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Wildcat basketball the best game in town

The Arizona Wildcats' 1998 football season was a fluke. The team was not supposed to go 12-1 and finish the season ranked No. 4 nationally.

Entering the season, the UA football team was again ranked No. 4 and had hopes of perhaps making a title run at the Sugar Bowl. Yeah, then Lavaar Arrington and the Penn State Nittany Lions hit them with the cold, hard truth.

This year's disappointments against Penn State and Stanford was simply vintage Arizona football: Get nationally hyped, but then sorely disappoint. It is just an awakening to Wildcat sports fans that Arizona is not a football school, but a basketball school.

The list of amazing UA athletes begins with Wildcat basketball players: Damon Stoudamire, Brian Williams, Khalid Reeves, Steve Kerr and Sean Elliot, as well as the more recent standouts such as Mike Bibby, Michael Dickerson and Jason Terry.

The football program would be hard-pressed to formulate a list of prominent names that long which evoke such a strong sense of pride in UA sports fans.

This basketball season should be no different, so don't worry Wildcat fans, there is more to cheer about.

The 1999-2000 Arizona team features more pure talent and bench depth than any team Lute Olson has ever coached, including the national championship squad of 1996-97 or the following year where they returned all starters.

This year's talent begins with the post position.

Sophomore power forward Michael Wright was the Pacific 10 Conference Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American last season, and returns from the USA Men's World Junior Games in Spain bigger and badder than before.

For those who were at Arizona's first practice, they probably noted that Wright has shed a few pounds and is quicker running up and down the court, yet still possesses the power that makes him one of the nation's top enforcers.

At the other post position, swing forward Richard Jefferson is perhaps the best all-around athlete on the team.

Jefferson boasts the quickness of a point guard, yet still towers over most players. His ability to jump should make him a prolific scorer.

The forwards on the Arizona bench will provide as worthy rivals to Jefferson and Wright for playing time in practice each day.

Sophomore Rick Anderson came off the bench last season to provide big plays at the right time for the Wildcats. His spectacular shots would receive a roar from the McKale crowd and finally give UA the homecourt advantage.

Redshirt freshman Luke Walton hasn't had an opportunity to show his moves to Arizona fans, but since his father, NBA great Bill Walton has been his one-on-one partner for the past 19 years, his ability is a pretty safe bet.

Arizona basketball fans consider Lute Olson a demi-god. This year, with the addition of Loren Woods (a transfer from Wake Forest), 'Cats fans may just have someone new to worship.

Woods is a 7-foot-1 center that has the quickness to take the ball down court in a fast break.

NBA scouts have already predicted him to be a lottery pick in the 2000 draft, as they say they haven't seen the total package in a big man like Woods since Tim Duncan.

When faced with Woods, opposing coaches will have only one thing to say, "Is this guy for real?"

The best part about the UA guards in the 1999-2000 season is that Traves Wilson isn't one. His decision to transfer to Illinois State will spare the UA coaching staff from many headaches, as his antics off the court last year were a distraction that the 'Cats don't need to deal with.

The guard position isn't filled with players with a tremendous amount of collegiate experience, but the depth provided should make a good forum for all-out battles in practice for playing time.

Sophomore Rueben Douglas leads the pack, as he looks to be the likely candidate for starting shooting guard.

Douglas ended last season by averaging 16.5 points over the last four games, and looks to be more effective this season. Over the summer, Douglas hit the weights, which will make him a stronger force when driving in the paint.

Freshmen Gilbert Arenas and Jason Gardner were two of the most highly touted high school seniors last year and have been impressive early in practice.

Gardner has lofty expectations on his shoulders, though.

At the team's media day, Gardner was forced to answer questions about carrying on the "point guard tradition" at Arizona in following in the footsteps of Stoudamire and Bibby.

While he may not have the immediate impact of either of those two players seeming how Arizona has so many offensive weapons, Gardner's unmatched speed will enable him to quickly distribute the ball to Wright, Jefferson or Woods, if not blow by any of the nation's top point guards.

Arizona is the most underrated team in the nation, as they have been ranked around No. 14 or 15 in preseason polls.

That is perhaps the best news for Lute, as he doesn't want a highly ranked team to fall flat on their faces, like some other team in town.

Arizona basketball fans: Go get your tickets, because these guys definitely have got game!