COLLEGE BASKETBALL ‘92-93 : REGIONAL OVERVIEW : USC, UCLA Ready to Challenge

Can anyone here beat Stanford?

The Cardinal, showing all the earmarks of dynasty-building, went 30-3 last year and won the women’s NCAA championship for the second time in three seasons. And all five starters return for this season.

So, should the USC and UCLA basketball coaches prepare their concession speeches? They say no.

USC, a top-10 national pick by several preseason polls, was 23-8 last season and has added a talented point guard to a team that has four starters back.

UCLA, who was 21-10 last season, returns three starters, including the conference’s most spectacular player, Natalie Williams.

USC Coach Marianne Stanley, in her fourth season at USC, says the Trojans and and others are gaining on Stanford.

“A year ago, they could spot us 20 points,” Stanley said.

“This year, we’ve halved the difference. We’ve added good players, and so have other schools. Stanford hasn’t added anyone.”

Billie Moore, in her 16th season at UCLA, insists Stanford isn’t unbeatable.

“Remember, Stanford lost three times last year, and all of them were in the Pac-10,” Moore said.

“Stanford will definitely be challenged by UCLA. This is a very tough, very balanced conference. The difference between second place and eighth place this season could be one bad weekend.”

Stanford lost three conference road games last season, to California (74-65), Oregon State (75-69) and Arizona State (77-65).

A look at the Southland’s women’s basketball powers:

USC

One day last September, USC basketball star Lisa Leslie found USC’s No. 1 recruit, Nicole McCrimmon, wandering around with a basketball under her arm.

It was McCrimmon’s first day on campus. Leslie helped her register for classes and secure a dorm room. Then they went to Lyon Center and played one-on-one basketball.

Later that day, Stanley found Leslie.

“I asked how good she thought Nicki was, and Lisa told me: ‘Coach, there are no words.’ ”

The Pac-10 coaches voted USC No. 2 in the conference in a preseason poll. If USC wins the conference title this season, McCrimmon could be the player who makes the difference.

A 5-8 junior who grew up in New York but who played junior college basketball the past two seasons at Hobbs, N.M., McCrimmon will start at point guard and bring a good deal of flash and dash to USC’s game.

“We needed a point guard badly, someone who could come in and play immediately,” said Stanley, who last June lost two-year starter Tammy Story to graduation.

“We went through our JC files and found her name. I saw her play late last season. In the game I saw, she had a legitimate 13 assists and another eight passes were flat-out dropped.

“In practice already, she’s making plays that make you think: ‘How did she think that play, let alone execute it?’ ”

USC also has 6-5 junior Leslie back, one of the Pac-10’s most gifted players. She spent the off-season on a weight training program and hopes to improve on her career rebound average of 9.1.

Her career scoring average is just under 20 points. Only Cheryl Miller and Pam McGee reached 1,000 points and 500 rebounds faster than Leslie.

Among others returning are 6-3 senior Kim Gessig, perhaps the team’s best defensive player, and 5-11 Joni Easterly, who won two games in the final minute last year with three-point shots.

The fourth returning starter is Jualeah Woods, a 6-foot junior who is often assigned to guard the opposition’s best shooter. Stanley wants her to score more this year.

Stanley had high hopes for 6-2 freshman Rashida Jeffery from Tucson, but she sprained an ankle against the Belgian national team last Sunday and won’t be available until late December.

Two volleyball players join the team in December, 6-foot Sue Peters and 6-2 Laura Warnock.

UCLA

The Bruins will have to get along without their best player, Natalie Williams, for most of December while she plays volleyball.

If the UCLA volleyball team reaches the NCAA championship game at Albuquerque on Dec. 19, then Williams would fly to Columbus, Ohio, where her basketball team plays Ohio State on Dec. 22.

Williams led the Pac-10 in rebounding a season ago and would have led the nation had she played one more game.

Gone from last season are starters Rehema Stephens, DeDe Mosman and Lynn Kamrath. Those three averaged 38.6 points per game.

The other key returnees are 5-5 point guard Nicole Anderson, 6-1 junior Amy Jalewalia, who started 11 games last season; and 5-11 forward Nicole Young, who missed last season because of a knee injury.

“Nicole, in my mind, is the one player we must have on the floor to be successful,” Moore said.

Moore has high hopes for 6-5 freshman Zrinka Kristich, who may be matched against USC’s Leslie. In practice, Kristich has shown rebounding and shot-blocking ability, but a shaky shooting touch.

Another freshman who should help this year is 6-2 Allison Arredondo. She is billed as a good shooter in the 15-18-foot range and a solid rebounder.

CAL STATE LONG BEACH

The 49ers finished 21-10 last season, 13-5 in the Big West and had a 60-59 victory over USC.

But, like USC and UCLA, Long Beach won’t have one of its important players, Danielle Scott, until after the volleyball season. As a sophomore last season, the 6-2 Scott averaged 10.7 points per game and 6.1 rebounds.

Coach Glenn McDonald’s only other returning starter is Marsheela Hairston, a 5-10 guard. With a smaller lineup, McDonald has gone to a more intense running game.