COOPER BEGINS TRANSITION INTO COLLEGE BASKETBALL.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer

The difficult process of going from high school to college has started early for former Simi Valley High School girls basketball standout Tawnee Cooper.

A star since her sophomore year, Cooper is headed to the University of California, Santa Barbara, on a basketball scholarship. She's getting a crash course on what to expect at the next level every Saturday and Sunday at the Just Say No Classic at USC.

There, Cooper is playing with and against established college players.

Cooper's team has played six games thus far over three weeks, and she admits that playing against the high level of competition has offered a glimpse of what to expect when she gets to UCSB.

``I can already tell the tempo is different then in high school,'' she said. ``It's just a lot faster. And everybody is out there to win. They're all dedicated.''

For Cooper, who likely will play off guard in college but is expected to handle the ball on occasion, the real challenge has been figuring out ways to put the ball in the basket against bigger, faster and stronger opponents.

At Simi Valley she was usually the best player on the floor most games. In college, that won't necessarily be the case at least at the outset.

Cooper is finding that out this summer.

``That's why (playing this summer) is really good for me,'' she said. ``It's my first taste of what I can expect in college.''

What she's discovered is that the defensive pressure applied by defenders is unlike any she's seen in high school.

``It is a little harder to score,'' she said.

Cooper is confident that that part of her game will develop once she gets accustomed to the quickness and strength at the college level. After all, she was one of the greatest scorers to ever play at Simi Valley, and with a few adjustments here and there that should be the case at Santa Barbara as well.

Cooper actually has paid more attention to other aspects of her game besides scoring during the summer in the hope that once she reports to college, she'll be able to help the Gauchos in a number of different ways.

``I'm really focusing on my defense,'' she said. ``I want to be an all-around player.''

Like any player going from high school to college, Cooper has taken her lumps at times.

``I'm still getting adjusted,'' she said. ``I'm not going to sit here and lie about that. It's just a lot harder to get your shot off, and when you do get to the hole there's a 6-5 center that you have to get the ball over.''

The bottom line, though, is that Cooper feels she'll make the necessary adjustments in due time.

``It's something I'll have to learn,'' she said. ``I think I need to develop some other moves so I can get my shot off a little easier.''

Cooper is one of only two incoming freshmen on the team that she plays on. There are two different divisions at the Just Say No Classic - one for first-year college players and another for more experienced players.

Cooper was placed in the division with the upperclassmen at the request of her future college coach, who wanted her to get some important experience.

As far as next year is concerned, Cooper hasn't set many goals for herself other then to work as hard as possible. If that results in a starting position with the Gauchos, great. If not, she hopes to contribute as much as possible coming off the bench.

Santa Barbara is bringing in a talented class of freshmen to go along with a solid group of returning players. Cooper simply wants to fit in somewhere at this point.

``I'm going to practice as hard as possible and try to improve as much as I can,'' she said. ``I'm excited.''