Publication Date: Friday, December 19, 2003
MEN'S BASKETBALL
This test will be a good one
This test will be a good one
(December 19, 2003) It's No. 9 Stanford vs. No. 13 Gonzaga in Newell Challenge
by Rick Eymer
Stanford junior center Rob Little smiled when asked about the Cardinal's next opponent. The ninth-ranked Stanford men's basketball team had just finished off visiting Florida International, 77-50, on Monday night and Little was relaxing near the Cardinal locker room.
Was it too early to talk about No. 13 Gonzaga, which the Cardinal face in the first game of the Pete Newell Challenge on Saturday at the Oakland Arena at 6 p.m.?
"No, it's not too early," he said. "That's our next opponent."
Little was happy to discuss Stanford's next test, rather than its latest conquest. It's almost like the Cardinal (6-0) wanted to hurry up and finish with the Golden Panthers (2-6), so they could concentrate on Gonzaga (7-1), which is coming off a big win over No. 3 Missouri.
"It's harder to get up for a game like this than you do against a team like Kansas or Gonzaga," said Stanford senior guard Matt Lottich, who managed 12 points against Florida International.
Little's eyes lit up when he started talking about Gonzaga's front line of center Cory Violette and forwards Ronny Turiaf and Tony Skinner.
"They are great post players," said Little, who scored 10 points but was limited to two rebounds against them in Stanford's 81-71 victory over the Bulldogs in last year's Pete Newell Challenge. "They were the most physical team we played against last year. It was a battle, and I expect it to be a battle again. They still have probably the best front court in America. They're good."
Gonzaga held a nine-point edge at halftime last year, but the Cardinal went on a 14-0 run in the second half to help regain the edge. Turiaf was a reserve last year, but he's blossomed into the Bulldogs' top inside player. He leads the team with a 16.8 scoring average, and is second in rebounding at 5.5 per game. He also has 16 blocks on the year.
"They're going to be riding high and they're coming in with a chip on their shoulders," said Little. "They felt they shouldn't have lost that game last year. You could see it in the coaches' eyes and you could see it in the players' eyes. We want to jump on them from the top."
After opening the season with a loss to No. 17 St. Joseph's, the Bulldogs have been nearly unstoppable. They bring a seven-game win streak into the game, which includes wins over No. 25 Maryland and Missouri, and two overtime victories.
Gonzaga's list of destinations has already included New York's Madison Square Garden, Washington D.C.'s MCI Center and Seattle's Key Arena. The school may nestle gently into the Spokane foothills but there's nothing small time about this program, which has been a regular visitor to the NCAA tournament.
Stanford's short, but intense history with the Bulldogs dates to the 1993-94 season. Gonzaga twice ended Stanford's season in the postseason, beginning with an NIT victory at Maples Pavilion in 1994.
Gonzaga also upset the Cardinal in the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1999, following Stanford's first-ever Pac-10 championship.
Last year's win in Oakland was Stanford's first against the Bulldogs. The Cardinal would like to make it two in a row.
"It's one of the biggest games of the year," Little said. "It will be a challenge for me because obviously a lot of big men scouts will be there and I want to play at least as well as they do."
Gonzaga returns four starters from a team that finished 24-9 last year and won the West Coast Conference. In addition to its inside presence, sharpshooters Blake Stepp and Kyle Bankhead provide legitimate outside threats. The two are a combined 27-of-62 (.435) from three-point range.
"They pose a threat," Little said. "They have a great inside-outside game, they're well-coached and they're coming off that win over Missouri."
Little prepared for his battle against Gonzaga with a team-high 17 points against Florida International, matching his season high and coming within one of matching his career high.
"It feels good every time you have a great game," said Little, who has slimmed down to 250 pounds from a playing weight of 280 last year.
Stanford coach Mike Montgomery wasn't as thrilled with Little.
"I need Rob to play better, to improve and to be a presence inside," he said. "We outrebounded them by two. That's not a good effort on our part."
Stanford had trouble against the Golden Panthers in the early going but eventually led by as many as 30 points. Montgomery cleared his bench, and nine of the 10 players got at least 14 minutes of playing time.
"We're trying to get our basketball team to be at a consistent level," said Montgomery. "This wasn't that. We have a much different type of challenge on Saturday so it's back to work."
Sophomore point guard Chris Hernandez, who has been bothered by a back injury, was expected to be ready to practice on Wednesday and should be available to play on Saturday.
Josh Childress, a preseason All-American, will continue to assume his role of cheerleader on the bench while he rests the stress reaction in his left foot.
Stanford also hosts Southern Utah on Monday at 7 p.m. before taking a break for Christmas.
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