17th-ranked Arizona opens season without head coach

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

11/13/2007 - Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats open up their 2007-08 campaign at the McKale Center tonight, as they host the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in a non-league affair.

The Wildcats enter the season with high expectations once again, as they return two starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's club that finished 20-11 overall. It was the 20th straight 20-win campaign for Arizona, which will play this season without Lute Olson behind the bench. The 73-year-old Olson, who has compiled a 589-187 record in 24 seasons at Arizona, was recently granted a leave of absence for an undisclosed reason. Olson is expected to return at some point, but in the meanwhile, assistant coach Kevin O'Neill will run the team.

As for NAU, it got its 2007-08 campaign going on Sunday with a 78-65 triumph over Adams State. It was the 11th straight home-opening win for the Lumberjacks, who welcome back nine players from a team that finished 21-11 last season.

As far as the all-time series goes, Arizona owns a commanding 89-27 advantage over NAU, and it has won the last 23 meetings between the programs.

NAU connected on 45.6 percent of its field goal tries, including 8-of-21 from long distance, as it opened the season with a 13-point win over Adams State. The team also had success at the foul line (18-of-23) and it even won the battle on the boards, 37-31. Josh Wilson led the charge and he turned in an all-around effort that consisted of 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Wilson is one of the team's two returning starters and he is a tremendous set- up man, ranking ninth in the nation with 6.0 apg last season. Kyle Landry added 16 points and seven boards off the bench, and Ryan McCurdy finished with 12 points in the win. Landry was the team's sixth man last season and he averaged 10.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg, while McCurdy posted 8.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg as a starter a year ago.

The Wildcats lost more than half of their scoring when starters Ivan Radenovic, Marcus Williams and Mustafa Shakur all departed after last season, so the team is going to need some newcomers to step up in a big way. Arizona though, does return a few experienced players and they will surely make a difference, starting with Chase Budinger. The 6-7 forward is coming off a tremendous freshman campaign in which he ranked second on the team in scoring with an average of 15.6 ppg. Budinger also grabbed 5.8 rpg and he has the talent to emerge as one of the top players in the nation in 2007-08. Jordan Hill (4.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg) earned a starting spot in the frontcourt late in his freshman campaign in 2006-07, and with a year of experience now behind him, expect big things from the 6-9 forward. On the perimeter, the Wildcats will turn to freshman Jerryd Bayless and senior Jawann McClellan to do damage. The 6-3 Bayless is a big time scorer and he will provide a nice complement to McClellan, who averaged 9.6 ppg a year ago.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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