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By Craig Degel
Arizona Daily Wildcat November 24, 1997
PAC - 10 Preview
This should be the year the Arizona seniors get a ring - a Pacific 10 Conference championship ring that is. Their three years without one is the biggest drought in the Lute Olson era and all the Wildcats have said that winning a Pac-10 title is on their to-do-list for the new season. With that in mind, here's how the race for second place should turn out. Stanford Last year: 22-8, 12-6 (T-2nd), Sweet 16 This year: Brevin Knight is wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform this year. That hurts. However, four starters return to the team that pulled off the second biggest upset of the tournament - a 72-66 win over Wake Forest. Added to the mix is one of the nation's best recruiting classes with the celebrated Collins twins, Jason (6-10) and Jarron (6-9) who the Cardinal considered important enough to put on the cover of the media guide. True freshman on the cover of the media guide? That's confidence. Prediction: A sweet return to the round of 16.
UCLA Last year: 24-8, 15-3 (1st), Elite Eight This year: The fabulous freshman who won the NCAA title in 1995 are seniors now. Two of them, Kris Johnson, and Jelani McCoy were suspended in the off-season for breaking team policy. Johnson is on the way to making ammends but without McCoy, the Bruins lack size. They added a recruiting class that includes Baron Davis, a point guard who draws comparisons to Mike Bibby. That's a lot of hype. He'll be asked to back it up quickly with non-conference tests against North Carolina, New Mexico, Louisville and Duke. Prediction: They'll make the tournament. How far they go depends on senior Toby Bailey. If he goes into March concerned only about his draft standiing, the Bruins will exit early.
Washington Last year: 17-11, 10-8 (6th), NIT This year: This is a team that has gone 16-12 and 17-11 the last two years, has a roster that includes two 7-footers, and a coach who played for and coached with Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. So, how has this team not made the NCAA Tournament? How's this for evidence: The Huskies turned the ball over 20.6 times a game last year. Prediction: If they can hold on to the ball, expect Washington to play well into March.
California Last year: 23-9, 12-6 (T-2nd), Sweet 16 This year: Ed Gray, last season's conference player of the year, is gone. So is power forward Tony Gonzalez, who now plays football for the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, the Bears don't return a single starter. So how will they finish fifth? Because they do return Pac-10 coach of the year Ben Braun. If anybody can make the Bears respectable, it's Braun who once crafted a Tournament upset of Duke and almost upset UNC in the 1997 Sweet 16. Prediction: The Sweet 16 may be a stretch, but a return to the Tournament is in the cards.
Oregon State Last year: 7-20, 3-15 (9th) This year: The Beavers would be even better if it weren't for the transfer of sophomore point guard Carson Cunningham. Cunningham gave Bibby a run for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors but moved back to his native Indiana and now plays for Purdue. Still, the Beavers return four other starters. Prediction: A year away from greatness.
Oregon Last year: 17-11, 8-10 (7th), NIT This year: New coach Ernie Kent returns to his alma mater to coach an Oregon team that has seen postseason action two of the last three years. The Ducks return just one starter - Jamal Curry - to their lineup but athletic 7-footer Mike Carson joins the starting five. However, Kent knows a thing or two about coaching big men. He was coach at St. Mary's last season with 7-foot-3 center Brad Millard. Prediction: A second-straight NIT berth.
Arizona State Last year: 10-20, 2-16 (10th) This year: Bill Frieder is gone so the ASU bench won't be half as fun to watch. If the Sun Devils can shake the injury bug that has plagued them the last few years and if they can keep their best players off the police blotter, they could rise above eighth place. If not, it could get ugly. Prediction: New coach, same old Sun Devils.
Washington State Last year: 13-17, 5-13 (8th) This year: This team is going nowhere. Just two starters return and as many as four newcomers will be expected to contribute to a team that last year was worst in the conference in rebounding and steals. Prediction: Losses up the Wazzu.
