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  University of Arizona Sports Information Forward Michael Wright, a Pac-10 Player of the Year candidate, is one of many weapons of the strong, deep Arizona Wildcats, the preseason pick to win the Pac-10 Conference.

By AJ Cadman

Daily Bruin Senior Staff Teams from across the nation have been running from the Pac during this non-conference season. Come January, Pac-10 conference teams will square off against each other for supremacy and survival. The Pac-10 is picking up right where it left off after a 1999-2000 season that saw Arizona and Stanford enter the NCAA Tournament as No. 1 seeds. This year looks to be no different, with the favorites holding court and the bottom-feeders racing out to impressive starts. Fourth in the Sagarin preseason power rankings (81.46) behind the Atlantic Coast Conference (83.45), the Pac-10 has posted a 37-13 (.740) record as of Friday, including a 3-1 record against the No. 2 Big Ten and No. 3 Southeastern conferences. The Cardinal, Wildcats and Southern California are all currently ranked in the Top 15. But, the conference schedule should be exciting and should provide ample reason for the Pac-10 to send as many as six teams to the Big Dance – with one possibly going all the way.

1. Arizona (No. 5 AP, No. 5 ESPN/USA Today) Overall Record: 5-1 Head Coach: Lute Olsen (427-128, 18th year at Arizona) There is no argument, on paper, as to who the top team in the conference is this year. All five starters are All-America candidates and the Wildcats have the dean of the Pac-10 leading the way. Arizona, however, must stay healthy in order to live up to expectations. Senior Loren Woods is the “center”-piece to the Cats’ championship puzzle. The backcourt sophomores, Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas, are rivaled only by a certain sophomore in Westwood. Add the athleticism of forward Richard Jefferson, the power and awareness of forward Michael Wright, and one of the deepest benches in the country, and Arizona should take care of business in conference play. “We’re excited about our team,” Olsen said. “Last year, we had a huge problem (with depth) as the season went on. It’s much more comforting to know that we have some people coming in with some experience so they know what they’re doing.” 2. Stanford (No. 4 AP, No. 3 ESPN/USA Today) Overall Record: 6-0 Head Coach: Mike Montgomery (293-143, 15th year at Stanford) The Cardinal took a huge loss in the frontcourt with the NBA departure of Mark Madsen. But Jason and Jarron Collins patrol the paint on the Farm and have the ability to match up with opponents every night. Mike McDonald has improved his shooting touch at the point, which should provide even more scoring opportunities for super sophomore Casey Jacobsen on the wing. Defense and getting out early are key, but like Arizona, the Cardinal is susceptible to the infrequent upset. “We’ve got a chance to be a pretty good basketball team,” Montgomery said. “It starts with our veteran players, the Collins twins. They’re smart players that are going to flourish playing together. We’re excited about they’re ability to play the wings and spread the defense.”

3. UCLA (Unranked AP, Received Votes ESPN/USA Today) Overall Record: 2-3 Head Coach: Steve Lavin (93-41, fifth year at UCLA) The Bruins’ tough non-conference schedule should help combat losses in the Pac-10 in terms of RPI. But UCLA needs to focus on winning games they should win. Junior center Dan Gadzuric improves game by game and should peak by mid-January. Sophomore Jason Kapono consistently puts up huge numbers. Forwards Matt Barnes and TJ Cummings are still getting comfortable in the Bruins’ multiple-offense sets. Senior Earl Watson must be the floor leader for the Bruins to duplicate last year’s run. And off guard Ray Young, a premier defender, has become a potent offensive threat. “We will have a very difficult and challenging schedule,” Lavin said. “Even though we will be challenged, I think this is a team that will be up for the challenge.

4. Southern California (No. 12 AP, No. 15 ESPN/USA Today) Overall Record: 5-0 Head Coach: Henry Bibby (63-65, sixth year at USC) The Men of Troy are under the national spotlight and have lofty expectations. As they return all five starters, a bench that can hold down the fort is essential for their postseason chances. Point guard Brandon Granville may be one of the most underrated floor generals in the country. An improved shooting touch from backcourt mate Jeff Trepagnier would have opened things up inside for USC’s interior frontline, had he not been indefinitely suspended. But the health of power forward Sam Clancy is key. Clancy is lethal in the low block and his absence from the lineup last season led to the Trojans’ late collapse. “We feel this season, our depth should not be a problem,” Bibby said. “We are going to be competitive every night we go out and hopefully it will be good enough to win some basketball games.”

5. California Overall Record: 1-3 Head Coach: Ben Braun (76-53, fifth year at Cal) Despite the Golden Bears’ early struggles, this team has diamonds in the rough. Opening with Mississippi State, Texas and St. Louis is tough, but Cal displayed veteran play from a predominantly young team. Sean Lampley is a future NBA first rounder, but center Nick Van Der Laan and wing-forward Joe Shipp need to shoulder the rebounding load while remaining viable scoring threats. “We’re very proud to have Sean Lampley here,” Braun said. “He has done a great job of leading our team over the last several years. Our goals are going to be the same as the other teams, to compete and play for the Pac-10 title and for postseason play.”

6. Oregon State Overall Record: 4-2 Head Coach: Ritchie McKay (4-2, first year at OSU) First-year coach McKay inherits a veteran ballclub that could finish anywhere from fourth to sixth in the Pac-10. Senior point guard Deaundra Tanner is at times, the most talented in the country. Frontline threats Brian Jackson and Jason Heide must capitalize on the low post. With consistent play from the starters, and big games from role players like Adam Masten, the Beavers could return to the NCAA Tournament. “In the leadership we have from our point guard Deaundra Tanner, I think we will be capable of accepting challenges,” McKay said. “Certainly I think we have the talent level to compete this year.”

