Lute’s Wildcats top list, open race thereafter
The fight for position standing
in the Pac-10 could be the
closest in years, but Arizona
should come out on top
Arizona Wildcats
■ Head Coach: Lute Olson (13th year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 26-7 overall, 13-5 Pac
10 (2nd)
■ Key Returnees: Michael Dickerson, F,
6-5,190, Jr., 22.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg.; Jason Terry,
G, 6-2, 188, So., 12.8 ppg, 6.0 apg.; Miles
Simon, G, 6-5, 199, Jr., currently is acade
mically ineligible.
■Outlook: After losing four of five
starters, including Simon to academic prob
lems, it appeared as though Arizona might
be heading into a rough
waters.
No such luck. Olson
quickly retooled with true
freshman point guard sen
sation Mike Bibby and ju
nior college transfer
Bennett Davison at power
forward. Those two, com
bined with the sensational
play of forward Dickerson,
led the Wildcats to a 7-2 non
conference record, including
wins against North Carolina,
Texas and Utah.
Arizona, barring any major in
juries, should win the confer
ence.
■ ferry Green comment’s:
“Arizona has shown early that
they can play with anyone in the
country. They are certainly go
ing to be a major force, if not the
favorite, in the conference."
Arizona State
Sun Devils
■ Head Coach: Bill Frieder (7th
year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 11-16, 6-12
(8th)
■ Key Returnees: Jeremy Veal, G,
6-3, 182, Jr., 18.8 ppg, 5.2 apg.;
Roger Farrington, F, 6-7, 210, Sr.,
10.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg.
■ Outlook: Is this really the same pro
gram that was in the Sweet Sixteen just two
seasons ago? This will no doubt be
Frieder’s worst team since he became the
Sun Devils’ head coach. With graduated
guard Ron Riley gone, Arizona State is now
just a one threat team. Veal is the Pac-10's
top returning scorer from last season when
he averaged 18.9 points per game.
■ Jerry Green comment’s: "Arizona
State has struggled, but Michael Batiste is a
great player."
California Golden Bears
■ Head Coach: Ben Braun (1st year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 17-11,11-7 (4th)
■ Key Returnees: Ed Gray, G, 6-3, 210,
Sr., 21.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg.; Randy Duck, G, 6-2,
205, Sr., 10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg.
Alfred Grigsby, F, 6-8, Sr., 6.9 ppg, 3.2
rpg
■ Outlook: If there were any questions
about how tough and unpredictable the
Pac-10 will be this year, look no further
than Berkeley for the answer. Predicted by
some preseason college basketball maga
zines to finish as low as eighth in the con
ference, the Bears went 9-2 in non-confer
ence play, losing only to
No. 1 Kansas and No. 19
Maryland.
■ Jerry Green com
ment’s: “They are cer
tainly a surprise, but I
think their talent is as
good as anybody in the
league with the excep
tion of UCLA and possi
bly Arizona.”
Oregon State Beavers
■ Head Coach: Eddie Payne
(2nd year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 4-23, 2-16
(10th)
■ Key Returnees: Sonny Ben
jamin, F, 6-6, 202, Jr., 5.2 ppg, 3.6
rP8’
■ Outlook: The bad news is that
the Beavers won only four of nine
non-conference games. The good
sgt news is tnat tnose tour wins equaled
the total number of Beaver victories
■ during the entire 1995-96 season.
I With a very talented core group of
I freshman in Corvallis, including prep
i phenom Corey Benjamin, Oregon State
[ will definitely challenge some teams.
But this is a team to look for in the future,
when the young guys mature.
■ Jerry Green comment’s: “They are
regrooving. If they can put it together they
will win some games. ”
Stanford Cardinal
■ Head Coach: Mike Montgomery
■ 1995-96 Record: 20-9,12-6 (3rd)
■ Key Returnees: Brevin Knight, G, 5-10,
173, Sr., 14.0 ppg, 8.0 apg.; Tim Young, C,
7-1, 245, Jr., 16.9 ppg, 8. rpg.
■ Outlook: Even after losing four starters
from last year’s squad, the Cardinal are still
expected to compete for the conference ti
tle. Why? Because Knight is considered by
many to be the best point guard in the na
tion and Young is putting up big numbers
from the center position.
Whether these two can lead this team
past Arizona and UCLA still remains to be
seen. But what is a ~~.
sure bet is that they
will be in the
NCAA tournament
come the end of the
season.
■ Jerry Green
comment’s: “They
are an excellent
basketball team with
two kids (Knight and
Young) that could be
playing in the NBA one
day."
UCLA Bruins
■ Head Coach: Steve
Lavin (1st year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 23
8,16-2 (1st)
■ Key Returnees: Toby
Bailey, G, 6-5, 205, Jr, 13.0
ppg, 5.3 rpg.; Charles O’Ban
non, F, 6-5, 209, Sr., 14.6 ppg,
6.0 rpg.; Jelani McCoy, C, 6-10,
220,11.5 ppg, So., 6.3 rpg.; J.R.
Henderson, F, 6-9, 223, Jr., *
14.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg.; Kris John
son, u-r, o-j, zzz, jr., iz./ ppg, j.i rpg. m
■ Outlook: On paper, there is no
question that UCLA has the most talented
starting line-up in the Pac-10. Three starters
are being projected as first-round NBA draft
picks next summer. But while skills are
abundant, leadership amongst the players
is almost non-existent as is their respect for
Lavin and his interim status.
