January 07, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

Battle of Pac-10 powers

by Rick Eymer

With the biggest road trip of the season looming this weekend in Arizona, the Stanford men's basketball team can take comfort in knowing junior forward Josh Childress returns to the lineup nearly fully recovered from the stress reaction in his left foot.

Stanford (2-0, 11-0) enters Thursday's 7:30 p.m. preliminary bout against host Arizona State unbeaten in both Pac-10 play and overall. The fourth-ranked Cardinal, the nation's highest-ranked undefeated team, knocked off Washington, 85-72, on Sunday after dispatching Washington State, 73-51, on Friday night.

Stanford showed it could win without Childress through nine games, and without coach Mike Montgomery in the building for a game, but the Cardinal will certainly count on both as they head into the season's biggest set of games this side of Kansas and Gonzaga.

"It's always tough to play in Arizona," said Stanford junior Nick Robinson, who continues to show his versatility after matching his career high of 13 points against the Huskies on Sunday. "Arizona State is the next game and we have to concentrate on them. They are coming off a big loss and I know they'll be ready to come after us."

Third-ranked Arizona, which must contend with feisty California before Stanford arrives for a Saturday showdown at 3:30 p.m., was the preseason pick to win the Pac-10. Stanford, winners in its last three trips to Tucson, was tabbed to finish second.

"We know it's probably the biggest game of the year in terms of the Pac-10," said Stanford junior center Rob Little, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds against Washington. "They're tired of having us beating them on their court just like we're tired of them coming here and beating us and our court."

Despite the meteoric rise in the national rankings - the Cardinal were ranked 22nd at one point in November - Little said Stanford hasn't accomplished anything yet this season.

"We haven't earned any respect," he said. "The year we started 20-0 (2000-01); we're not even close to that team. We need to tack on a few more wins and not think about any winning streak."

The 2000-01 squad, which featured three future NBA stars in Casey Jacobsen, Jarron Collins and Jason Collins, went on to establish a school record 31 victories en route to an appearance in the Elite Eight.

What separated that group from any other Stanford team since the 1941-42 NCAA championship team was its performance on the road. The 2000-01 group went 11-0 in road games (and 8-1 on neutral courts), just the third time in school history that has occurred. The first was back in 1919-20, then again in 1941-42.

This year's version can certainly go a long way in stamping their own identities into the record book with a pair of wins in two of the toughest venues in the Pac-10.

"Arizona is the hardest trip for any team to win two games," said Little. "You don't want to come away with zero wins and a split isn't bad. It's going to be a battle."

Little said the team will keep things in perspective as they head to Tempe for Thursday's game against the Sun Devils.

"We only won by one at Arizona State last year," he said. "It was close."

Little had one of his poorest games against the Sun Devils, finishing with three points and four rebounds in a 58-57 victory. He missed a free throw late in the game that could have been costly had not Childress grabbed the rebound and made a putback for the winning margin.

Robinson is a major reason why Stanford has been successful even without Childress or Chris Hernandez, who missed a pair of games with a back problem. He's probably the team's most valuable player because of his versatility. He's practiced at every position on the court and has been able to ease into whatever role he's been asked to perform.

"The transition has been a lot smoother than it might have been last year," said Robinson, who made six of his seven attempts against the Huskies. "I've always tried to be aggressive with the basketball and work within the context of the offense. With Josh back, I'll continue to do what I do. I feel you need to know how to do everything, and I strive to do my best in all phases of the game."

Montgomery has always said Robinson usually goes unnoticed because he does all the little things that help produce big results.

"He's an awfully valuable player for us," said Montgomery. "Last year he played a lot of different spots and that's allowed us to do a lot of different things. He's a smart player who can play all five positions if needed and depending on what we need."

Robinson took over Childress' position at the beginning of the year, and served as a backup at point guard when Hernandez missed time. When Montgomery goes to a smaller, quicker lineup, Robinson becomes a power forward and he hasn't hesitated when thrown into the center or shooting guard role.

Now he may be back on the bench, though he'll still see plenty of playing time, as Childress works his way back into the starting lineup. It won't faze Robinson one bit.

"I just go out and play basketball," said Robinson. "Coming off the bench I try to provide a lot of energy and help us continue at the pace we were going with the starters."

Childress scored 10 points in seven minutes in his season debut against the Cougars. He was extended to 13 minutes despite getting into foul trouble against the Huskies.

"With Josh, I felt like he was trying to do too much," said Montgomery. "He has to relax and let the game come to him. He's in pretty good shape but there's no point in pushing it at this point."

Justin Davis recorded his third double-double of the season against Washington with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Stanford shot nearly 60 percent from the field for the game, including a .727 effort in the second half.

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