Projecting the Pac 10 Conference men's basketball race . . .
1. UCLA
Frank's reasoning: If you need explanations, you haven't been paying attention the past three seasons.
2. Arizona State
Frank's reasoning: The Sun Devils just missed an NCAA bid last March. James Harden & Co. will not give the NCAA committee the option of excluding them this time around.
3. Washington
Frank's reasoning: Jon Brockman is too forceful and productive a presence inside the lane and there are too many other good players around him for the Huskies to miss the NCAA tourney a third time in a row.
4. USC
Frank's reasoning: If the four-player core of freshman Demar DeRozan and juniors Daniel Hackett, Taj Gibson and Dwight Lewis stay healthy, pencil the Trojans in for 22 to 25 wins.
5. Washington State
Frank's reasoning: What Tony Bennett has built in Pullman isn't about to fade into the Palouse, even with the departure of Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low. Klay Thompson is the most underrated freshman in the country.
6. California
Frank's reasoning: There are more players in Berkeley than people realize. And, oh yes: Mike Montgomery is a good coach.
7. Oregon
Frank's reasoning: The Ducks have the kind base of gifted freshmen and sophomore that should help them return to the NCAA tourney in 2010, when they're sophomores and juniors.
8. Arizona
Frank's reasoning: Sure, Lute Olson didn't leave the cupboard bare, as Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger and Nic Wise are quality players. But, until further notice, the program should be labeled ``a mess''.
9. Stanford
Frank's reasoning: The Lopez Brothers and Coach Trent Johnson are gone. Johnny Dawkins has great bloodlines (uh, does ``Duke'' ring a bell?) but we'll have a better notion of what is in store in Palo Alto come January.
10. Oregon State
Frank's reasoning: Most of the same players were on the team that went 0-18 in conference. You may not have heard: OSU Coach Craig Robinson's is the President-elect Barack Obama's brother in-law!
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