similarities

Shane Dale Assistant Sports Editor

This year's team just isn't ready.

There's no true leadership.

They lost too many guys from last season.

Wait 'til next year; they're gonna be awesome.

This was the sentiment from fans and analysts regarding the Arizona men's basketball team's national championship hopes in the 1996-97 season. The same chatter from seven years ago can be heard on TV and around the university right now.

The 96-97 national champion Wildcats ended the regular season 19-9 and fifth in the Pac-10 at 11-7. They entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed - one of the lowest positions in the Lute Olson era.

Then, the Wildcats beat three No. 1 seeds and won a pair of overtime games to win their first national championship in school history.

Can this year's underachieving squad do the same? Some of the similarities are somewhat eerie. Consider the following:

Arizona was 16-6 through 22 games in 96-97. Arizona is 16-6 through 22 games this season.

Arizona was 8-5 through 13 Pac-10 games in 96-97. Arizona is 8-5 through 13 Pac-10 games this season.

Arizona was 5-1 at home and 3-4 on the road in conference play at this point in 96-97. Arizona is 5-1 at home and 3-4 on the road in conference play this season.

The 96-97 team was led by freshman point guard Mike Bibby. This year's team is led by freshman point guard Mustafa Shakur.

Both teams feature eight scholarship players.

Both teams have no starting seniors. Walk-on Jason Lee was the only senior on the 96-97 team. This year's team has two seniors who rarely play more than two minutes per contest: guards Fil Torres and Jason Ranne. Ranne - both walk-ons.

The 96-97 Wildcats lost five seniors from the previous season. This year's team lost three - Luke Walton, Rick Anderson and Jason Gardner - after the 2002-03 campaign.

The 96-97 starting five featured two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. Sound familiar?

Arizona is ranked 14th in the latest AP poll and 13th in the coaches' poll. The 96-97 team was ranked 13th in the AP and 12th in the coaches' poll at the same point of that season.

Through last weekend's contests, ESPN.com has the Wildcats projected as a No. 6 seed. But Arizona hasn't been lower than a No. 5 seed in 15 years.

With an easy Pac-10 schedule the rest of the way, including three of five at home, Arizona should only improve its tournament position.

A No. 4 seed is definitely not out of the question.

No. 3 seed Syracuse reminded us that in any given NCAA Tournament, there are 15-20 teams that are capable of stringing six great games together to become and national champion. The Orangemen were the lowest seed to win the tournament since... yep, the 4th-seeded Wildcats in 1997.

Despite some losses to below-average teams, this year's team has already demonstrated it can compete with some of the best teams in the country when it focuses for 40 minutes. The Wildcats beat then-No. 6 Texas on Dec. 10 and blew a four-point lead with under a minute to play in a last-second loss to top-ranked Stanford a week and a half ago.

The similarities between the 96-97 team and this year's group have been remarkable to this point. The parallels would be that much more remarkable if they continued through March.

Shane Dale is a political science senior. He can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.