Most often, when a team loses its top two scorers and the top rebounder from the previous season one of whom was a National Player of the Year and consensus All-American, while the other was an All-Conference performer there is reason to expect that the following year will be filled with question marks and lower expectations. That, however, is not the case in Tucson this year, as it's anticipated that the University of Arizona will once again compete among the nation's elite and contend for its ninth Pac-10 title in the past 15 years.

Although the 1 Arizona basketball roster will not include that award-winning duo of 98-99 seniors Jason Terry and A.J. Bramlett (or in fact, any seniors who will see a lot of playing time), this season's Wildcats return a recognizable group of players who helped the team finish second in the Pac-10 last year and record a 22-7 overall mark. Set to close out the century as the nation's winningest program over the past 12 years, Arizona head coach Lute Olson, who enters his 17^th year at the helm, has a squad stocked comprised of players ready to make a name for themselves.

The key reasons for the excitement surrounding Arizona basketball include:

• Three returning starters, including 1999 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Michael Wright, Richard Jefferson and Ruben Douglas, all of who gained enormous amounts of experience last season as true freshmen. The Wildcats will also welcome 7-foot-1-inch Wake Forest transfer Loren Woods, who will be eligible to play this year after sitting out last season.
  
• A group of veteran players who posses a good understanding of the UA system. Veterans Eugene Edgerson (who will redshirt this year to student teach, allowing him to complete his education degree requirements in four years), Justin Wessel, Josh Pastner and John Ash all own both an NCAA championship ring and a Pac-10 title ring. Additionally, 1998-99 redshirt Luke Walton has spent a year in the program and will see plenty of time this season, as will sophomore Rick Anderson, who started five games last season.
  
• Yet another prized incoming recruiting class. Start with three freshmen -- point guard Jason Gardner, combo guard Gilbert Arenas and 6-foot-10 center Robertas Javtokas. Also, a junior college transfer in guard Lamont Frazier and Indiana transfer Luke Recker, who has to sit out the season, but will make a major impact as an everyday practice player.
  
• Lute Olson's pursuit of a number coaching milestones. The second game of the year will mark the 800^th game of his head coaching career... The fifth victory of the year will be win No. 400 at Arizona... He needs just eight wins to record the most collegiate wins of any Arizona head coach, surpassing Fred Enke's 402 wins... Finally, the 13^th win of the season will be career victory No. 600, making him one of just 33 coaches in NCAA history to reach the 600-win plateau.

While last year's team was a mix of the leadership and willpower of Terry, Bramlett and Edgerson and the youthful exuberance and raw talent of five freshmen, this season's squad will see those youngsters become the focal part of the attack. Along with Woods and the new players coming in, it's a team that will be a force to reckon with in 1.

"I have often said that players make the biggest improvement between their freshmen and sophomore years," Olson said. "We are seeing just that with this group. I am impressed with their dedication and commitment to the weights and individual workouts. They all know what's in store for them this year and they are doing everything they need to do to be ready for it."

In the past, Arizona basketball has been known as an oasis for perimeter firepower. However, this season the attention will be shifted towards the frontline. One of the top groupings in the country, it appears to have it all: scoring, rebounding, shot blocking ability and tremendous athleticism.

"We have always been known as a great place for a guard to go to school and certainly that hasn't changed because we wouldn't have a Jason Gardner, Luke Recker, Gilbert Arenas or Lamont Frazier coming in here if we didn't have the reputation that we have," Olson said. "But next year, our experience will be inside, and we will have to utilize that. I think it will be far from an inside dominated team, because we have outside abilities as well.

"You could probably compare our situation a little bit to what the San Antonio Spurs featured this past NBA season," Olson said. "Although our guys are not at that level, what they can do down low for us is impressive. Teams will have to decide if they are going to concentrate on us down low or out on the perimeter. If they try to shut us down along the frontline, that will open up unbelievable opportunities for our perimeter players."

