CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA freshman guard Mustafa Shakur tries to drive past teammate and sophomore guard Salim Stoudamire in last week's intra-squad Red-Blue scrimmage in McKale Center.

The Arizona men's basketball team will be looking to send the squad of Australia's finest a message when the Wildcats open their exhibition season tonight against the Sydney Comets.

Tonight's preseason opener against the Comets, who are making their second U.S. stop in as many days at McKale Center, will be Arizona's first game against an opponent other than themselves.

The Comets are on a North American Collegiate tour that took them to St. Mary's last night and will conclude with games at Utah tomorrow and at Oregon State Sunday.

The Australian squad's roster is comprised mostly of players from Australia, but does feature roundballers from England, Poland and even the United States.

Wednesday night's matchup with the Comets represents the first real game action for the Wildcats and the initial chance for fans to witness what kind of team Arizona will be this season.

"I was real proud of everyone," said head coach Lute Olson after the team's Red-Blue scrimmage last week in McKale. "I think we've got a long way to go, but we still look pretty good."

Despite dealing with problems off the court, forward Isaiah Fox has looked solid on it.

The junior tallied 30 points in last week's Red-Blue game, second only to sophomore Andre Iguodala.

Entering his third season in a Wildcat uniform, Fox is expected to see his playing minutes rise dramatically, especially with the offseason departure of fellow big man Chris Dunn.

Kirk Walters, who pulled down 10 rebounds in last week's scrimmage, adds some depth down low for the Wildcats - something that could be lacking this season, according to some critics.

"We don't have a lot of size out there," Olson said. "It's going to be a case of where we'd better be quick."

The early question on the minds of many Wildcat fans: Exactly where will the team get leadership from this season?

Iguodala's team-high 32 points last week suggest that leadership could come from him. The sophomore not only led the team in points but also had a game-high 17 rebounds to go with five assists and a game-saving block.

The Springfield, Ill., native is beginning to prove that he can score consistently down low and be a legitimate threat from behind the arc.

"I thought Andre's shooting was a plus," Olson said. "But we need to get more of his 15 defensive boards. He's got to push the ball better."

Arizona will conclude its brief two-game exhibition schedule next week against Team Nike in McKale Center before hitting the court for the 100th season in Wildcat basketball history.

Olson is sitting on 499 wins as UA head coach. His first chance to reach the 500-win milestone will come in the season's first contest Nov. 24 in Tucson against Northern Arizona.

The Hall of Fame coach, entering his 21st year at the Wildcats' helm, has 691 career victories against 237 losses. The 700-win plateau could be reached as early as January.

A perfect 8-0 opening in 2003 would land Olson at 699 wins going to Tempe Jan. 3 to take on Arizona State for win number 700.