NEW MAN IN CHARGE EX-AIDE SET TO DEBUT.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - As an assistant over parts of the last eight years to College of the Canyons coaching veteran Lee Smelser, Howard Fisher learned a great deal about preparing players for both the game of basketball and the game of life.

Fisher, who replaces Smelser after a 31-year tenure at COC that spanned five decades, now hopes to be able to apply some of that knowledge.

The Cougars open their season today when they host Santa Ana at 5:30 p.m. in a nonconference game.

Fisher said Smelser helped him ``understand that responsibility and accountability are not the strong suits of many athletes (at the community college level),'' and that as a coach, he has a unique opportunity to help his players develop those qualities.

On the court, Fisher said the main difference in his coaching style than that of Smelser is that he will emphasize defense to a greater extent.

Fisher inherits a team that returns co-Western State Conference Southern Division freshmen of the year Nana Gbewonyo and Nicolas Echevestre.

Gbewonyo, a 6-foot-7 forward from Kennedy High of Granada Hills, is a good athlete and is capable of making an impact in the low post and on the perimeter. Fisher calls him a Division I prospect.

Echevestre (6-4), who is from Saugus High, played center last season, which is not his natural position. His strongest attributes are his shooting skills, knowledge of the game and versatility. Echevestre can play as many as four positions, Fisher said.

The Cougars also return forward-center Jerome Edwards (Saugus) and center Tomas Hungerford (Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks).

The only other COC player with collegiate experience is guard Terrell Byrd, a transfer from South Plains College of Texas.

Players to watch among the nine incoming freshmen include point guard Dax Grooms (Kennedy of Granada Hills), forward Ricardo Suazo (Verbum Dei of Los Angeles), Jonathan Townsend (Canoga Park), and forward-enter Steven Brown (Antelope Valley of Lancaster).

The Cougars hope to compete for a conference title, but they have had atough going in the highly-competitive WSC in recent years. COC won three WSC titles in four years in the early 1990's, but have had losing records in six of the last seven seasons.

The Cougars greatest strengths are team size, shooting ability, and desire.

Their most glaring weaknesses are inexperience, and the lack a true point guard.

Grooms, who will start at the point, will share playing time with Byrd and Townsend.

WOMEN'S TEAM KEEPS ITS LOFY GOALS

The incoming freshmen on the College of the Canyons' women's basketball team didn't know what to make of it when coach Greg Herrick wrote ``Stockton'' on the chalkboard at the team's first meeting in August.

``What the heck is he talking about,'' Herrick said he inferred from his players' facial expressions.

Stockton, site of the 2000-2001 California Community College State Championships, is what Herrick would like to have his players thinking about from day one.

``That's our plan, to get to the state championships and win it,'' said Herrick, the Cougars' ninth-year coach, who has taken the Cougars to the state-championship tournament, which features the eight surviving playoff teams, in three of the last six years.

``That's our goal and we prepare accordingly,'' he said.

COC opens its season Saturday night (7 p.m.) when it hosts Cypress College in a nonconference game.

The defending Western State Conference Southern Division champion Cougars return six players, including two starters, Natalie Avanecy and Siosi Tuli.

Avanecy, a point guard from Burbank High, was an All-WSC selection last season when she led the conference in assists.

Tuli, a returning All-WSC honorable mention from Birmingham of Van Nuys, made an impact at COC last season despite just one year of high school level experience. Tuli, a prolific scorer and passer, is a potential MVP candidate, Herrick said.

Other key returners include forward Vonetta Lanier (Palmdale), and center Briana Kentfield (Hart).

Top incoming players are forward LaTonya Robnett (Harvard-Westlake), point guard Shakaria Jones (Monroe), and guard Kristie Umemoto(Crescenta Valley).

The versatile Robnett, cousin of former UCLA player Tracy Murray, is a strong player in the low post and on the perimeter. Jones is a gifted ballhandler with solid leadership skills, and Umota is the Cougars most dangerous 3-point shooter.

The fast-break-minded Cougars have been among the top scoring teams in the state, and Herrick believes this season will be no exception. Herrick says the team's greatest strengths are depth, quickness and ability to defend on the perimeter. Its most significant weakness is shooting, an area in which Herrick believes his players can improve.

The key for the Cougars to achieve success, according to Herrick, is the ability of the team to integrate its 10 freshmen into the system, and for them to be able to adapt to COC's uptempo style of play.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Nick Echevestre, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Saugus, is a versatile player for College of the Canyons.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

(2) College of the Canyons point guard Natalie Avanecy returns after winning all-conference mention last season. Avanecy led the conference in assists.

Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News

(3) GBEWONYO