WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: CANYONS' HERRICK FACES BIG QUESTIONS.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer

Less than a week before his team's first game, College of the Canyons women's basketball coach Greg Herrick still doesn't know his team.

Oh, he knows his players' names, and he knows he has 14 on his roster. What he doesn't know is who will start, who will break out and become stars and who won't.

In his seventh year at Canyons, Herrick finds himself in a situation unique to him: He has 12 freshmen and no returning starters. Usually, the returning players show the freshmen how things are, but the two sophomores, Liz Grey and Stephanie Wasserman, are fighting with the newcomers for increased roles. They lack the leadership to take over.

Two years removed from a state championship game appearance, Herrick is a teacher again.

``We recruited some good, quality athletes,'' Herrick said. ``All are self-confident, but at this level, everyone's bigger, everyone's stronger, everyone's better. They don't understand it yet.''

Without returning players to demonstrate the importance of conditioning and knowing the various defensive schemes Canyons runs, it is left to Herrick and his coaching staff to show the way, and it's not getting through because the Lady Cougars haven't played anyone. They begin Saturday at home at 7 p.m. against Cypress.

``We've broken down the machine as far as defense goes,'' Herrick said. ``I'm a big believer in multiple defenses, but they don't do any good if no one knows how to do them.''

At least the practices have been competitive, but Herrick can only speculate that this player or that player will be the next All-Western State Conference star.

Take point guard, for example. Herrick thinks LaTasha Allen will be the next great one, following in the steps of Terra Bruessel, Kyetra Brown, LaCresha Clark and Narineh Hartoonian. But Allen has never played the point before, so it will take time.

Similarly, 5-foot-10 forward Sosanna Hallahan could be a forward the likes Canyons hasn't seen since Rebekah Cunnan, who set various scoring records a few years back. But again, Herrick said, she's a work in progress.

There's also Becca Voigt, nicknamed ``Johnson's Wax'' and ``The Human Bruise'' because she throws herself all over the floor. Herrick loves her ethic, but she's also a perfectionist, so the coaches have to talk to her when she gets upset.

The starting lineup Herrick puts on the court Saturday likely won't be the one he uses throughout the season. But he's nonetheless upbeat.

``I think we'll be a great team,'' he said. ``It may not be until next year.''

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PHOTO Coach Greg Herrick, in his seventh year at Canyons, has 12 freshmen and no returning starters.

Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News