2006 Cougar women's basketball team

The Cougar women's basketball team is looking to improve on its best season ever.

For the first time ever, the women’s squad won 20 games (going 20-11 and 11-5 in conference) and played in the Region V tournament. Their season ended at the hands of South Plains, but head coach Jeff Allen believes a culture of success has arisen.

“We want to build off the tradition and continue to climb up the ladder,” he said.

This season will be Allen’s third at Collin and 10th overall in coaching.

“You always want to set the bar high, and our first goal is to win the conference championship. If you do that, you’re invited to the regional tournament, which is always a goal every season,” Allen said.

Unfortunately for Allen, the Highlassies of McLellan Community College and the Lady Coyotes of Weatherford Junior College, the conference champ and runner-up from 2005-06, respectively, are still the cream of the Region V crop. Collin finished third in district and are returning three starters and five sophomores overall.

“This year, we have a nucleus, but the key is to stay injury free, and if you can do that, you can be successful,” Allen said. “The one thing I try to instill is to let the players know what I am expecting. Those sophomores take the reins. It’s their team. They know what I am expecting.”

The Collin women’s basketball team play all their homes games at the Spring Creek Campus in Plano.

           

2006 Cougar men's basketball team

When you’ve averaged 20 wins a season for 19 years and made the Region V tournament nine of the last 12 years, how do you prepare your men’s basketball team.

“What matters for our players is the conference games in January and February. The goal is to get ready for conference,” head coach Jim Sigona said.

This season, the men’s squad must gel with a number of new parts. With player turnover rampant at Collin due to graduation and transfer, Sigona must find out what kind of team he has early in pre-season, holiday tournaments and other non-conference play.

“What I have got to do is figure out our strengths and weaknesses of the team and adjust as soon as possible,” Sigona said.

Collin kicks off conference play Jan. 10 versus Hill College in Hillsboro. But this year’s conference title will run through last year’s top three teams: McClennan Community College, Temple College and Grayson County College, all of which are returning at least four players.

“I always think there are four to six teams that could get the four spots (to play in the Region V tournament),” Sigona said. “The goal is to get in and once you get in anything can happen.”

Sigona’s career record is 341-237.

All home games will be played at the Spring Creek Campus in Plano. 

For more information about the men's and women's basketball teams like schedules, rosters and much more, visit the athletics webpage at www.ccccd.edu/athletics/.