2011-2012 Pac-12 Basketball
Report: Stanford & Cal
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STANFORD
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"GETTING INSIDE"
Sophomore class could hold key to
Cardinal's season
Coach Johnny Dawkins, just one game over
.500 after three seasons at Stanford, got a confidence boost from his employer
this offseason with a contract extension through 2015-16.
He'd like to
show this season that he deserves it.
Dawkins believes the conference
will be stronger than a year ago, especially at the top with Arizona, UCLA,
Washington and Cal. But he won't exclude his team from the
conversation.
"I think we can be as competitive as any of the teams. We
just need to keep getting better," Dawkins said. "I think we have
potential."
Certainly the Cardinal has an interesting mix of veterans and
young talent. Even without departed scoring leader Jeremy Green, who turned pro
following his junior season, Stanford should be improved.
Seniors Josh Owens and Jarrett Mann will play key roles, but the Cardinal's chances of
becoming a contender ride on the shoulder of six sophomores who combined for 47
starts and 825 points last season.
"They'll be counted on to do more,"
Dawkins said of the group led by Anthony Brown and Dwight Powell. "They'll have
to assert themselves more and take a bigger leadership role. Those kids finished
out the year having gained a lot of experience.
That should give them a
feel for the level of play in our conference."
The Cardinal also has a
valuable newcomer in freshman combo guard Chasson Randle, who led the team in
scoring at 11 points per game on its exhibition tour of Spain.
"I thought
he had some really good moments," Dawkins said. "Like any good freshman, he has
a big learning curve right now. But I liked what he did considering the level of
competition."
NOTES, QUOTES
--Stanford is assured of having a different scoring
leader for the 11th straight season after the departure of G Jeremy Green, who
averaged a team-best 16.7 points. Green's decision to turn pro was "sort of a
surprise," coach Johnny Dawkins acknowledged. "He decided to follow his dream,
and I hope it works out for him. That's the nature of our game. In this day and
age, you have to be prepared to deal with the uncertainty of players
leaving."
--The Cardinal spent a couple of weeks touring Spain, where it
faced an assortment of the country's top professional teams. Stanford didn't win
a game, but Dawkins saw progress. "I think it was really good for guys to spend
time face-to-face," he said. "And I learned that our team has potential. We
played a terrific schedule, and we got better as the trip went on. They showed a
nice competitive spirit."
--Stanford needs to make offensive improvements
to compete for a middle-of-the-pack or higher spot. The Cardinal ranked just
eighth in the Pac-10 in scoring at 66.4 points per game and played seven
consecutive games at midseason without reaching 50 points. Aside from the
departed Green, the rest of the team totaled just 110 3-point baskets.
Stanford's returnees converted 63 percent of their free throws.
LAST
YEAR: 15-16 overall, 7-11 in the Pac-10
HEAD COACH: Johnny Dawkins,
fourth year as head coach (49-48 at Stanford; 49-48 career)
QUOTE TO
NOTE: "It's important that we continue to develop our program. We've been
building and working toward getting better every year. This year is no
exception. We have the pieces in place to compete in our conference. Now we just
have to go out and do it." -- Coach Johnny Dawkins.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Jarrett Mann, SG
Chasson Randle, SF Anthony Brown, PF Dwight Powell, C Josh Owens.
LINEUP
BREAKDOWN: Coach Johnny Dawkins has choices at most positions, starting at the
point, where Mann's experience, defense and toughness are enough to compensate
for his poor shooting. But sophomore Aaron Bright will also play the position,
and freshman Chasson Randle can operate at either guard spot. Brown is a
star-in-the-making on the wing, and the Cardinal expects Powell to be more
aggressive and more productive. Owens is steady and efficient inside. The
Cardinal has plenty of depth up front, including sophomores John Gage and Josh Huestis, and seniors Andrew Zimmerman and Jack Trotter.
