Around the Pac-10

Arizona State was picked to finish last in the Pac-10 before the season started, but that prediction is looking foolish already. The Sun Devils are 10-1, and while big man Ike Diogu is the star on this team, he isn’t necessarily the primary reason for the early turnaround. Arizona State is shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, opening up things in the middle. “It’s tough to key in on Ike and just walk away from the other guys,” Sun Devils coach Rob Evans said. … Oregon State is off to a 7-3 start despite the absence of forward David Lucas. The senior is practicing on a limited basis, and Beavers coach Jay John said he hopes to have his best player back soon. … The same can be said for California guard Ayinde Ubaka, who broke a foot in the second game of the season. Ubaka is traveling to Washington this weekend, but he won’t be ready until next week at the earliest. … UCLA has started three freshmen in many games. One of them, Jordan Farmar, is second in the league at 33.9 minutes per game. Farmar has been the leading scorer in two of the Bruins’ last four games. UCLA has six freshmen on its roster.