Ventura-Northridge Matchup: Coaches Give Matadors Nod

The Ventura College basketball team is breezing by its junior college opponents this season, but are the Pirates good enough to beat a Division I team such as Cal State Northridge?

That question was put to several area experts, all of whom agreed that Ventura, even with five Division I prospects, would not have much chance of winning.

“A junior college team couldn’t beat the worst Division I team,” said Remy McCarthy, Oxnard College coach. “CSUN is older, bigger, smarter and good. Ventura players are too young.”

But the game probably wouldn’t be a blowout.

“It might be pretty competitive,” said Brian Beauchemin, coach at Glendale College. “Ventura (players are) awfully strong and don’t seem to have many flaws, but they haven’t had to turn it up a notch to play at a (higher) level. CSUN’s guards would give Ventura all they wanted and more.”

A basketball referee who has seen both teams play this season said the hypothetical matchup “would probably be a good game, but that’s not taking anything away from Northridge. Talent-wise, Ventura would be right there with them, but there’s a tremendous difference between junior college and Division I.”

And what does Ventura Coach Philip Mathews think of his team’s prospects against CSUN? “We have more talent,” he said, “but you can’t beat maturity and strength. They’d probably hurt us.”