It’s Top-Ranked Arizona by a Landslide

Playing for the first time since winning the NCAA title, Arizona looked hungry for another one.

Top-ranked Arizona got 17 points from reserve Eugene Edgerson as the defending NCAA champion Wildcats opened the season with a 115-53 rout of Morgan State on Thursday night at Tucson.

Arizona tormented Morgan State with full-court pressure, forcing a record 35 turnovers.

“We were curious to see if we were ready,” said Edgerson, who added 12 rebounds for his first double-double.

Jason Terry and Miles Simon scored 16 points each, and Michael Dickerson had 14, including 10 in the first 3:50 of the second half as Arizona opened a 70-25 lead.

Simon, one of just three seniors on the Wildcats, said they have enough experience not to be misled by a landslide.

“We know what it’s like to play close, so these games don’t affect us,” Simon said.

Mike Bibby and A.J. Bramlett missed double-doubles because of limited playing time for Arizona. Bibby had eight points and 13 assists, and Bramlett had eight points and 11 rebounds.

“The most positive things had to do with 38 assists on 44 field goals. We’re moving the ball around well,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said.

Rasheed Sparks and Ronnie Van Hook had 10 points each for Morgan State (0-3). A three-point basket by Van Hook with two seconds left prevented Arizona from setting a record for its biggest victory margin. The Wildcats’ largest victory was 118-54 over Robert Morris on Dec. 28, 1996.

No. 3 Duke 100, Davidson 65--Steve Wojciechowski led the offensive charges and the defensive stands at Durham, N.C., as the Blue Devils (2-0) pounded the Wildcats (0-1) to win their 16th consecutive home opener.

Wojciechowski led the Blue Devils with 16 points and also was instrumental in a Duke defense that limited Davidson to 42% shooting, created 32 turnovers and had 22 steals.

Stephen Marshall scored 20 points for Davidson.

No. 8 Purdue 107, Northeast Louisiana 80--Mike Robinson came off the bench to score a career-high 29 points as the Boilermakers (3-0) won without leading scorer Chad Austin at West Lafayette, Ind. The Indians fell to 0-3.

Austin, who sat out because of a broken nose, watched Brad Miller score 25 and Brian Cardinal add 24 as the Boilermakers’ frontline made up for his absence in the backcourt.

Northeast Louisiana was led by Marcus Anthony with 15 points.

No. 9 Kentucky 88, Morehead State 49--Tubby Smith won in his Kentucky coaching debut as the Wildcats scored the game’s first 19 points at Lexington, Ky.

Wayne Turner scored eight points in the opening spurt and Allen Edwards scored 15 points to lead Kentucky. Turner added 12 and Heshimu Evans 10 as the Wildcats shot 64%.

It also was the first game as a coach for Morehead State’s Kyle Macy, who was an All-American guard at Kentucky.

Smith succeeded Rick Pitino, now with the Boston Celtics, while Macy replaced Dick Fick.

No. 23 Indiana 80, Alabama Birmingham 64--A.J. Guyton scored 24 points and Coach Bob Knight got his first tantrum and the season’s first victory out of the way as the Hoosiers (1-1) routed the Blazers (2-1) before a sellout crowd at Birmingham.

Guyton scored five of his points during a 14-0 second-half run that came soon after Knight punctuated his first technical foul of the season by slamming his foot into the scorer’s table.

No. 25 Georgia 78, Mercer 58--Freshman Jumaine Jones scored 17 points and sophomore Adrian Jones added 12 at Athens, Ga., as the Bulldogs (2-1) won Coach Ron Jirsa’s home opener. Mercer fell to 2-1.

Evens Davis scored 23 for Mercer.

It was an unhappy homecoming for Mercer Coach Mark Slonaker, who played and coached at Georgia.

OTHER GAMES

Cal State Northridge (0-2) committed 32 turnovers and Ron Grady had a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds as Oregon State (1-0) rolled to a 91-79 victory at Corvallis, Ore. The Matadors were led by Greg Minor, who scored a game-high 27 points in a game featuring 54 fouls and 63 turnovers. . . . Willie Anderson, Maurice Carter and Louis Earl scored 16 points apiece to lead seven players in double figures as Louisiana State opened its season by crushing NAIA’s Southern University of New Orleans (5-2), 99-51, in the Tigers’ debut under new Coach John Brady. Brady replaced the retired Dale Brown. . . . Jameel Mahmud scored 28 points to help Stew Morrill get his 200th coaching victory as Colorado State (2-0) routed Northern Colorado (0-2), 108-47, in Fort Collins, Colo.