•]NacwMsm»]«
Freshman sparks big
change in Stanford
By Steve Mims
Oregon Datty £>v'.*>J
II h.is btH.ome almost routino.
One team picked to finish
near the bottom of the Pacifii -10
Conference before the season
starts, ends up surprising even, •
one and bursts into the the top
half of the conference bv sea
son's end Despite tins
inevitability, the story of this
year s Stanford Cardinal is an
amazing one
Stanford has cruised through
the first four weeks of the con
ference season at -4 C picking
up a couple upsets, some near
upsets and a lot of respect along
the vva> It may not seem like
that impressive of a record, but
this is a Stanford team that won
only two conference games all
last season.
Stanford lost five lettermen
off last year's squad, and with
only three newcomers,
prospects for this year were
questionable. However, the
emergence ol one ol the new .
comers immediately sparked
Stanford in the right direction
Brovin Knight, a freshman
from hast Orange. N.J., has
become the leading candidate
for freshman of the veer in the
conference, regardless of what
(diaries O'Bannon t ontinues to
ilo for UCI.A. Knight v\as insert
ed into tin- lineup as starting
point guard for Stanford's first
game, and he’s been a fixture
ever since.
Knight stepped into the pub
lic eve in Stunlord's fourth
game, an 82-7(1 upset at Santa
Clara In that game, Knight
scored 2d points and dished out
eight assists as Stanford heat ds
first legitimate team of the year
One week later, Knight sc ored
2 1 points, had nine assists and a
Pat -it) record 10 steals in Stan
ford's 01-75 win over Me Neese
State In his fifth collegiate
game. Knight already etc hed his
name into the conferenc e record
hooks
Two days later. Knight had
another monster game, scoring
2 t points, handing out 1 1
assists and making four steals as
Stanford beat Virginia 8*1 72
Despite the quick start Stan
ford head couch Mike Mont
gomery was cautious at the
beginning of the f’ac 10 season,
saying that he wasn't sure any
team could survive the f’ac 10
by reiving on a freshman
"If you have to rely on fresh
men. you're m trouble." Mont
gomery said "The position is so
loaded in the conferenc e it will
be interesting to see how
(Knight) will handle it."
Montgomery didn't have to
worry how his freshman sensa
tion would handle the pressure,
and his confidence in the
youngster paid off immediately
in Knight's Par-10 debut, fie hit
a 15-footer as time ran out to
give the Cardinal a (>7-65 win
over Washington Knight came
back in his next game with 18
points, six assists and five steals
in Stanford's 75-84 upset of
Washington State.
"I didn't come to Stanford
with the feeling that I was going
to back anyone up," Knight
said "I came in with the idea I
was going to work hard and try
to start because I felt as though I
could play at this level, just like
1 plaved at lhr high school
level.'
knight's only inconsistency
ill conference play has lieen
shooting, as his numbers have
dropped to ,t5 pen ent in shoot
ing from llte field and 111 per
cent from the three-point range
Still, knight is averaging 12 i
points per game and ranks stu
ond in the conferom e in steals
f t t) and tilth in assists (5 7)
knight i mild break the school
record tor steals m a season dur
ing his trip to ()regon this week
as he needs seven to top Mike
Brut/, s record
"Brovin's been able to hold
his own." Montgomery said.
Hot wo expei t him to get bet
ter His impact as a freshman
has been tremendous "
Knight has received most of
the attention for Stanford's early
success, hut he has had plenty
of help knight and sophomore
Dion Cross have been overshad
owed as a top backcourt in the
Pan- HI. whii li features the likes
of Damon Stoudamire and
khnlid Reeves of Arizona, and
lyus Kdnev and Shon l arver of
UCi.A
Cross is Stanford's leading
scorer at li t points per game
and has become one of the top
long-distance throats in the i on
feronce Cross has hit M> of ’•!
throe-pointers including at least
one in ill hut one game this
year
Montgomery blamed Minus ul
his team's troubles from a year
ago on injuries, and gave credit
to those players earning bar k
and helping this team get off to a
good start this year
"Wo knew h« were missing
people last year," Montgomery
said "We got them but k and
adtied two players so we
thought we had the talent to be
competitive We’ve got enough
people to make things happen
One of those players who was
gone last year is t> foot 7 for
ward Andy J’oppink, who
played in only three games a
season ago bei ause of a back
injury Poppink has i amis all the
wav back into the starting line
up. where he is averaging 13
points and seven rebounds per
game
"Poppink’s done a nil o job."
Montgomery said He runs tin
floor really well and ( an guard
athletic players at the 4 spot
Montgomery’s top returnee
from a year ago. senior forward
Brent Williams, has improved
his play as well Williams is
leading the Cardinal with lt>
points and 7.3 rebounds per
game in conference play, nmi
has hurt opponents both inside
and outside.
With his team in place. Mont
gomery has led the Cardinal to
a 88-79 win over nationally
ranked rival California as well
as a 76-67 win over l’SC last
weekend Stanford opened up
last weekend by giving then-No
1 UCl.A a big scare before losing
69-65
"We turned it over against
UCLA." Montgomery said "We
didn’t dazzle against the Bruins,
but we got the USC win. which
was needed
Montgomery brings bis Cardi
nal to town this weekend, and
don’t be surprised if Knight
does daz.zle in Eugene
Duck guard suspended
lunior guard Brian Smith has been temporarily suspended
from the Oregon men’s basketball team for disi iplinary rea
sons. head coach Jerry C"<rt»en announced Monday
The Houston. Tevas. native had played in all lt> of the
Ducks' games this season as a two ktip at the point guard posi
tion. averaging one point. 0 ti rebounds and tl.H assists a game
in seeing eight minutes per < ontest
Smith will not work out with the team during the suspen
sion, (ireen said
Smith transferred to Oregon prior to this season from ( isi o
lunior lad lege in ( isco le\as
Staff Box
Steve Mim*
worn toffo®
Jeff Poslay
GWWttC i fDtrCHt
Anthony Forney
photo toiTott
Dave Charbonneou
Scott Simonson
MPO*rm
Jake Berg
EDirne
1
Listen to win U of 0 men's basketball
tickets and a free Domino's Pizza.
Win on weekdays at 12:30 during
Phil's Stupid Trivia Questions.
CAMPUS
1856 E. 13th
343-3030
W. EUGENE
2260 W. 18th
485-5675
MEDIUM PIZZA
Buy any Large Pizza with
two or more toppings and
get a FREE medium one
La topping pizza/
,**»<) 00*4 a* Ou* t
<Jf«> Ini WV»> IX) OD CMfcwry to ffnferf*
f«p*e* VS 1/94
fiptm V)l/t4
J
DOMINO'S" VALUE PIZZA
_CARRY-OUT ONLY
30 9*
Arty one lopfnng WO vqo^e «chM of Pt/**1
PLUS FREE
*«j< «*~J «•*»* A"Y OWMM «**«* (N’T <***» *CM*OY> <* c»Hr»
f <{>oet VS 1/94
r
"TASTY DUO"
Buy any Large Pizza and get a
Fresh Carden Salad & 2-liter
bottle of Coke*
for NOTHIN'