Pac-10 At A Glance

In predicted order of finish

1. Stanford

Coach: Mike Montgomery, 14th year

Last year: 26-7, 15-3 (1st), lost in NCAA second round

Returning starters: 1.

Strengths: Mike Madsen is healthy again after an early season injury and along with the Collins twins the Cardinal should have little trouble on the inside.

Concerns: The Cardinal has to replace four starters from its 1998 Final Four team. The toughest to find a replacement for might be point guard Arthur Lee.

2. Arizona

Coach: Lute Olson, 17th year

Last year: 22-7, 13-5 (2nd), lost NCAA first round.

Returning starters: 2.

Strengths: The Wildcats have the reigning Pac-10 freshman of the year Michael Wright at one forward. All-Pac-10 freshman Richard Jefferson is at the other. And 7-foot-1 transfer Loren Woods is in the middle.

Concerns: Like Stanford, the Wildcats have to find a replacement for their point guard. So far Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas have played way beyond expectations, but there are worries they may not be able to keep it up in Pac-10 play.

3. UCLA

Coach: Steve Lavin, 4th year.

Last year: 22-9, 12-6 (3rd), lost NCAA first round.

Returning starters: 4.

Strengths: With Jerome Moiso, Dan Gadzuric and JaRon Rush, the Bruins have the potential to have the best frontcourt in the Pac-10. They also have the athletic Earl Watson in the backcourt and added top recruit and shooter Jason Kapano to their roster.

Concerns: The Bruins have proven they have an inability to get up for games. Their last three losses have been to underdogs Detroit (in the first round of the NCAA), at home against Gonzaga and to Colorado State. Leadership appears to be the biggest problems for the Bruins.

4. Oregon

Coach: Ernie Kent, 3rd year

Last year: 19-13, 8-10 (5th), lost in the NIT semifinals.

Returning starters: 3.

Strengths: Oregon finished strong winning six of its last eight games and making it all the way to Madison Square Garden. This year the Ducks picked up right where they left off, with Alex Scales showing flashes and A.D. Smith providing consistent scoring.

Concerns: The lack of a big man plagued Oregon last year and it appears that will be a problem this year as well. Oregon also has a tendency to play down to its competition. In fact, the Ducks’ one loss this year is to Cal State Northridge.

5. Cal

Coach: Ben Braun, 4th year.

Last year: 22-11, 8-10 (5th), won NIT.

Returning starters: 1.

Strengths: Sean Lampley was named the most valuable player in the NIT last year and has picked up right where he left off. The junior forward has proven that he has an inside and outside game and so far is leading a team primarily composed of freshmen.

Concerns: The Bears have survived with freshman Shantay Legans running the point so far, but things may change once the conference starts. Cal also needs freshman forward Joe Shipp to continue to be aggressive with the ball.

6. Oregon State

Coach: Eddie Payne, 5th year.

Last year: 13-14, 7-11 (7th)

Returning starters: 5

Strengths: With five starters returning, the Beavers appear poised to make a run at the top tier teams in the Pac-10. And while they may not be among the elite when the dust settles, they could provide some of the better upsets in league play.

Concerns: The Beavers cannot win on the road. Last year they went 1-12. They also wore down as the season went on, losing seven of their last nine.

7. Arizona State

Coach: Rob Evans, 2nd year

Last year: 14-16, 6-12 (8th)

Returning starters: 3

Strengths: Eddie House has proven that he can take over any game and already has once this season, scoring 46 points. House not only is a scoring threat, but should break the ASU steals record. He and backcourt mate Eddie Mason combined for a league-leading 17 assists per game last season.

Concerns: Evans brought in a top-25 recruiting class, but none have proven they are ready for Pac-10 play. The Sun Devils also must replace Bobby Lazor (18 ppg) and Mike Batiste (16.7 ppg).

8. Washington State

Coach: Paul Graham, 1st year

Last year: 10-19, 4-14 (10th)

Returning starters: 3

Strengths: Washington State has two of the best shooters in the Pac-10 in Jan-Michael Thomas and Chris Crosby. That outside threat, combined with the emergence of post player Eddie Miller and redshirt freshman Milton Riley, could help WSU sneak up from last place to eighth.

Concerns: With the departure of Blake Pengelly, WSU does not have a proven point guard. Also the Cougars do not have the bodies on the inside to match up with Pac-10 teams.

9. USC

Coach: Henry Bibby, 5th year

Last year: 15-13, 7-11 (7th) lost NIT first round.

Returning starters: 4

Strengths: Brian Scalabrine, the Pac-10 newcomer of the year, and three other starters are back from a team that won four of its last six regular season games. The Trojans have quick and athletic guards who can fill it up when they are on the mark.

Concerns: USC plays uninspired basketball much of the time and cannot string together any sort of momentum. The team lacks leadership and relies much too heavily on the five starters.

10. Washington

Coach: Bob Bender, 7th year.

Last year: 17-12, 10-8 (4th), lost in NCAA first round.

Returning starters: 3

Strengths: In Senque Carey, the Huskies have one of the most promising point guards in the conference. The sophomore has the size to overpower other guards and the game to get his shots when he needs to. Deon Luton is also a proven scorer.

Concerns: The loss of 7-footer Todd MacCulloch is too much for this team to overcome.