Two seasons ago six freshmen walked onto the court at Arizona for the first time. They were head coach Joan Bonvicini's first true recruiting class, a talented bunch of young women who had primarily been drawn to the university by her reputation.

It was Bonvicini's fourth season at Arizona, and when her team struggled to an 11-19 overall record there weren't too many murmurs of disapproval. After all, Arizona had a tradition of losing records. But this was different. This was a talented young team that had something new: potential.

Two seasons later, the Wildcats have already run out to a 5-1 nonconference record, with their only loss coming against third-ranked Louisiana Tech.They're on the verge of jumping into the top 25 for the first time ever and may soon finally turn the proverbial corner.

"We expect to win every game," forward Adia Barnes said. "I know everybody says that, but in my first season here, I don't think I was so sure. This team has confidence that it can play with anybody."

The Wildcats will host the annual Copper Bowl Classic at McKale Center today and Sunday. Arizona plays San Jose State (1-4) tonight at 8 p.m. Harvard and Southern Illinois are featured in the 6 p.m. game. The winners and losers of today's contests will play each other on Sunday with the winner at 3 p.m and losers at 1 p.m.

Bonvicini has worked hard to instill that confidence and sense of pride in her players. If they take a loss personally, they will play harder, she said.

That sense of pride has brought with it new expectations. Two seasons ago Arizona was picked to finish next to last in the Pacific 10 Conference. This season it is expected to finish in the top three.

Last season the team members expected to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. This season they expect to make an impact in the NCAA Tournament. Last season head coach Joan Bonvicini expected her team to take a step forward. This season she expects them not to look back.

So far, the Wildcats have averaged 83.3 points per game, tops in the conference. Bonvicini has been tinkering with her lineup all season in hopes of getting the maximum from her talent. She wants her team to be together by the time it enters Pac-10 play.

"We have a lot of qualities that characterize a good team," Bonvicini said. "We rebound well, play good defense and are rapidly maturing. Our players are young, but they are very, very focused."

Arizona had a tougher non-conference schedule this season. That was something emphasized after it failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season, despite a third-place finish in the Pac-10.

The Wildcats have an all-star forward in Barnes, a heady senior in center Jacque Barrington and an exciting freshman in point guard Lisa Griffith. The only thing missing is a giant front line. Junior center Marte Alexander is the tallest player at 6-foot-4, Barrington is 6-2, and seldom-used center Fatima Imara is 6-3.

"We are not big up front, but we make up for it in other ways," Bonvicini said. "Our quickness and our defense key us."

Defense is something Arizona played well last season and is starting to play well again this year. With guard DeAngela Minter igniting a quick backcourt and the front line keying on opponents' big people, the Wildcats have shown they can compete with anyone.

"The defense make us go," Minter said. "When we are denying people good looks and getting our hands on the ball, everything else takes care of itself."

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