Cats hope to avoid early tourney exit against Trojans
A new attitude has gripped the Arizona's men's basketball team as the Wildcats prepare to begin the second season tonight against an old foe.
After a regular-season split, with both teams winning on their home courts, that familiarity seems to be breeding intensity, if not contempt.
"Playing against someone you know, you want to kill them and take their heart," Arizona shooting guard Salim Stoudamire warned.
The Wildcats look to avenge a first-round loss in the Pacific 10 Conference Tournament last season, as the annual eight-team round-robin tips off tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Arizona (19-8, 11-7 Pac-10), which was upset by UCLA in last year's first round, has struggled against tonight's opponent, Southern California.
Stoudamire, the team's leading scorer (19.0 points per game) is also familiar with USC's top scorer, Desmon Farmer. Farmer torched the Wildcats for 40 points in USC's 99-90 win Jan. 15, and will be Stoudamire's main target when the two meet tonight at 9:45 MST.
The Portland, Ore., native said he knows what to expect from one of the conference's most notorious "smack-talkers," and is ready for anything Farmer throws his way.
The challenge in shutting down Farmer will be forcing him to his right, Stoudamire said ÷ a challenge the junior is up for.
"I love guarding guys the media hypes," Stoudamire said, "because I don't really think that they're that good. It'll be fun after I shut them down."
Stoudamire may be leading the Wildcats in scoring, but it's been his defense as of late that has had opponents seeing red. His most recent defensive lockdown came Feb. 28 against Washington state, when he held the Cougars' Marcus Moore to five points. Moore posted 36 in the first meeting at WSU.
As for the 6-foot-1 junior's tall talk about stopping Farmer, Stoudamire said he won't hide anything from USC's All-Pac-10 honoree.
"I know Des personally, so I'll probably tell him beforehand," Stoudamire said.
Arizona enters the three-day Pac-10 tourney and season rubber match against the No. 6 seed Trojans in the conference's No. 3 slot.
The prospect of playing three games in as many days does not faze the Wildcats, said junior center Channing Frye.
"That's why we work hard in preseason and conditioning," Frye said. "Coach O always keeps us in very good shape."
Olson said he will go seven players deep for the duration of the postseason, providing the Wildcats don't suffer any injuries or foul trouble. Sophomore guard Chris Rodgers and freshman forward Ivan Radenovic will come off the bench. Should a problem arise, Olson said he won't hesitate to insert freshman center Kirk Walters into the mix.
"He's has been playing really, really well in practice," Olson said of the 6-foot-10 Walters. "You can see the confidence building in him."
Despite being kept off the scoreboard in Arizona's season finale ÷ a 106-81 thumping of Arizona State ÷ Walters saw action in both halves, coming up with an emphatic block on a shot by Pac-10 leading scorer Ike Diogu.
Coming off back-to-back wins over the Cougars and Sun Devils, Olson said the Wildcats can't let the potential rematch with both Washington and Stanford blind them to the threat of USC and the rest of the Pac-10.
"You can look at all eight teams in this tourney. As teams have gathered experience, the gap in the conference really has lessened," Olson said.
Washington and Stanford ÷ potential opponents for Arizona, should all three advance in the tournament ÷ both swept the Wildcats during the regular season.
Frye said he welcomed the extra games the tournament affords, including the chance for revenge against the Huskies and Cardinal.
"Coach (Olson) may not like it, but I think it's a good test for us," Frye said of the Pac-10 Tournament. "It's a chance for us to get better and get mentally tougher."
Stoudamire has a different take on the Wildcats' situation this season.
"This year, our backs are to the wall, so we definitely need to rise to the occasion," Stoudamire said. "And I think we will."