PACIFIC 10 BASKETBALL / DAN HAFNER : Standout Backcourts Move to Forefront at Stanford, Arizona

There is probably no conference in college basketball with more good guards than the Pacific 10. Almost every conference game features them.

It will be more of the same tonight at Tucson, where Stanford and Arizona play to see which will put pressure on UCLA for the championship.

In point guard Brevin Knight and sharpshooter Dion Cross, the Cardinal has maybe the best pair of guards in the West.

They are confident too. After Knight had 23 points and 10 assists in the 95-82 victory over Oregon State that gave his team a 15-3 record, 6-3 in the conference, the sophomore guard said, “We know that we have a chance to beat any team in the Pac-10. If we can beat Arizona, we should do better than 6-3 in the second half.”

Cross, who had a career-high 29 points in the Cardinal’s victory over Oregon on Thursday night, had been the nation’s top three-point shooter until he went one for seven from long range against the Beavers.

“The way Brevin sets me up,” Cross said, “I know I’ll regain my touch. We are a tough combination to beat.”

The Wildcats have a tough combination of their own. Senior Damon Stoudamire is on his way to becoming the Pac-10 player of the year. His running mate, Reggie Geary, sensational as a sophomore last season, is as good a defensive player as there is in the Pac-10 when he’s sound. He has been bothered by a leg injury but is finally approaching top form. If he contains Cross, the Wildcats should be difficult to beat.

“We survived the Oregon visit, but it just doesn’t get any easier,” said Mike Montgomery, coach of 17th-ranked Stanford. “The next five games should pretty well tell what kind of a finish we’ll have. After the two games in Arizona, we are home for Cal and the two Los Angeles teams.”

Asked about the Stanford backcourt duo, Arizona Coach Lute Olson said, “Knight and Cross are right where Damon and Khalid Reeves were a year ago. They really complement each other. They present a real problem.”

Arizona has beaten Stanford 14 consecutive times. The Cardinal hasn’t won at Tucson since 1984-85, three years before Montgomery took over.

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The California Bears have two home courts--Harmon Gym and Oakland Coliseum Arena. They can’t seem to make themselves at home in either.

The Bears, who might be expected to play better in front of friendly crowds because of their youth and inexperience, have lost a school-record six consecutive games at home. It has endangered their NCAA tournament chances.

When the Bears, sparked by three highly regarded freshmen from Southern California, defeated nationally ranked Minnesota and Cincinnati in winning their first seven games, it was assumed that Coach Todd Bozeman had overcome the loss of Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray.

Then came the tough conference schedule. Their one impressive victory was on the road at UCLA.

Things could go from bad to worse this week--on the road. Both Arizona State and Arizona are good at taking advantage of their home courts.

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While California has had problems at home, Washington State has had the opposite problem. The Cougars, 5-0 at home in conference play, are 0-4 on the road.

Against Arizona last Thursday night at Tucson, Washington State played without point guard Donminic Ellison, who had chickenpox. Then forwards Mark Hendrickson and Taveras Mack were in early foul trouble. Yet the Cougars, spirited under new Coach Kevin Eastman, gave the Wildcats a scare before losing, 84-76.

The Wildcats led, 74-72, with just under a minute to play when Joe McLean, a 16% three-point shooter, sank a bomb to put the game out of reach.

It would appear that the Cougars, returning home, need to sweep USC and UCLA this week to remain in NCAA contention.