| | By Ed Graney
Special to ESPN.com
First-year Oregon State basketball coach Ritchie McKay was traveling to Los Angeles last week when an airline employee stopped him at the ticket counter.
"I was wearing an Oregon State shirt and she asked me if I was the new coach," McKay said. "I said that I was and she told me how excited the community was about our team. She even upgraded me to first class. As I was walking away, she said 'Good luck against Cal this week and congratulations on beating Stanford.'"
She thought McKay coached football.
She thought he was Dennis Erickson.
|  | | Richard Jefferson and the No. 1 Wildcats open the season Nov. 20 in the Maui Invitational. |
Anonymity might define the Beavers right now, along with everyone else out West, except those who bounce balls and shoot jumpers in Tucson.
This just in: Nine other Pac-10 teams and those from such conferences as the Mountain West and WAC and West Coast and Big West have decided to play anyway this season. Their hope is that once you get past the five NBA players starting for No. 1 Arizona, past the fact Lute Olson's team returns 97.3 percent of its scoring and 99.7 percent of its rebounding from a 27-win team, there exists other programs capable of sharing the spotlight.
Dim as their place might be.
"Arizona is loaded," said Stanford coach Mike Montgomery. "But this is also the deepest I've seen some teams (out West). Heck, USC was as good as anyone last year before they had a few injuries. You're going to have more than one team compete for the Pac-10 championship."
Montgomery likes his chances against Arizona by playing the Collins twins (center Jason and forward Jarron) together full-time and finding sophomore wing Casey Jacobsen (14.5 ppg, 43.5 percent on 3s last season) more and more looks. And yet Stanford, a university that produces leaders, needs one on the court.
Mark Madsen is gone and the trio of seniors -- Jarron Collins, Mike McDonald and Ryan Mendez -- have been more doers than talkers. McDonald is the key here at point guard. There is enough size and quickness and shooting for another run at the Pac-10 and a high NCAA seed. But someone must take control from the outset.
The sleeper pick in the Pac-10, remains Oregon State. McKay has enough bodies in Corvallis to make more than a passing statement. OSU (13-16 last season) begins inside with senior center Jason Heide and sophomore forward Brian Jackson, and hopes to get a more consistent season from senior point guard Deaundra Tanner. He struggled last year (despite numbers of 14.2 points and 5.2 assists) with academic and personal problems.
"You'll see a combination of a team that is aggressive from the outside and yet also selective," McKay said. "I know where the bread is buttered -- inside with Heide and Jackson."
Things might taste better had junior-college transfer forward Philip Ricci, the JC player of the year in California out of Delta College, not decided to redshirt with an ailing knee.
While it might go unnoticed by some, but not by those within Pac-10 circles. USC is picked to finish third in conference behind Arizona and Stanford.
And ahead of UCLA.
Montgomery is correct in saying injuries to forwards Sam Clancy and Jarvis Turner likely cost the Trojans an NCAA bid last season, but Henry Bibby's team seems ready and able to accept the challenge of being one of the Pac-10s best.
|
“ |
We
have five Wooden Award. That's never happened
for one team before. All we need is that killer
instinct great teams have, that feeling where you
go into games knowing you'll crush the opponent.
It's something we can definitely
develop. ” |
|
|
— Loren Woods, Arizona center |
And, perhaps, L.A's best.
"We've put a couple good recruiting classes together," said Bibby, entering his fifth season. "Recruits think we have come of age and can compete with UCLA. It makes the league stronger with two good teams in this city. We're happy where we are, but it doesn't happen overnight. UCLA has years and years of tradition. We're not there yet, but I hope eventually ..."
And yet, it always comes back to Arizona.
The bricks rarely arrive before spring break. That's the way it is with Olson's team. The Wildcats never seem to hit a cold spell until after office pools are completed. Matt Othick in 1992. Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire the following season. Stoudamire and Reggie Geary in '95. Miles Simon and Mike Bike Bibby three years later. Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas in '99.
Backcourts and March usually don't mix well with Arizona, but that might change this season. The shots might fall from beginning to end. Just ask, well Arizona.
Confidence might be the one trait the Wildcats have more of than talent, which they are drowning in. Arizona players not only fancy themselves the best West Coast hoops offers, but also the finest team nationally.
"We have five Wooden Award candidates and four Naismith Award candidates," said senior center Loren Woods. "That's never happened for one team before. All we need is that killer instinct great teams have, that feeling where you go into games knowing you'll crush the opponent. It's something we can definitely develop."
Meanwhile, everyone else out West searches for their place in the spotlight.
Dim as it might be.
Outside of the Pac-10, leave a light on Provo, Utah, where Steve Cleveland has it going at BYU. Why? Because the fourth-year coach has recruited extremely well (see: beating Utah and Stanford in the recruiting game at least for super frosh Garner Meads) and molded the Cougars into one of the Mountain West's toughest sides at both ends.
The Cougars went 22-11 last season and the goal this year begins and ends with a regional berth. Four starters return, led by scorer Terrell Lyday and senior forward Mekeli Wesley.
"We have a lot of guys who really enjoy playing the game," Cleveland said. "They are guys who have bought into the program and are intent on taking us to the next level."
Here's a closer look at who and what will make things interesting this season, from Palo Alto to Laramie; from San Diego to Corvallis; from the city of stars to the city of sin.
Five guys we want for a pick-up at the 'Y'
Brian Scalabrine, USC: A nightmare matchup. The senior forward goes 6-foot-9, 250. He likes to bang, but can spot up and win games from 15 feet and deeper.
"You play basketball for pressure," Scalabrine said. "If I didn't want pressure, I'd go play Division III."
This is the kind of attitude you need when it's 10-all and the loser buys lunch.
Josh Davis, Wyoming: He is the Mountain West's most underrated player, a 6-8 junior who played both forward spots and center last season. Quick inside, capable outside. And he has really strong lungs playing at 7,200 feet.
Casey Calvary, Gonzaga: He played a supporting role in the Elite Eight run in 1999 and the Sweet 16 appearance last season. Now, the senior forward assumes the lead and tries to lift the Zags over preseason favorites Pepperdine and San Diego in the WCC.
Jeryl Sasser, SMU: The WAC's best team resides in Dallas and its most versatile player is this 6-6 senior guard who averaged 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds last year.
Jason Kapono, UCLA: Like Sasser, he flirted with the NBA draft, backed out and now will back up for more long three-pointers, of which the sophomore forward made 47.4 percent last season.
Welcome to the neighborhood
Here are five potential impact transfers:
Randy Holcomb, San Diego State: The 6-8 forward from Los Angeles City College (by way of Fresno State) is the first piece to what second-year coach Steve Fisher hopes is a major turnaround for a once floundering program.
Travis Spivey, Utah: The return of forward Britton Johnsen from his mission is huge and the addition of former Dukie Chris Burgess helps in the middle, but point guard Spivey could be the answer coach Rick Majerus has lacked since Andre Miller left.
Greedy Daniels, Texas Christian: The Horned Frogs of Billy Tubbs will challenge SMU and Fresno State in the WAC, notably because this former UNLV guard is a pest defensively. You always need some D around all that O.
Travis Reed, Long Beach State: The 49ers have replaced the likes of Albany and Cal State Monterey Bay on their non-league schedule with Utah and Stanford. Thus, repeating last year's 24-6 record and NIT berth isn't easy. But if Long Beach has a chance to compete with Utah State for the Big West title, the 6-8 UCLA transfer Reed could make the difference at forward.
Ruben Douglas, New Mexico: The shooting guard sat out last season after losing his spot to Gilbert Arenas at Arizona. Douglas becomes eligible for the Lobos in December and should be a major key to how much success Fran Fraschilla's second UNM team has.
Around the West
Jeff Trepagnier, USC. Flying with the birds. The senior guard has been slowed of late with a bum foot, which probably means that vertical is only hovering around, say, 40 inches.
The best name award goes to Ugo Udezue at Wyoming. It is pronounced OOH-des-OOH-way and it belongs to the 6-8, 245-pound junior who missed last season with knee surgery. He averaged 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds as a sophomore and is the reason many think Wyoming can useat Utah and Nevada-Las Vegas as the Mountain West's best team. Ugo's cousin, Uche Nsonwu-Amadi, is also a Cowboy this season. He goes 6-10, 260. Pity the Wyoming public address announcer.
Ed Graney of the San Diego Union-Tribune is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at ed.graney@uniontrib.co. | |
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