NOTEBOOK: CSUN'S BOYLAN IS A BIG WEST FIRST-TEAM PICK.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Cal State Northridge senior guard Ian Boylan was selected to the All-Big West Conference first team, it was announced Monday.

Boylan, who led the Matadors in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game, was a second-team selection the past two years and was an all-freshman choice.

CSUN senior point guard Davin White was a second-team selection, and forwards Calvin Chitwood and Jonathan Heard made the all-freshman team.

CSUN (17-12), which tied for third in the Big West, claimed the No. 4 seed and will play in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament on Thursday.

Pacific coach Bob Thomason, who led the Tigers to an 18-0 record in conference, was voted Coach of the Year, and Pacific senior guard David Doubley is the Player of the Year. Utah State's Jaycee Carroll was selected Freshman of the Year.

- Jill Painter

--CSUN coach honored: CSUN women's basketball coach Tammy Holder was chosen Big West Conference Coach of the Year.

After winning just nine games in Holder's first two seasons, Northridge has won 17 this year and qualified for the Big West Tournament for the first time in program history.

Northridge, seeded fourth, opens tournament play Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center. They'll play the highest remaining seed after quarterfinal games pitting No. 5 UC Riverside against No. 8 Cal State Fullerton and No. 6 Utah State against No. 7 UC Irvine.

Junior forward Ofa Tulikihihifo, CSUN's leading scorer and rebounder, was a first-team all-conference choice for the third consecutive year. Sophomore guard LaJoyce King received honorable mention.

--Wake Forest's Paul suspended: Wake Forest star Chris Paul was suspended one game by the school for hitting North Carolina State's Julius Hodge in the groin during a game.

Paul, a sophomore point guard, will miss Friday's ACC Tournament quarterfinal, the school said Monday. The Demon Deacons, seeded second, will play the winner of Thursday's Florida State-N.C. State game.

Paul will be allowed to practice Tuesday and could return to the lineup Saturday if Wake Forest (26-4, 13-3) advances to the tournament semifinals.

--Riverside fires Masi: UC Riverside fired coach John Masi on Monday after 26 seasons.

The Highlanders were 462-269 under Masi but just 42-89 since moving up to Division I in 2000. UC Riverside had 21 straight winning seasons under Masi while a Division II program, and five losing seasons since the transition.

UC Riverside was 9-19 this season, including 4-14 in the Big West Conference. The Highlanders failed to qualify for the conference tournament, which begins Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

--Johnson resigns: San Jose State men's basketball coach Phil Johnson resigned. He will leave the Spartans after the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

--Davey gets extension: Santa Clara coach Dick Davey received a contract extension Monday, a day after the Broncos' season ended with a loss in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals to rival St. Mary's.