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BUZZER BEATER: Tiger Woods,
’98, and fiancée Elin Nordegren watch
as Robinson’s running shot from 35 feet
wins the Arizona game.
Paul Sakuma/AP Wide World |
“Could this be their
year?”
Around watercoolers, at sports bars and in chat rooms,
the hope-filled whispers of men’s basketball fans
grow bolder with each impressive win. Kansas: dethroned.
Gonzaga: outmuscled. Arizona: outhustled (twice!).
“Could THIS be their year?”
At press time, Stanford was ranked second in the country,
having reeled off 20 consecutive victories to start
the season. Most notably, on December 6, the Cardinal
led then-No. 1 Kansas nearly wire-to-wire on its way
to a 64-58 triumph at the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim,
Calif. Later that month, at the Pete Newell Challenge
in Oakland, Stanford dispatched Gonzaga, 87-80, behind
Matt Lottich’s career-best 34 points. On January
10, Stanford defeated then-No. 3 Arizona, 82-72, for
the fourth straight time in Tucson, then rubbed it in
with an 80-77 buzzer-beating win at home on February
7.
If recent history is any indication, the strong start
bodes well for March Madness. Stanford won 18 games
to begin the 1997-98 campaign en route to the NCAA Final
Four in San Antonio (also the site of this year’s
championship); the 2000-01 team won its first 20 games
and advanced to the Elite Eight.
But this squad has much more than history on its side.
Six players are averaging 8 to 13 points per contest.
The bench is deep; five nonstarters average 10 or more
minutes per game. “Everybody top to bottom is
a good player and has worked hard to be a good player,”
says forward Josh Childress. “That’s why
we’ve been successful.”
Which is fortunate, since the squad has been beset
by injuries: Childress, ’05, missed the first
nine games with a stress reaction in his foot. Justin
Davis injured his knee in late January and was expected
to sit out at least three weeks. Shortly thereafter,
his backup, sophomore Matt Haryasz, sprained his ankle.
This Cardinal bunch is also more experienced than many
of its opponents, especially now that players frequently
bolt college for the NBA (or skip it altogether). Lottich,
the fiery senior, is the team’s emotional leader
and most dangerous clutch shooter. Davis and Joe Kirchofer,
both fifth-year seniors, lead the squad in field-goal
percentage. And 6-foot-6 utilityman Nick Robinson, the
hero of the second Arizona win and the 24-year-old redshirt
junior nicknamed “Pops” by his teammates,
has filled in at every position but center. Speaking
of center, junior Rob Little is playing more adeptly
than ever after shedding 25 pounds during the off-season.
This team has played for head coach Mike Montgomery
so long that they fully execute his system, focusing
on defensive intensity, rebounding and smooth offensive
play. Childress, one of the most versatile offensive
threats to ever wear a Stanford uniform, recognizes
that scoring isn’t everything. “If we stay
constant in our attitude toward defense and rebounding,
then the sky’s the limit,” he says. “Offense
will come [on its own].”
Perhaps the most important characteristic of this year’s
squad is tough, hard-nosed play at every position. “This
is the most physical team I’ve seen this year,”
said USC coach Henry Bibby after Stanford beat the Trojans,
77-67, in what Montgomery referred to as “a war.”
“It’s nice to have people recognize us
as being tough,” says point guard Chris Hernandez,
a redshirt sophomore. “The reputation Stanford
has gotten over the years is, ‘They’re soft,
nice guys. They’re very passive so you’ve
got to be physical with them.’ ” Now, he
adds, “the mentality when we step on the court
is, ‘We’re not gonna get pushed around.
Let’s try and change this attitude people have
about us.’ ”
Stanford will try to do just that as the NCAA tournament
begins on March 18. Because despite all the positive
signs, one lingering doubt remains. In four of the last
five years, the Cardinal has failed to advance beyond
its second-round game. Will these players break through
to the second weekend of tournament play . . . and beyond?
This could be their year.
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