CALL OF THE WILDCATS NEEDS BACKUP PLAN.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

I guess the big news out of the Pacific-10 Conference basketball coaches' preseason news conferences Wednesday at an LAX hotel is that they are going to go ahead and play the season.

This, even though if you listen to the experts and the coaches, you wonder whether the season is strictly necessary.

Couldn't we just declare Arizona the champion and save everybody the trouble?

To begin with Wednesday, in the traditional media-day poll of Pac-10 reporters, Arizona was the 27 voters' unanimous pick for first place in the conference.

Not to suggest such forecasts aren't gospel, but the last thing reporters predicted was a great election night for the Democrats.

Then, the coaches trooped to the podium and stopped just short of introducing themselves as Lute Olson and the Nine Dwarfs.

By the time lunch was served, the only remaining issue seemed to be whether Arizona will go undefeated in Pac-10 play, something no school has been able to do since Gary Cunningham's last UCLA team went 14-0 in 1977-78 in the Pac-8.

Is there really that big a gap between Arizona and The Rest?

``On paper, I think there is that big a gap,'' said Oregon coach Ernie Kent, whose team is reporters' slightly less-than-unanimous choice for second place, just ahead of UCLA.

Kent seemed to indicate he would suit up a team, anyway, when the college basketball season opens this month.

If there's that big a gap, it's because Arizona held onto so many of its stars - in fact, all of them - and its rivals had so many graduate, transfer or leave for the NBA.

Arizona still has its five starters and its top eight scorers from last year's team that tied for second in the Pac-10 - behind Oregon - and went to the NCAA Western Regional at San Jose before losing to Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, Oregon will have to get by without Frederick Jones' team-leading 18.6 points, Cal without point guard Shantay Legans, USC without Sam Clancy, Brandon Granville and David Bluthenthal and their 43.9 points, Stanford without Casey Jacobsen and Curtis Borchardt and their 38.8, UCLA without Billy Knight, Matt Barnes and Dan Gadzuric and their 39.3.

Arizona has a rarity in today's college basketball, three good seniors in guard Jason Gardner and forward Luke Walton, the Wildcats' leading scorers last season, and forward Rick Anderson.

``Those two guys are off the charts,'' Oregon State coach Jay John said of Gardner and Walton. ``They are the most humble yet competitive and talented guys that most of the country is going to (see) this year.''

And, while they wait for sainthood to kick in, they have those senior intangibles.

``Seniors are always one game closer to the end of their careers,'' John said. ``The sense of urgency they bring to the court every day sends an important message to the younger guys.''

Yes, the Wildcats are loaded, which is why they're No. 1 in the nation in the first Associated Press poll of the season.

It's Gardner who brought up the possibility of going 18-0 in the conference, a goal he brought up just before the national championship.

``We've accomplished a lot here, winning a preseason tournament in New York, getting to the Final Four and the title game,'' Gardner was quoted saying to ESPN.com. ``But we haven't gone undefeated in the Pac-10, and we still haven't won the national championship.''

Arizona is the most trumpeted college basketball team in years. In two years, to be precise. Since Arizona of 2000-01.

That's the season the Wildcats of Gardner, Michael Wright, Loren Woods, Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson started out ranked No. 1 but struggled with the death of Olson's wife Bobbi and started 13-5 - before finishing strong and going to the NCAA Final to fall to Duke.

Those Wildcats lost three games in the Pac-10.

``This year's going to be different,'' Gardner said Wednesday. ``We're a lot closer as a team (now). And myself, Rick and Luke have played in every big game.''

Then again, they also played in the Wildcats' 10 losses, six in the Pac-10, last season. So we'll see.

``Anytime somebody talks about going undefeated in the conference, I think they need to take a reassessment of their thinking,'' Olson, trying to lower these out-of-control expectations, said with a chuckle. ``I think that's youthful exuberance with Jason.''

Arizona will open its season Nov. 23 against Western Kentucky; it will open its Pac-10 schedule Jan. 2 at Oregon. This is the time for hype and boasts. That's the time for backing them up.

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