Leading the way will be 6-foot-7, 240-pound sophomore power forward Michael Wright. A freshman All-America last year, he led every Pac-10 freshmen in all major statistical categories and averaged 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. A ferocious rebounder who is the strongest player in the program (5% body fat), he started 25 of the UA's 29 games last season and shot 55.6% from the floor. For the second consecutive year, he participated on the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Team this past summer, and will take that experience with him into the upcoming season.

"I think outside of our coaching staff, Michael surprised a lot of people with his progress and performances last season," Olson said. "This season, we are going to call on him to give us even more scoring to make up for the loss of Jason and A.J. The biggest adjustment he will have to make this year is on the defensive end of the floor. Last year, he we could keep him inside, but with the loss of A.J., who was able to guard a guy on both the inside and outside, Michael will now have go out and defend a four-man this season. That will be the next step in his development.

Teaming with Wright on the inside is 7-foot-1 junior center Loren Woods. After playing his first two years at Wake Forest alongside Tim Duncan, Woods brings his talents to the Southwest. The tallest player the UA has ever had, he has all the tools you would want in a big man. Equally adept at running the floor, blocking shots and scoring with his back to the basket, he has Arizona coaches extremely excited for the start of the season. His game received a jump start this past summer as he was a member of the NIT All Star team that traveled to Austria and Czechoslovakia.

"After a year of only practicing, the big thing with Loren will be getting back into game shape mentally more so than physically," Olson said. "There is no question that he has the ability to be the best shot blocker we have ever had here. He runs the floor beyond what you would expect of a 7-footer and he is a tremendous passer. He will be able to create problems with double-teams because of that. With his passing, he is almost unselfish to a fault, but that's better than him being too selfish."

Because of the influx of youth and loss of Terry and Bramlett, Woods -- in only his first year -- will be one of the guys who are relied on heavily for leadership.

"Loren had a tremendous impact on the program last season just by practicing," Olson said. "Having him as a redshirt last year was valuable because with Gene (Edgerson) redshirting, Loren will have to pick up a major portion of the leadership role.

"Behind the scenes, the guy who will have the most influence in terms of team attitude is Josh Pastner," Olson said of his senior and coach-in waiting. "Although he may not do it on the floor, he is as valuable to us leadership-wise as a Miles Simon, Reggie Geary or Jason Terry has been. He commands such great respect from the other players because of his work-ethic and what he brings to the program in so many different ways, whether it's the extra shooting or motivation."

As for Eugene Edgerson, he will sit out what would have been his senior season with a redshirt year and is doing so in order to accomplish his goal of getting his degree and teaching certificate for the UA in four years.

"Due to the requirements of our college of education, there was no way he could play basketball and student teach at the same time," Olson said. "His only option was to sit out this season, works towards getting his degree and student teach, and then play again next year while working on his advanced degree. It was his call all along, and I told him he had to do what he thought was best for him."

One of the four players on the roster who were members of the UA's 1997 NCAA Championship team, junior 6-foot-8 forward Justin Wessel is in his fourth year with the Wildcats after seeing the most playing time of his career last season. He has the ability to play both the three and four spots and played in every Wildcat game last year. He is another player who will help form one of the nation's top front lines in 1.

"He spent the offseason working very hard on the weights and getting himself prepared to battle defensively with bigger guys inside," Olson said. "He has offensive skills of a three-man, as well as interior skills to play the four. His biggest challenge will be his ability to defend on the perimeter, which was the major reason that limited his court time a year ago."

The second of the three returning starters is sophomore small forward Richard Jefferson. An athletic and quick 6-foot-7 performer, he was an All-Pac-10 Freshman team performer last season after posting the team's fourth-highest scoring average (11.3 ppg) and third-best rebounding mark (4.8 rpg). Consistency will be the call for his game this year and he will benefit from going up against Indiana transfer Luke Recker each day in practice.

"Richard is a great athlete with unlimited potential," Olson said. "Last year, his athletic skills were such that he didn't have a player in practice who could compete with him on the same level on a day-in and day-out basis. I felt that hurt his development during the year. However, that will certainly change this year."

