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Pac-10 preview: League looks weaker

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Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. Check out his Yardbarker blog. MORE>>
 
Updated Oct 24, 2009 8:43 PM ET
     
 
The Pac-10 has churned out NBA guys at an alarming rate over the past couple of years. There was just no way around the league's having a down season at some point.

2009-10 preview

Roy Halladay Can't wait for the college hoops season to start? We get you ready for 2009-10 with our preseason guide.
This will be it. USC's new coach, Kevin O'Neill, took over a thin team after Tim Floyd's departure. Sean Miller walked into a similar situation at Arizona after the recent instability in Tucson. UCLA lost Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya. Arizona State saw James Harden and Jeff Pendegraph depart to the NBA. That leaves California and Washington as the de facto co-leaders, since both clubs return much of their teams from a year ago. After that, it's anyone's guess.

Top storylines

  • Can Sean Miller extend the precious Streak in Tucson? Arizona has the longest streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances at 25, but it won't be easy with senior Nic Wise and a bunch of freshmen.
  • How far will UCLA drop after the core of its team left? The Bruins still have one of the elite coaches in America, but Ben Howland will have a young, unproven, yet talented team that could surprise people.
  • Oregon hired one of the top X's and O's guys in the nation in associate coach Mike Dunlap, who helped get Arizona to the Sweet 16 a year ago. Dunlap should be a major boost for head coach Ernie Kent, who has enough talent (i.e. Tajuan Porter, Michael Dunigan) to get into the top half of the league, maybe as high as third.
  • Cal and Washington are clearly 1-2 entering the season. Will one of them separate itself from the other and turn into a legitimate Final Four contender? Mike Montgomery's team is loaded with experienced perimeter players, while the Huskies have a potent backcourt with Isaiah Thomas and Abdul Gaddy.
  • Oregon State was the surprise team in the league in Craig Robinson's first year at the helm. The president-in-law brought in some impressive talent this season, and it'll be interesting to see whether the Beavers can make another jump.
  • Herb Sendek won't replace James Harden, but Arizona State also lost four-year big man Jeff Pendergraph. Now, the Sun Devils will rely on veteran point guard Derek Glasser, but Ty Abbott and Eric Boateng have to step up if ASU is to make a postseason run.
  • Washington State coach Ken Bone replaced Tony Bennett, who left for Virginia. Bone needs to bring in more quality depth, but he does have one of the league's top players in Klay Thompson. Will WSU be a factor in the Pac-10, as Bennett was able to do in his first two years at the helm?
  • USC's Kevin O'Neill can coach, but he's one injury away from being in major trouble. The Trojans have no quality depth and already have lost starting forward Leonard Washington for the first semester because of academics.

Predicted finish

1. California
2. Washington
3. UCLA
4. Oregon
5. Arizona
6. Oregon State
7. Arizona State
8. Washington State
9. USC
10. Stanford

All-Conference team

Small forward: Klay Thompson, 6-6, 200, Soph., Washington State
2008-09 stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg Power forward: Alex Stepheson, 6-9, 220, Jr., USC
2008-09 stats: N/A (transferred from North Carolina) Center: Michael Dunigan, 6-10, 255, Soph., Oregon
2008-09 stats: 8.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg Point guard: Jerome Randle, 5-10, 160, Sr., California
2008-09 stats: 18.3 ppg, 5 apg Shooting guard: Malcolm Lee, 6-5, 190, Soph., UCLA
2008-09 stats: 3.2 ppg Player of the Year: Jerome Randle, 5-10, 160, Sr., California
Newcomer of the Year: Abdul Gaddy, 6-3, 175, PG, Fr., Washington

Frosh to watch

Abdul Gaddy (Washington): He'll have the ball in his hands most of the time, and that's exactly what the Huskies need — a pure pass-first floor leader that can create opportunities for his teammates. Kyryl Natazhko, Kevin Parrom, Derrick Williams, Lamont Jones, Solomon Hill (Arizona): We're lumping them together since they compose Sean Miller's first recruiting class and are the Wildcats' hope to extend their NCAA tournament streak. Mike Moser, Tyler Honeycutt, Reeves Nelson, Anthony Stover (UCLA): Since we put Arizona's five-man class together, we figured we'll put the top four players in Ben Howland's class as a group as well. Roberto Nelson, Oregon State: A legitimate top 100 player who should help Craig Robinson in his freshman season. Brock Motum, Washington State: A Tony Bennett recruit who elected to stick with the Cougars, the skilled 6-foot-9 forward will be the beneficiary of new coach Ken Bone.

Five non-conference games to watch

1. California at Kansas, Dec. 22: Mike Montgomery will take the Golden Bears to Lawrence in a nice test for what could be the Pac-10's top squad. 2. Kansas at UCLA (Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series), Dec. 6: The Bruins may be down a bit, but it'll be no walk in the park for the preseason No. 1 team in the land. 3. Washington vs. Georgetown in Wooden Classic (Anaheim, Calif.), Dec. 12: The Huskies should battle for Pac-10 supremacy, while the Hoyas need to rebound from a late-season collapse. 4. UCLA at Notre Dame, Dec. 19: Can Luke Harangody and the Irish get revenge for the spanking that the Bruins put on them a year ago? 5. Arizona at Oklahoma (Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series), Dec. 6: This game could go a long way toward determining whether the Wildcats extend their streak of NCAA tournament appearances.
Tagged: Kansas, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Bradley, Notre Dame, Arizona, Oregon, UCLA, Washington, Georgetown, Washington State, Birmingham Southern, Southern California, California, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Oregon State

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