By
Keith Carmona
Arizona Daily Wildcat
For three weeks, the UA men's basketball team has been through numerous practices and scrimmages, but hasn't faced anybody other than its own teammates.
So the Wildcats' first exhibition outing against the EA Sports/California West All Stars on Sunday at 5 p.m. couldn't have been timed more perfectly.
Following what several players called their worst practice Tuesday and an "ugly" Pepsi Red/Blue Scrimmage Wednesday, new opponents give Arizona a chance to exorcise some early demons.
"We better get serious," UA associate head coach Jim Rosborough said. "Sometimes you look out there and see that guys maybe have read their press clippings too much. We need to get serious now and the defensive pressure in all areas needs to pick up now. That's the real emphasis."
The All-Stars is a touring professional team based out of Chatsworth, Calif., and is made up of former college players from around the country.
Among those competing on the All-Stars' squad are forward Larry Abney, a 2000 graduate of Fresno State and Bob Myers, a 1997 UCLA graduate and member of the Bruins' 1994 National Championship team.
"The California All-Stars are going to have a pretty good team," assistant coach Josh Pastner said. "We've just got to be ready from the start."
Following Wednesday's scrimmage, sophomore guard Jason Gardner said that in order to avoid embarrassing themselves Sunday, the Wildcats have to enter the game without such apathy.
"I know it's going to be a battle," Gardner said. "I think they'll come off the road from playing USC - that's their first game - and they're going to be ready to play. The main thing for us is to come in ready to play and not come out flat."
Arizona welcomes the opportunity to face someone besides their own teammates so they can start backing the preseason hype they've received-which includes the preseason No. 1 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and the Pacific 10 conference media poll.
"I am tired of answering those questions about how good we can be defensively or offensively," junior forward Richard Jefferson said. "You know that the sky's the limit for this team. We just have to go out and start playing."
In the two exhibition games preceding Arizona's regular season opener against Chaminade on Nov. 20 at the Maui Invitational, the UA coaching staff is trying to emphasize new NCAA rules that discourages brutish front court play.
"With the new officiating, the points of emphasis are going to be in calling the rough post play," associate head coach Jim Rosborough said. "Some things that we have taught, we are going to have to eliminate. If your arm is around (your opponent's body) and are not in good defensive post position, (the officials) are going to call it...we just can't pick up silly fouls."