The last of the three returning starters is 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Ruben Douglas. The starting two-guard last year, he improved greatly as the season wore on. Named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention team, he averaged 8.0 ppg on the season, a mark that was helped in part by his 16.5 ppg average in the final four games of the regular season. A good outside shooter who has bulked up in the off-season, he will play both the off-guard and point guard this season.

"In the last month of last season, I thought Ruben made more progress than any player in our program," Olson said. "His shooting percentage began to go up because he had a better understanding of what his shots should be. This year, he will be a combo-guard and we asked him to spend a lot of time in the off-season on his ball handling skills. On his summer league team, he was going to play the point so he could be ready to do that for us this year."

One of last season's five freshmen who saw extensive playing time is sophomore Rick Anderson. A 6-foot-8 guard/forward who has bulked up to 225 pounds in the offseason, he has the versatility and size to present match-up problems. His hustle and attitude earned him five starts last season, while playing in 26 of the 29 games. His role with this year's team will be similar to teammates Justin Wessel and Luke Walton, in that they will all battle for time in the three and four positions.

"He definitely has the offensive perimeter skills we need out of those positions," Olson said. "The question is how he can adjust to the defensive requirements we ask of our guys. He is one of our hardest workers, so I know he will be improved in this area for the upcoming year."

Coming off a first year of college that saw him sit out with an injury redshirt year, 6-foot-8 forward Luke Walton has made a full recovery from a stress fracture in his foot and is expected to make an immediate impact on this year. Slated to be what UA coaches term a "swing-forward", he will play either the three or the four positions. He is a good passer and Olson raves about his feel for the game.

"Luke was very impressive in the late stages of practice last year," Olson said. "It was amazing during the time that he was injured how much he improved his overall strength. When he came back, he understood what we were doing as well as any of the freshmen who had been involved in the practices everyday throughout the year. Luke has done what he needs to do to be ready to make a name for himself this season."

One of the veterans who has been a part of an awful lot of the Arizona success is junior point guard John Ash. He saw some time last year, but in backing up a 40-minute a game guy like Jason Terry, his time was limited. A reliable and hard worker, he has gone against such players as Terry, Mike Bibby and Miles Simon in practice during his UA career and gives the Cats a solid role player.

"John has made great strides in practice, but because of who he has played behind, he hasn't had much of an opportunity for game time," Olson said. "Whatever he would face in a game situation would not be as difficult as what he gone against in our practices."

The first of the three freshmen on this year's team is 5-foot-11 point guard Jason Gardner from Indianapolis, Ind. A McDonald's All-American and the state of Indiana's Mr. Basketball last year as a senior, he led North Central High School to the state 4A championship last year, as well as the Indiana Tournament of Champions title. He averaged 22.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.0 apg and 3.0 spg as he did just about everything for his prep team. Another high school recruit who was attracted to the UA for its ability to produce high profile point guards, he will get the chance to compete for the starting point guard position immediately.

"Jason comes in with as strong of credentials as anyone we have probably had," Olson said. "One of the two biggest things with him coming in as opposed to our other freshmen points guard is that he has worked with the weights in high school and he is strong enough to compete at this level right now. Secondly, he will be an outstanding defender immediately as a freshman. He has benefitted from outstanding high school coaching."

Gilbert Arenas is another one of the three freshmen on this year's roster and Olson says he has the type of body and skills that make him a candidate to play any of the UA's three perimeter positions, in much of the same manner that Miles Simon and Reggie Geary were able to do as freshmen. A prolific scorer from Grant High School in North Hollywood, Calif., the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 33.4 ppg as a senior and wound up as the school's all-time leading scorer with a three-year total of 2,124 points.

"Gilbert is a very young freshman he comes in the age of a high school senior," Olson said. "He is from a program where he had to do the majority of the scoring, rebounding and everything else. His biggest adjustment will be that he is suddenly on the court with four other guys who are good players. He has the type of size and skills that will make him a candidate for all three perimeter spots. There are some similarities with Gilbert and Mike Bibby, in that both came here with similar numbers and as players who did everything for their high school team especially in crunch time."

