[0] A season for status quo.

Byline: JOHN CONRAD Register-Guard Sports Editor 

The basketball lineups at Arizona and Stanford have certainly changed.

Jason Gardner is the only remaining starter at Arizona, where the other four all pulled up stakes and headed off to the NBA. And there's a big hole in the middle of the Stanford lineup where Jarron and Jason Collins hung out before they headed off to the pros.

But the lineup of Pac-10 Conference teams may not change as much as some people thought. Arizona and Stanford still look to be the top teams as league play begins this week with the Oregon schools hosting the Arizona schools Thursday and Saturday.

If there was supposed to be uncertainty with the Wildcats and Cardinal, there are more question marks behind them. A media poll taken in October listed UCLA as the league favorite, but the Bruins have played erratically through the preseason. USC may actually be the best team in Los Angeles, but why does coach Henry Bibby keep benching veteran players for lack of effort? Cal has a nice blend of veteran talent and promising youngsters, but the Bears got spanked by 20 the only time they left home this preseason.

Oregon is coming off a 5-13 performance in league games last year, but coach Ernie Kent isn't afraid to say he believes the Ducks can displace someone in that group.

"Nobody has played a tougher schedule than us except Arizona," Kent said. "We let three games get away from us on the road or we'd be undefeated right now. But I don't know if that would have been good or bad. The losses taught us a lesson, they toughened us up mentally and allowed us to grow because we had to weather some adversity."

Kent doesn't believe that even Arizona and Stanford will march through the league almost untouchable as they often have. But they may remain the only ones with a chance to do so. There will certainly be a lot of new faces playing prominent roles because Sam Clancy of USC, Casey Jacobsen of Stanford and Jason Kapono of UCLA are the only returnees from the 10-man Pac-10 all-star team last year.

Arizona is perhaps the most surprising team in the country after replacing Michael Wright, Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson and Loren Woods with a group of highly touted freshmen. The Wildcats are 5-2 playing a murderous schedule that coach Lute Olson admits he never would have put together if he'd known Wright, Gilbert and Arenas were all going to leave with eligibility remaining.

Gardner is the leading scorer in the league with a 23.1 average (compared to 11.7 his first two years), Luke Walton has stepped into a starting role and done well, and Rick Anderson has come back strong following a redshirt year.

Stanford has excellent talent and an All-American candidate in Jacobsen. But the player who can make the Cardinal special is 7-foot center Curtis Borchardt, who is averaging 15.6 points and a league-leading 13.4 rebounds after being limited by injuries and the presence of the Collins twins the past two years.

USC has talented veterans in Clancy, David Bluthenthal and Brandon Granville and some promising younger players who should be able to fill in for departed Brian Scalabrine and Jeff Trepagnier.

The experience of Granville at the point and power of Clancy inside in the post is a combination not a lot of teams should be able to match.

Cal suffered one of the biggest losses with the graduation of Sean Lampley, but the Bears return almost everyone else and have depth and experience, plus some outstanding young players led by Jamal Sampson, who is shooting 62.5 percent, averaging 7.5 rebounds and is second to Borchardt in blocked shots.

UCLA has a strong front line with Kapono, center Dan Gadzuric and forward Matt Barnes. But the Bruins are questionable on the perimeter following the departure of guard Earl Watson and have played erratically during the preseason.

Oregon and Arizona State, the teams that open league play against each other Thursday night at McArthur Court, seem to have the best chance of cracking the first division or at least getting enough wins to make the NIT.

The Ducks are still hearing about their 5-13 collapse in league play last year. Though their 6-3 start this year isn't as good as last year's 9-1, Kent says the Ducks are a lot better.

"We're No. 2 in the league in defense, and we're up there in several other categories," he said. "Our record was better last year, but we are a much better team now because of the chemistry and focus. It's frustrating to keep hearing about last year, because this is a different team and it's unfair to continue to take them back to last year.

"Our guys are buying into defense and playing together. I thought we might be undefeated at this point. I believe we could go as high as third in the league."

Arizona State is led by Chad Prewitt, who is emerging as a top center, and Awvee Storey is an outstanding power forward in a league with a lot of them. Tommy Smith is also a force inside, and that could make for an interesting matchup with the Ducks, who will have their hands full under the basket but should have the edge on the perimeter.

The question about Oregon is that it hasn't won a close game yet this season. The Ducks have three losses by a total of eight points, all on the road. Of course, ASU lost to Portland State and barely beat Montana State at home and lost its only road game.

Washington has added some athletic youngsters, and if David Dixon holds up inside, the Huskies should make it to the eight-team Pac-10 tournament in March.

That would leave Oregon State and Washington State, teams struggling to improve under relatively new coaches Ritchie McKay and Paul Graham, on the outside unless one or the other might surprise.

1. Arizona Gardner, Walton have stepped up and brought freshmen with them.

2. Stanford Montgomery will make difference if Jacobsen, Borchardt don't.

3. USC Hard team to figure out, but no questioning talent and experience.

4. Cal Unproven on road, but talent should offset Lampley's loss.

5. UCLA So much talent, but who provides the leadership?

6. Oregon Postseason hinges on winning close games, some road games.

7. Arizona St. Prewitt has arrived; others playing below expectations.

8. Washington Doesn't have to worry about a third straight 10-20 season.

9. OSU No Pac-10 team has gone longer without a winning season (1990).

10. WSU Not a single quality win and only a 4-4 record in nonconference games.

CAPTION(S):

Luke Walton (left) and Arizona are expected to be one of the teams to beat again despite the Wildcats' loss of four starters from last season.