wakeup Call is a morning radio program produced in New York City by the WBAI station of the Pacifica Radio Network. The program is hosted by Deepa Fernandes and airs Monday through Friday. . We don't want to start the season 0-1 going into UCLA.'' The Matadors rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit, which pleased Braswell, but they couldn't close out the win. CSUN tied the game 53-53 when Marco McCain converted on a three-point play with about 12 minutes left, but the Matadors had five turnovers down the stretch. CSUN had 23 turnovers, a problem it must correct. ``We've got to have some guys step up,'' Braswell said. ``Our reserves have to step up and do a better job and our veteran guys have to step up and demand it from the other guys. We've got to get more help.'' --Foul trouble: Even though it was an exhibition, four starters played at least 30 minutes or more. The exception was Jeff Parris, who fouled out in just 11 minutes. In that time, he had nine points and four rebounds. Parris, the starting power forward, was plagued by foul trouble last season, too; he fouled out of 13 of 30 games. ``If we can keep him on the floor for any period of time, he's about as good as anybody,'' Braswell said. ``Problem is, and I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if people pick on him because of his beard or whatever it is, he just attracts fouls for some reason. We've just gotta figure out a way to keep him out of foul trouble. He's so strong and so big and it's so hard to guard him. Again, it hurts us when Jeff's not on the floor.'' --Ho-hum: Having four returning starters can be bad in one respect: It's difficult to make practices interesting. The older players have been through the drills many times. ``I think practice starts to get a little monotonous for some of the veteran guys,'' Braswell said. ``They just kind of need to get into the flow of things. We're happy the exhibition stuff is over now. I don't think we're looking ahead. I hope not. We've got to get better than we are.'' |
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