By
Chris Martin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Woods done answering questions about his back
After spending a week on the USA Men's Basketball Select Team in late August, UA junior forward Michael Wright said he still has a lot to learn about the game of basketball.
Wright's team - which was comprised of 12 of the top collegiate players in the country - played against the USA Basketball Men's Senior Team, which is currently playing in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
"USA basketball was a good experience, it's just like a measuring stick," Wright said. "It was a good experience and I know what to work on to get to the next level."
Playing with the All-Stars, like Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen, allowed Wright to experience the speed of the NBA and get a sense of the dedication and rigors professional players go through in their training.
"Alonzo Mourning is like running 75 laps around the gym and stuff like that, K.G. is doing whatever he can," Wright said of their training. "One day, I worked out with K.G., and I was so tired and exhausted. I learned a lot, and I learned a lot about the NBA players, too."
The experience was also a bit of reality, too, as Wright claims that during the first practice against the current Dream Teamers, the collegians lost by close to 50 points in their first scrimmage.
"It was a big shock when we played them the first day of practice and only scored six points," he said.
***
The men's basketball team was well represented yesterday when the Preseason Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year List was announced.
Four starters - guard Jason Gardner, forwards Richard Jefferson and Wright and center Loren Woods - were nominated, making Arizona the most represented team.
"It is quite an honor," Woods said. "It's an honor, but it doesn't mean anything right now - it's just on paper."
Maryland and Duke were the teams with the second most nominated players - three each.
There was an exception from the list that did stand out - sophomore guard Gilbert Arenas, who was nominated for the John R. Wooden Award earlier in the month.
"I can't believe Gilbert wasn't on there," redshirt freshman Michael Schwertley said.
Even without Arenas being nominated, senior forward Justin Wessel warned that awards don't make for good teams.
"Really, it is a preseason award, so they haven't won anything, yet they still have to go and prove it," he said. "It just puts the expectations up there, but we like the expectations."
Even with the raised expectations, Wood said he still expects a Wildcat to come away with the Naismith Award.
"Even if I am not the player of the year, one of my teammates is," the 7-foot-1 center said. "That is because we are one of the best teams in the country."
***
One thing lacking from the defending Pacific 10 Conference champions last season was an intimidating presence on the court.
Enter redshirt senior Eugene Edgerson back into the equation as the enforcer the Wildcats seemingly lacked last season.
Though Edgerson was able to participate in practice last season and attended home games, the players are glad that his fiery presence will be seen on the court this year instead of on the bench.
"It is real good because last year - even though he was here for the home games - we kind of missed his spark off the bench and his little motivation and hustle plays," Wright said.
Another valuable aspect Edgerson will bring to the team is experience - the Louisiana native is the lone member of the 2000-01 squad to have participated in a 1997 National Championship game.
"He really gets the guys going, he fights," Schwertley said. "I think he is a vocal leader, but he also leads by example."
***
Senior center Woods is tired of everyone asking about his surgically repaired back.
While walking into an interview with a television station, Woods raised both his hands and jokingly proclaimed that he would only do the interview if there would be no questions about his back and the pressure that comes with playing on, quite possibility, a No. 1 ranked team.
Woods did the interview, but the questions about his back have grown tiresome.
"I am really sick of it," he said. "I stopped answering questions about my back three weeks ago."
Woods said he wants the focus of the team to be solely on preparing for the upcoming season.
"That's what we are doing right now, focusing on playing," Woods said. "The team, the coaches, everybody - we're trying to be the No. 1 team in the nation."
