Pac-10 competition has potential be full of surprises this year
Arizona, Stanford look better than expected in preseason play
Stanford Sports Info Stanford's Casey Jacobsen will get at least two chances to torment the Bruins this season.
By Christina Teller
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The Pac-10 title will be up for grabs in 2001-02. With the reinstatement of the Pac-10 Tournament in December, it could come down to the wire. With usual conference powers Stanford and Arizona suffering hard hits from the 2001 NBA draft, the two teams were written off by many early on, but head coaches Mike Montgomery, of Stanford, and Lute Olson, of Arizona, weren’t going to let that happen. And the bottom of the conference, teams like Washington State, Oregon State and Washington may not be so far away from the middle of the race this year. Returning veteran talent and introducing fresh faces into their lineups, teams at the top cannot write off games against the Cougars, Beavers and Huskies.
1. Arizona (5-1; all records as of Dec. 8)
Written off before the season even started with four starters making the leap to the NBA, the unranked Wildcats stormed through the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, downing No. 2 Maryland and No.6 Florida to come home with the trophy. Except for a thumping from No. 8 Kansas on Dec. 1, the ’Cats have been impressive in the early season and have gotten their act together much earlier than most expected, soaring to No. 8 in the AP poll after the first two weeks of the season.
The season rests in the abilities of senior guards Jason Gardner, who has led his team in scoring in all four games, and Luke Walton. With two freshmen in the starting lineup, Olson is lucky to have two veterans on the team.
2. UCLA (4-2)
The Bruins were heavy favorites entering the season but have struggled early. With little production from center Dan Gadzuric and a rough start for freshman point guard Cedric Bozeman, it will take some time for the Bruins to find their rhythm. The Bruins have seen strong performances from freshmen Dijon Thompson and Andre Patterson early on, and Thompson may find himself sharing point guard duties with Jason Kapono while Bozeman rehabs a partially torn meniscus. The Bruins' success is contingent upon the emergence of a floor leader and Gadzuric’s ability to be a force inside.
3 Stanford (3-1)
Like Arizona, the Cardinal took a hard hit with the departures of the Collins twins. Stanford will be noticeably smaller inside and will rely heavily on junior center Curtis Borchardt, who has seen limited minutes during his three-year career due to frequent injuries. Junior forward Casey Jacobsen led the conference in scoring last season and will be the go-to guy on offense.
Adjusting to a new point guard, either senior Tony Giovacchini or junior Julius Barnes, after the graduation of Michael McDonald, Stanford will be near but not at the top of the conference. After winning its first three games of the season with Jacobsen averaging 22 points, Stanford lost to unranked Texas as Jacobsen contributed just nine quiet points. To be successful, Borchardt, who snagged 20 rebounds against Purdue on Nov. 24, must stay healthy and Jacobsen has to find a way to succeed despite being the focal point of the opposing defense.
4. USC (4-2)
With a strong finish in 2001, tearing through the NCAA Tournament and losing to Duke in the Elite Eight, the Trojans had lofty expectations coming into the season. With Brandon Granville, Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal combined with the promising Craven twins, Derrick and Errick, USC has the potential to be a conference force to be reckoned with. An early loss to Fresno State in the Preseason NIT was an early set-back, but the Trojans came back with a fairly weak pre-season schedule. Facing such teams as UC Santa Barbara, Bradley and Loyola Marymount, the Trojans have some lesser competition to iron out their wrinkles against.
5. Oregon (4-2)
Like their football team, the Duck basketball squad could make a case for themselves as not being “just another team in the conference” anymore. The Ducks look to seniors guard Frederick Jones and center Chris Christoffersen to be leaders of the veteran squad. The Ducks have spread significant minutes among eight players, and with a balanced attack, the Ducks will surprise a few teams along the way.
6. Cal (5-1)
Facing the challenge of replacing 2001 Pac-10 Player of the Year Sean Lampley, the Bears look to junior guard Shantay Legans to be the leader of the team. Opening the season 4-0, including wins over Santa Clara and New Mexico, the Bears spread top-scoring finishes among four players – senior Joe Shipp and juniors Legans and Brian Wethers and Solomon Hughes – all players who are threats from three-point range. The Bears also have young talent in freshman Jamal Sampson of Mater Dei, who is averaging 8.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in 26 minutes per game.
7. Arizona State (4-2)
The Sun Devils are anchored by the senior duo of forward Awvee Storey and center Chad Prewitt. The 6-foot-9 center is a scoring force both inside and on the perimeter and has led his team in scoring in two of the team’s first five games, while Storey is one of the top rebounders in the conference. With a less than promising start, losing in overtime to Portland State 70-69 and BYU 82-70, the Sun Devils could need some time to find their rhythm.
8. Washington (6-2)
Head coach Bob Bender boasts that this year’s Huskies are his most athletic team ever. The Huskies roster consists predominantly of freshmen, which will pay off in the future but will mean a big learning curve for basketball in Seattle. Sophomores Curtis Allen and Doug Wrenn have made a big splash for the Huskies in the early season, both hovering around a 15-points-per-game average. The Huskies have a good chance of finishing with a winning record this season, which would break the team’s two-year streak as a losing squad.
9. Washington State (4-2)
With Mike Bush suiting up as a wide receiver for the football team, the Cougars will have to wait until after Sun Bowl to have their best player in the mix. WSU returns nine players from last year, including four starters, and will most likely improve their conference record. After a successful freshman campaign, guard Marcus Moore is an important component to Cougar successes. Early wins over such teams as Prairie View A&M and Arkansas Pine-Bluff don't tell much about the team’s ability.
10. Oregon State (4-2)
Despite returning three starters – senior Adam Masten and juniors Jimmie Haywood and Brian Jackson – the Beavers will most likely finish at the bottom of the pack as only five players on the roster have game experience. The Beavers have had a successful early season in terms of just wins and losses, with wins against Northern Colorado and Southern Utah. However, they also have fallen to St. John’s and Texas. With wins in 2000-01 only against both Washington schools and taking UCLA into overtime, the Beavers should expect a similar campaign this time around.
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