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The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

Opponents had more than they could handle when facing the Cardinal the last two seasons, wondering if they might have had double vision taking on the twin Lopez brothers. Brook was more of a scoring machine while Robin concentrated more on defense, but the two had great success.

In two seasons on The Farm, Brook averaged 16.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, tallying 101 blocked shots and shooting 48 percent from the field in 53 games. He scored at least 10 points in 41 games and established a career-best 31 points at Washington earlier in the 2007-08 campaign.

At San Joaquin Memorial High School, Lopez lettered four times in both basketball and volleyball, captaining both teams his senior season. The 2006 McDonald's and Parade All-American averaged 10.3 rebounds, 15.0 points and 2.6 blocks per game his junior season, and was tabbed The Fresno Bee Player of the Year. His team won the North Yosemite League title and came one victory shy of making it to the Division IV state championship.

Lopez was a member of the 2005 USA Youth Development Festival "Red" team that won a bronze medal in the International Sports Invitational. He ranked 20th among the seven-team tournament field in scoring (10.2 ppg), tied for fifth in blocked shots (1.6 bpg), tied for sixth in steals (2.2 spg), 12th in field-goal percentage (.487) and tied for 20th for rebounds (4.8 rpg). He was also joined his brother, Robin, on the EBO/EA Sports AAU team that won the Adidas Super 64 tournament two consecutive years.

The 240-pound power forward and his brother, Robin, enrolled at Stanford. Brook's collegiate debut was delayed until late November due to back surgery in September. He earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention and was a member of the league's All-Freshman Team.

Lopez played in 26 games, making 18 starts. He ranked third on the club in scoring at 12.6 points per game and shot 49.6 percent from the field (140-of-282). He tied for the team lead in rebounding at 6.0 per game. He was second on the team in blocked shots with 45 and scored in double figures 16 times, reaching the 20-point plateau in six games. He also pulled down at least 10 rebounds in a game on four different occasions.

Lopez spent the summer of 2007 bulking up, adding over 20 pounds of muscle to his frame. But he was ruled academically ineligible for the first semester, missing the first nine games of the 2007-08 campaign. He publicly blamed himself for Stanford's early-season struggles, as he called the ineligibility "an embarrassment to me and my family."

Lopez returned with improved production and a sense of purpose. An All-Pac-10 Conference first-team choice, Brook Lopez was also selected as an All-District performer by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) in District IX. In 27 games, he averaged 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 78.9 percent from the foul line. He notched nine double-doubles, scored in double-figures 25 times and led the Cardinal in scoring on 20 different occasions.

After the season, Lopez garnered All-American third-team honors from the Associated Press, adding to his lengthy list of honors during the 2007-08 campaign. He became the first Cardinal to earn All-American recognition since Josh Childress was recognized by multiple organizations in 2004, including first-team AP All-American honors.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Has a well-developed frame with long limbs, broad shoulders and good bulk, having added over 20 pounds to his frame since the end of his freshman season...Still has room on his frame to add more weight (looks lean at 262)...Runs the floor very well for his size and could be an inviting option for a team that utilizes an up-tempo offensive attack...His body has physically matured in the last year and he is ready to handle the punishment dished out at the NBA level...Uses his power well to score off the low block...Hard worker who keeps his composure on the court, as it is rare to see him be charged with foolish fouls...Shows very good touch in the 12- to 15-foot range...Has a hook shot while and the balance to finish with polished moves and a quick drop-step...Has adequate range for a big man...Demonstrates large, soft hands and despite his length, does a very good job of protecting the ball and preventing the turnover...Has the lower-body strength, long arms and solid upper-body strength to prevent more physical forwards from pushing him away from the boards...For a player of his size, he has nimble feet and the ability to get his shot off quickly...Physical rebounder with the long arms to outmuscle most around the offensive glass...Has the large, soft hands to catch the ball and attack the basket when working on the offensive glass...Attacks the basket and is physical boxing out his man...Has more than enough strength in the post to create baskets for himself and others...Uses his power well to seal off a defender working down low and can also maintain deep position with his base...On the pick-and-roll, he uses his size, hands and length to consistently finish...Worked hard in the offseason, showing improvement with his accuracy from the free-throw line...Is also effective drawing fouls to get to the line consistently...Not afraid to mix it up and fight for a loose ball...Has a bit of an unorthodox defensive technique, but uses his reach and body to stay in front of his man and has impressive balance and body control moving laterally...His lateral agility allows him to easily defend the pick-and-roll on the perimeter...Effective weak-side shot blocker with long arms, relying more on his timing and strength than explosive leaping ability...Better as a help-side defender than when isolated in the post...Very effective sealing off his man, using his body well to get into position to secure the pass under the basket and score.

