CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Salim Stoudamire shoots over a defender during the Red-Blue game earlier this week. The junior was named a Naismith finalist.

Playing basketball in front of 14,000 fans? That's pressure, according to UA senior guard Jason Ranne.

Standing on the steps of Old Main in a suit and tie - instead of his comfortable white-and-red jersey - waiting to hear his name announced as this year's homecoming king? Not so much.

"Nah, its nothing compared to this," said Ranne, one of six finalists for the honor, after Wednesday's Red-Blue game at McKale Center.

Ranne - an honors student whose hard work on and off the court earned him a basketball scholarship last year after spending three seasons as a walk-on - was one of two male Homecoming nominees submitted by the UA athletics department.

He was the only one to be chosen as a finalist.

A political science senior, Ranne said he was told of the nomination by Becky Bell, director of the C.A.T.S. personal development program for UA athletics.

"You don't get any better than Jason," Bell said. "He went from walk-on to earning a basketball scholarship. He does a boatload of community service (and) does well in school. He's just an all-around great guy. He's a true student-athlete."

Ranne is also vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Board for the athletics department.

The 2003 UA homecoming king and queen will be announced tonight at 8 at the homecoming bonfire in front of Old Main.

Two men picked for Naismith list, Polk not

Juniors Salim Stoudamire and Channing Frye were among the 50 men chosen as preseason candidates for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year award.

Sophomore Shawntinice Polk, a preseason top-30 candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, was left off the Naismith women's list, much to the surprise of head coach Joan Bonvicini.

"I was a little surprised, but that's OK. It's preseason," Bonvicini said. "It's a long season. I know speaking on (Polk's) behalf (that) she'd rather have the team awards."

Bonvicini said that while she knows Polk - who averaged 17.4 points and 10.8 rebounds last season as a redshirt freshman - would rather see her team succeed than win personal acclaim, the sophomore should be recognized among the top players in the country.

"She doesn't get caught up in that stuff, and I can say that definitely, I don't," Bonvicini said. "But is she deserving? Definitely. Definitely."

Frye started 27 of the Wildcats' 32 games last season, averaging 12.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game - 14.0 and 8.3 during Pacific 10 Conference play - earning the center honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors.

Stoudamire, also an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection a year ago, averaged 13.0 points per game last season, seeing action in 30 of the Wildcats' 32 games after missing early action due to a high-ankle sprain. In his two seasons at Arizona, the guard has posted a .887 free throw percentage on top of shooting near 45 percent from 3-point range.

Frye steps up by stepping out for Cats

Wildcat fans shouldn't be surprised if Frye steps out and shoots from beyond the traditional 5-foot window most centers are accustomed to.

"Channing may be the second or third best shooter we have," said head coach Lute Olson after Frye connected on 12-23 attempts from the floor en route to a 24-point effort during Wednesday's Red-Blue game.

With Frye's Red squad trailing by as many as 11 in the second half, the 6-foot-11, 248-pound post player stepped away from the basket multiple times, connecting on back-to-back jumpers from the top of the key to cut the Blue squad's lead to three.

Frye is 0-for-1 in his career from three-point land; his lone miss came last season during the Wildcats' overtime loss to UCLA in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament. But based on last night's outing, he has the range to connect from beyond the arc if given the opportunity.

Arizona men picked to repeat as Pac-10 champs

The Wildcat men's basketball team is picked to finish first in the 2003-04 Pacific-10 Conference Men's basketball race, according to a poll of media members who cover Pac-10 men's basketball.

The poll shows Arizona, the defending Pac-10 champions, gathered 26 first-place votes and are picked the favorite this season. Stanford, returning four starters, picked up seven first-place votes and is tabbed for second place. California picked up one first-place vote and is slotted for third place. Oregon is picked for fourth, edging out Southern California, which garnered the remaining first-place vote. UCLA narrowly edges out Arizona State for sixth place. Washington gets the nod for eighth, while Washington State and Oregon State round out the preseason poll.