1. Arizona Wildcats: Among the quickest and most athletic teams coach Lute Olson ever has had, which is saying something. Salim Stoudamire is a fearless bomber. Channing Frye reminds a lot of people of Loren Woods. Hassan Adams and Andre Iguodala are simply spectacular.
Returning starters: Four.
Best returning player: Adams.
Strengths: Quickness, shooting, fastbreak capability.
Weaknesses: No proven power forward.
2. Stanford Cardinal: A deep and talented veteran squad, the Cardinal looks to complete its 10th straight 20-win season and secure its 10th straight NCAA tournament bid. Senior Matt Lottich can fill it up from 3-point range. Frontliners Justin Davis, Rob Little and Josh Childress are rugged and skilled.
Returning starters: Four.
Best returning player: Childress.
Strengths: Experience, depth and a thirst for defense.
Weaknesses: Point guard Chris Hernandez has battled injuries his entire career. If he can’t go, Stanford’s hurting.
3. Cal Golden Bears: Freshman forward Leon Poole looks to be the best newcomer in the league. Paired with Amit Tamir, the Bears are loaded up front. Richard Midgley is a heady point guard who shot 45 percent from 3-point range in 2002-03.
Returning starters: Three.
Best returning player: Tamir.
Strengths: The front line, headed by Tamir. The Bears are stellar at home, 44-5 in Haas Pavilion. Coach Ben Braun has established consistency in the program.
Weaknesses: While the front line can score, rebounding is unproven. Also, how to replace Joe Shipp and Brian Wethers?
4. USC Trojans: After taking their lumps in the regular season, the Trojans went on a run and reached the finals of the Pac-10 tournament. Nine juniors and seniors are on the roster, but coach Henry Bibby is really excited about freshman twins Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart, from Rainier Beach High School in Seattle.
Returning starters: Five.
Best returning player: Desmon Farmer.
Strengths: Farmer can fill up the hoop, as can guard Errick Craven. Craven’s twin, Derrick, is a tenacious backcourt defender.
Weaknesses: The Trojans shot 42 percent from the floor last year, ninth in the league. The frontcourt lacks experience.
5. Oregon Ducks: Forward Luke Jackson won’t have point guard Luke Ridnour to feed him the ball every other trip down the court, but he still is the best all-around player in the conference. Stepping in at point is freshman Aaron Brooks of Franklin High School in Seattle.
Returning starters: Two.
Best returning player: Jackson.
Strengths: The Ducks will score points with anybody, They can hit the three and pass with the best. Oregon was 14-2 at Mac Court last year.
Weaknesses: Can Brooks develop in time for Oregon to make a run at postseason play? Who’s going to rebound?
6. Arizona State Sun Devils: Ike Diogu was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year last year (19 points, 7.8 rebounds), but will need help from 10 newcomers if the Sun Devils will go anywhere.
Returning starters: Two.
Best returning player: Diogu.
Strengths: Lost in Diogu’s numbers was the fact that he made more free throws (180) than all but one league player attempted last season. Point guard James Braxton is the leading returner in assists and steals.
Weaknesses: Just three players with more than one year of experience. Diogu is a feared inside scorer, but the Sun Devils need someone to hit from outside to take the pressure off him.
7. Washington Huskies: Perhaps the surprise team in the league, the Huskies have the league’s deepest backcourt. The concern is their inside game. At times last season, Washington started four freshmen, which should pay dividends this year. Brandon Roy is turning into they go-to guy, while Nate Robinson does everything with flair.
Returning starters: Four.
Best returning player: Robinson.
Strengths: Guards, guards, guards. Besides the two mentioned above, Tre Simmons, Curtis Allen and Will Conroy are not only offensive forces, but also dangerous on defense. Forward Bobby Jones has added punch to his speciality, which is irritating defense. Popular coach Lorenzo Romar is bringing stability to the program, and isn’t looking to leave, as Bob Bender did too often.
Weaknesses: The boards. Inside players Anthony Washington and Mike Jensen are young, but have to mature in a hurry if the Huskies hope to advance in the Pac-10 tournament. This is an up-and-coming program.
8. UCLA Bruins: New coach Ben Howland is next in line for abuse from the media and alumni. But he has turned around programs at Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona. A plus is getting T.J. Cummings back from academic problems. Still, the talent is suspect, and it never should be suspect at Westwood.
Returning starters: Four.
Best returning player: Dijon Thompson.
Strengths: Howland’s reputation as a changer got him this job. How long he keeps it depends on a number of things, some even under his control. Junior point guard Cedric Bozeman returns from shoulder surgery. The roster has eight players with significant playing time.
Weaknesses: Turnovers, defense, morale. And replacing shooting guard Jason Kapono won’t be easy. If the Bruins slump again and don’t make the league tournament, Howland’s already in trouble.
9. Washington State Cougars: Dick Bennett, who did wonderful things at Wisconsin, takes over a Cougar program that hasn’t had a winning season in seven years. His presence brought back star guard Marcus Moore from the NBA list. Discipline is the buzzword in Pullman these days, which certainly will show on the court. Whether that translates into wins is anyone’s guess.
Returning starters: Four.
Best returning player: Moore.
Strengths: Coaching is upgraded from last year. When he’s healthy, Moore can score on anyone. Thomas Kelati and Kevin Green are both solid in the backcourt.
Weaknesses: The injury bug devastated this team last year. At one point, five players were on the shelf. That speaks to conditioning. Turnovers. Trouble winning on the road, where the Cougars play 13 of their first 16 games.
10. Oregon State Beavers: Second-year coach Jay John has just one returning starter back in sophomore point guard Lamar Hurd. He, David Lucas and J.S. Nash are the only Beavers who have seen any significant playing time. OSU is the definition of “rebuilding.”
Returning starters: One.
Best returning player: Hurd.
Strengths: Hurd is a quality guard who can do a little bit of everything. An intriguing player is 7-foot-2, 306-pound center Liam Hughes, a freshman from Hullbridge, England. As Marv Harshman used to say, you can’t teach height.
Weaknesses: No seniors. Little talent to replace Philip Ricci and Brian Jackson. Just three guys with any meaningful experience.
John Sleeper, Herald writer
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