Jordan Exudes Confidence With Excellent Outings for Kansas

Adonis Jordan, a former Cleveland High guard, won player-of-the-game honors last Saturday after scoring 23 points for Kansas in the Jayhawks’ nationally televised 109-87 victory over Oklahoma.

Jordan, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, also had three assists and made three steals for 10th-ranked Kansas, but it was his defense against sharpshooter Brent Price (15 points) that persuaded NBC to give him the award over teammate Terry Brown, whose 24-point effort included four consecutive three-point baskets.

Jordan, who averages 12 points a game, connected on four of seven shots in the second half, including three of five from three-point range.

“I was kind of surprised I got hot in the second half,� Jordan said. “I started out slowly, but Coach (Roy) Williams said they were good shots, they just weren’t going in. He’s not giving me the green light so much as the confidence that I can hit them.�

Jordan rewarded that confidence again Tuesday in an 88-57 win over Iowa State when he scored 14 points on six-of-10 shooting, including a pair of three-point baskets. He also led the Jayhawks with five assists.

Cassidy update: Pete Cassidy, Cal State Northridge basketball coach, is on solid foods and could be released from Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Woodland Hills this weekend. Cassidy was hospitalized Feb. 8 after complaining of intestinal pain. He underwent surgery for diverticulitis on Feb. 14.

Eight-year itch: Glendale baseball Coach Steve Coots was ejected from a game recently for arguing a call, and he is beginning to make this sort of aberrant activity a pattern. After all, it was his second ejection in 16 years of junior college baseball.

Palomar was leading visiting Glendale, 12-7, in the eighth inning when Coots complained about a balk call and was thrown out of the game. The game ended then because Palomar plays in the Pacific Coast Conference, and, according to conference rules the game is over when a coach is ejected.

“I’m no Billy Martin,� said Coots, who if the pattern holds is due to be ejected again somewhere around the year 2,000.

They’re out: Diedra Stark, Valley women’s athletic director, struck out in her attempt to save the recently terminated softball program.

Stark said that she found out in early February that the softball team, one of five women’s athletic programs at Valley, was being cut despite her protests. Stark said the ostensible reason for ending the program was lack of participation. “I think it was cut for fiscal reasons,� said Stark, who estimated that the program costs about $8,000. “Everything was set and ready to roll.�

Net gain: Cathie Teobaldi of Northridge carries a four-match winning streak into today’s women’s tennis match against Loyola Marymount at CSUN.

The senior from Westlake Village has an 8-1 record, including a 5-1 mark when playing in the top position on Northridge’s ladder. Northridge is 4-5.

Warming up: As the Northridge basketball season draws to a close, reserve Sean Davis is just beginning to warm up.

Davis, known as a defensive specialist, averages only 4.4 points a game, but against Idaho State last week, he scored a career-high 11 points and last Saturday against Southern Utah State, he had 10 points.

“He is starting to select his shot,� CSUN interim coach Tom McCollum said. “He is recognizing it more than he has in the past.�

After averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds at El Camino Real High in 1986-87, Davis went to San Jose State but sat out his freshman season to concentrate on academics. As a sophomore, he appeared in just five games. Toward the end of the season, he quit the team along with nine other players in a dispute with the coaching staff.

Davis sat out last season because of NCAA transfer rules. The layoff showed. At the beginning of the season, he was ninth man in the Matadors’ rotation.

But gradually the Northridge junior has worked his way up for more playing time. He has started eight games and against Southern Utah State, the 6-5 forward was second in rebounding with a career-high nine, against a front line that stood 6-11, 6-7 and 6-6.

“I just try to slip around the guy in front of me,� Davis said.

Two-sport athlete: Peter Micelli, a freshman reserve center on the Northridge basketball team, will join the Matador volleyball team after his final game March 5 at California.

Micelli, a 6-8 middle blocker, has been working out with the volleyball team on a part-time basis. The opportunity to play both sports is one of the reasons the Beverly Hills High graduate chose Northridge.

Statwatch: Todd Bowser, a senior from Montclair Prep, has set a Northridge basketball record for most free throws attempted in a career with 463. He is four shy of the school career record for free throws made with 328. Bowser also is fifth in rebounds (584) and seventh in scoring (1,041). Northridge has two games remaining but Bowser is doubtful for both because of a shoulder injury. . . .

Bridgette Ealy had her second triple-double of the season for the Northridge women’s basketball team in a 69-67 loss to Portland State last week. The 5-8 junior guard had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in CSUN’s season finale. Ealy led the Matadors in rebounding (7.2 average), assists (4.3), field-goal percentage (50.2%) and steals (63). . . .

Julie Arlotto, a 5-11 forward, finished her basketball career as Northridge’s career leader in free throws attempted (470), free throws made (338), and she is second in scoring with 1,364 points--103 behind Denise Sitton, who had 1,467 from 1982-86. Arlotto started all 113 games of her CSUN career. This season she led the Matadors in scoring (12.8) and was second in rebounding (6.0).

Staff writers Mike Hiserman, Theresa Munoz and Brendan Healey contributed to this notebook.