PAC-10 MEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW: CONFERENCE JUMPS INTO DEEP END LEAGUE COULD BE ONE OF NATION'S STRONGEST.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND Staff Writer

If Washington State, predicted to finish last in the Pacific-10 Conference, should upset undefeated and No. 1-ranked UCLA tonight, it wouldn't inspire an outpouring of shock up and down the WestCoast.

That's no knock on UCLA, which has exceeded lofty preseason expectations on its way to an 11-0 record.

Instead, it's a testament to the depth of Pac-10 basketball, which might be stronger than ever.

As conference play opens tonight, all 10teams have winning records. So while UCLA, with a balanced scoring attack led by Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp, is a top national-title contender, it won't be shocking to see the Bruins lose to Oregon, which is also 11-0, Arizona or even young and inconsistent USC.

That's not conjecture. It comes straight from the mouth of UCLA coach Ben Howland.

``It's not just one team,'' Howland said. ``Arizona has won nine in a row and they're No. 1 in RPI. Oregon is undefeated. Washington is 11-1. Washington State is 11-1. USC is playing very well.

``Our league is very, very good. I think our league is the best in the country, top to bottom. I say that with a lot of pride. It's going to be an unbelievable gauntlet to get through 18 games.''

The ACC, which has six teams ranked in the RPI top 20, might argue with Howland's assessment of the Pac-10, but certainly UCLA, ranked No. 2 in RPI, sits at the top of a highly competitive conference. The Pac-10, as a whole, is ranked second in RPI, with Oregon coming in at No. 24.

UCLA didn't get much of a challenge from its nonconference schedule, but that's likely to change in Pac-10 play.

Next weekend, the Bruins head north to face the Oregon schools, including an unbeaten Ducks squad that recorded an impressive road victory over then-No. 18 Georgetown.

But the Ducks have been slowed by injuries, which could leave Arizona as the biggest challenge to UCLA. The Wildcats have a star in freshman forward Chase Budinger, who is averaging 17.4 points per game, and a veteran point guard in senior Mustafa Shakur (7.4 assists per game).

It's hard to classify Washington. The Huskies don't have an upperclassman starter, Led by 7-foot freshman center Spencer Hawes, they beat LSU but lost to Gonzaga, a team that Washington State beat.

Howland said he expects five or six Pac-10 teams to make the NCAA Tournament, which could mean a bid for USC, another young team that had a big moment when it beat then-No. 8 Wichita State last week.

The Trojans (10-3) have the conference's second-best defense in terms of points, field-goal percentage against and 3-point percentage against, and that is bound to cause problems for many teams.

The return of all-conference junior guard Gabe Pruitt should help, once Pruitt acclimates himself to his teammates. Coach Tim Floyd, frustrated by a high number of turnovers, has had difficulty settling on a lineup of late, but freshman forward Taj Gibson has emerged as a rebounding force.

If Howland's prediction is correct, that could leave Stanford, Cal and possibly Washington State battling for a tournament berth, and what a struggle that should be.

``It's going to be very competitive and interesting,'' Howland said. ``It's going to be a dogfight.''

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UCLA guards Arron Afflalo, left, and Darren Collison.

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- Rich Hammond