MEN
Cal
Last season: 24-11, 13-5/1st in the Pac-10
Catching up: The Bears will play differently in coach Mike Montgomery's third season at Berkeley. They will transition from a guard-oriented attack to an inside-out approach. Junior forward Harper Kamp is back after missing last season with a knee injury, and senior center Markhuri Sanders-Frison has lost 20 pounds, and his temperamental back is the better for it. Junior Jorge Gutierrez will get the first shot at the point-guard job, and as many as two starters could come from a five-man freshman class.
Stanford
Last season: 14-18, 7-11/tied eighth in the Pac-10
Catching up: The Cardinal, despite the return of junior guard Jeremy Green, may have trouble avoiding a third straight lower-division finish. But with a superb six-man freshman class, coach Johnny Dawkins should be able to begin building a future. Green averaged 16.6 points a year ago and will draw more defensive attention. Junior forward Josh Owens, who missed last season because of an undisclosed medical condition, figures to be a starter.
Saint Mary's
Last season: 28-6, 11-3/second in the WCC
Catching up: The Gaels, who have won 81 games the past three seasons, move forward without Samhan and forward Ben Allen but welcome back guards Mickey McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova, who combined for 25.9 points and 9.6 assists per game a year ago.
The Gaels' perimeter will get a boost from freshman guard Stephen Holt. Another key newcomer is Rob Jones, a 6-6, 235-pound forward who averaged 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds two seasons ago at San Diego.
Santa Clara
Last season: 11-21, 3-11/tied for sixth in the WCC
Catching up: Foster, who was averaging 19.8 points when he broke his foot last season, must continue to manage his weight, according to coach Kerry Keating. "He was overweight coming in last year and that led to his injury," said Keating, noting that Foster still is not at optimal playing weight. "There's no denying his talent."
Freshman power forward John McArthur, from De La Salle High, has made a strong early impression. "John, more than any freshman we've had, is more prepared to play because he understands what it takes to win," Keating said.
San Jose State
Last season: 14-17, 6-10/tied for sixth in the WAC
Catching up: The Spartans, who lost nine of their final 11 games a year ago, will be smaller but deeper, more athletic and versatile, coach George Nessman says. "We definitely feel it's the best team we've had," he said.
It starts with Oliver, who has scored at least 30 points in 10 of his 49 games with the Spartans. "He received an inordinate amount of defensive attention, so we have to make it a little simpler for him to score," Nessman said.
USF
Last season: 12-18, 7-7/tied for fourth in the WCC
Catching up: Top scorer Dior Lowhorn graduated and No. 2 man Kwame Vaughn transferred to UC Santa Barbara. Coach Rex Walters' roster includes eight scholarship freshmen, and two -- Dominique O'Connor and Cody Doolin -- are competing for the point-guard job.
