Jeff Lund

The Arizona men's basketball team is beginning to shed its soft image, and people are taking notice.

Anyone who watched Arizona's game against Oregon saw what a physically bruising game it was. Both teams went all out, bodies flying every where, 3-pointers galore öö college basketball at its finest.

Neither team gave an inch. It was not a finesse game. It was an NCAA tournament-esque, balls to the wall effort from both teams.

It wasn't necessarily the type of ball the Pacific-10 Conference is used to, which sparked the sports editor of the Daily Emerald, Peter Hockaday, to define Arizona's game plan against Oregon as simply to beat up the Ducks.

"If you can't beat 'em ... beat 'em up," Hockaday wrote. "That was Arizona's philosophy Saturday afternoon in Tucson, where the No. 1 Wildcats played physical defense on Oregon star Luke Ridnour in the second half and eventually beat up the Ducks, 88-80."

Arizona associate head coach Jim Rosborough said it is the inconsistencies in how games are refereed from conference to conference that would make someone see Saturday's matchup as an overly rough contest.

"It's so inconsistent when we look at Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas; it doesn't even resemble our league," Rosborough said. "(The Pac-10) is not an extremely physical league."

The game was physical, yes. That's what happens when two high-octane-capable teams play.

That should have been the game plan of Oregon too. Not with intent to injure, but with the desire to out-hustle and push back when shoved.

The Duck team that showed up Saturday was the one that gave Arizona fits and swept the Wildcats last season.

This year, Arizona was the better team, plain and simple. It just took a little more muscle and persuasion to put away Oregon. That will come in very handy when the NCAA tournament begins in two weeks.

When shots don't fall öö as they didn't for Arizona in the first half öö it comes down to controlling the things the team can control: Boxing out, getting on the floor for loose balls, and playing hard-nosed defense.

At the beginning of the season, ESPN.com ranked the Big 12's Oklahoma as its top No. 1 seed in its Power 16 rankings of its "toughness."

Everyone in and around Tucson remembers it was the Sooners' physical demeanor that ousted the Wildcats from the tournament.

The Wildcats not only struggled from the field, but were out-rebounded in the decisive second half. Following Oregon's loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight, the talk was how the Big 12 was simply too strong, too tough and too physical for its opponents, who both happened to be in the Pac-10.

The season ended with UA's realization that it had failed in one very controllable aspect ÷ desire.

Arizona can't control the officiating; it can only prepare itself for any type of situation.

Lute Olson's team will be ready this time around, no matter who the Wildcats play, and they can thank Oregon for taking Arizona to the brink, without stealing the victory in McKale.

The Wildcats have won all kinds of games. They won in overtime against Washington öö a potential first or second round-type game.

Lute Olson's team pulled out wins against Stanford and California öö squads similar to possible No. 4 seeds in the tournament.

Lastly, Arizona has won games against legitimate national title contenders in Texas and Kansas.

Arizona keeps learning with every victory.

Its not about beauty; its about results come March, whatever team is left standing öö or hit the floor and got up the quickest.