Stanford Cardinal

The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis

TEAM PREVIEW

The disappointment that Stanford fans felt when the Cardinal lost, 86-63, to Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March was nothing compared with the sting that came in April, when starting juniors Casey Jacobsen and Curtis Borchardt declared for the NBA draft.

"I won't be the last player to leave Stanford early for the NBA," said Jacobsen, who was drafted in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. "It's just the way it is today."

The losses of Jacobsen and Borchardt were huge. Jacobsen was an All-America shooting guard who left as the school's third all-time leading scorer with 1,723 points. He owns or shares 49 Stanford records and averaged 18.1 points last year while hitting 42.7 percent from 3-point range.

Borchardt, selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round and then dealt to the Utah Jazz, averaged 16.9 points and was third in the nation in rebounds (11.4) from the center position. He also averaged 2.86 blocks per game and left Stanford No. 2 on the career list with 146.

Add to that the graduation of point guard Tony Giovacchini (3.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 apg) and it's easy to understand why Stanford -- a team with seven consecutive 20-win seasons -- is almost an afterthought on most people's minds when considering the Pac-10 race.

"With Curtis and Casey turning pro and the graduation of Tony and Kyle Logan [1.5 ppg], a number of our returning players are in position to make great strides with increased playing time," Cardinal coach Mike Montgomery said. "At the same time, the veterans must compete at a high level and lead by example. At many times last year, we missed having an experienced senior class to take the pressure off of the coaching staff, so we're expecting more consistent contributions from our second- and third-year players."

Blue Ribbon Previews Oct. 28: ACC | A-Sun | NEC Oct. 29: A-10, A-East, Ivy League Oct. 30: Big East, Colonial, Metro Atlantic Ath. Conf., Patriot Oct. 31: Big 12, Big West, Big Sky, Missouri Valley Conf. Nov. 1: Big Ten, Horizon, MAC, Ohio Valley Conf. Nov. 4: C-USA, Mid. Cont., Sun Belt, SWAC Nov. 6: Pac-10, Mountain West, WAC, West Coast Conf. Nov. 8: SEC, Big South, Southern, Southland, Independents

The top returning scorer is Julius Barnes, a 6-foot-1 senior who averaged 10.9 points and 2.3 rebounds. Barnes has proven to be a versatile athlete who can play point guard or shooting guard, and he has the skill to run the break and break down defenses. Last year, he scored a career-high 27 points against California, one of 15 games in which he reached double figures.

Barnes can hit from long range (46 3-pointers) and is an aggressive defensive player (team-leading 28 steals).

Joining him in the backcourt is 6-foot-2 sophomore Chris Hernandez (3.0 ppg), who was touted as Stanford's point guard of the future when he was recruited out of Clovis West High School in Fresno, Calif., where he led his team to 134 wins in four seasons. He figures to see plenty of action at the position this season.

The next Stanford star could be Josh Childress (7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg), a 6-foot-7 sophomore swingman who made six starts -- the first time since Brevin Knight in 1993-94 that a freshman started his first game for Stanford. He was one of the top high school recruits coming out of Mayfair High in Lakewood, Calif.

Childress possesses a game that is often compared to that of former NBA great George Gervin. He can create shots off the dribble and has deep range.

As a rookie, Childress scored in double figures in ten games, including a season-high 21 points against Purdue. Childress hit 9-of-14 shots against the Boilermakers. He also went for 19 points, along with nine rebounds, against Oregon State. His rebound average was second best on the Cardinal and the most by a freshman since Jason Collins averaged 6.1 during the 1999-00 season.

Replacing Borchardt at center will not be an easy task. The leading candidate is 6-foot-10 sophomore Rob Little, who gained valuable experience by appearing in 30 games (one start) last year. Little averaged only 2.4 points and 8.8 minutes per game but worked hard in the weight room over the summer and now tips the scales at 265 pounds.

Little started his first collegiate game at USC on Jan. 25 and came up with five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes. He played a season-high 23 minutes against Texas in early December and scored eleven points and grabbed five rebounds.

Joe Kirchofer, a 6-foot-9 junior, also can play center. He averaged 2.7 points and 7.9 minutes for the Cardinal last year.

Stanford has strong talent and experience at the forward position. Teyo Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior, averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds while making 11 starts. He is an All-America-caliber wide receiver for the football team. No one can accuse him of playing favorites -- he had to work to integrate himself into basketball while still putting in his time in football.

Johnson joined the basketball team on a full-time basis after playing his final football game of the 2001 season at the Seattle Bowl on Dec. 27 against Georgia Tech. He caught six passes for 45 yards, including one touchdown. Before that, Johnson scrambled between both sports, playing seven minutes for the basketball team and scoring four points against Long Beach State on Dec. 15.

Johnson practiced with the football team on Dec. 18, then suited up for Stanford's basketball game against Belmont that night and played seven minutes. The following day, he practiced with the football team, then suited up and played five minutes against Portland State, grabbing three boards.

Once Johnson got on the basketball floor full time, he increased his contributions markedly. He scored a career-high 15 points against Oregon State and also came up with 12 points and a career-high seven rebounds against Arizona. He scored 11 points against Washington, UCLA and Washington State.

Justin Davis (4.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) is a 6-foot-8 junior who started 18 games. The power forward is active at both ends of the floor and made 59 percent of his shots last season.

"He's a great athlete with a tremendous upside," Montgomery said. "He runs the floor like a deer."

Davis notched his first collegiate double-double with 19 points (8-for-10 from the floor) and 10 rebounds against Brigham Young at the Las Vegas Showdown. He followed that performance with 12 points (5-for-6 from the floor) along with four rebounds against Michigan State at the Pete Newell Challenge.

Another returning player who hopes to increase his playing time at forward is 6-foot-6 junior Tyler Besecker (0.8 ppg in five appearances).

The final returning upperclassman is 6-foot-4 junior guard Matt Lottich, who played in 23 games last year and scored a career-high 12 points against Belmont. Lottich averaged 2.5 points per game.

Nick Robinson is a 6-foot-6 sophomore swingman who appeared in 14 games, averaging 1.7 points.

The freshman class is headed by Dan Grunfeld, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound shooting guard from Glendale, Wisc. He is the son of former NBA player and current Milwaukee Bucks general manager Ernie Grunfeld. He averaged 17.2 points and six rebounds while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range for Nicolet High.

"Dan is a basketball junkie," Montgomery said. "He knows how to play the game, and he can shoot it deep. He's learned from being around great players and his dad, and it shows in the way he plays."

Grunfeld attracted the attention of major colleges after scoring 45 points in a game at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas during the summer of 2001. He was selected the best shooter by The Sporting News out of more than 3,000 players.

Also joining the Cardinal is Jason Haas, a 6-foot-2 guard from Blairstown, N.J. He averaged 24 points and five assists for The Blair Academy in his hometown.

"He's a little underrated, and he really fits the bill for us," Montgomery said. "He knows how to run a club and has a toughness to him."

Matt Haryasz, a 6-foot-10, 205-pound forward from Page, Ariz., also joins Stanford. He averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and six blocks in helping lead Page High to a 22-8 record and a trip to Arizona Elite Eight. In one game, he scored 32 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked 11 shots.

"Since he's located in Page [on the Arizona-Utah border], not a lot of people have had the opportunity to see him," Montgomery said. "He's an active, skilled big man with a great future. He runs the floor well and has unusual skills for a guy his size."

The final freshman recruit is Carlton Weatherby, a flashy 5-foot-11 guard from Tacoma, Wash. Weatherby averaged 13 points and led his conference in assists with 7.3 per game at Curtis High School, including a career-high 12 assists in one game.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS