It hasn’t happened in ten years, and the coaches at Pac-10
Men’s Basketball Media Day certainly don’t anticipate
it happening again this year.
Last season, only three Pac-10 teams reached the NCAA
tournament, and not one of them made it to the Sweet-16. This year,
however, many of the league’s coaches, including UCLA
men’s basketball’s Ben Howland, expect that four or
five teams should earn an NCAA berth.
“All leagues run in cycles,” Howland said.
“Our league will be back up.”
The three teams who did make the NCAA tournament in 2004 ““
Arizona, Washington, and Stanford ““ were picked to finish in
the top three of the conference, respectively, in the media’s
pre-season poll, while UCLA was projected fifth.
However, each of those teams’ coaches was reluctant to
accept the role of the favorite. Arizona coach Lute Olson said he
was surprised to be picked first, pointing to the fact that
Washington beat his team three times last year and returns all its
key players. However, Husky coach Lorenzo Romar offered almost the
exact opposite sentiment.
“I would have picked (Arizona) to win the
conference,” Romar said. “You can throw last year out
the window. They’re very talented and versatile.”
Yet for all the uncertainty surrounding who is the
conference’s top team, there was some consensus that the
Wildcats, Huskies, and Cardinal are the top three.
All the coaches also agreed that the Pac-10 is a much deeper
conference this year. Arizona State, despite boasting arguably the
conference’s top player with Ike Diogu, was pegged to finish
last.
“We’re a very well-balanced league,” said Sun
Devil coach Rob Evans, adding that he too would have picked his
team last because of its youth.
“Any team can finish anywhere from first to
last.”
The depth is most evident in the middle of the conference where
the Bruins have been pegged. Seven teams return at least four of
their starters from last season, and 73 percent of the
conference’s scoring production comes back as well.
“There’s so many good teams and so many experienced
teams,” Olson said. “It’s going to be fun for
(the media) to cover, but miserable for us to go through as
coaches.”
An improved conference is a double-edged sword for all the
teams. On one hand, the teams should have better opportunities to
improve their RPI ranking during conference play. Yet at the same
time, the coaches agreed that emerging through the Pac-10 season
with a near-flawless record will be harder than ever.
“I don’t think the league will be decided until the
final weekend,” Olson said. “And I would not be a bit
surprised if the winning team has five (conference)
losses.”
With more quality teams beating up on each other, the conference
as a whole might consequently suffer. Washington State coach Dick
Bennett, whose team was picked to finish ninth, felt a by-product
of the stronger conference may have a negative impact on his
team’s record.
“I don’t know if we’ll do as well, but I do
know that we’ll be a better team,” Bennett said.
There will still be plenty of time to figure that out.
Conference play doesn’t start until New Year’s Eve
and will not conclude until the Pac-10 tournament in mid-March.