Oct. 11, 2000 SportsLine.com Reports

Pac-10 report | NCAA Tournament Report

Latimore commits to Arizona

Kansas prep star Dennis Latimore is coming back to the state of Arizona, and this time he plans to stay awhile.

Latimore announced Tuesday he will play for the Wildcats and coach Lute Olsen, spurning offers from Kansas and UCLA.

"I just really felt Arizona can develop my game to its full potential to a faster and better degree than any other program in the country," Latimore told the Arizona Republic. "I looked at how many people have gone pro and what kind of people were there with Coach Olson. You can't ask for any better."

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Latimore figures to develop into a small forward, something that was a part of his decision.

"At Mountain View, I was all in the paint," said Latimore, who has a 3.76 grade point average. "My game has really improved. I honestly think I'll be a (small forward) by the time they develop my skills and everything goes into place. "

After moving to Arizona in 1998 to be with his father, Latimore led Mesa Mountain View to a 5A state title. He moved back to Kansas to be with his mother last year, but decided he wanted to come back out west.

A glance at 2001

The only suspense is whether Arizona will be ranked No. 1 or No. 2 entering the season, likely to spar with Duke for that role.

The return of Loren Woods, who announced in the spring that he wouldn't leave early for the NBA, means the Wildcats will have every player back this season.

Suddenly, there is loads of optimism in Tucson -- the promise of what's to come has the Wildcats looking ahead, not back at a disappointing showing in the NCAA Tournament.

The bench will be fortified by the return of power forward Eugene Edgerson, a veteran of the 1997 NCAA championship team, and Lamont Frazier, an athletic guard who was academically ineligible for most of the season.

Who'll be back

The first five of Woods, forwards Richard Jefferson, Michael Wright, and guards Gilbert Arenas and Jason Gardner stacks up as possibly the best starting five Olson has ever coached -- including four Final Four teams, and even including his 1998 team that returned intact from the national championship.

And suddenly, after a season with virtually no depth when a couple of injuries popped up, the bench has a chance to be deep and dangerous. Luke Walton, Justin Wessel, Rick Anderson, Eugene Edgerson and Lamont Frazier create a circumstance where there really are no weak spots.

Olson had to feel a huge sense of relief when Woods was cleared to play this season.

Woods, who had two surgeries on his back in April, missed the the last 1 1/2 months of the season with a weakened back.

"He's been given full clearance, from scrimmaging and going all out," associate head coach Jim Rosborough told the Tucson Citizen. "What it really allows him to do is play basketball hard again."

Who's gone

Josh Pastner, a garbage-time darling of UA fans who acted as Arizona's shot-doctor and team confidant the past four years, is leaving in attempt to fulfill his goal to be a head coach. Otherwise, the only loss is the team manager.