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Thursday, March 9
Steady climb has Stanford thinking national title

By Ed Graney
Special to ESPN.com

Mike Montgomery glances back to that game in 1996, back to that second-round East Regional matchup against mighty Massachusetts in Providence, back to that 79-74 loss, back to when Stanford basketball was still a cub in a den full of Division I lions.

Top Games

Pac-10
Stanford at Arizona (Thursday)
Mike Montgomery said from the beginning things would come down to this and they have. The No. 3 Cardinal lead the No. 6 Wildcats by a game heading into the week and a Stanford win would clinch the conference title and likely a top seed in the West Regional. Arizona coach Lute Olson says junior center Loren Woods and his bad back might play, while Woods has ruled himself out. In losing to Arizona 68-65 earlier, Stanford had recovering to get a hand up against shooters Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas soon enough. Know this: Mark Madsen is a much better and healthier player than the first time around.

Mountain West
Tournament championship (Saturday)
The popular belief among conference coaches is that Utah has already secured an NCAA Tournament bid and that a few others will fight this week in Las Vegas for another. The favorite should be host UNLV, which opens against hapless San Diego State and would then face the winner of Colorado State-Wyoming in the semifinals. Winning the tournament -- which has no automatic NCAA bid -- would give the Rebels 23 wins. New Mexico enters as the No. 3 seed with 17 victories and you'd have to think the Lobos are still bubble material should they leave town the champion.

WAC
Tournament championship (Saturday)
Texas Christian coach Billy Tubbs says the league shouldn't hold the tournament this season because there is no automatic bid and it can only hurt a team like No. 1 seed Tulsa, whose NCAA seeding might drop with a loss. Perhaps, but you can bet those at Fresno State and SMU welcome the opportunity. Jerry Tarkanian's team hosts the event in Fresno and beat Tulsa twice. The Bulldogs are 11-4 in Selland Arena and have 21 wins, but some bad early losses might suggest they need to reach the final for a dance card. A tough semifinal awaits with SMU should both win Thursday.

Back to when it all began, when Stanford took the first step in building what is now one of the nation's top programs.

"I think it validated us a little nationally," said Montgomery. "Here was UMass, the No. 1 team in the country with Marcus Camby, and we played them close. All of a sudden, CBS is cutting away from other games on television to show us. It obviously helped."

The hiccup that was Stanford's overtime loss to UCLA last week shouldn't detract from the dominance we have seen from Montgomery's side. UCLA shot 54.5 percent against the country's best defense statistically and still needed a last-second jumper to win by one in overtime.

The Bruins were great. The Cardinal were good. Stuff happens.

Stanford's season, though, has always pointed toward this week and beyond. Montgomery's best team in 13 years as coach has its eye on a second straight Pac-10 title and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament's West Regional. The quest begins at Arizona on Thursday night against a team that until the UCLA game had handed Stanford its only loss.

The Wildcats too figure strongly in this league race and West Regional scenario, but should be without junior center Loren Woods (back), hardly the résumé one wants when facing Stanford. So many things make this particular bunch impressive, but none more so than those up front.

It is more athletic and intelligent than years past, this Stanford front line that has opposing coaches running for Advil. Tim Young had his moments -- he started at center on Stanford's Final Four team two years ago -- but wasn't as smooth as the Collins twins (Jason and Jarron) or senior Mark Madsen, who unlike Young don't spend games in fear of an official's whistle.

"They can control games because of their depth in the post," said UCLA coach Steve Lavin. "They just keep running guys off the bench and it's tough to counter. They're so strong. They have the ability to just manhandle teams at both ends."

Big bodies are nice, but games often come down to matchups at guard. This is where Stanford, surprising to some, could set itself apart over the next month. The countless snapshots of Casey Jacobsen are vivid this season. The freshman shooting guard leads Stanford in scoring at 14.4 and offers a threat not evident in recent times.

Jacobsen is versatile with a capital V, a player who is as dangerous off the dribble as he is spotting up. Dion Cross and Kris Weems were deadly running off screens in their Stanford days, but neither could attack the basket and draw defenders like Jacobsen. And when you draw, others slide open.

