Nobody Taking Arizona Lightly

They don’t call him Midnight Lute for nothing.

Arizona Coach Lute Olson earned the nickname after he spirited recruit Matt Othick out of then-Nevada Las Vegas Coach Jerry Tarkanian’s backyard at the height of the Wildcat-Rebel rivalry.

Maybe they should be calling him Sandbagging Lute.

“All we’re trying to do is survive, survive the first weekend,” a sheepish Olson said at the Pacific 10 Conference media day at Staples Center on Oct. 31.

After downplaying the talent on this season’s Arizona team, which lost four starters from last year’s NCAA runner-up and wasn’t ranked for the first time in 108 weeks, Olson’s bunch bushwhacked No. 2 Maryland and No. 6 Florida to win the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in New York City.

The Wildcats’ win sent a clarion signal throughout the rest of the Pac-10 that such upper-echelon teams as Arizona and Stanford, which also lost four starters, don’t necessarily rebuild, they reload.

And this in a season when the Pac-10’s bottom feeders were beginning to feel a little frisky.

After all, the gap between the league’s powers-that-be and the league’s also-rans and never-weres was supposedly closing.

And with the conference tournament returning for the first time since 1990, what better time for a dark horse to make a run at March Madness?

Instead, Arizona provided a dose of reality to show that the Pac-10 hasn’t really changed.

A look at the Pac-10, excluding UCLA and USC:

ARIZONA

Coach: Lute Olson.

2000-01 record: 28-8 overall, 15-3 Pac-10.

Returning starters: One.

Top players: Junior Jason Gardner is the league’s top point guard after averaging 10.9 points and 4.1 assists. He was set to take his chances in the NBA draft but pulled his name from consideration, much to the delight of Wildcat fans and chagrin of Wildcat haters.

Outlook: This was the season that Arizona was to fall back to the rest of the pack. Instead, the Wildcats look to make noise in league play with Gardner at the helm. They’ll be dancing again come March.

ARIZONA STATE

Coach: Rob Evans

2000-01 record: 13-16 overall, 5-13 Pac-10.

Returning starters: Four.

Top players: Senior forward Awvee Storey led the league in rebounding last season, averaging 9.1. Junior forward Donnell Knight averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Outlook: The Sun Devils fell from grace last season, after winning 19 games in 1999-2000. They must find a dependable replacement for point guard Alton Mason and learn how to win tight games.

CALIFORNIA

Coach: Ben Braun

2000-01 record: 20-11 overall, 11-7 Pac-10.

Returning starters: Four.

Top players: Junior guard Shantay Legans, Cal’s leading returning scorer with 9.5 points and 4.8 assists, is solid at the point. Much is expected from 6-foot-11 freshman center Jamal Sampson from Mater Dei High.

Outlook: The Bears will miss all-time leading scorer and conference player of the year Sean Lampley, but with the returning and incoming talent they could make another postseason run.

OREGON

Coach: Ernie Kent

2000-01 record: 14-14 overall, 5-13 Pac-10.

Returning starters: Three.

Top players: Senior guard Frederick Jones was eighth in the Pac-10 scoring race last season, averaging 14.8 points, and guard Luke Ridnour (7.4 points, 3.8 assists) was the first Duck to be named league freshman of the year.

Outlook: The Ducks can get out to a quick start because 10 of their first 12 games are in their home state, including eight at raucous McArthur Court.

OREGON STATE

Coach: Ritchie McKay

2000-01 record: 10-20 overall, 4-14 Pac-10

Returning starters: Three.

Top players: Junior guard Jimmie Haywood averaged 13 points over the final nine games of the season, and senior guard Adam Masten converted 42.1% of his three-point shots last year, fifth best in the Pac-10.

Outlook: In McKay’s first season, the Beaver coach found life in the Pac-10 much different than in the Mountain West Conference with Colorado State. In his baptism by fire, the Beavers were depleted by injuries. It doesn’t look much better this season.

STANFORD

Coach: Mike Montgomery

2000-01 record: 31-3 overall, 16-2 Pac-10.

Returning starters: One

Top players: Junior guard Casey Jacobsen of Glendora is a preseason All-American after averaging 18.1 points and shooting 50.7% from the field, 47.2% from three-point territory.

Outlook: Stanford’s run of three consecutive Pac-10 titles should come to an end. But, like Arizona, that doesn’t mean the Cardinal will shrivel up and go away. It could still be battling for a top-four seeding come tournament time.

WASHINGTON

Coach: Bob Bender

2000-01 record: 10-20 overall, 4-14 Pac-10

Returning starters: Two.

Top players: Sophomore guards Curtis Allen (7.0 points) and C.J. Massingale (5.9 points) are the Huskies’ leading returning scorers.

Outlook: The Huskies are hoping to maintain any modicum of momentum from the buzzer-beating three-pointer that beat UCLA in last season’s finale.

WASHINGTON STATE

Coach: Paul Graham

2000-01 record: 12-16 overall, 5-13 Pac-10.

Returning starters: Four.

Top players: Senior guard Mike Bush (15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds) is busy playing for the Cougar football team. Senior center J Locklier averaged 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Outlook: The Cougars only hope they can duplicate last season’s feat , when they doubled their win total from the season before.