PACIFIC 10 BASKETBALL / DAN HAFNER : Maturing Mills Leads Wildcats

When Harold Miner of USC and Tracy Murray of UCLA elected to make themselves available for the NBA draft a year early, they left the Pacific 10 Conference without a star. There were a number of good players, but no glamour guys.

As the halfway point of the season approaches, a star is emerging. Chris Mills, a former Fairfax High standout, has taken charge at Arizona and is becoming the dominant player in the conference.

This week, the Wildcats, who have won nine games in a row and are 5-0 in the conference, can take a big jump toward their fifth Pac-10 championship in six seasons. They have reached this point mainly because of Mills, a 6-foot-6 senior forward.

After what figures to be an easy time tonight against Oregon, which is 0-6 in conference play, the Wildcats will face their stiffest test Saturday at Oregon State. The Beavers, 5-1 after losing Saturday at Washington State, are led by 6-11 Scott Haskin, who is capable of challenging Mills for top individual honors in the Pac-10.

Mills, one of the most heavily recruited players in the nation after he averaged 33 points and 13.4 rebounds during his senior season in high school, transferred to Arizona after his freshman season at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats in rebounding.

He was a solid performer in his first two seasons at Arizona but played below expectations. From the start of practice last fall, according to Coach Lute Olson, it has been a different Mills.

“At a time when we really needed somebody to step forward and take charge,” Olson said, “Chris did it. Whatever we need--scoring, rebounding, leadership--Chris provides it. With five freshmen getting playing time, we had to have someone step up. Chris is a leader on and off the court.

“Since I’ve been here, we haven’t had a player who does the things that he does. Everybody knows about the things he does on the court. But what you don’t see is the kind of atmosphere he creates on this team.

“We’ve have had a number of outstanding leaders, including Sean Elliott. But nobody’s done as good a job as Chris is doing.”

Three of the Wildcats’ conference victories have been on the road, and Mills has been the key factor in each. In a tough game against Arizona State last week, Mills was shooting poorly, having made only five of 15 shots. But with his rebounding and a couple of steals, he led a late rally, which he and another senior, Ed Stokes, climaxed with key baskets.

He leads the Pac-10 with an average of 20.2 points a game, is fifth in field-goal accuracy at 57%, is tied for the lead in free-throw shooting at 85.7% and is second from three-point range at 52.1%.

“Mills has really matured this season,” USC Coach George Raveling said. “He appears to relish his leadership role. In the past, he seemed to disappear at times, but not anymore. He is consistent through the 40 minutes.”

The loss of Brent Barry had as much to do with Oregon State’s defeat by Washington State Saturday as did Haskin’s first poor performance of the conference season.

Barry suffered a deep bruise in his right calf last Thursday night as the Beavers beat Washington and was unable to play against the Cougars. Although he sometimes gets a bit out of control, Barry is adept at finding Haskin and Chad Scott for open shots. With Barry sidelined, Washington State held Haskin to seven points.

Barry is still limping and may not be ready for Arizona State tonight, but Oregon State hopes he will play against Arizona.

The Beavers will need to be at their best to beat the Wildcats, who have won six of their last seven games at Gill Coliseum.

California, with a nucleus of freshman guards Jason Kidd and Jerod Haase and sophomore forwards Lamond Murray and Alfred Grigsby, figures to be a national power no later than next season--maybe sooner.

Although Coach Lou Campanelli’s players seemed confused at times last Thursday when USC slowed the pace, they were poised and in control Sunday during their 104-82 victory at UCLA.

“Lamond Murray is already a star in this league,” Raveling said. “I put him right up there with Mills and Haskin.”

Pac-10 Notes

Arizona center Ed Stokes, a 7-footer from St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey, scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half to help bring Arizona back from 13 down at Arizona State, then had 20 points and nine rebounds as Arizona ended New Orleans’ 10-game winning streak. In the two road games last week, Stokes was 11 of 16 from the field and 16 of 18 from the free-throw line.

Cal’s Jason Kidd is second in the conference in assists with a 6.8 average and first in steals with a 3.8 average. . . . Washington State guard Bennie Seltzer scored 31 points against Oregon, most by a Pac-10 player this season. . . . Although Washington State ranks seventh in the Pac-10 in rebounds with a 35.4 average, its rebound margin of 8.0 is the best.