Southern Cal Last year: 17-11, 12-6 (T-2nd), NCAA 1st Round This year: Elias Ayuso is the only returning starter of note and he only averaged 8.9 points a game last year. Jarvis Turner, a member of last year's All-Pac-10 freshman team will provide size but don't expect much from the Trojans. Prediction: A bad basketball team to go with the bad football team in a town were nobody will notice anyway as long as the Lakers keep winning. The Associated Press Top 25
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1997-98 Arizona Men's Basketball Schedule
Day Date Opponent TV Location Time
Sat Nov.1 Red Blue Scrimmage KTTU Tucson 7:37p.m.
Thu Nov.13 Melbourne Magic (exhibition) KTTU Tucson 7:37 p.m.
Thu Nov.20 Morgan State KTTU Tucson 7:37 p.m.
(Maui Invitational)
Mon Nov. 24 Boston College ESPN2 Hawaii 2 p.m. HST
Tue Nov. 25 Kentucky/George Washington ESPN Hawaii 4 p.m. HST
Wed Nov. 26 Maui Invitational ESPN Hawaii tba
(Maui Invitational field includes: Arizona, Boston College, Chaminade, DePaul, Duke,
George Washington, Kentucky & Missouri)
Sat Nov. 29 UNC Asheville KTTU Tucson 7:07 p.m.
Tue Dec. 2 Kansas (Great Eight) ESPN Chicago # 8:30 p.m. CST
Sat Dec. 6 @Texas ESPN Austin, Tx 8:00 p.m. CST
Mon Dec. 8 @Baylor ESPN2 Waco, Tx 6:00 p.m. CST
Sat Dec. 13 Coppin State CBS Tucson Noon
Wed Dec. 17 Marathon (exhibition) KTTU Tucson 7:37 p.m.
Tue Dec. 23 Florida State ESPN2 Tallahassee 7 p.m. EST
(Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic Tucson)
Sun Dec. 28 Davidson vs. Kansas State 4:15 p.m.
James Madison vs. Arizona KTTU 6:37 p.m.
Tue Dec. 30 Consolation Game 4:15 p.m.
Championship (Arizona game to be televised by KTTU) 6:37 p.m.
Sat Jan. 3 UCLA* fX Tucson 8:30 p.m.
Mon Jan. 5 USC* KTTU Tucson 6:37 p.m.
Thu Jan. 8 @Washington State* None Spokane, Wa. 7 p.m. PST
Sat Jan. 10 @Washington* Fox Seattle, Wa. 3 p.m. PST
Thu Jan. 15 Arizona State* KTTU Tucson 6:37 p.m.
Sun Jan. 18 New Mexico CBS Tucson 2 p.m.
Thu Jan. 22 Oregon* KTTU Tucson 6:37 p.m.
Sun Jan. 25 Oregon State* ABC Tucson 2 p.m.
Thu Jan. 29 @Stanford* Fox Stanford, Ca. 7:30 p.m. PST
Sat Jan. 31 @California* fX Oakland, Ca.% 7:30 p.m. PST
Thu Feb. 5 Washington* KTTU Tucson 6:37 p.m.
Sat Feb. 7 Washington State* KTTU Tucson 6:37 p.m.
Sat Feb. 14 @Arizona State* KTTU Tempe, Az. 2:07 p.m.
Thu Feb. 19 @Oregon State* None Corvallis, Ore. 7:00 p.m. PST
Sat Feb. 21 @Oregon* ABC Eugene, Ore. 1:30 p.m. PST
Thu Feb. 26 California* Fox Tucson 8:30 p.m.
Sat Feb. 28 Stanford* CBS Tucson 11 a.m.
Thu Mar 5 @USC* Fox or KTTU LA, Calif. 7:30 p.m. PST
Sat Mar 7 @UCLA* Fox LA, Calif. 1 p.m. PST
# United Center
% Oakland Coliseum
* Pac-10
Conference Game
Schedule subject to change
All games broadcast on the radio by Learfield Network/KNST (790 AM in Tucson)
All Times Are Mountain Standard Unless Noted