There are other intangibles, of course. Michael McDonald can't take a game over at point like Brevin Knight and Arthur Lee could, but the junior is fast on the break and has made more good decisions than bad. Senior guard/forward David Moseley is one the league's most improved players, shooting 45 percent on 3-pointers. Stanford, minus the games missed early by Madsen, has remained relatively healthy.

It's all part of the formula that has created a team of which only five opponents (Duke, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Arizona and UCLA) have played Stanford to a single-digit game, that is on the verge of setting an NCAA record in field-goal percentage defense (34.8 percent entering the Arizona swing), that has won eight of its past 14 by 20 or more.


	Mark Madsen and Stanford are seeking revenge for an earlier loss to Arizona.

"It's not as if they're getting lucky," said Arizona coach Lute Olson. "They're just awfully good. It's the best Stanford team I've ever seen."

And yet its margin for error this week is nil. Stanford (25-2, 14-2 Pac-10) leads Arizona (24-6, 13-3) by a game and if you think the Cardinal are an upset bunch after the UCLA loss, consider Olson's team dropped both games in Oregon last week. Seething mad, these Wildcats.

Arizona's spacing -- some of the best nationally -- could hurt Stanford as it did earlier this season. Jason Gardner at point guard is many's pick for national freshman of the year and sophomore forward Richard Jefferson is expected to see more time as he continues his return from a broken foot.

Translation: It won't be easy for Stanford, which must deal with some desert heat, even in early March.

"We're obviously a good team, but we can obviously play better," said Montgomery. "I don't think there was a game this year where we looked at the schedule and didn't think we could win, including this one. Most of the time, when we really needed to be good, we have been."

This is one of those times.

It started with that '96 game against UMass, followed by the Sweet 16 appearance when it dismissed Tim Duncan and Wake Forest in the second round, followed by the Final Four. It has been a work in progress, this Stanford program, but now you get the feeling there is a giant leap to come.

Now, you get the feeling the Cardinal can win it all.

Thumbs up
Casey Calvary: We're not going to predict another Elite Eight run for this Gonzaga big man and his mates, but at least we might see that cool statue of Bing Crosby on campus come late-night highlight shows.

Earl Watson: The UCLA junior broke out in the Bay Area. In victories against Cal and Stanford, Watson made 11 of 18 shots, hit 4 of 9 3-pointers and left town with 27 points, 21 assists and only seven turnovers. His secret? Rumor has it, Watson before each game snuck out for some Fettuccine Con Asparagi at North Beach Restaurant.

Mate Milisa: What's another word for Croatians with "i" and "a" in their last name? Shooter. The Big West Conference player of the year from Long Beach State averaged 18.2 points and hit 59.5 percent for the 49ers.

Reggie Minton: The man coaches Air Force. His team won eight games. Memo to those high-ranking academy officials who want Minton fired: Stick to improving your B-52s. You can do no better than this man.

Thumbs down
Mountain West Conference coaches: Traditionally a very sound bunch, this group of eight stumbled badly in naming Utah senior Hanno Möttölä first-team all-league over Colorado State's Ceedric Goodwyn. Mottola when healthy is the league's best player, but the fact injuries limited him to nine leagues games made this selection more reputation than anything. And that's not right.

Arizona State: The begging you hear from Phoenix this week is ASU players saying they deserve an NCAA Tournament bid no matter how they fare against Cal and Stanford. We just can't see past ASU's quality wins. You know, as in there are none.

Jarvis Turner: Grab too many shorts and you're likely to get a reputation ...

SMU: Mustangs had that NCAA Tournament berth by the throat, but couldn't put Tulsa away.

Quote to note
"Every time some team gets knocked off back East, it's because the leagues are so good and there's a lot of parity. Out here, one of our top teams lose and people start talking about hurting seeds and teams going back on the bubble. It makes no sense."

-- UNLV coach Bill Bayno as he begins to lobby for a second Mountain West Conference berth to the NCAAs.

Did you know?
Cal students went after UCLA forward Jason Kapono, wearing headbands like the freshman. Difference is, Bears fans had written "DORK" on their headbands. Said Kapono: ""They're right, I am a dork. But I can shoot a little."

Thought for the day
Earl Watson says JaRon Rush has always been a "money player." You can take that one to the Piggie bank.

Ed Graney of the San Diego Union-Tribune is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.


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