SCOUTING THE
NEWCOMERS: Freshman G Chasson Randle, the Illinois Class 3A co-winner of the
"Mr. Basketball" award, was the nation's No. 68 overall prospect, according to
Rivals.com. He can play either backcourt spot and gave a glimpse of his promise
on the Cardinal's trip to Spain. "He was solid running the team and passing the
ball, but when he felt there was a need (to score), he asserted himself,"
Dawkins said. "That's a rare combination. He has that balance of knowing when to
pick his spots. He has a feel for the game." Redshirt freshman F Stefan Nastic,
who played just five games last season after sustaining a stress fracture to his
right foot, saw action in Spain and was "a pleasant surprise," Dawkins said.
ROSTER REPORT:
--Sophomore SG Anthony Brown, who played last summer
for the USA team at the U19 World Championships, scored in double figures 11
times in Stanford's final 15 games last season. Brown (8.7 ppg) should emerge as
the Cardinal's chief perimeter scoring threat.
--Senior PF Josh Owens is
the club's top returning scorer (11.6 ppg) and rebounder (6.5 rpg). Coach Johnny
Dawkins said Owens is all-conference material. "He's shown flashes of that," the
coach said. "The biggest thing, to be worthy of an honor like that, is the
consistency to do it night in and night out. But he has the tools. He's improved
since last season, and I'm excited for him this year."
--Sophomore F
Dwight Powell (8.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg) showed glimpses of what he can do last season,
but the Cardinal anticipates more from him. "It's just a matter of him
continuing to refine his game," Dawkins said. "We would like for him to be more
aggressive because of his potential. If he learns to do that, he'll get more
comfortable."
--Redshirt sophomore F Andy Brown, who has torn his left
ACL three times since his senior season in high school, is close to being
healthy again. Dawkins said he expects Brown to play this
season.
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California
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"GETTING INSIDE"
Veteran squad hopes to challenge for
conference supremacy
The Golden Bears have the
most experienced roster in the Pac-12, and they have more depth and versatility
than they had a year ago.
They hope that adds up to a run to
their second conference title in three years following a 50-year
drought.
"One would assume, if we improve a little bit, we
should be able to make a stronger push," said Mike Montgomery, in his fourth
season as Bears coach.
Senior guard Jorge Gutierrez, who was
Montgomery's first recruit, is the heart and soul of the team. He has developed
from his freshman season as a defensive pest into a ferocious all-around player
who should contend for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors.
"He's
just a winner," Montgomery said. "Jorge gets about all the mileage out of
himself that he can. He does so many things to help you win."
The Bears also feature 6-foot-6 wing Allen Crabbe, a silky-smooth shooter who
earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors last season. Crabbe averaged 16.4
points in conference play and scored 30 in a win over Washington State.
Then there's 6-8, 245-pound senior forward Harper Kamp,
the most understated of the three, and possibly the most
irreplaceable.
"The key thing is Harper has got to stay
healthy," said Montgomery, underscoring the reality that Cal has little
experienced depth behind him.
Kamp has
undergone two knee surgeries over the past three seasons and is accustomed to
playing with a certain level of discomfort.
"I'm trying to get it to the point
where I can play every day and not worry about the pain," he said.
NOTES, QUOTES
--Coach Mike Montgomery underwent a surgical
procedure Oct. 19 and was expected to be sidelined for a short recovery period.
The athletic department did not immediately provide details, but it said
assistants Jay John and Travis DeCuire would lead the team until Montgomery's
return.
--One of the biggest revelations of Cal's late-summer
tour of northern Europe was the play of 6-foot-10, 260-pound walk-on center
Robert Thurman. With Harper Kamp playing sparingly due to an ailing knee,
Thurman started several games and played well.
"Robert's
improved," Montgomery said. "He's a big, strong kid. He's gotten a lot better at
simplifying the game. If he gets (the ball) and turns to the basket, he's pretty
effective.
"I wouldn't say we're out of the woods on that. If we
can get him to play hard and be smart with how he plays -- he's got to be
physical, but smart-physical -- he's got the ability to score the ball inside a
little bit and rebound the ball. He can help us."
--Montgomery
isn't worried about his team's scoring, suggesting that will take care of
itself. But there are other areas he said need improvement.
