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SoCal Prep Recruiting Report & News

Cross Acts Like a Jerk, But Carey and Jackson Don't Mind (10/22/97)

So, CSUN Sr. PG Trenton Cross got suspended by Coach Bobby Braswell on October 13 for a week of practices. This is not news to those who follow CSUN Basketball. He was suspended with Jeffrey Parris, (Soph F) too. And Braswell also suspended a third player Mike O'Quinn who might be back in two weeks if he can meet "certain condition". Cross is also suspended for the Matadors first two games in November. Parris will be suspended for one game. Cross was the Big Sky tournament MVP last year. Is everyone going to get suspended at CSUN? Maybe.

So what's the big news about the suspension of Cross. Only that he drew the suspension for acting like a big jerk, by abandoning Senque Carey, one of the most highly prized recruiting prospects at CSUN from Mountain View's St. Francis. Cross simply walked out of a party that Cross had taken Que to during his official visit on October 10. Didn't say goodbye. Just left. Not a very bright move, especially when Braswell is trying to get Carey to commit so that he can play with his friend, Bradley Jackson, who's already committed to CSUN. Carey is one of the top shooting guards in this year's class and is being heavily recruited by schools such as Washinton and GW.

Carey and Cross attended the party with CSUN Sr. G Lucky Gundy who was there with Bradley Jackson ( 5-9 SR PG) from Inglewood, who has committed to CSUN already. According to a published report in the LA Times, Cross left the party "without warning" and Gundy had to drive Cary and Jackson back to their hotels later that evening. Carey reportedly told the Times that the incident didn't bother him, and that maybe Cross "just wasn't thinking". Guess he didn't notice that Cross had left, or didn't really care. He also told the Times that he thinks Northridge is "still in the running", or at least that he "couldn't say they are not". He said he didn't take the incident as Cross showing him disrespect.

Jackson told the Times that the incident didn't come as a "big shock" to him either. And you can be that it probably won't affect Carey's decision when it comes time to making the committment. Jackson told the Times that he and Carey want to play together, and whether Cross was or was not showing Carey disrespect is probably irrelevant since he'll be gone next year when he graduates, and he and Carey wouldn't have to play with each other anyway.

CSUN really didn't have a Midnight Madness event this year, and their practice on Saturday was a closed door event, with the assistant coaches barring anyone who even tried to get a glimpse of the team, which ran through some light drills on Saturday morning on campus. I was told that Braswell wasn't in a particularly good mood last Saturday, and didn't want anyone in the gym besides his players. I can understand why. CSUN did hold an open scrimmage on Monday night (which they billed as "Midnight Madness", even though they were about 72 hours late), and Cross and Parris were not allowed to participate.

According to a Times article, Braswell told the paper that "No laws were broken, no university rules were broken. But it was necessary for me to put my foot down and demand certain things. These may not be the only suspensions we have. I'm determined to develop good people and develop integrity and character."

He's sure going to try. Maybe he'll suspend everyone. Who knows. But he'll sure get his message across, and you can bet Cross won't be acting like a jerk anymore, at least not around potential recruits.

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