If Ernie Kent has his way, the group of elite Pac-10 basketball schools that includes Arizona, Stanford and UCLA will soon include Oregon. Kent has already guided the Ducks to three NCAA Tournament bids in the last four seasons. Oregon is also the defending Pac-10 Tournament champs, a year after winning the conference regular-season title. But Kent knows that a couple of good seasons aren't enough.

The Ducks need to sustain that excellence, and this is a key transition year in that process following the loss of Luke Ridnour to the NBA after his junior season. "With Ridnour, you could say that we were one of, if not the, team to beat," Kent says of the Pac-10 race. "Without him, we're going to be one of those teams that's going to be in the mix. It's going to be interesting."

But even considering the loss of the Pac-10 Player of the Year, Kent feels he has the tools to again build a title contender.

"If guys can play up to their potential, even with the loss of a great player like Ridnour, the continuity will continue in the program," Kent says.

FRONTCOURT

With Oregon's use of a point guard and two wings, the Ducks really employ only two frontcourt players in most situations. This year, both will be new.

Last year, 7-footer Matt Short and 6-foot-11 Ian Crosswhite had inconsistent freshman seasons. Crosswhite, in particular, suffered confidence problems as a result. "That was their first year of competition, and they both did a good job," Kent says. "They were up and down, but there was so much growth, and they're going to be better players having gone through that."

Crosswhite is the more skilled of the two, but Short gave a more consistent effort last season and earned eight starts. Short is the working man's post player, playing defense and grabbing rebounds, while Crosswhite has the potential to be the bigger offensive threat.

They are joined by senior reserve Jay Anderson and three freshmen. Ray Schafer and Mitch Platt join redshirt Adam Zahn to give the Ducks one of the biggest, though most inexperienced, frontcourts in the conference.

The key will be how all those big bodies fit into the offense.

"It won't slow us down, because they can all get up and down the floor," Kent says. "We want size, but size that can get up and down the floor. That's what all these guys can do."

BACKCOURT

Two key questions: Can freshman Aaron Brooks step right in for Ridnour at point guard, and can Luke Jackson become a dominant Pac-10 player?

Content to take a secondary role to his roommate the past three years, Jackson is finally out from under Ridnour's shadow. Jackson was the only player in the Pac-10 to finish in the top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and steals a year ago, but it remains to be seen whether he can become the main threat for the Ducks. "He has the potential, no question about it," Kent says. "He has enough game to be that guy. He just needs more consistency to his game, and that's a matter of confidence."

Jackson will start on one wing across from senior James Davis, a 3-point shooter who has yet to develop an all-around game. Their main backups will be Andre Joseph and the coach's son, Jordan Kent, who redshirted last season but competed in track and won the 200 meters at the NCAA West Regional championships.

Brooks may be the deciding factor in Oregon's success this season. He isn't being handed the job -- right now it belongs to Brandon Lincoln, who looked lost as a freshman off-guard -- but Brooks is the heir apparent to recent point guards Darius Wright and Ridnour. "Those were hand-picked point guards that are tailor-made for how we play," Kent says. "We've hand-picked him for who he is and how he fits our style of play."

Kent was disappointed that the Ducks didn't always maintain their up-tempo style last season. This year he expects the team to play faster, and he will depend on Lincoln to ease the burden on Brooks. "We burned Ridnour out his freshman year by playing him too many minutes," Kent says. "We don't have to do that with Aaron."

FINAL ANALYSIS

Brooks enters the program every bit as heralded as Ridnour was. He has also played for Kent on the USA Junior National team, so it seems reasonable that he can handle the coach's expectations.

If that's the case, and Jackson develops into one of the Pac-10's top scorers, Oregon will need only serviceable play from its young big men to contend for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. If Brooks and Jackson struggle in their new roles, the Ducks will be on the outside looking in.

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