The Pacific-10 Conference is filled with underdogs and teams that love to play the hunter, not the hunted.
Arizona won the NCAA Tournament in 1997 as a No. 4 seed. Stanford made the Final Four in 1998 as a No. 3 seed.
At the same time, the conference is top heavy, and teams have dominated the Pac-10 for years at a time. Now is the era of Stanford and Arizona, who were both ranked in the country’s top spot at different times this season.
This year, the race will be between the underdogs of the Pac-10. As Oregon, UCLA, California, and Southern California fight for the third and fourth conference bids in the NCAA Tournament, Stanford and Arizona will look on from the top, wary of those teams’ upset potential at all times.
So, are you ready for some Pac-10 basketball?
1. Stanford
Last year: 29-4 (NCAA 2nd round) Head coach: Mike Montgomery (13th season) Player to watch: Casey Jacobsen, G
Tiger Woods saw Stanford come from behind to beat Duke. Jerry West saw that game. So did Oscar Robertson. Did you see the Cardinal beat the Blue Devils? Stanford is No. 1 in the country, and are undefeated with impressive wins over Duke and Arizona. With the Wildcats faltering, the Cardinal seem a sure thing to take their third Pac-10 title in as many years.
2. Arizona
Last year: 27-7 (NCAA 2nd round) Head coach: Lute Olson (18th season) Player to watch: Loren Woods, C
Don’t count out the Wildcats just yet. Yes, Arizona was ranked first in every preseason poll, and yes, it has an 8-5 record with losses to Mississippi State and Purdue. But Arizona has too much talent up and down the roster to throw the season away. When head coach Lute Olson returns from mourning the death of his wife, Bobbie, the Wildcats will be contenders once more.
3. Oregon
Last year: 22-8 (NCAA 1st round) Head coach: Ernie Kent (4th season) Player to watch: Luke Ridnour, G
In a race for the Pac-10’s third NCAA bid, the Ducks may just have the heart — and the home court advantage — to make it back to the Big Dance. If Oregon can beat USC, California and UCLA at McArthur Court, and take one or two from those teams on the road, the Ducks could find themselves holding on to third place in the Pac-10 for the second year in a row.
4. USC
Last year: 16-14 Head Coach: Henry Bibby (5th season) Player to watch: Brian Scalabrine, F
One carrot-topped forward — Brian Scalabrine — and a guard from Compton — Jeff Trepagnier — should lead the Trojans back to a place they haven’t been since 1997: The NCAA Tournament.
Scalabrine was the Pac-10’s second-leading scorer last season and an all-Pac-10 selection. Trepagnier finished in the top-10 in five different statistical categories last season. The two, with a strong supporting cast, will lead the Trojans back to the Big Dance.
5. UCLA
Last year: 20-12 (NCAA round of 16) Head coach: Steve Lavin (5th season) Player to watch: Earl Watson, G
Jason Kapono won’t take UCLA’s steady decline lying down. His signature headband recalls an era long past, when the Bruins dominated the game and won title after title. That era was the early 1990’s. UCLA will return to dominance someday, but this year, they’ll settle for the middle of the Pac-10.
6. California
Last year: 18-15 (NIT 3rd round) Head coach: Ben Braun (5th season) Player to watch: Sean Lampley, F
The Golden Bears return all five starters from last year’s team that went to the National Invitation Tournament. California is a perfect 8-0 at home this year, but a 1-4 road record shows the Bears’ weakness. The Golden Bears, unless they can win a few key games outside of Berkeley, might be headed back to the NIT in 2000-01.
7. Oregon State
Last year: 13-16 Head coach: Ritchie McKay (1st season) Player to watch: Deaundra Tanner, G
The Beavers showed flashes of good basketball in their conference opener against Oregon, but flashes won’t win games in the Pac-10. Oregon State’s starters all average 25 minutes per game or more, while the top bench player averages just over six points per game. If Oregon State can get good bench play, and if the team’s starters can stay out of fatigue and foul trouble, the Beavers could surprise a few of the Pac-10’s elite teams.
8. Arizona State
Last year: 19-13 (NIT second round) Head coach: Rob Evans (3rd season) Player to watch: Awvee Storey, G/F
The Sun Devils made an impressive run to the NIT last season, but won’t be so fortunate this year. Losing your all-time leading scorer — Eddie House, in ASU’s case –won’t help. Unless Arizona State can find some offense soon — it averages 75.1 points on the season — it won’t be able to compete with anyone in the Pac-10 except Washington and Washington State.
9. Washington State
Last year: 6-22 Head coach: Paul Graham (2nd season) Player to watch: Mike Bush, G
The Cougars have been the Pac-10’s worst team for three years, but their luck may change this season with a little help from in-state rivals Washington. WSU scored 59 and 57 points in their conference home openers against USC and UCLA last week. But it will probably be another long season for the men from Pullman.
10. Washington
Last year: 10-20 Head coach: Bob Bender (8th season) Player to watch: Thalo Green, F
The Huskies started the 2000-01 season 6-4, and looked mediocre at best. Then came losses to California-Irvine and San Diego by a combined 19 points, and Washington headed into the Pac-10 season downtrodden. The Huskies then lost to UCLA 86-64 and USC 87-61, making the trip to a successful season look even more bleak.