WSU won’t hear ninth sympathy
LOS ANGELES — The release of the preseason Pacific-10 Conference men’s basketball poll has made one thing clear for Dick Bennett’s Washington State University team: Nothing will be handed to them until it’s earned.
Members of the media picked the Cougars to finish ninth in the conference this season, ahead of only Arizona State. Bennett said it’s a logical prediction, given the apparent rebound in strength for the conference this year.
“I’m not surprised that we’re picked so low. This is going to be a good Pac-10,” Bennett said Thursday at the conference’s annual preseason media event. “There’s nothing wrong with that. The only time that what folks think of you really affects you is if that’s the most important thing to you.
“Some people just live to be popular or famous. I would hope we’re not that way, so it shouldn’t affect us.”
Only two teams – Arizona and Washington – received first-place votes. Arizona took 19 of the 26 No. 1 votes to claim the top spot in the poll. Stanford, which won the regular-season Pac-10 title a year ago, finished third in the poll.
Arizona head coach Lute Olson, ever the expert at playing the hand he is dealt, said he was taken aback to hold the top spot, although this marks the third consecutive year the Wildcats have been the preseason pick.
“I’m a little surprised since we lost to Washington three times last year and they have everyone back, with some good recruits,” Olson said. “I do think that the league won’t be decided until that final weekend. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the winning team has five losses. That’s how close the teams are.”
Bennett was asked if he still felt energized about coaching. The Cougars’ second-year coach said he was looking forward to this season more than last year’s.
How does he know?
“I had a chance last Sunday to go golfing and I chose to watch tape of practice,” he said. “While my retired friends are disgusted with me, I feel much more dedicated this year.
“I’m enjoying it so far. I actually feel a little younger. I just do. I was feeling kind of run-down and useless my last year of retirement. And so last year I only felt run-down. And it’s more important to feel useful than anything else, and I feel pretty good this year. Now ask me again February 15th and you might get a different answer.”
Powe out for Cal
One injury that might change the way the Pac-10 shapes up is a knee injury suffered by California’s Leon Powe, who as a freshman last season was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.
Head coach Ben Braun said he is almost certain that Powe will miss the entire season, a crushing blow for a Cal team that was picked to finish seventh this season before the extent of his knee problems was known.
“It’s a challenge for us not to have our top two scorers and rebounders back from a year ago,” Braun said. (Amit Tamir, the team’s No. 2 threat last year, graduated.) “Leon is pretty resigned to redshirting the season. If he could only come back and play a handful of games, that wouldn’t make sense. So we want Leon to rest and come back stronger next season.”
Powe averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds last season, and was the lone freshman named to the All-Pac-10 team.
Groundbreaking
USC head coach Henry Bibby came to the meetings with an air of excitement because the school broke ground on a new basketball arena this week.
The team has played its home games in the outdated – some would say dilapidated – Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena since 1959.
“From what they’ve been telling me,” Bibby said, “they’ve been talking about this new arena since the 1800s.”