A wild scramble looms among the men's basketball teams in the West Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Four teams have emerged as contenders: California (6-2), Edinboro (6-3), IUP (6-3) and Clarion (5-4).

The surprise team is IUP, with Joe Lombardi's Crimson Hawks already having equaled last year's victory total in his second season. The turnaround has been triggered by two newcomers: 6-foot-6 freshman Darryl Webb (18.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg) and 6-2 junior Sean Christiansen (15.0 ppg), a transfer from Virginia Military Institute.

California's catalysts have been 6-3 senior Theron Colao (14.4 ppg), who has made 18 of 38 shots from beyond the arc, and 6-5 senior Ron Banks (13.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg).

Edinboro's marquee player is 6-3 junior Joseph Jones (18.2 ppg, 34 assists, 15 steals), the PSAC West player of the week, who has scored 20 or more points in three consecutive games.

Clarion has won three in a row since the return of 6-6 Ricky Henderson, who missed the first six games with various injuries. He has averaged 10.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and has eight blocks during its current four-game winning streak. The team's leading scorer is 6-5 Damon Gross (13.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg), a junior from Westinghouse and Community College of Beaver County.

IUP (10-1), with the school's best start since 16-0 in 1999-2000, is fifth in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll for its highest ranking since being fourth in January 2000. The Crimson Hawks feature 6-1 junior guard/forward Jahzinga Tracey, who leads the team in scoring (19.6 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpg), steals (33) and blocks (9).

The competition will get stiffer for Carnegie Mellon (5-2) when it begins play in the University Athletic Association, the strongest league from top to bottom in Division III. All eight teams have winning records with a combined 52-16 mark, led by No. 1-ranked Rochester (9-0), No. 2 Brandeis (9-1) and No. 11 Washington (Mo.) University.

Rochester's Brad Runco, a 6-2 sophomore from Allderdice, has started eight games and averages 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Waynesburg's Tim Drakeley, a 5-6 senior guard from Trinity, tops the Presidents' Athletic Conference in scoring (21.4 ppg); Washington & Jefferson's Wahab Owolabi leads in rebounding (9.4 rpg); and Bethany's Marcus Adams is tops in assists (6.2 apg). Westminster's Ryne Murray is second in scoring (19.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg).

Geneva (9-0), a provisional member of the PAC whose games don't count in the standings, is off to the best start in school history and is three victories shy of the school's longest winning streak. Ron Galbreath, in his sixth season as head coach, picked up his 100th triumph when the Golden Tornadoes defeated Penn State Beaver, 75-51. Geneva's headliners are 5-9 Renee Rawding (19.4 ppg) and 6-0 Allyson Clarke (16.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg).

Still in the PAC, Thomas More (8-0) is seventh in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches ranking and ninth in the D3hoops.com poll.

Edinboro (4-0), which has won 16 consecutive dual meets and 34 of the past 35, is ranked 14th in the USA Today/NWCA InterMat Division I Coaches poll. Gregory Gillespie, the national champion at 149 pounds as a sophomore last season, is ranked No. 2 at 157 pounds by InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News. He is 16-1 this season.

Wesley Cates, a former California University Division II All-American running back, re-signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League after rushing for a team-high 866 yards and five touchdowns along with 45 receptions for 452 yards this season. Saskatchewan won the Grey Cup with a 23-19 victory against Winnipeg in the championship game ... The Mercyhurst men's team is ranked No. 2 preseason in Division II by Lacrosse Magazine.