NOTEBOOK: YOUNG UNABLE TO SIGN WITH USC.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Cleveland High of Reseda forward Nick Young will not sign a letter of intent with USC during the early signing period because he has not achieved a qualifying test score.

Young committed to USC last summer but is unable to sign until he meets NCAA minimum standards on his test score. He is expected to sign in the spring.

USC's three other recruits - guard Gabriel Pruitt of Westchester of Los Angeles, center Robert Swift of Bakersfield and forward Emanuel Willis of Mendenhall, Miss. - signed letters this week. Swift is ineligible for his senior season, however, and is expected to apply for the NBA draft.

- Scott Wolf

- The Coaches vs. Cancer Classic is on quite a run.

The past two national champions started their seasons in the event, and three of the eight teams last year wound up in the Final Four.

``America watches this event and that can be good or bad,'' Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. ``If you want to be considered one of the best you have to play in these events.''

The two-day showcase starts tonight at Madison Square Garden with No. 20 Wake Forest against Memphis and No. 23 Marquette facing St. John's.

On Friday night, No. 22 Pittsburgh plays Alabama and No. 10 Gonzaga faces No. 17 Saint Joseph's in the season's first game pitting ranked teams against one another.

Memphis played in the opening game last year as well, beating eventual national champion Syracuse. Maryland started its championship season by playing in the 2001 event, the last time it was a four-team tournament.