2008 NCAA Tournament Preview: Stanford Cardinal

There has been little east-coast bias in men's college basketball this season. Experts have been raving about the talent found in the Pac-10 all season long. One of the main reasons for all of the buzz is the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford is a legitimate threat to win it all this year. I myself have some doubts about this team. After this preview of Stanford, you'll be able to tell me if the Cardinal can prove me wrong.

Finishing second isn't always so bad. Just ask Stanford. They did so in the regular season and again in the conference tournament. That isn't going to stop the Cardinal from pursuing the goal of winning a national championship. They have the talent to get the job done, too.

Stanford was defeated by UCLA in the Pac-10 conference tournament championship game 67-64. It marked the second time this year that Stanford took second place to the Bruins. UCLA won the regular season conference title, ending the season three games ahead of the Cardinal. Stanford went 13-5 in Pac-10 play and 26-7 overall. Quite impressive, considering that Oregon State (6-25, 0-18) was the only team in the conference to finish below .500 overall.

Stanford wasn't jaw-dropping during games outside of the conference this season. They were upset by Siena earlier in the season, a loss that is now not as significant since Siena is playing in the NCAA Tournament. Still, the Cardinal made their mark by their performance in the Pac-10 this season. They swept Arizona and Washington State each, going 3-0 against both teams. They also earned a victory over USC. However, they went 0-3 against top-dogs UCLA.

The Lopez brothers lead the Cardinal into the NCAA Tournament. Brook Lopez is one of those special players that can completely take over a game. The leading scorer for Stanford, Brook Lopez averaged 19.2 points and 8.5 rebounds a game. Not to be outdone is Robin Lopez, who scored ten points and grabbed 5.6 rebounds a contest. Guard Anthony Goods also averaged slightly more than ten points (10.4) a game for Stanford.