■ Jerry Green comment’s: “They’ve got
seven really outstanding players. I do think
they will miss (fired head coach Jim) Har
rick in tough situations."
USC Trojans
■ Head Coach: Henry Bibby (1st full sea
son)
■ 1995-96 Record: 11-19, 4-14 (9th)
■ Key Returnees: Stais Boseman, G, 6-4,
200, Sr., 15.7 ppg, 3.8 apg.; Jaha Wilson, F,
6-5, 210, Sr., 12.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg.
■ Outlook: A week ago, this team looked
as if it was going to be fighting it out with
OSU and ASU for a spot in the Pac-10 cel
lar. But after last weekend’s impressive
stompings of Washington and Washington
State, USC has turned some heads.
Roderick Rhodes, the underachieving
transfer from Kentucky has proven that he
is much more than just a malcontent, lead
ing the Trojans in scoring with 16 points
per game.
■ Jerry Green Comment’s: “They have
good returning players. If they can put it to
gether, they could be dangerous."
Washington Huskies
Head Coach: Bob Bender (3rd year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 16-12, 9-9 (Tied
for 5th)
■ Key Returnees: Mark San
ford, F, 6-8, 200, Jr., 15.8 ppg, 7.4
rpg.; Todd MacCulloch, C, 7-0,
270, So., 15.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg.; Jamie
Booker, G, 6-3,190, Sr., 12.0 ppg,
4.5 apg.
■ Outlook: One of the Pac-10's
up-and-coming teams. But if they
want to compete with the big boys
they will have to win on the road,
which they were incapable of do
ing last weekend in Los Angeles.
But with one of the conference’s
premier players in Sanford and a
possible twin tower line-up of Mac
Culloch and 7-foot-l Patrick Femer
ling, the Huskies will be an intimi
dating force to contend with.
■ Jerry Green comment’s:
j “Washington has tremendous
size inside and they play awfully
good at home."
Washington State Cougars
■ Head Coach: Kevin Eastman (2nd year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 17-12, 8-10 (7th
place)
■ Key Returnees: Isaac Fontaine, G, 6-3,
215, Sr., 20.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg.; Carlos Daniel, F,
6-6, 230, Sr., 12.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg.
■ Outlook: Although this team has the
premier shooting guard in the Pac-10 in
Fontaine, they have little else. But that
doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to
be an easy win, however, because Fontaine
and Daniel are capable of carrying the team.
■ Jerry Green comment’s: “Washington
State has two or three excellent players.
They are capable of playing anybody in the
league."
Emerald sports reporter Chris Hansen
compiled and wrote this year's Pac-10
Preview.
Green’s Ducks are best of the rest in conference title race
■ MEN: Led by Senior
Kenya Wilkins, Oregon looks
to return to the postseason
By Chris Hansen
Sports Reporter
■ Head Coach: Jerry Green (5th
year)
■ 1995-96 Record: 16-13, 9-9
(Tied for 5th)
■1996-1997 Record: 10-0,1-0
■ Outlook: Off to its best start
in 22 years, Oregon is playing like
a true conference title contender.
Which, if it keeps playing like it is
now, isn’t such a far-fetched idea.
Granted, the Ducks didn’t play
the tough non-conference sched
ule that Arizona did, but they
didn’t exactly play cupcakes ei
ther. No matter how you look at it,
Oregon’s undefeated record is a
thing of beauty and not all that
surprising to the Oregon players
either.
"Right from the beginning of
the year we knew we were going
to be good,” forward Kyle Milling
said. “We’re not surprised at all.
We knew as a team that we could
come out and do it. Everybody
else’s expectations might be ris
ing, but ours haven’t changed.”
“At the beginning of the year
we said we wanted to be the best
team we could be,” guard Kenya
Wilkins claimed. “And being un
defeated is a great start. ”
A great start indeed. But the
question is, can the Ducks contin
ue to play at this level when the
competition becomes stronger?
When the teams become Arizona,
UCLA and Stanford instead of
Boise State, Nevada and San
Diego State?
Oregon head coach Jerry Green,
for one, said yes.
“I think it takes a while to learn
how to win,” he said. “When we
first came here, this program was
an embarrassment. It took a while
to tell and convince a group that
they are good enough to beat
teams if they play hard and smart.
“We have finally learned how
to win. It hasn’t been automatic. It
has taken a while to develop that
attitude.”
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to
have a line-up that is returning all
five starters. Wilkins, although
not as highly touted as counter
part Brevin Knight at Stanford,
has put up better numbers than
any other point guard in the Pac
10 thus far, and is easily playing
the best basketball of his career.
Guard Jamal Lawrence has also
been outstanding, averaging near
ly 15 points a game and hitting 53
percent from three-point range.
Milling is averaging 13 points a
game while also grabbing a team
high eight rebounds. Jamar Curry
is the fourth starter averaging dou
ble-digits in points per game with
just over 12.
What has been somewhat of a
disappointment so far this year,
though, is Oregon’s depth. With
the exception of Henry Madden,
who returned to the team this sea
son after a year away to get acade
mically eligible, the Ducks’ bench
hasn’t played up to expectations.
“I had great hope in Terik
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