Coach: Trent Johnson, four years at Stanford, three years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: At-large berth; South first round: def. Cornell 77-53; South second round: def. No. 6 seed Marquette 82-81 in OT
They'll keep winning if: Stanford is proving its point: Size matters. Brook and Robin Lopez combined for 48 points against Marquette. Look for the Cardinal to plant Brook Lopez on the block and make the Longhorns stop him, which might invite coach Rick Barnes to go with a bigger lineup. Reserves Dexter Pittman (6-10, 299) and Gary Johnson (6-7, 235) haven't logged big minutes lately for Texas but will be in the mix. Pittman hasn't played more than 16 minutes in a game all season and Johnson is fighting an ankle injury. Texas has an approach that will look a lot like Marquette's with a guard-heavy rotation that lives and dies with a slash-and-cash, 3-point happy attack. Stanford took better care of the ball against Marquette, when point guard Mitch Johnson played 44 minutes but had 16 assists and one turnover. The Longhorns' scoring comes from their guards.
Memorable moment: All that separated the Cardinal from at least a share of the Pac-10 regular-season crown was a controversial foul call on Lawrence Hill on a shot block against Darren Collison with 2.5 seconds left in regulation at Pauley Pavilion. What appeared to be a clean block became two game-tying free throws by Collison, forcing the game into overtime, where the Bruins pulled away to pocket their third straight league title.
Brook Lopez |
Go-to guys: Sophomore Brook Lopez can be almost unstoppable inside. The 7-foot forward has a unique style and can appear awkward at times. But he is powerful and athletic and scores in a variety of ways around the basket. Plus, he has a mean streak that fuels his competitive nature. Junior forward Lawrence Hill has traditionally made big plays for the Cardinal, but his play this season has been less predictable.
Strengths: The Cardinal brings its defense virtually every game. This is a staple, the one aspect of their game that is unchanged almost from game to game. The defense funnels the ball into the lane, where 7-footers Brook and Robin Lopez are waiting to swat shots. Both can find foul trouble, but neither typically leaves the ground to block shots, which tends to curb the hack attack.
Weaknesses: Stanford is an inconsistent shooting team from the perimeter. Mitch Johnson has overcome past reluctance to shoot when left open, but Anthony Goods and Lawrence Hill both have struggled this season to find offensive consistency. The Cardinal needs Goods, in particular, to shoot the ball well in big games.
Coach: Steve Donahue, nine years at Cornell, two years in NCAA tournament.
How they got here: Automatic bid (Ivy League champion).
They'll keep winning if: ... Pace is a storyline for most Ivy schools, and also any time Missouri is involved. The Tigers can roll up triple-digits on their best night, but Cornell would like to play the game in the 60s. If Louis Dale plays well and Ryan Wittman stays aggressive, Cornell has a shot. Dale was injured for the season's first eight games, part of the reason the team struggled in nonconference play. When he's on, Dale can both score and distribute, leading the most potent offense in the Ivy. Wittman had issues midway through the season where he wasn't looking for his shot often enough, but when he's actively looking to score, he tends to pile up points in bunches.
Memorable moment: Cornell repeated as Ivy League champs, and actually lost three games in league play this season after last year's 14-0 run through the conference. However, an impartial observer wouldn't know that from the reaction when the Big Red clinched the conference title and the NCAA Tournament berth that went with it. The crowd stormed the court after the team knocked off Penn to clinch, gleefully celebrating the team's second consecutive trip to the Big Dance.
Ryan Wittman
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Go-to guys: Ryan Wittman is the top offensive threat on a team that has more than the usual Ivy League champ. The junior averages 18 points per game and shoots 42 percent from the 3-point line despite being the focus of every opposing defense. When he's on, he can make ridiculous shots with a hand in his face, and score points in bunches. Louis Dale runs the offense and makes the team go, and Jeff Foote is a legitimate center who's listed at 7-feet tall and can control the boards. Chris Wroblewski is the sixth man, but the freshman has the coach's confidence and runs an efficient offense off the bench.
Strengths: Cornell isn't the typical pint-sized powerhouse from the Ivy League. It has major-college talent and enough depth to match up with most opponents. Ryan Wittman could play almost anywhere, but he's not the only shooter; the team as a whole is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. Three of the five starters shoot 82 percent or better from the free-throw line, so trying to beat the Big Red by coming from behind is difficult. It's an experienced team that's been tested by big-time opponents and isn't likely to be intimidated by Big 12 champion Missouri.
Weaknesses: Cornell is a tough matchup from the Ivy League, and has the experience gained from a tough nonconference schedule and last season's trip to the NCAAs, but the common factor in all three conference losses was the struggles of Louis Dale. Dale went 2-for-11, 3-for-12 and 3-for-12 in those defeats and averaged five turnovers per night. When he's not on his game, the Big Red offense tends to sputter, and Cornell is going to have to score points to beat its likely first-round opponent. It also had a problem maintaining its focus at times and, like most Ivy League teams, there's not a lot of big guys with major talent. If Jeff Foote gets in foul trouble, Cornell's frontcourt gets small in a hurry.
