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The sense of entitlement at McKale Center is such that the visitors, even UCLA, always play the no-respect card because, for 25 years, nobody really expected them to win.

It has not changed in the post-Lute Olson days. Not yet.

The oddsmakers surprisingly listed Arizona as a 22-point favorite over Florida Atlantic on Monday. Perhaps the Las Vegas people are reading from a long-ago Arizona roster that includes Chris Mills and Damon Stoudamire.

The Wildcats had a sometimes difficult climb before they put the Owls away Monday night. Arizona won 75-62 and in doing so provided a hint about what to expect over the next four months.

Let's just say it will not be trouble-free.

There are five more automatic victories on Arizona's schedule, a shockingly low number for a school that for a quarter-century opened the season with about 15 gimmes.

Each of the remaining "automatics,'' against NAU, Loyola Marymount, Weber State and a couple of Oregon State games, is going to be savored and anticipated.

You're almost sorry to see the Owls leave town.

And please, Lord, do not let any harm come to Chase Budinger or Nic Wise.

Wise made all six of his free throws and did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes. He had nine assists. Stud.

"We're following his stride,'' said Budinger. "When he has games like this, we're going to be hard to beat.''

By whatever name, the November NIT has been the truest gauge of Arizona's basketball prowess. The Wildcats are 16-1 dating to the 1990-91 season. They have been so dominant (8-0) in the pre-Madison Square Garden half of the tournament, that the "closest'' game was an 88-79 victory over a career-type East Tennessee State team that ultimately beat Arizona a year later in the NCAA tournament.

Average differential in the eight pre-New York City games: Arizona by 20.8 points per game. Of 17 games, the only time Arizona lost in the NIT was a 63-60, last possession game against Chris Paul's Wake Forest team.

Now it is going to be a grind tonight against Alabama-Birmingham just to get to Madison Square Garden.

The UA team that made its debut at McKale on Monday featured big ol' Alex Jacobson as the first man off the bench and mostly unrecruited freshmen guards Kyle Fogg and Garland Judkins playing significant minutes.

Interim head coach Russ Pennell said something you have not heard out of an Arizona coach during an NIT run for a long time.

"We're thankful we get a chance (tonight) to go to New York City,'' he said. "When you win games, it doesn't matter how it looks.''

No longer is it a given.

Those in the unusually small crowd of about 11,000 (it was not close to the announced 13,006) did not make much noise unless it was to react to a dunk, a blocked shot or one of Wise's three-pointers. It is probably going to take a few more weeks to see how much the McKale crowd is willing to invest in this team of leftovers from the Olson era.

My guess is that they will soon adopt the Wildcats and come to accept their status as grinding underdogs.

The encouraging news is not as extended as Tucsonans have come to expect, but there is growing evidence that the Pac-10 is going to be really, really bad this year. Washington lost to Portland State on Saturday, and Oregon was beaten Monday by Oakland — the college basketball team from Michigan, not the A's or Raiders.

And, of course, Oregon State has already lost to Howard — not Howard the Duck, Howard University.

Three observations from Monday's late, late show:

Wise did not force the UA' s offense, did not rush any bad long-range shots and showed that he can be a savvy floor-leader who does not make unnecessary mistakes.

Budinger is never going to be The Big Nasty. But after driving the lane and tomahawking a dunk over some poor FAU guy, the basketball accidentally was swatted smack into Budinger's face.

He did not keel over in pain, call for the doctor or even show any discomfort.

"A lot of people had doubts about us,'' he said. "This was a game to show people we could still play.''

That's progress.

Jordan Hill was again in foul trouble but, man, when he's on the court, especially against a size-challenged opponent such as FAU, he is a highlight machine.

Two scouts from the Houston Rockets sat in the fourth row of seats across from FAU's bench, and they seemed to be busy scribbling notes when Hill was on the floor (all 25 minutes).

And did I say that Judkins looks (and plays) like a real Pac-10 guard? Maybe he's no Darren Collison, but given normal progress, Judkins is likely to be one of the most positive developments after a year of disorder.