Canby head boys basketball coach Dennis Burke is the first to admit it: His team lacks that go-to player, a scorer who can deliver a 20- to 25-point performance on a consistent basis.

But what the Cougars may lack in star power, they make up for with teamwork and a bevy of intangibles: experience, versatility, a hunger to win and chemistry.

And, really, to those who have followed the Cougars, it's no departure from the past, as the program has traditionally relied upon different players on different nights to get the job done.

"We don't have that superstar, but I like what I see when I look at this team as a whole," says Burke, in his 12th season as head coach. "Our goal, as bold as it sounds, is to win a league championship. Whether or not that is possible remains to be seen. You have to go in believing it can be done, and that's our mind-set."

Canby just missed the playoffs a year ago, dropping its final game to Forest Grove to fall to fifth place. Had the Cougars won, they would have finished third.

But this is a different squad than the 1999-2000 version, even though Burke does have six varsity players returning. Gone are the three players who put up the majority of the shots, graduated seniors Ross Crooks, Curt Bryant and Brett Fuge.

That leaves it up to the likes of Joe Yoder, Buck Stone, Tyler Stewart and Todd Ricksger to pick up the offensive slack.

Yoder, a 6-foot-4 senior post, will be called upon to be a floor leader and a primary rebounder. He averaged just over two points and two rebounds a game last season as a part-time starter.

Stone, coming off a strong cross country season, is a senior wing and point guard who averaged four points and 1.6 assists a year ago.

Stewart, a 6-4 junior wing and post, and Ricksger, a 6-4 junior post, figure to be the key men to look to in the post. Still another returner, senior point guard Jese Kirsch, is pegged as one of the team's best outside shooters and penetrators.

As if that weren't enough experience, the team also returns senior wing Jon Warren, a good spot-up shooter.

Joining the varsity this winter are David Roberts, a 6-3 senior wing; Brandon Brown, a 5-11 junior wing; Brent Fahsholz, a sophomore wing and point guard; and T.J. Miller, a 6-5 senior post who has transferred back to the program after a one-year absence.

"We are really not weak at any position," Burke said. "And if you could see us practice, you'd get an idea of the kind of competitors these kids are. It's incredible. They work hard, are very positive and they're willing to help other players in the program out."

Offensively, the Cougars will most likely be more of a half-court team than the recent past, although the coach isn't ruling out stepping up the tempo as the situation dictates.

On defense, Canby will almost exclusively go man-to-man and try to implement the trap more often.

Unfortunately, the Cougars - and the rest of the Pacific-9 Conference, for that matter - don't have much time to prepare for league. Unlike seasons past, when Canby didn't have a league game until after the Christmas holiday, the Cougars play two league opponents, Newberg and Tualatin, in December.

"I've been able to be patient in the past, knowing we had the month of December to prepare for league," the coach said. "But with the addition of Woodburn, we now play 16 league games instead of 14. That doesn't leave us much time (to get ready)."

And this year, the Pac-9 could be as balanced as ever. Tualatin, the two-time defending league champion, has lost the bulk of its lineup to graduation. That opens the door for the likes of McMinnville, Dallas, Tigard, Silverton, Newberg and Canby to challenge for a high spot.

McMinnville returns one of the league's best players in Jason Pratt, while Dallas returns the majority of its lineup, including Jeff Dunn. Likewise, Tigard and Silverton didn't lose much to graduation.

Canby will be trying to get back to the playoffs after a successful run that began with back-to-back league co-championships in 1996-97 and 1997-98. The Cougars also made state in 1998-99, getting as far as the third round of the Class 4A playoffs before losing to Jefferson.

The team opens play at a McNary jamboree Nov. 28. The following weekend, Dec. 1-2, the boys play in an Oregon City tournament that will include playoff hopefuls Oregon City, Gresham and Wilson.