COLLEGE BASKETBALL: CANYONS OFF TO QUICK START ON HARDWOOD COUGARS BATTLING CERRITOS.Byline: IVAN OROZCO Staff Writer The community college men's basketball season kicked off two weeks ago and College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. is off to a fast start. The Cougars won their first three games going into Friday night's game against Cerritos College Cerritos College is a public comprehensive community college founded in 1955 located in Norwalk, California. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a ranch that served prominently in the region in the 19th century. of Norwalk in the Mulligan mul·li·gan n. A golf shot not tallied against the score, granted in informal play after a poor shot especially from the tee. [Probably from the name Mulligan.] Noun 1. Classic tournament in Irvine. Howard Fisher's team opened the season with a win over Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. of Woodland Hills on Nov. 8 and Grossmont College Grossmont College is a community college located in El Cajon, California (county of San Diego). Grossmont College and Cuyamaca College make up the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD) with a single Governing Board and a Chancellor, currently Dr. Omero Suarez. of San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. on Nov. 10 before entering the Mulligan Classic and beating Southwestern College Southwestern College is the name of several colleges in the United States:
``It's a good measuring stick to getting an idea of what we're capable of,'' Fisher said, ``Playing three games in three days is a challenge. ``It helps us work on team focus for 40 minutes. The style of play changes every day here.'' This type of tournament also helps Fisher assess a list of eight newcomers as the Cougars prepare to make a run at the Western South State Conference title. Forward Jacob Briggs, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound Citrus College According to the Public Policy Institute of California, Citrus College had 632 students who transferred to universities during the 2005-2006 academic year, ranking seventh in the area. Citrus College students are represented by ASCC the Associated Students of Citrus College. of Glendora transfer, is an off-season addition who has added toughness on the court. ``Jacob (Briggs) is a tough kid,'' Fisher said. ``He does the little things, steps up and takes charge. He dives at lose balls, gets after it. He's a gritty player.'' Briggs is complemented by sophomore Everett Bryson, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward. Canyons also has Kenya Ward, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound sophomore forward to help out with wing play. Bryson, a Canyon High of Canyon Country product, played at College of the Canyons five years ago before taking a break from basketball to work and returned to the Cougars this season. Despite being away from Cougars' basketball, Bryson is a key addition for his rebounding ability. ``Everett (Bryson) is a bit older, but he still has a bounce in his step,'' Fisher said. The Cougars return four players from last year's team that lost to Riverside, 83-69, in the wild-card round of the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Regional playoffs. Guard Andre Murray returns along with Shant Bicakci, a sophomore point guard who led the conference with 185 assists last year. Bicakci, a Saugus High graduate, has 18 assists in three games. ``Shant is also one of those hard-nosed gritty players that do a good job trying to get the level of communication out on the floor,'' Fisher said. Fisher has ``nice additions'' coming off the bench. Youseff Hulse, a part-time starter last year, brings depth to the Cougars with his agility and Dwayne Jones Dwayne Jones (born June 9 1983, in Morgantown, West Virginia) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. On January 26, 2006, Jones was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics in a trade also involving higher profile can be a go-to guy off the bench. Jones has averaged 19 points in his two first games. Fisher said Gino Riney, a freshman, can come in at point guard and give the Cougars a boost. When the Cougars need size in the paint, Donjay Kokonde, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound freshman out of Valencia High, can fill that role. ``It's early still,'' Fisher said. ``We're trying to find an identity. ``We had some games in which we were down and made a comeback and showed toughness. We had another where we blew a big lead and had to win it in overtime. And in our third game we hit six shots in a row and stayed ahead. We just have to stay focused for 40 minutes.'' ivan.orozco(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 |
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