Jan 31, 2008

Arizona and USC heat up Pac-10 race

By Gordon Kass / Daily News Correspondent

They're red hot and dangerous and they are out of view. You can't see them but they can hurt you. That's Arizona and USC in the Pac-10 men's hoop race.

Neither is ranked in the Top 25. But they are just as deadly as the three Pac-10 teams that are ranked: conference powers UCLA (No. 5) and Washington State (No. 9) and surging Stanford (No. 14).

Arizona struggled a bit early in the year and the absence of star guard Jerryd Bayless because of injury was a key part of the Wildcats' 1-2 start in Pac-10 play. Bayless is back and scoring in bushels (third in the league with 19.9 points per game) and the Cats have a ton of other weapons, including Chase Budinger (17.7 ppg) and rising star Jordan Hill (13.5 ppg and 8.2 boards per game). Six losses on the overall record keep the Cats from being ranked but that won't last long. Zona is as tough as anyone in the league right now.

USC is under the radar, too. The Trojans started conference play with three straight losses but they have begun to jell, finding contributions beyond O.J. Mayo. Daniel Hackett drives the attack, Davon Jefferson is a big-time contributor and Taj Gibson is a force on the inside. SoCal has ripped off four wins in a row, including road victories at two of the toughest venues, UCLA and Oregon. You won't see SC ranked, but they are red hot.

Those two teams start off this weekend's Pac-10 action by playing ... each other! Tonight at SC's Galen Center, the Cats and Trojans meet. Someone will lose but after that, neither of these two will stumble much as they both surge toward post-season bids.

Look for both teams to finish the season strong and garner invitations to the NCAA tourney. Add in UCLA, WSU and Stanford and that makes five.

Oregon (3-5) and Cal (2-5) are down in the standings and their hopes are nearly dead. Arizona State has a chance but a weak preseason matched with a slide in the standings (three straight losses, two at home) shows the Devils' chances are evaporating.



Pac-10 women's hoops

The story line is clear and the results will be clear. Revenge will be sweet. Stanford's Pac-10 ride was derailed by the lost weekend in Los Angeles a few weeks back, with defeats at the hands of UCLA and USC. Now the Trojans and Bruins head to Maples to get their lickings.

If Stanford could pound tough Cal last weekend, they can certainly beat the tar out of these two good-but-nothing-special squads. SoCal goes down tonight at 7 p.m. and the Cardinal rips up UCLA on Saturday at 2 p.m. Neither game will be close.

The NCAA tournament outlook is solid for Stanford and Cal. Arizona State is in good shape and USC is hanging on by their fingertips. Don't be surprised if the Pac-10 ends up with just three selections.



Men's hoops power rankings

1. UCLA (18-2 overall, 6-1 Pac-10): Kevin Love had 26 points and 18 boards to quiet a rowdy Oregon crowd in an 80-75 win, but don't overlook Darren Collison's 22-point production (followed by 33 against OSU on Saturday).

2. Washington State (17-2, 5-2): Cougars defense engulfed ASU star James Harden on last-second shot in lane to preserve 56-55 win Saturday.

3. Stanford (16-3, 5-2): Brook Lopez had 23 points in the second half of an 82-77 win at Cal, but how about Mitch Johnson's 16-point afternoon!

4. Arizona (14-6, 4-3): Bayless scored 23 points in a 76-64 win over WSU as Cats showed how good they have become.

5. USC (13-6, 4-3): Trojans blew 66-57 lead with 1:26 left in regulation but regrouped in overtime to dump Ducks 95-86.



Women's hoops power rankings

1. Stanford (17-3 overall, 7-2 Pac-10): Cardinal busted out to 30-14 lead and Bears were toast.

2. Cal (17-3, 8-1): Stanford's Jayne Appel had more rebounds (15) than any three Bear players combined.

3. Arizona State (13-7, 7-2): Lauren Lacey scored 20 points to help Devils past Washington 68-62 in Seattle.

4. USC (13-7, 6-3): Freshman Kari LaPlante had 13 points (in just 17 minutes) against OSU and 10 more against Oregon.

5. UCLA (11-9, 6-3): Shaky Bruins barely edged both Oregon (63-59) and OSU (74-70 at home.



Pac-10 men's basketball pics

Thursday, Arizona at USC: Pic: Arizona by 3. Cats are playing a bit better than Troy and decisive edge will come under the boards. Watch Bayless and Mayo battle it out!

Saturday, Stanford at Washington State: Pic: WSU by 5. Cougs very tough in the Palouse. Aron Baynes will try to shut down a Lopez or two and Stanford foul trouble inside will be a Wazzu ally.



Pac-10 women's basketball pic

Thursday, USC at Stanford: Pic: Stanford by 18. Cardinal will dominate inside and Candice Wiggins will score like crazy.


E-mail Gordon Kass at gordonkass@hotmail.com