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Stanford’s young team hopes to prove naysayers wrong (again) this season
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Bob Drebin/Stanfordphoto.com
Stanford junior Jeremy Green, scoring two of his 26 points in an exhibition win Wednesday, is the team’s most experience player. as Zimmerman, who transferred from Santa Clara. Seven of the newcomers are on scholarship, including Andy Brown, who will sit out yet another season due to an ACL tear in his left knee, the third time the same knee has sustained a torn ACL and has forced him off the basketball court for most of two years. “That is one of the more unfortunate things I’ve ever seen in this sport,” Dawkins said. “With a rehab as hard as his, he still has the desire to recover as best he can. We’re hoping this is the time he will come back and be part of the group.” The highly-rated class also includes Aaron Bright, a 5-11, 175pound guard from Bellevue, Wash., Anthony Brown, a 6-7, 190-pound swingman from Huntington Beach, John Gage, a 6-10, 210-pound post from Vashon Island, Wash., Josh Huestis, a 6-8, 210-pound forward from Great Falls, Mont., and Dwight Powell, a 6-10, 215-pound forward from Bradenton, Fla. Canadian Stefan Nastic (6-9, 225) was signed during the spring. Chris Barnum (6-1, 175) and Robbie Lemons (6-3, 190) are the walk-ons. “Last year we had to bring in people from the football team just to be able to practice. Now we have enough depth,” Green said. “Based on what I’ve read, no one is giving us a chance. But we know what we have. I feel like all the freshmen will contribute.” Anthony Brown started alongside Green, Mann (9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Zimmerman and Owens
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STANFORD MEN Date Nov 15 Nov 18 Nov 21 Nov 25 Nov 26 Dec 12 Dec 15 Dec 18 Dec 21 Dec 28 Jan 2 Jan 6 Jan 8 Jan 13 Jan 15 Jan 20 Jan 22 Jan 27 Jan 29 Feb 3 Feb 5 Feb 10 Feb 12 Feb 17 Feb 19 Feb 24 Feb 26 Mar 1 Mar 5
Team San Diego Virginia Ark. Pine Bluff Murray St. Tulsa or UNLV UC Riverside N.C. A&T at Butler at Oklahoma St. Yale California at Arizona St. at Arizona Washington Washington St. at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon St. Arizona Arizona St. at Washington St. at Washington UCLA USC at Oregon St. at Oregon Seattle at California
Time 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. TBA 5 p.m. 7 p.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 5 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 11 a.m. 7 p.m. 6 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 6 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. TBA
but Powell (10 points) and Huestis each played nearly half the game. Bright and Nastic each played more than 10 minutes. “Depth, that’s the part I’m most excited about,” Dawkins said. “There’s enough where you know every day is going to be competitive.” N
time in 19 years. “We have a lot of motivation,” Pedersen said. “Right after we lost (the NCAA title game to Connecticut) we said ‘OK, next year we get another shot at the title.’” Stanford begins the journey Sunday with a 2 p.m. home game against Rutgers, the first of eight nonconference games (out of 11) against teams that reached the NCAA tournament last year. The third-ranked Cardinal (18-0, 36-2 last year) scheduled four of last year’s Elite Eight teams, three of which are ranked among the top five in the current preseason poll. “Our preseason is one of the toughest in the nation,” Pedersen said. “We play high-caliber teams all the time, so it will be fun again.” Stanford was picked to win its 11th consecutive Pac-10 title, though even the pursuit of that goal appears to hold challenges in the form of 16th-ranked UCLA, California, USC and Arizona State — all among teams receiving votes in the national polls. The Cardinal has an awesome resume, enough to match any team in the country at any position. There are eight former state Gatorade Players of the Year, including two national Gatorade Players of the Year on board. Pedersen, Pohlen and junior Nnemkadi Ogwumike are returning all-Pac-10 players. Ogwumike, also a returning All-American, was the conference Player of the Year in 2010. Add to the mix redshirt 6-foot-5 sophomore Sarah Boothe, 6-4 sophomore Josyln Tinkle and the reigning National High School Player of the Year in 6-3 Chiney Ogwumike, and its no wonder Stanford dreams large despite the loss of All-American Jayne Appel and defensive standout Roz Gold-Onwude. The whole package is led by a three-time national Coach of the Year, and an assistant (Amy Tucker) who shared a National Coach of the Year award. “This might be the most versatile team I’ve ever had,” Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer said. “It’s headlined by Kayla’s versatility. She can play any position on the floor. I’m excited about being back in the conversation for a national championship.” The younger Ogwumike was the prize of last year’s recruiting class and it’s easy to see why. In the first exhibition game of the season, Chiney had a double-double by halftime while older sister Nnemkadi was nursing a sore foot. The dynamics between the sisters has been the source of awe-inspiring athletic grace and entertaining soap opera moments. “We find ourselves in the middle of them sometimes,” Pedersen said. “Neka is very direct with Chiney. It is entertaining.” “I forget they’re sisters; they are really different,” VanDerveer said. “Chiney is not the jumper Neka is but she does stuff that are instinctive.” Nnemkadi said she’s thrilled to be playing with her sister again.