Another weapon in the Wildcats' perimeter attack comes in the addition of Lon Morris Junior College transfer Lamont Frazier. A 6-foot-3 junior combo guard, he will be able to give the Cats some upperclass leadership after spending the past two season at the Texas junior college. A product of Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, he was an All-Region and All-Conference performer last season at Lon Morris, averaging 23 ppg, 5.2 apg and 3.8 rpg. In his two years, he became a bonafide scorer and recorded 1,108 points, but he is also a solid defender as well.

"Lamont will bring some maturity into the program and he is a great competitor and team player," Olson said. "He is capable of playing any one of the three perimeter spots as well. We are excited about the way he can shoot the ball and he will be one of our best passers."

A late signee for the Wildcats was 6-foot-10, 240-pound freshman center Robertas Javtokas (pronounced YAV-toe-kus). He hails from Lithuania, but has spent the past two years in the United States. As a junior in high school, he attended Bishop-McGuiness HS in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he averaged 15 ppg, 10 rpg and 5.0 bpg. He did not play prep basketball last year, as he sat out the season at St. Vincent/St. Mary's HS in Akron, Ohio, due to transfer rules. He was able to practice with the team and played in a couple of postseason all-star camps.

"Robertas is a good athlete who runs the court well for a player his size," Olson said. "He is also a good defender, but typical of a lot of the European big men -- he faces up to he basket very well and shoot the ball well, but needs work on his back-to-the-basket portion of the game. It will be good for both he and Loren Woods to go against each other in practice."

The final installment to the UA puzzle will not be available in games, but will make his presence felt in practice. Luke Recker, a transfer from Indiana, must sit out this year due to NCAA transfer rules and will be eligible to play as a junior in 2000-01. He will help the younger perimeter players improve and as mentioned, most notably, Richard Jefferson.

"He will have the same type of immediate impact on our program as Loren Woods had last year," Olson said. "Luke is a tremendous competitor and a has a focus that will have a strong affect on all of the underclassmen we have on the team."

As for Olson, who enters the year with those coaching milestones within his grasp, his maintains a low-key perspective on his career and merely defers any praise to those he has been associated with.

"First off, to get this many wins, it just tells you how old I am," he joked. "Since my first 17 years were spent in the high school and junior college levels, there was no thought of reaching these milestones. The 600-win level for a career and 400 wins at a school is certainly something I am pleased to have accomplished, but it wouldn't have happened if it were not for all of the tremendous players and coaches I have worked with throughout the years."

Once again, the battle for the Pac-10 Conference title will be a challenge for all teams involved. For the first time in three years, there is more than just one team being considered as the favorite to win what has become one of the best leagues in the country.

"Stanford is the defending champion, and even though they suffered some losses on the roster much like we did last season as defending Pac-10 champs the returning personnel they have makes them a favorite again, along with us and UCLA," Olson said. "Oregon, Oregon State and USC will be strong as well, and that will make the league even tougher. In all, from top-to-bottom, there isn't an easy game on the league schedule."

Speaking of the schedule, Arizona's non-conference schedule remains just like it has always been one of the toughest in the land. But, that is the way Olson prefers it, He wants the pre-conference schedule to filled with stiff opposition to get the troops battle tested for Pac-10 play. This season, the UA will definitely gets their taste of the big-time. Highlighting the docket is defending national champion Connecticut at the Great Eight in Chicago on Dec. 7, followed by another 1999 Final Four participant, Michigan State in Tucson on Dec. 13. The Cats open the season at home with the Preseason NIT -- a tournament they have captured the past two times they have played in it (1995 & 1990) -- versus Kansas State on Nov. 17. Other key non-conference games on the schedule are a road contest at Big 12 favorite Texas in early December, at Louisiana State in January and home tilts with members of the newly formed Mountain West Conference -- Brigham Young and New Mexico.

"This type of schedule may be a bit more difficult than we would want considering the youth of our team," Olson admitted. "But, there is no question that it will make us better prepared for the Pac-10 schedule. There will be some wins and some losses along the way, but I have always felt you only get better by playing the best."