Negatives: Against players of his size, he looks uncomfortable with his back to the basket, preferring to play a face-up game...Inconsistent from short range, as he has problems playing off the dribble or when attempting to back his man down...Under the basket, he can become a bit predictable, as he has noted weakness with his left hand...Has adequate quickness, but does not have the foot speed to be quick in transition...Needs to improve his shot selection, and will take ill-advised attempts when covered tightly rather than looking for another teammate for a scoring outlet...Does not always finish thanks to poor back-to-the-basket skills and might not be able to dominate in the NBA on hook shots and turnaround jumpers alone...Gets into a rhythm where he will rush his turnaround jumper from less than seven feet from the basket...Rarely shows a combination move and will force shots when his first move fails...Needs to show more explosion when trying to elevate and attack the rim...Looks harried working in tight areas, preferring to execute his hook shot when operating in space...Can be backed down when matched up against a player with equal or better strength...Also struggles to mirror the quicker forwards when playing in the post...Good, not great, rebounder who relied on his arm length and size advantage in college...Not the type that will dominate on the glass (averaged just 7.1 rebounds per game) and for a player his size, he should be getting to the ball more often...Will get into foul trouble trying to defend in the low post (better in the high post and perimeter).

Compares To: CHRIS KAMAN-Los Angeles Clippers...Like Kaman, Lopez is best when he plays a face-up game, as he struggles with his back to the basket. He has good athletic skills, but is a little slow in transition and is just an average rebounder. His left-handed hook shot leaves a lot to be desired and he is a bit predictable on offense, where he prefers a baby hook shot or turnaround jumper. He has good coordination for a big man and is a solid post scorer with an effective mid-range jump shot. He has better lateral agility than most centers and generally plays under control. He is more likely to be the first center taken in the draft, but he'll also get quality minutes at power forward. His brother (Robin Lopez) is a better defender, but Brook Lopez has better scoring touch.

CAREER NOTES:

Appeared in 53 games, scoring 849 points (16.0 points per game) on 184-of-393 field goals (48.0 percent) and 198-of-258 free throws (76.4 percent)...Grabbed 377 rebounds (7.1 rebounds per game), dished out 57 assists (1.1 assists per game), had 27 steals and blocked 101 shots (1.9 blocks per game)...His 849 points scored rank 12th on the school career list...His 328 points scored in 2006-07 rank eighth among Stanford freshman in school annals...His 521 points scored in 2007-08 rank 16th on the Cardinal list...His 156 rebounds in 2006-07 rank ninth on the school freshman single-season list, and his average of 6.0 boards per game that season rank third on the freshman record chart...His 101 blocked shots rank fifth on the school career-record list, while his 56 blocks in 2007-08 are topped only by Curtis Borchardt (85, 2001-02) and Robin Lopez (73, 2006-07) on the Stanford record list...Only his brother, Robin (73 in 2006-07) had more blocked shots in a freshman season than Brook's 45 (2006-07)...Shattered the school single-game record with 12 blocked shots vs. Southern California (2006-07), topping the previous mark of six, held by several players, most recently by his brother, Robin, vs. Siena (2006-07).

2007-08 SEASON

All-American third-team choice by the Associated Press, earning All-American Dream Team honors from The NBA Draft Report...All-Pacific-10 Conference first-team choice, adding All-Pac-10 Defensive Team honorable mention...USBWA All-District selection and a member of the All-Pac-10 Tournament Team...Played in 27 games, making 25 starts at power forward...Averaged a team-best 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds...Was 184-of-393 from the field for a 46.8-percent rate and 153-of-194 from the foul line, good for a 78.9-percent clip...Scored in double-figures 25 times, as he also notched nine double-doubles...Led the team in scoring 20 times and rebounding 14 times.

2007-08 SEASON

ANALYSIS

2006-07 SEASON

All-Pac-10 Conference honorable mention and All-Pac-10 freshman selection...Saw action in 26 games, making 18 starts, as he missed the team's first five contests due to September back surgery...Ranked third on the club in scoring at 12.6 points per game, as he shot 49.6 percent from the field (140-282)...Tied for the team lead in rebounding at 6.0 per game...Second on the team in blocked shots with 45...Scored in double-figures 16 times, as he reached the 20-point plateau in six games...Pulled down at least 10 rebounds in a game on four different occasions...In Pac-10 games, he averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 51.8-percent from the field with 38 blocks.

2006-07 SEASON

ANALYSIS

INJURY REPORT

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended San Joaquin (Calif.) Memorial High School, where he lettered four times in both basketball and volleyball, captaining both teams his senior season...The 2006 McDonald's and Parade All-American averaged 10.3 rebounds, 15.0 points and 2.6 blocks per game his junior season, and was tabbed The Fresno Bee Player of the Year...Team won the North Yosemite League title and came one victory shy of making it to the Division IV state championship...Member of the 2005 USA Youth Development Festival "Red" team that won a bronze medal in the International Sports Invitational...Ranked 20th among the seven-team tournament field for scoring (10.2 ppg), tied for fifth for blocked shots (1.6 bpg), tied for sixth for steals (2.2 spg), 12th for field-goal percentage (.487) and tied for 20th for rebounds (4.8 rpg.)...Joined his brother, Robin Lopez, on the EBO/EA Sports AAU team that won the Adidas Super 64 tournament for two consecutive years.

PERSONAL

General Studies major...Twin brother, Robin, was a teammate in high school and started at center at Stanford (2006-08)...Son of Deborah Ledford...Brother, Alex, played basketball at Santa Clara...Mother was an Olympic swimmer...Born 4/01/88...Resides in Fresno, California.