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		Michelle Touson on the NCAA By Michelle Touson January 20, 2009

	Sportstalk: The Cal Bears 15-3 (4-1) couldn't answer the bell on Saturday night against the Stanford Cardinal 12-3 (2-3) at Maples as the Cardinal's Lawrence Hill scored his sixth straight double digit game (25). In what could be one of the best Pac 10's in years the Cardinal snapped the Bears winning streak at nine games. Head coach Mike Montgomery said upon his home coming "they deserved to beat us" for Montgomery to lose this one it had to truly be the ultimate disheartening experience thus far in the season? Michelle: Basically for Cal they did deserve to lose the game it wasn't a blow out it was just about who wanted it more and Stanford wanted it more that's the bottom line. I don't think Stanford since they play home and home when they get to Cal later on in the season I think Cal will return the favor. This whole Pac 10 conference is just loaded with talent, you have Cal, Stanford, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Oregon, this is going to be a really exciting year for Pac 10 basketball. Let's face it basketball is where the Pac 10 made their name not in football. It's not like football where one team dominates the who conference and the rest of the conference is lucky enough to get into a bowl game. This is what the Pac 10 is known for one loss doesn't mean that the season is over, it's going to go down to the Pac 10 Championship. Honestly and truly I think somebody is going to win the Pac 10 Championship who were not expecting to win and who that team is I don't know. Who could possibly win? UCLA is good this year but not as close to being as good as they were last year. They still have people like Darren Collison but they lost Mike Love a legitimate big man. So like I said your just are going to have to wait it out this year its just going to be that good and just sit back and enjoy the ride. Sportstalk: While the big story was how Mike Montgomery lost the Big Game to his old school the other story is how the Cardinal have keep their machine going and how Lawrence Hill has been an added incentive for the Cardinal with his 25 point game to lead the team. Coach Johnny Dawkins said he pretty much relies on Hill and what he can do with the ball. Michelle: Like I said Hill is good but there is more than Hill on that team. You still have Anthony Good on that team and Good was the man he was the go to guy last year. So Johnny Dawkins is being really modest he doesn't want to bring a lot of attention to his team when people start targeting players. But I'm telling you that Stanford team is loaded. They're playing good ball and they are suffering the loss of the Lopez twins Robin and Brook. That's okay because they're making up for it in speed and they're smaller in stature as a opposed to last year. Watch out like I said their shooting, they're making the shots, they're making the steals and they're solid on both ends of the court. Coach Dawkins is being very modest, just watch out his team is going to be in the hunt and like I said you should expect to see at least four to five teams from the Pac 10 at the dance. Sportstalk: Michelle UCLA 14-3 (4-1) is ranked #9 in the country and is #2 in the Pac 10 but were worked over on Saturday night by the Sun Devils 15-3 (4-2) 61-49 in Los Angeles. The let down was that UCLA didn't score a point in the final eight minutes of regulation. James Harden who had 24 points for the Sun Devils said that the defense locked up the Bruins on offense and that was the difference down the stretch. Looks like Arizona State is going to make a statement this year? Michelle: Arizona makes a statement every year. People really don't get that Arizona makes a statement every year and Arizona State makes a statement every year too. This is the Pac 10 your just are going to have to be there and as far as the University of Arizona is concerned people think that just because head coach Lute Olsen is leaving and everything. The students and the fans and everybody miss coach Olsen but they had a very competent staff in there from the beginning. Olsen was a strong enough and a smart enough coach to make sure he surrounds himself with his assistants who can carry on without him. That's what your suppose to do. So he's got the Wild Cats they're a strong team and looking at UCLA, UCLA is good but their not just as good as last year. The Pac 10 is up for grabs, it's going to be one of the most exciting conferences so I'm hoping that when the coaches poll comes out and people are looking at the games on the east coast hopefully that you start looking at these Pac 10 teams and giving them a little more respect. That when it's time for them to be seeded that they get some decent seeds.