By SUSAN PARK

It's not the NBA, and, no, the Seattle Reign isn't back in business. You also won't be able to look to Bob Bender for advice as you dribble down the University of Washington basketball court.

However, if you're a community college student who believes you've got game when it comes to hoops, here's the chance you've been waiting for.

Beginning this fall, for the first time ever, North Seattle Community College will field men's and women's varsity basketball teams that will compete in division 4 collegiate-level play against 26 other community college teams from throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho in a league called the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

The men's and women's teams from NSCC will actually represent the entire Seattle Community Colleges district, drawing players from all four SCC schools: North, South, Central and Seattle Vocational Institute.

This being the teams' first year in business, there are plenty of open slots available for Michael Jordan-wannabe's, particularly for women.

The teams are so new, they haven't even chosen a mascot or team colors. Both will be decided by the beginning of May. Students at NSCC were asked to submit their ideas in a contest. The winner will receive one free espresso drink a week for an entire quarter.

Mark Mitsui, NSCC athletic director, says the last time the Seattle Community College District had its own team was about 20 years ago when a team was based at Seattle Central Community College on Capitol Hill.

Mitsui says two years ago NSCC expanded its men's intramural basketball program to create a team called the Select Basketball Club made up of "elite intramural players." The team would play unofficial non-league scrimmages against teams from other community colleges. "It was kind of our way of dipping our toes in the water," says Mitsui. "Students liked it."

A year ago, the school also add a women's Select Club team.

This set the stage for the next step - making the teams official. Earlier this year, the school's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to do just that.

Mitsui says "the school has been really supportive" throughout the process of creating the teams. NSCC's then-interim president Dr. Ray Needham helped to persuade the Board of Trustees because of his experience as President of Tacoma Community College where students who live in Seattle would opt to attend Tacoma instead, just so they could play ball. Needham, an advocate of school sports, is a former college wrestler who went on to become a football coach.

Susan Shanahan, director of Student Affairs at NSCC, Ray Flores, Vice President of Student Development, and Seattle Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Peter Ku, a former NSCC president, also played key roles in creating the teams, says Mitsui.

The coaches were chosen in typical Seattle style, drawing from the cream of the crop.

You could say that the men's coach, Billy Rodgers, was born for the job. While growing up the son of a law professor at the University of Maryland and later at the University of Washington, Rodgers says he attended countless college basketball games as a kid. Rodgers went on to play one year at Shoreline Community College and later coached at Ballard High School for four years.

Women's coach Brad Gagne was the student manager for the University of Washington women's basketball team during the 1996-'97 season. A year later, he became assistant coach of the women's team at Shoreline Community College. Last year, he agreed to coach the NSCC Select women's club in hopes of becoming the school's first official coach. This year, that dream is about to become true.

Glenn Turner has been hired as assistant coach for the men's team. Peter Johnson has been offered the job of assistant coach for the women's team.

All NSCC coaching jobs are part-time and funded through student fees. Rodgers also works for the Seattle Mariners as a supervisor of high school students in guest relations. Gagne holds a job as an assistant controller for Taco Del Mar.

Although the NSCC men's team is already practically full, except for two walk-on spots which will open to eligible students this fall, the women's team is almost completely open.

The NSCC women's team will offer some lucky players the opportunity to be a big fish in a little pond. "They'll get lots of playtime," says Gagne. With 12 roster spots available and only two commitments so far, women who take advantage of being among the first to join the new team also have a good chance at becoming a starter.

The unique opportunity with the NSCC team is that players of any age may join. Mitsui says that with Seattle Community College students ranging in age from 18 to 70 years old, the average student's age is about 27, "so it's not your typical community college."

In addition, the school is offering 16 scholarships, each worth up to $200 apiece per quarter, that will be divided equally among the men's and women's teams. The scholarships cover more than a third of the school's $503 quarterly tuition.

The school is currently seeking corporate sponsorships to cover the cost of the scholarships. Area companies who have always wanted to see their name on a sponsor signboard can become a "Silver Sponsor" for a mere $500 a year. Mitsui says the sponsor signs measuring 3 feet by 5 feet will be displayed in the school's gym where its home games are played, from October through February. The signs won't just be seen by the crowds of up to 400 that are expected to attend each game, they will also be visible to the hundreds of people who use the gym for their own recreation, including both students and members of the general public.

For a mere $700, "Gold Sponsors" can also advertise in the game program.

For $1,500, "Platinum Sponsors" will be named as an official "game sponsor" of one of the 14 home games played this season, giving them an opportunity to make a special half-time announcement as well as put an advertisement on the back of the home tickets.