Loaded with new talent, the future of the Pacific 10 Conference appears to be bright. After all, most of the top players in the conference are young, talented and ready to make an impact. No schools will benefit more from the youth movement than the Pac-10's elite teams. With the departure of underclassmen to the NBA Draft - a trend that left the UA men's basketball team without three anticipated starters - freshmen are being forced into playing leadership roles.
Arizona
The 2001 national runner-up Wildcats replaced the departure of four starters and nine lettermen overall as best they could, bringing in a platoon of five prized recruits. While not the most highly touted class, it has been one of the most publicized so far this season.
Salim Stoudamire - the 6-foot-1 cousin of former UA great Damon Stoudamire - was last year's player of the year in Oregon before coming to Tucson. In just his third college game, Stoudamire raised eyebrows by scoring 19 second-half points to lead Arizona to a comeback victory over No. 22 Texas on Nov. 17.
Fellow guard Will Bynum from Chicago, Ill., averaged 27 points, six rebounds and six assists last year as a senior. For his size, the barely 6-foot Bynum's athletic ability is second-to-none, and he brings big playmaking capabilities to the UA backcourt.
Up front - where Arizona lost three starters to the draft - Dennis Latimore, Isaiah Fox and Channing Frye, each bring a different style of play.
Latimore is a big-bodied power forward with a strong presence. Latimore averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds as a high school senior last season and was heavily recruited by Kansas before deciding on UA. Latimore's minutes under head coach Lute Olson have increased as he gains experience.
At 6-foot-9 and 265 pounds, Fox used his size to earn a starting role for the Wildcats. Though he's not a big scorer, Fox has impressed the coaching staff by doing the dirty work down low, getting after loose balls and rebounding.
The 6-foot-11 Frye possesses a game similar to that of departed center Loren Woods, utilizing his long arms and tall stature in a variety of post moves. Frye was the 13th-ranked center in the country as a senior at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix.
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KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat
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UA freshman guard Salim Stoudamire attempts to block Kansas forward Drew Gooden in Kansas' 105-97 win Saturday in McKale Center.
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California
Cal went beyond the U.S. borders to find a center. Freshman Amit Tamir from Jerusalem adds a foreign flavor to the Golden Bears line-up. A member of the Israeli national team, the 6-foot-10 Tamir has also served a three-year stint in the Israeli Army.
Jamal Sampson, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound forward, was a third-team Parade All-American and top-30 national prospect last year. Scouts say he has the potential to become one of the premier centers in the country. Sampson averaged 15.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 2.4 bpg while leading his high school team to the 2001 California state title, a 33-2 record and a No. 4 ranking by USA Today.
With these two recruits, Cal is poised to make the jump from mediocrity to contender, despite the loss of 2001 Pac-10 Player of the Year Sean Lampley.
Stanford
Defending Pac-10 champion Stanford returns just one starter from last year's Elite Eight team, but don't expect this to be an off-year for the Cardinal.
All-American Casey Jacobsen will be complemented by a top crop of freshmen, led by 6-foot-7 guard/forward Josh Childress and 6-foot-2 guard Chris Hernandez. Both are ideal players for Stanford's high-scoring style of play.
All four of Stanford's freshmen have already made their presence felt on the court.
Childress wasted no time in Stanford's first four games. As a starter, Childress is second only to Jacobsen in scoring with 15.3 points per game and is third on the team with five rebounds per contest while dishing out 1.3 assists.
Nick Robinson, 6-foot-6 forward, and 6-foot-10 Robert Little will add some size inside to compliment experienced returning players. Both players are averaging 3.0 points per game so far but have been impressive on the boards. Little is fourth on the Cardinal's roster with 4.3 rebounds per game, just in front of Robinson's 3.7.
UCLA
Down the California coast at UCLA, the Bruins already had one of the most potent returning lineups in college basketball, but head coach Steve Lavin's freshman class adds even more strength to the team.
Leading a freshman recruiting class rated one of the best in the nation is 6-foot-6 guard Cedric Bozeman. Bozeman, a 2001 McDonald's All-American and younger brother of former UA women's basketball player Tysell Bozeman, averaged nearly 20 points per game en route to being named a third-team USA Today All-American.
Bozeman, who has started the Bruins' first four games at the point guard position, currently has a torn meniscus in his right knee and will undergo surgery next week. Bozeman's estimated month-long absence should allow his fellow freshmen to share in the spotlight.
Andre Patterson, a 6-foot-8 forward, and 6-foot-6 guard/forward Dijon Thompson are dangerous as well. Patterson averaged 26.8 points and 13 rebounds a game last season in high school, while Thompson recorded 23 points and seven rebounds per contest.
USC
Highlighted by three prep All-Americans, USC's freshman class should be able to make an immediate impact. Twin 6-foot-2 guards Errick and Derrick Craven, 6-foot-8 forward Nicholas Curtis and 6-foot-11 center Rory O'Neil will bolster the Trojan roster this year.
The athletic Craven twins, products of Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance, Calif., have earned a reputation for their tireless play on both ends of the court.
Both prep All-Americans, Errick Craven averaged 19.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 steals and shot 53 percent from the field as a senior in 2001, while Derrick Craven averaged 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting 56 percent from the field. The tandem led their school to consecutive California and CIF Southern Section Division III titles.
The third prep All-American, O'Neil is a versatile big man with an outside shooting touch. He averaged 25.1 points and 13.5 rebounds per game as a 2001 senior and ESPN.com ranked him the No. 6 prep center in the country.
The battle for the Pac-10 crown will be a tight one, and this year's freshmen will be in the thick of the battle. For many teams, the final standings will rely on the play of the new kids on the block.
