Pac-10 Offseason Update
by Scott Allen
Arizona
Chris Dunn, who redshirted last year, is no longer enrolled at the school and will not compete in the 2003-04 season.
Junior center Channing Frye and junior guard Salim Stoudamire were named to the Wooden Award Preseason Team.
The Wildcats will be celebrating their centennial with events throughout the season.
Arizona State
Sophomore center Ike Diogu (19.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg last season) was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Team. Diogu competed this summer on the United States Pan-American Games team from August 2-6.
California
Senior center/forward Amit Tamir was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Team.
The Bears announced that Marquise Kately, the 2002 Bay Area prep basketball player of the year, was admitted and will participate with the team this season. Kately, who averaged 21 points and seven rebounds in his senior year at Maine Central Institute, will return home and join fellow Bay Area-natives Leo Powe and Ayinde Ubaka as part of Cal’s much-heralded, nationally-ranked recruiting class.
Lorenzo Neely, who played for Cal head coach Ben Braun at Eastern Michigan, was named assistant coach. Neely was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 1988 and was named first team All-Conference in his senior season. Neely replaces Jon Wheeler, who resigned after three years on Braun’s staff for personal reasons.
Oregon
The Ducks could be entering one of their final seasons in MacArthur Court after university president Dave Frohnmayer gave the official go-ahead this summer to replace the 77-year old Eugene landmark with a $90 million, privately funded facility. “Mac Court” would remain as a training and recreational sports facility.
Oregon State
Kenny Hooks, who averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots in his senior year at Moss Point High School in Moss Point, Miss., signed a national letter of intent to play for the Beavers this season.
Stanford
Junior Josh Childress was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Team. Childress competed along with Arizona State’s Ike Diogu on the United States Pan-American Games team from August 2-6.
Head coach Mike Montgomery signed a contract extension through the 2007-08 season. Montgomery was named Pac-10 co-Coach of the Year last season and the upcoming campaign will be his 18th as leader of the Cardinal.
UCLA
The Bruins named Ben Howland their head coach on April 2, replacing Steve Lavin. Howland spent the last four years at Pittsburgh and was the 2002 National Coach of the Year.
Senior forward T.J. Cummings, the third-leading scorer (10.3 ppg) and rebounder (4.9 rpg) for the Bruins last season, will miss at three regular season games after being declared academically ineligible for the Fall Quarter. His academic status will be re-evaluated at the conclusion of Fall Quarter exams (Dec. 12). In the meantime, he will be able to practice with the team.
Legendary head coach John Wooden and his late wife, Nell, will be honored prior to a game against Michigan State Dec. 20 as the floor at Pauley Pavilion will be named “John and Nell Wooden Court.”
USC
Marvin Menzies joined head coach Mike Bibby as an assistant coach after spending the last four years as an assistant at San Diego State. Bibby also added Mike Johnson, who has coaching experience at UC-Irvine and Cal State-Northridge, to his staff.
Quinton Day, a 6-0, 175-pound point guard from Kansas City, Mo., signed a letter of intent with the Trojans. Day averaged 20.2 points, 5 assists and 6 steals per game in his senior year at Paseo Academy.
Washington
Jeffrey Day was declared academically ineligible shortly after the completion of last season and is no longer enrolled at the school. Day, who averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds, would have been a junior this season.
Hakeem Rollins, an honorable-mention junior college All-American at Mesa Community College in Arizona signed a letter of intent with head coach Lorenzo Romar. The 6-8, 235-pound Rollins averaged 24.8 points per game last season. He joins Hans Gasser, who averaged 21.1 points and 10 rebounds in his senior season at Issaquah (Wash.) High School and Tre Simmons, as the third member of the Huskies’ recruiting class.
Romar served an assistant coach for Tom Izzo and United States team at the Pan-American Games August 2-6.
Washington State
Dick Bennett was named the 15th head coach in Washington State history March 29, replacing Paul Graham. Bennett’s last coaching stop was in Wisconsin (from 1995-2000) where he led the Badgers to a Final Four and compiled a 93-69 record. Washington State announced the signing of Tony Bennett, Dick’s son, as an assistant coach shortly thereafter.
Point guard Marcus Moore was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Team. Moore returns to Pullman for his senior season after flirting with the idea of entering the 2003 NBA Draft. He averaged 18.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season, missing nine games with an ankle injury.
