KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Center Channing Frye (center) is back practicing for the Wildcats after missing last week's scrimmage because he had to attend a wedding. Arizona, the preseason ESPN/USA Today No. 1, will hold a free open scrimmage today at 2:30 p.m. in McKale Center.

After months of speculation, the UA basketball team is ranked No. 1 in college basketball in the USA TODAY/ESPN preseason coaches poll released yesterday.

"I don't pay a lot of attention to (rankings), but we're not going to deflect that either," head coach Lute Olson said. "The reason the guys are here is because of the program, because they want to chance to win, and they want to play in big games."

It's the second time in three seasons and third time in six years the Wildcats have entered the season as the top team.

The Wildcats gained 27 of the 31 possible first-place votes, with Kansas coming in at No. 2.

UA had 770 points to KU's 740. Oklahoma, the team UA was eliminated by in the Sweet 16 last season, is No. 3. The remaining teams in the top five are Pittsburgh and Texas. Duke is ranked sixth.

Oregon is the second-highest Pac-10 team at No. 9, with UCLA at No. 12.

The Associated Press poll is due out Nov. 11.

If you missed out on your chance to get basketball tickets, you can watch the UA men's basketball team scrimmage today at 2:30 p.m. in McKale Center.

The scrimmage, the team's final before the Pepsi Red-Blue Game on Wednesday, will be free and open to the public.

This marks the third scrimmage that has been open to the public this season, after having zero last season. Senior point guard Jason Gardner said playing in front of fans has been good for the freshmen to acclimate them to playing in front of an audience.

"These scrimmages give the freshmen a chance to play in front of a large crowd," Gardner said. "When you come out for the scrimmage and see 2,000 fans, we realize that a lot of people are counting on us."

"This is an opportunity for the young players to step up and show what they can do," sophomore center Channing Frye said. "Chris Rodgers and Chris Dunn have really shown what they can do during the scrimmages."

These scrimmages may give the younger players a chance to earn minutes, but Gardner said that the freshmen earn their spot in the rotation during practice ÷ more so than the scrimmages.

"The freshmen have come to play," Gardner said. "Usually, freshmen are laid back and they realize what they could have done at the end of the season. That is not the case. They all think they can start and they have come to practice to compete and show they deserve to play."

Sophomore shooting guard Salim Stoudamire, who has been battling an ankle injury, returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday.

"I think Salim will be back to full strength in about two weeks," sophomore center Isaiah Fox said. "On Tuesday, he participated in 50 percent of the drills and yesterday, he was in all the drills."

Stoudamire, the reigning Pacific 10 Conference Freshman of the Year, adds to Arizona's offensive attack from the outside, but his defensive presence is what the Wildcats have missed most during the first three weeks of practice.

"We have really missed him," Gardner said. "When he is out there, it gives our players more rest when we press."

Stoudamire returned to practice, but he will be a game-time decision for tomorrow's scrimmage as well as the Pepsi Red-Blue Game next Wednesday.

With the Arizona roster filled with nine underclassmen, Gardner, one of the Wildcat tri-captains, said the team has gelled together quickly due to the amount of time they spend with one another off the court.

"We all hang out as much as possible," Gardner said. "On weekends, we go to the movies. If there is a football game, we will all try to go together. It has been a really big thing for us to hang out together this season."

Gardner said that when he was a freshman, the seniors had their set of friends and he didn't really spend time with them off the court.

This year is different as the players hang out as a team, regardless of their being seniors or freshmen.

With the football team on the road this weekend, Gardner is trying to get the team to go and support the soccer team in its match against Washington tonight.

Olson is entering his 20th season at the helm of the Arizona basketball program, and the athletic department is set to show its recognition for the Hall of Fame coach.

Beginning on Nov. 4, the Arizona athletic department Web site (http://www.arizonaathletics.com) will launch a list of the 20 top memories of Olson during his UA coaching career.

One memory will be posted each day until Arizona's first game, on Nov. 23 against Western Kentucky.

Sports Editor Maxx Wolfson contributed to this story.