On top of the world On top of the world (August 12, 2005)

Smith helps U.S. advance in University Games

by Nathan Kurz

Brooke Smith is getting the chance to show the world this summer why she played such a vital role in the resurgence of Stanford women's basketball last season.

Smith posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds Thursday as the U.S. women improved to 2-0 at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey after defeating South Africa 92-22.

The Stanford center, an all-Pac-10 first team pick, provided the U.S. with a spark off the bench, hitting four of six shots from the field and had two of the team's University Games-record 27 assists.

Smith, who helped lead the Cardinal to the Elite Eight, continued her offensive efficiency from the winter, when she ranked seventh in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.610).

The Americans outscored South Africa 22-0 in the second quarter in building a 60-18 halftime lead and coasted to an easy victory.

"This is a hard game because you have a tendency to get sloppy," USA head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. "They doubled us so we had to work a little bit harder to get what we were looking for (inside)."

LSU forward Seimone Augustus led all scorers with 18 points.

The U.S. continues Group B play today with a game against China (0-2).

Also at the World University Games, Stanford grad Kevin Hansen helped the U.S. volleyball team beat Lebanon 25-12, 25-14, 25-13 in its opening game Thursday. The Americans' Pool D also includes Belgium, China, France and Slovakia.

While Smith represents Stanford basketball on the women's side, Chris Hernandez and Matt Harayasz begin their international experience today when the U.S. team takes on Iran in the opening game of the Games' men's basketball competition.

"I think we just want to come out here and play hard," Harayasz said. "Offensively we are going to be able to score, but all the teams here are great offensive teams. We know we have to play great defense to win. We have to play harder defense than anyone else, that's our goal coming into each game."

The U.S. team will also compete against Germany and Slovakia in preliminary round group F and is looking to medal for the 18th consecutive time. Stanford is the only school with two players on the squad.

Hernandez and Dan Grunfeld, meanwhile, were named to the Wooden Award Preseason List as two of the top 50 players in the nation based on last year's performance and team records.

Grunfeld led the Cardinal in scoring (17.9 ppg) and Hernandez led the team in minutes played (34.8 mpg) and three-pointers made (65). Both were first-team All-Pac-10 selections in 2005.

Back in the U.S., the Pac-10 also released its preseason volleyball poll, and conference coaches picked the Cardinal to finish second behind rival Washington. The two teams split their conference match-ups before Stanford defeated the Huskies in the national semifinals en route to its sixth NCAA title and second in four years.

The Cardinal was also picked third in the CSTV/AVCA top-25 preseason poll behind Nebraska and Washington.

"(We're) a target...so we will have to work that much harder to defend our title," sophomore middle blocker Lizzie Suiter said.

Stanford returns four starters (Franci Girard, Bryn Kehoe, Kristin Richards and Suiter) and its libero, Courtney Schultz, from last year's 30-6 team. The Cardinal opens its title defense in two weeks at the NACWAA Showcase in Omaha, Nebraska.

In other sports:

* Junior diver Cassidy Krug qualified third in the three-meter competition at the 2005 U.S. National Diving Championships with a combined score of 451.14. She will compete in the 3-meter finals on Sunday.

* Stanford grad and three-time Olympian Wolf Wigo was named tournament MVP after leading the New York Athletic Club to the men's national championship. Menlo School grad Grant Zider, who plays for UCLA, was named to the second-team while current Stanford players Thomas Hopkins, Peter Varellas and J.J Garton garnered honorable mention honors.

* At the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, Stanford grad Jackie Edwards finished ninth in the long jump finals with a mark of 6.42. Menlo Park resident Grace Upshaw finished seventh (6.51). Otherwise, it was a disappointing few days for Stanford alums. Lauren Fleshman, Ian Dobson and Ryan Hall failed to qualify in their respective 5,000 meter heats, and Toby Stevenson withdrew from the pole-vaulting competition after his sore hamstring flared up during warm-ups.

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