Date Nov 14 Nov 19 Nov 21 Nov 26 Nov 28 Dec 12 Dec 16 Dec 19 Dec 22 Dec 28 Dec 30 Jan 2 Jan 6 Jan 8 Jan 14 Jan 16 Jan 20 Jan 22 Jan 27 Jan 29 Feb 3 Feb 5 Feb 10 Feb 12 Feb 18 Feb 20 Feb 24 Feb 26 Mar 3
Team Time Rutgers 2 p.m. at Utah 6 p.m. at Gonzaga 2 p.m. South Carolina 1 p.m. Texas 12:30 p.m. Fresno St. 1 p.m. at DePaul 5 p.m. at Tennessee 4 p.m. at San Francisco 6:30 p.m. Xavier 1 p.m. Connecticut 6 p.m. at California 12:30 p.m. Arizona 7 p.m. Arizona St. 2 p.m. at Washington 7 p.m. at Washington St. 1 p.m. UCLA 7 p.m. USC 2 p.m. at Oregon 6 p.m. at Oregon St. 2 p.m. at Arizona St. 5:30 p.m. at Arizona 1 p.m. Washington St. 7 p.m. Washington 2 p.m. at USC 7 p.m. at UCLA Noon Oregon St. 7 p.m. Oregon 7:30 p.m. California 6 p.m.
Marc Abrams/Stanford Athletics
Looking for some respect by Rick Eymer o seniors, nine freshmen, five juniors and a sophomore. This is the makeup of the Stanford men’s basketball team as it prepares to open the season with a nonconference game against visiting San Diego on Monday night in Maples Pavilion. The Pac-10 coaches and media alike don’t give the Cardinal (7-11 in the Pac-10 last year, 14-18 overall) much respect in terms of predictions. Both groups have Stanford finishing ninth. Jeremy Green, who set the school record with 93 3-pointers last year, is the most experienced of the junior class, which also features a former walk-on, a transfer and a guy who missed last season with an undisclosed medical condition. “It’s kind of unusual to have a team without seniors,” Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said. “We have high expectations for ourselves. We’ll go out and compete and get better. We have enough veteran leadership to carry us.” Josh Owens, the last player connected to the Trent Johnson era, missed a year with a mysterious (just to the curious among us I suppose) ailment that threatened his future in basketball. “There was some uncertainty whether he could continue his career,” Dawkins said. “He was able to work out during the summer and that was a good start for him. He’s working his way back.” If Wednesday night’s 87-56 exhibition win over Cal State Monterey Bay is any indication, Owens looks ready to take on the Division I players of the world. The 6-foot-8 post player recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds — just about what Dawkins would like to see from him. “I try to keep it in perspective, but yes, it was tough,” Owens said. “I had high expectations for myself and the team. Having that cut short was disappointing. I stayed optimistic about working to get back. I think it will come quickly.” Green scored 26 points, and that’s about where he has to stay for the Cardinal to cause any damage in the talent-rich Pac-10 Conference this season. The other juniors — 6-4 point guard Jarrett Mann, hard-working 6-9 center Jack Trotter, who began his career as a walk-on, and 6-8 transfer Andrew Zimmerman — were prominent players with the Cardinal last year and will serve as role players and leaders in mentoring one of the most talented freshmen classes to find their way to Stanford. Sophomore Gabe Harris (6-2, 190) signed during the same period
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Senior All-American Kayla Pedersen is back for another title shot. “I want to share this experience with her,” the elder Ogwumike said. “I kind of forgot how it is to play with her. I giver her some direction and she takes it well. But she also looks to Kayla for answers.” Junior guards Grace Mashore and Lindy La Rocque and sophomore Mikaela Ruef provide experience off the bench, while Chiney Ogwumike is joined by fellow freshmen Toni Kokenis and Sara James to give the Cardinal one of the country’s toprated recruiting classes. “We’re all in it together,” Pedersen said. “It seems like more players can be used in different positions.” By the way, those eight former Gatorade players are Ruef, both Ogwumike’s, Pedersen, Pohlen, Cimino, Boothe and Tinkle. N