No one is ever going to mistake Channing Frye for a football player.

Standing at 6 foot 10 inches and weighing just 235 pounds, the UA sophomore has been called everything in the book, from a gentle giant to just plain soft since his arrival at Arizona less than two years ago.

But on Saturday afternoon, associate head coach Jim Rosborough described the new Frye best.

"(Frye was) really darn tough," Rosborough said.

He even showed off his new strength and intensity, scoring a career-high 25 points and pulling down 14 rebounds against a player that is used to banging bodies on the grid iron for the USC football team, Gregg Guenther, Jr.

"I thought he came out and got the crowd going and his teammates going," Rosborough said. "Maybe that's what you need when a game starts at 11 in the morning."

On Friday night, sitting in his room at the University Marriott öö the team is required to stay there before games öö Frye was watching the Lakers-Spurs game.

"I was watching Tim Duncan last night. He just went out there and played. He did his thing," said Frye about the former NBA MVP for the San Antonio Spurs. "I try to pattern my game off of him. I'm a little more emotional, but I try to go out there and play and get to my spots."

When Frye was being recruited by Arizona, he wasn't as big of a recruit as his four other classmates. David Lopez, his high school coach from St. Mary's in Phoenix, thought that as well, along with USC head coach Henry Bibby.

"I saw Channing in high school and I thought he was just a weak, big kid," Bibby said. "But he has improved so much in the last year. He dominates play in the middle and is very physical."

Channing wasn't lacking the size or skills, maybe just the killer instinct. One game he could drop 15 points and pull down 10 boards, and then the next game he would be playing behind Isaiah Fox and Dennis Latimore.

In the Wildcats' two huge non-conference games this year with Texas and Kansas, he scored a total of three points. But as shown Saturday afternoon, that was the Frye of old.

"The last couple of weeks, Channing has been unbelievable," senior Luke Walton said. "We know what he's capable of. Now he's been stepping up and is becoming one of the premier centers in this league. If he keeps playing like this, it's just proving that he's the man (among centers) in this league."

The turning point for Frye occurred leading up to the game against Arizona State when he opened up Tucson newspapers and read articles claiming the Sun Devils' freshman Ike Diogu was the conference's best center.

Frye came out and dominated Diogu early with quick post moves, mostly using aggressive on-the-ball defense and a quick hook that he can shoot with either hand.

Frye is not counted on to score as much as Diogu is, but when he does contribute, like in both games against the Los Angeles schools, the Wildcats really become dominant. He has averaged 13 points and 8.3 rebounds in conference play and has increased those numbers in his last four games, leading in part to his nomination for Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week last week.

"I just let the game come to me. I wanted to make this a good weekend for the L.A. schools," Frye said. "We're playing Arizona basketball. It's just much more fun that way. Everybody is going to have their day; this has just been my weekend."

With games coming up against Arizona State, California and Stanford ÷ the three teams directly behind the Wildcats in the conference standings ÷ the team is hoping that Frye can remain "really darn tough."