7. Arizona State Overall Record: 5-1 Head Coach: Rob Evans (38-30, third year at ASU) The Sun Devils are trying to create momentum with a cupcake non-conference schedule that won’t prepare them for conference play. Without Eddie House there to drop 61 points, fans in Tempe better enjoy the good life now. Wing-forward Awvee Storey is a capable offensive go-to, but his defense is suspect. Shawn Redhage and Chad Prewitt are two frontline plays with no mid-range offensive game and slow defense. Alton Mason is a good transition guard on a team that is likely not to run that often. “Last year we had the youngest basketball team in the country with seven freshman and one senior,” Evans said. “The loss of Eddie House is a huge loss for us, he was the leading scoring in the history of our school.”

8. Oregon Overall Record: 5-0 Head Coach: Ernie Kent (59-35, Fourth year at Oregon) Losing Alex Scales and A.D. Smith may be costly for this season. Bryan Bracey and Anthony Norwood are Oregon’s offensive juggernauts, but don’t expect too much from these guys when conference play rolls around. The lone bright spot for the Ducks may be at the point in freshman Luke Ridnour. A highly touted recruit, he holds the key to the future of Oregon basketball. Unfortunately, the future is not now. “We’ve lost more seniors than any (school) in the conference,” Kent said. “With the leadership that left, the perception is going to be that we should drop off, but I feel comfortable that the players we have will be able to step into those roles.”

9. Washington State Overall Record: 2-1 Head Coach: Paul Graham (8-23, second year at WSU) The Cougars have a decent shot at avoiding the Pac-10 cellar, but it’s not because the men from Pullman are any better than they were last year; rather, the Washington Huskies just may be a little worse. Washington State won its season opener for the 11th time in 12 years, but this is not the recipe for Cougar success. Sophomore guard David Adams is the lone offensive threat for WSU and Eddie Miller will throw his weight around in the paint. “The main thing I like about our team this year is that we have our full complement of players,” Graham said. “Washington State has a long way to go. It is so tough because the league is so good.”

10. Washington Overall Record: 3-2 Head Coach: Bob Bender (98-106, eighth year at Washington) Bender’s Boys have a revamped Bank of America Arena/Hec Edmundson Pavilion, but the building won’t help their underachieving ballclub. Michael Johnson returns as the Huskies’ leading scorer and senior forwards Thalo Green and Will Perkins will have to help out on the boards. “Obviously we have some major challenges going into this season,” Bender said. “But with five seniors, they have the experience to deal with situations.”

MEN'S BASKETBALL PAC-10 PREVIEW 1. Arizona This is the best group that head coach Lute Olsen has ever had. The Pac-10 Player of the Year will come from one of the starters on this squad. Senior Loren Woods won't be making many friends this season with the number of rejections he gives opposing teams this season. And at power forward, they can't go wrong with Michael Wright. 2. Stanford Turn on the tractors on the Farm. The Cardinal plans to mow down the opposition this season with the Collins twins, Jarron and Jason, healthy and playing alongside each other in the paint. But the key to unlocking their postseason chances lies in them supersizing their back court with a little extra production from point guard Michael McDonald. 3. UCLA The team may suffer setbacks early, but don't count the Bruins out just yet. Head coach Steve Lavin will help this team claw its way back into the national rankings when the conference opponents enter Pauley Pavilion. Jason Kapono shoots the rock with the best of them and point guard Earl Watson can doctor any defense in the country. 4. USC Head coach Henry Bibby resuscitated the program and brought in extra bodies this year so his starting fire would not falter down the stretch as it did last season. Brian Scalabrine scores a lot, but watch for Desmon Farmer to plow through the opposing back court and put up big numbers. 5. California It will take both brains and head coach Ben Braun for the Golden Bears to make the NCAA Tournament this year. Senior forward Sean Lampley lights up the scoreboard every night and point guard ShanTay Legans will try to stretch opposing defenses with his dribble penetration and perimeter shot. 6. Oregon State Leave it to the Beavers to make the conference race interesting down to the wire. First-year head coach Ritchie McKay's ballclub could be a surprising sixth Pac-10 school in the Big Dance when March rolls around. Point guard Deaundra Tanner is looking to finally have a breakout season that will move him up the NBA Draft charts. 7. Arizona State With out a House (Eddie, that is), the Sun Devils will be scrambling for shelter when the conference schedule begins. Guard Alton Mason should be working for Habitat for Humanity with the number of houses he can build from the bricks he puts up nightly. 8. Oregon The Ducks will be the soup de jure of the Pac-10 conference in 2000. Losing much of their scoring, rebounding, and overall talent from last year, Bryan Bracey is expected to hold the Ducks afloat until next year. But a bright spot will be "Cool Hand" Luke Ridnour and his amazing passing ability at the point. 9. Washington State The Cougars will growl just a little this year. Head coach Paul Graham should serve something remotely golden this year to Washington State fans. 10. Washington Head coach Bob Bender will be twisting and tweaking with this starting lineup all year long. With graduation and transfers, the Huskies might have to ask power forward Thalo Green to grow his curly locks out again to increase fan support. SOURCE: UCLA Sports Info Original graphic by JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web adaptation by CHRISTINE TAN/Daily Bruin

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