Coach Fisher and the Cougars Set to Tip 2019-20 Season
COC head coach Howard Fisher begins his 20th season as Cougars take on Cuyamaca College in season opener at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1.
Story and photo by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director
College of the Canyons will tip the 2019-20 men's basketball season at the 12th Annual 'Clash at Canyons' season opener Nov. 1-2.
This year's tournament will be hosted on the campus of Oxnard College with East L.A. and Cuyamaca College also scheduled to compete.
Canyons will take on Cuyamaca at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by a meeting between East L.A. and Oxnard at 7 p.m. In day two action Cuyamaca and ELAC will kick things off at 1 p.m., with COC then slated to play Oxnard at 3 p.m.
COC head coach Howard Fisher enters his 20th season at the helm of the program after guiding the Cougars to a 14-14 overall record and conference mark of 5-3 to finish runner-up in the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division a season ago. Canyons won four of its final five games down the stretch in 2019 but narrowly missed out on a postseason bid.
The Cougars will return three players from the 2018-19 squad in the form of guards Zach Phipps and Jordan Nash, along with forward Jah-Kez Moore.
Phipps, who attended Saugus High School, enjoyed a fantastic freshman campaign for the Cougars averaging 14.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. A starter in every game he played, Phipps topped double-digit point totals in 18 of 24 games while shooting better than 38 percent from downtown.
Nash was also a regular contributor for the Cougars last season, averaging 24 minutes a game and recording five starts. He averaged 6.4 points, 3.6 assists and three rebounds each night, and added a defensive spark with 25 steals and 12 blocks across 22 games.
Moore played in 25 games as a freshman and shot just over 50 percent from the floor while averaging roughly 17 minutes of action each time out. He finished the year averaging four points per game but made an impact in a variety of different ways.
Fisher will introduce nine new players to the program this season. The Cougars also check in with nine of the roster's 12 players standing over six-feet tall.
In the frontcourt, freshman forward Isaiah Washington at 6'8" and Virgil Mahoney at 6'6" should combine with Moore and Robert Hunter at 6'4" to give the Cougars a matchup advantage in the post and on the boards.
Likewise, six-foot-five-inch freshman guard Michael Davidson and Christopher Bradford at 6'4" should also present matchup problems for the Cougars' opponents.
After this weekend's season-opening games COC takes a Nov. 9, road trip to Cypress College. Five days later the Cougars compete at the annual San Juan Hills Toyota Classic tourney hosted by Irvine Valley College Nov. 14-16.
Canyons plays its first home game vs. Saddleback College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.