"We'd like to play man defense, and I'm concerned we're not progressing as much
as I'd like," he said. "So we're going to try to get that to where it's
something we can do effectively. I don't think we board like we should. We need
to get more people going more aggressively to the offensive glass and making
sure they get their block-offs."
LAST YEAR: 18-15 overall, 10-8
in the Pac-10
HEAD COACH: Mike Montgomery, 30th year as head
coach (64-37 in three years at Cal; 611-281 career)
QUOTE TO
NOTE: "We have a lot of talent, and we've got a lot of guys back. At this point,
it's just a matter of how hard we're willing to work to get to the next level,
which is being at the top of the league." -- Senior forward Harper Kamp.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Brandon Smith, SG Jorge Gutierrez, SF Allen Crabbe, PF Harper Kamp, PF Richard Solomon.
LINEUP BREAKDOWN: The Bears will have more depth and
better flexibility than a year ago, when their bench often was non-productive.
The arrival of sophomore guard Justin Cobbs, a transfer from Minnesota, will be
big lift. Cobbs can play either guard spot and is more physical and offensively
aggressive than starting PG Brandon Smith. The biggest personnel issue may be
who will back up Allen Crabbe at small forward. The Bears hoped it would be
redshirt freshman wing Alex Rossi, but the hernia and groin injuries that wiped
out his rookie season have not cleared up. Rossi is considered an excellent
spot-up shooter, but the Bears would like to see it in person. Walk-on wing Jeff Powers, who had a couple of nice games last season, could be the short-term
answer.
Junior F Bak Bak is behind schedule after spending more
than a month in Kenya, trying to get his passport renewed. The Bears hope
sophomore G Emerson Murray is ready to contribute after offseason surgery to
remove metal plates that were implanted in his foot after injury in high
school.
SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: The Bears welcome two freshman
forwards, both of whom could see playing time. David Kravish, a 6-foot-9 product
over the Kansas City, Mo., area, is smart and skilled but weighs just 210 pounds
and needs more strength. But both he and 6-8 Christian Behrens had their moments
on the Bears' European exhibition tour.
"David is a very smart
player," coach Mike Montgomery said of Kravish. "You look at the tape and you
say, 'Gosh, he's always in the right spot. He always goes to where he's supposed
to.' But he's 210 (pounds), so he'll get bounced out of some of the areas he's
gotten to. Strength will be a factor for him."
On Behrens,
Montgomery said, "He's got the knack -- we found out in Europe. He has a knack
of being around the ball," Montgomery said of Behrens. "The last two games we
played over there against the Danish national team, we don't win without David
and Christian."
Sophomore G Justin Cobbs likely will have a
bigger immediate impact after sitting out last season as a transfer from
Minnesota. "Justin is strong. He can defend, he can score," Montgomery said.
"His big thing is he kind of loses focus every now and again over what he's
trying to do. But when he's going, doing the things he's capable of, he's real
good."
ROSTER REPORT:
--Sophomore
Allen Crabbe, the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2011, broke his nose during
early summer training camp for the USA under-19 team and returned home before
roster selections were made. He missed a chunk of the summer after surgery on
the nose but was able to play when the Bears visited northern Europe in
September. Crabbe figures to be the Bears' leading scorer this season after
averaging 13.4 points per game last season.
--Sophomore F Richard Solomon, who joined Crabbe at the
USA tryout camp, has added some weight and strength and the beginnings of a
back-to-the-basket game after working with Markhuri Sanders-Frison, the Bears'
recently graduated starting center. "He's getting better at it," coach Mike
Montgomery said. "He seemingly understands the value of it. Again, when the game
starts, how will that translate?"
--Junior F Bak Bak may not
have quite the impact the Bears had hoped for, at least not at the season's
outset. He did not travel with the team to Europe after spending weeks in Kenya
sorting out a passport issue. "It slowed him down. He should have been lifting
all summer -- that was important -- and he was gone. So he came back, he'd lost
weight, lost strength," Montgomery said.
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