Q: What is the short scouting report on Stanford – the Cardinal appear to score effectively and struggle on defense?
A: Yes, defensively, they are lousy, allowing Pac-10 opponents to shoot better than 50 percent. They try to play the Duke overplay defense, but they are not quick enough to pull it off. Plus, they are just not very tough, seldom winning any physical battles. Offensively, they are streaky. They shoot quite a few threes, and when they are making them and forcing turnovers, they can score. They have no low-post game to speak of. Center Josh Owens is athletic and can be effective against mediocre competition, but against good teams, he’s nothing. Landry Fields is Stanford’s best all-around player.
Q: How is new coach Johnny Dawkins received at Stanford?
A: There has not been much response one way or the other yet on Dawkins. The fact that Trent Johnson did so well at LSU is not helping, but Stanford is not the kind of place that rips a coach after every loss. If they have a similar season next year (and they should be worse), then there will be some muttering.
Q: Is guard Anthony Goods the player WSU’s defense should most worry about?
A: Goods can get hot on three-pointers, and he has scored pretty well late in the season, but the best player, as I noted, is Fields. It may be true, though, that Stanford needs to get scoring from Goods to be successful. He tries to penetrate at times, but he is not real good at creating his own shot. If he is denied three-point shooting room, he can be contained.
Q: Stanford is usually in the NCAA Tournament. Are the players and coaches enthusiastic at all about the CBI?
A: They say they are enthusiastic, and they played pretty well vs. Boise State, but it was a big letdown not to be in the NCAAs. They were bummed after a loss to Washington in the Pac-10 touney eliminated that possibility. I think they played well vs. Boise State because they were so loose, with no apparent pressure. Having no one in the stands made it seem like a pick-up game, too. Dawkins has never been a part of a postseason tournament other than NCAA. He missed the NCAA and all postseason tournaments as a Duke freshman, but made it every other year as player and assistant.