After Scare, Hill Accepts CSUN Offer : College basketball: North Hollywood High guard says Cassidy balked at the oral commitment before the coach agreed to scholarship.

After a brief misunderstanding with Cal State Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy on Tuesday night, North Hollywood High guard Robert Hill made an oral commitment to play basketball for the Matadors.

Hill, the co-most valuable player of the Mid-Valley League and a Times’ All-Valley selection, said early in the evening that he would be making the oral commitment to Northridge and signing a national letter-of-intent later in the week.

A few hours later, however, when Hill called Cassidy with his oral commitment, Hill said that Cassidy told him that he did not have a scholarship for him.

“I was disappointed and surprised,” Hill said.

Cassidy, who cannot comment because of NCAA rules, telephoned North Hollywood Coach Steve Miller with the news. Miller was stunned that Cassidy had given what Miller believed to be Hill’s scholarship to another player.

After further discussion with Cassidy, Miller said there was a misunderstanding about the timing of Hill’s oral commitment. Cassidy, Miller said, was of the understanding that Hill would make his commitment sooner. When Cassidy did not hear from Hill, he assumed that Hill was going to another college, Miller said.

Consequently, Cassidy obtained an oral commitment from another high school guard, Todd Lowe of Woodbridge High in Orange County.

When Cassidy realized the mixup, Miller said, he asked Miller to have Hill call him (under NCAA rules coaches cannot contact recruits during the current dead period) and he made another offer to Hill.

“He apologized for not making it clear that it was first (oral) commitment, first sign,” Hill said. “I accepted his apology. He said he still wanted me to play at Northridge and I told him OK.”

In addition to Hill and Lowe, Northridge also received an oral commitment from Utah State guard Brent Lofton, a former City Section 3-A Division player of the year at El Camino Real High. Lofton, who has played three seasons at Utah State, will not be eligible at Northridge until the 1993-94 season.

For his part, Hill was pleased with the way Cassidy ironed out the situation. Hill’s original impression of the coaching staff played a role in his decision to attend Northridge.

“They care about their players,” he said. “They seemed concerned, not only on the court, but off the court. They stressed school and study hall.”

Hill also chose Northridge “because it is close to home and because they are ranked nationally in business administration.”

The 6-foot-1 guard did not visit any other schools. As a point guard last season he averaged 14 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He played shooting guard his junior season and averaged 18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

Hill is familiar with two CSUN players, Andre Chevalier and Brooklyn McLinn from youth league teams. Lowe averaged 15.1 points and made 50% of his field-goal attempts last season. He made 40.4% of his three-point shots, 75% of his free throws and averaged 7.6 assists.

Lofton (6-5, 200 pounds) averaged 23 points a game as a senior at El Camino Real in 1988-89. After three seasons trying to crack the starting lineup at Utah State, he became fed up. Lofton’s freshman averages of nine minutes and 3.0 points dwindled to even less the past two seasons.

* CSUN RECRUITING ANALYSIS: The Matadors have to fill some big holes if they hope to continue their climb in the Division I ranks. C11