Simon may miss OSU

Katherine K. Gardiner Arizona Daily Wildcat UA guard Miles Simon returned from this weekend's Los Angeles games with the flu and it is unknown if he will be well enough to play in Thursday's home game against Oregon State.

Benjamin, from Fontana (Calif.) High School, was on Arizona's wish list but did not have the academic standing to enroll as a Wildcat. He just recently scored high enough on the ACT to become eligible to enter the Beavers' lineup.

"We feel restricted when we recruit a lot of people," UA head coach Lute Olson said. "Each individual university has its own autonomy for admission requirements. The only way to get any consistency is for the conference to take a position on admissions."

While Benjamin has had his troubles hitting the books, his basketball talent has opened some eyes in Corvallis.

In two games last week, Benjamin averaged 28.5 points and five rebounds, while hitting 10 of 15 from three-point range. His performance earned him Pacific 10 Conference player of the week honors.

"Corey's a really athletic player and we tried to play together in some of the national tournaments in high school," said Bibby, who played with Benjamin on the West team in the McDonald's All-American game. "I enjoyed playing with him and I think it will be fun to play against him."

Arizona junior guard Miles Simon returned from Los Angeles with a severe case of the flu and is listed as questionable for Thursday's game. Simon missed Tuesday's practice and has been replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore Jason Terry.

"Miles had a relapse of the flu and has been having some respiratory problems," Olson said. "We don't know if he will play. We will make that decision before the game."

If Simon is not available, senior guard Jason Lee might see some extra time in the guard spot. Last Saturday against UCLA, Lee played 20 minutes and contributed five rebounds and three points. While his playing time has been a little erratic, Lee hasn't had a problem with mentally preparing for each game.

"I think that you always have to be ready to play. If you're not ready, you don't deserve to play," Lee said. "If I get more time on Thursday, I have (the) confidence that I will do the job the team needs."

Oregon State, long the doormat of the Pac-10, put itself on the map with its 86-77 home win over then-No. 15 Stanford.

"The Stanford game was a huge win for us," OSU coach Eddie Payne said. "And while the game is an important one for us as a team, it is a huge one for our program. It's really the first reward we've had for our work in the program over the last couple of years."

OSU used 52 percent shooting and clutch free throws to beat the Cardinal. While the Beavers have a talented young team, the upset shows Olson how tough conference road wins are going to be this season.

"I think that protecting your home court is even more important this season. If you can win five of nine on the road and win out at home, you should have a share of the title," Olson said. "While it is harder to win on the road this season, it also allows you to drop a couple and not be dead and buried in the conference race."