Northridge's success 'total surprise,' even to new coach

Jan. 6—This is the Matadors' best start since winning 11 of 14 to open the 2007-08 season.

"What is going on down here ?" said Cal State Northridge coach Andy Newman, whose basketball team is 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big West.

This is the Matadors' best start since winning 11 of 14 to open the 2007-08 season.

"It's like 'Opposite World Day' or something, " added Newman, whose Matadors play host to Hawaii today at Premier America Credit Union on the CSUN campus. "I don't know what's going on. It's a total surprise. We've been fortunate at different places, but for this to happen this fast, it's been crazy. It's been a whirlwind, and we're very fortunate. We'll take it. It's better than the alternative."

Last April, CSUN hired Newman, who had built Cal State San Bernardino into a Division II powerhouse. Newman inherited a CSUN team that finished 7-25 overall and 4-16 in the Big West in 2022-23.

"When we got the job, every single player was in the transfer portal, " Newman said. "We really didn't have anybody."

Newman and his staff convinced guard Dionte Bostick, forward De'Sean Allen-Eikens, and centers Dearon Tucker and Lamine Niang to stay put.

"We realized we were a long way away from being able to play a basketball game, " Newman said. "But I knew the four core guys who were here last year were going to be big for us."

Allen-Eikens is averaging a team-best 19.4 points on 54.4 % shooting, including 41.2 % on 3s. During a three-week training period in the spring, the new coaching staff marveled at Allen-Eikens' ability to read and react against rotating defenses, and find angles into the lane.

"I knew if I could convince this guy to come back, we'd really have something here, " Newman said. "Thankfully, over the course of the two or three weeks, we were able to show him how much fun and how successful he'd be in (the offense ). He took his name out of the portal and decided to come back."

Bostick, who averages 16.6 points, also has been an easy fit in the new uptempo offense. Bostick began his career at Murray State, where he was recruited as a potential successor at the point after Ja Morant departed for the NBA. Bostick transferred to CSUN ahead of last season.

From the transfer portal, CSUN added guards Jordan Brinson from Fresno State and Gianni Hunt from Sacramento State. Of the 11 players whose names have appeared in box scores this season, 10 began their careers at other schools.

As an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton for 10 seasons through 2013, Newman embraced the Titans' fast drive-and-kick offense paired with a physical defense. In transition, Newman said of Fullerton's attack then and CSUN's approach now, "we like to go downhill right away and hit some guys with some penetration ... and play off that."

Last season, the Matadors averaged 18.7 seconds per possession. This season, the pace has accelerated to 15.2 seconds.

"I love coaching it, " Newman said of the uptempo pace. "It's fun. It's an interesting way to play. And I think you can recruit players who like to play fast. Nobody says 'no' to that. It makes it real easy when you're out recruiting and you sell your style of basketball."