A season for status quo.

Byline: BOB RODMAN The Register-Guard

She may be the new coach on the Pac-10's block, but Bev Smith knows well that it is an old story.

"Seems like it's going to be Stanford and everybody else fighting for second place," the first-year Oregon women's basketball coach said. "At least, it seems that way now."

Right now, on the eve of the earliest start to conference play (because of the addition of a Pac-10 tournament March 1-4) in the league's 16 seasons, Stanford is the only Pac-10 team ranked in the Top 25 (No. 6).

Stanford also is the only team among its conference cousins with one loss and long ago was favored by the league's coaches and media alike to run off with the title.

"The Pac-10 always is difficult," said Smith, whose Ducks open the conference season at UCLA on Thursday. "Stanford's out there, and Arizona State is pretty good. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out at the end."

Tara VanDerveer, the 47-year-old coach who has led Stanford to two NCAA championships and nine Pac-10 titles, said the league suffers when the Cardinal are alone at the top.

"It hurts our conference when we (the Pac-10 teams) don't do well against other teams," said VanDerveer, well aware that minus Stanford's 8-1 record and Arizona State's 9-2 mark, the rest of the Pac-10 has a 31-38 nonconference record.

"Then we all suffer when we start playing each other and beating each other up," she said.

All so true, Smith said, but the Ducks, 5-4 after an up-and-down nonconference stretch, have their own fish to fry.

"We have to focus on ourselves, understand that we must play with 40 minutes of defensive intensity and focus, which translates into an up-tempo game offensively, of moving the ball and people, spreading the floor and using that space."

Spoken like the great player Smith was when she wore an Oregon uniform nearly two decades ago en route to becoming a two-time all-American and dominating the UO record book.

In those days, the Ducks competed in the Northwest Women's Basketball League, which had very little similarity to the Pac-10. Washington, Washington State and Oregon State were in the league, but no Stanford, no USC, no UCLA, no Arizona or Arizona State.

Oregon dominated. In Smith's four seasons, the Ducks were 93-19 overall, 39-1 in the NWBL and qualified for appearances in the Women's National Invitational Tournament, the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Tournament twice and the NCAA Tournament.

"It's a little bit like it was then," Smith said, "relatively speaking. It's always about getting ready for games you need to win."

Smith insisted that she was far more nervous as an athlete than as a coach.

"As a player," she said, "you could vent whatever nervousness you had on the floor. As a coach, you have to be levelheaded. As a coach, I'm more nervous in practice, planning for practice and thinking about what we need to do."

Oregon's recent history is packed with success, including eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two conference titles in the last three seasons.

"But we've had a lot of things to overcome, including the history of the team last year (the request to UO athletic director Bill Moos for the removal of Jody Runge as coach and her eventual departure). There has been a healing process, but there is a new coaching staff and a new system," Smith said.

Five freshmen have been added to the Oregon roster, replacing four departed players - 6-foot-5 Jenny Mowe, 6-3 Angelina Wolvert, 6-1 Brianne Meharry and 5-10 Lindsey Dion - who played major roles for the last four seasons.

Two veterans for the Ducks' starting five - junior guard Shaquala Williams and senior guard Edniesha Curry - did not play last season, Williams because of a knee injury and Curry because of her transfer from Cal State-Northridge.

New, young, inexperienced ... the words apply to nearly all of the Pac-10 teams, save for Stanford and Arizona State, each with five seniors.

That, in part, might explain why Arizona fell to teams like Holy Cross and Pittsburgh; why California lost to San Francisco and St. Mary's; Oregon lost to Wisconsin-Green Bay, Portland and BYU; Oregon State lost to Portland and Utah; UCLA lost to Michigan State and San Diego; USC lost to St. Joseph's and BYU; Washington lost to Santa Clara and San Francisco; and WSU lost to Montana, Idaho, Indiana and Montana State.

And some of the Pac-10's wins have been over teams not exactly considered power brokers of the game - Cal over Central Connecticut State; ASU over St. Peter's, Delaware State, Richmond, Fordham, Chicago State and Northern Illinois; Oregon over Miami of Ohio and St. John's; Oregon State over Portland State and Wyoming; UCLA over Liberty; and USC over Morgan State, Cal State-Northridge and Nevada.

Just two Pac-10 teams - Stanford and Arizona State - are among the top 50 in the so-called power ratings that consider, among other things, winning percentage and strength of schedule.

The record of Pac-10 teams against ranked opponents thus far this season is just 2-10.

"I'm a little disappointed with the way the conference has done in the nonconference part of the season," said Charli Turner Thorne, the ASU coach. "I expected a stronger showing."

So did most observers. But now, presume many, it's a move from the frying pan into the fire.

"The rest of the country can judge the Pac-10 the way it wants," USC coach Chris Gobrecht said, "but I don't think it will be a one-horse conference."

1. Stanford They're baaaack, and they could run the Pac-10 table.

2. ASU Sun Devils appear to be the best of the league's rest.

3. Washington Huskies seem to get better as the season gets older.

4. USC Trojans have some horse but not title since 1993-94 season.

5. Arizona 'Cats have never won the Pac-10 and won't this season.

6. Oregon New coach, new system, new players ... too much new.

7. OSU Can Pac-10 player of year Ragland carry Beavers again?

8. California Bears not so golden while still a work in progress.

9. UCLA Not so good anyway, then leading scorer Greco goes.

10. WSU Two winning seasons in last 10, make that two in last 11.

CAPTION(S):

1. Stanford They're baaaack, and they could run the Pac-10 table. 2. ASU Sun Devils appear to be the best of the league's rest. 3. Washington Huskies seem to get better as the season gets older. 4. USC Trojans have some horse but not title since 1993-94 season. 5. Arizona 'Cats have never won the Pac-10 and won't this season. 6. Oregon New coach, new system, new players ... too much new. 7. OSU Can Pac-10 player of year Ragland carry Beavers again? 8. California Bears not so golden while still a work in progress. 9. UCLA Not so good anyway, then leading scorer Greco goes. 10. WSU Two winning seasons in last 10, make that two in last 11. Associated Press Former Oregon City High School star Lindsey Yamasaki is one of Stanford's top players.