CSUN NOTEBOOK : RHODEN TURNING OVER NEW LEAF INSTEAD OF BALL IN BRASWELL'S SYSTEM.Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer While standing on the sidelines On the sidelines An investor who decides not to invest due to market uncertainty. on the sidelines Of or relating to investors who, having assessed the market, have decided to avoid committing their funds. for most of the first two weeks of Cal State Northridge's practices, Gerald Rhoden fell in love with basketball again. Out all but two practices with a hip injury, Rhoden saw that new coach Bobby Braswell's philosophy of run and smother and run some more was going to make the Matadors better. What he didn't see, what he couldn't see without actually joining the torturous workouts, was exactly how Braswell's system worked. So when the season started at UNLV UNLV University of Nevada, Las Vegas last month, Rhoden was on the bench much of the game. The senior guard played six minutes in Northridge's 61-59 loss to the Rebels. He committed two turnovers, two fouls and scored three points in six minutes. Worst of all, he looked lost. So he went to meet with Braswell. ``I felt I needed a full understanding of my place on the team,'' Rhoden said. ``I was kind of in the dark. . . . I knew the (system), but I didn't have a full grasp of it.'' Braswell told Rhoden to keep playing hard in practice, maybe play some defense once in awhile a·while adv. For a short time. Usage Note: Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition such as for, but the two-word form a while may be preceded by a preposition. and always be ready. And Rhoden, who last year wore a long face as if it were part of his uniform, listened. The difference in his demeanor this season is astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. . He says he goes home at night and runs the Matadors' plays in his mind. A smile has replaced the perpetual pout on his face. ``He decided to work real hard,'' Braswell said. Rhoden came off the bench to score 16 points in Northridge's only victory of the season, against Cal State Dominguez Hills. He started the next game at Loyola Marymount, scoring nine straight points at the end of the first half and 17 more in the second half as Northridge came back from a 23-point halftime deficit before losing 77-74. His 15 points 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 equaled his team-leading season average. ``I always knew Gerald was a shooter,'' Braswell said. ``The question with him is what's he going to do on defense.'' Rhoden is still more interested in launching the 3-pointer than in guarding an opponent, no way for a player to endear en·dear tr.v. en·deared, en·dear·ing, en·dears To make beloved or very sympathetic: a couple whose kindness endeared them to friends. himself to Braswell. But Rhoden swears he is trying, which is a nice improvement. What a change: How far has the football program come? The Matadors, picked to finish last in the conference this past season, finished third. Now, two of the parties interested in the head-coaching job vacated when Dave Baldwin Dave Baldwin was the head football coach of San Jose State University from 1997-2000. During his tenure, he had three straight wins over Stanford (including their rosebowl season of 1999). In 1997, SJSU upset No. went to San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. State are head coaches at other Big Sky Conference schools - Brian McNeely of Idaho State and Mike Kramer of Eastern Washington
McNeely resigned his position at Idaho State two weeks ago. Kramer, whose team lost to Northridge in the season finale this year, is safe at Eastern Washington. Limited to recruiting primarily in his own state, Kramer nonetheless led the Eagles to a 6-5 record, a turnaround from 3-8 in 1995. The Eagles were ranked in the Division I-AA Top 25 most of the latter part of this season. Still going: As the list of candidates to replace Baldwin grows, the remaining assistant coaches continue to recruit, hoping to land at least five junior-college players in the signing period that begins next Wednesday. ``Some of the kids are kind of nervous about the head-coaching situation,'' said acting head coach Jeff Kearin. ``We're just laying out the picture honestly for them. We're telling them, `Regardless of who the coach is, we're still going to be a good team.' . . . We're not going to get a joker (for a coach). There's too many good names.'' Small crowds: The men's basketball team, which has enough trouble drawing fans to games in Northridge's high school-caliber gymnasium, plays four home games in the next 12 days. Nice timing. School is out. Friday is the last day of finals. The real world: Even as he spoke last Friday of how he wished Baldwin would stay and joked that he is becoming quite familiar with the hiring process, athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Paul Bubb knew this will not be the last time he goes through this. ``We're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. good young coaches,'' he said. ``The realization you have to have is that when people are successful at this level, if they have goals of going to another level, they are going to have that opportunity.'' |
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