<!J. Robert Singer>Oct. 28, 1997
Stanford Firing it up in 1997-98
Season Outlook
Stanford teams keep moving in the right direction and this year's team looks to be no exception. The 1997-98 team is a deep and experienced group that is focused on the goal of the Final Four with a lot of fire power up front.
"This year we have a very strong team that is motivated, determined and has high expectations," said Head Coach Tara VanDerveer. "Last year's team was a special group and through the examples set last season, the younger players are inspired and the experienced players continue to play with a passion for the game."
Leading this group are four seniors, all playing with the benefit of three Final Four trips during their careers. Only one other class at Stanford has accomplished this same feat: the 1989-90 freshman class made three trips to the Final Four, including both of Stanford's NCAA Championship runs.
All totaled, the Cardinal returns 11 letterwinners, while losing Naismith Player of the Year Kate Starbird, West Regional MVP Jamila Wideman, starter Charmin Smith and outside shooter Tara Harrington to graduation. With the addition of four top freshmen, not only is the Cardinal again a deep team, but the average height of the squad is 6-1, up an inch from last season.
"I'm very pleased with the look of this team. We've got excellent size, but when you add to it the skills and focus these players have, you have a great team," said VanDerveer.
There were many stories surrounding the Cardinal's 34-2 season last year. Despite injuries that plagued the team, Stanford captured its eighth Pac-10 title in nine years and went 18-0 in conference play for the second consecutive season. Last year also marked the fourth time a Stanford team has had a 30-win season, all coming under VanDerveer.
In 1997-98, Stanford faces one of its toughest schedules ever, going against 10 teams that participated in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, including four other Pac-10 programs. At home, the Cardinal continues one of the best rivalries in the country, hosting defending national champion Tennessee at the San Jose Arena, the host facility for the 1999 Women's Final Four. Last year, the Cardinal topped the Lady Vols for the first time in Knoxville, 82-65. Also in the non-conference schedule are national powerhouses UConn and Colorado. In the Pac-10, several schools will compete with Stanford in the race for the conference title. Arizona and UCLA return their complete starting line-ups, while Oregon, USC and Washington will be looking for berths in the NCAA Tournament.
"Not only do we face top teams in the non-conference season, but the Pac-10 is a very competitive conference," VanDerveer said. "On paper, several teams really stand out, but I wouldn't discount anyone in the race for the conference title and a spot in the postseason."
Here's a closer look at the 1997-98 Cardinal:
Back Court
More than any other spot on the floor, the guards are an uncertain position for the Cardinal, certainly not for lack of talent, but for their relative inexperience. They're a young group led by sophomore point guard Milena Flores and sophomore Christina Batastini, who can play both the one and two guard positions. Both gained valuable experience last year backing up Wideman and Starbird, respectively. The duo saw some starting time and proved to be skilled back court players. Flores was the only freshman to play in all 36 games, while Batastini had the highest point per game average among the freshmen at 3.0.
"Milena and Christina are very capable of continuing the up-tempo, running style of game we like to play," said VanDerveer. "Certainly, this is an area we have to look at closely, but I have a lot of confidence in these players."
Also in the mix are sophomores Melody Peterson, both a point and shooting guard and point guard Yvonne Gbalazeh. Both saw time last season and are being looked at to continue their physical, aggressive styles. Also at the two guard are freshmen Naila Moseley and Sarah Dimson, both are highly touted recruits who will contribute in scoring, defense and rebounding. Returners Vanessa Nygaard and Regan Freuen will also add to the mix at guard.
Front Court
The deepest spot for the Cardinal, four seniors return to the forward position. Led by Nygaard, Olympia Scott, Naomi Mulitauaopele and Heather Owen, Stanford should be powerful inside. Scott and Nygaard are returning starters that combined for a 14 point per game average last year and individually are the top two returning point getters.
Nygaard, one of the team's best 3-point shooters, plays with an extreme passion for the game. She leads the returners in 3-point percentage at .367 (58-158), despite missing five games with a knee injury in 1996-97. Nygaard finished sixth in the Pac-10 last year in 3-point field goal percentage and 10th in rebounding with a 6.9 rpg average. One of Nygaard's best performances last season was against Michigan, where she made six-of-10 three-pointers and was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for her efforts.
Scott, a preseason All-American and Naismith candidate, returns to the Farm after traveling abroad this summer with the gold-medal winning World University Games team. In the six games played in Italy, Scott averaged 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Additionally, Scott was one of just four collegians invited to the U.S. Senior National Team tryouts in Colorado Springs last August.
"The international experience Olympia gained at the World University Games is invaluable to both her and the team," said VanDerveer. "It says a lot about her to be invited to the National Team tryouts, to be among the select in the country is tremendous."
Owen continued to improve throughout last season, showing her skills when she stepped into the starting lineups against Washington and Washington State before breaking a finger and missing seven games late in the season. Owen earned Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention honors last year.
Mulitauaopele, one of the four seniors, started 20 games last season, despite injuring her knee half-way through the season. She finished the year with 10.2 points per game, fourth highest among the returners, while scoring in double figures in 12 games.
"Our seniors are the key to this team. They all posses a great deal of leadership and are obviously very talented," VanDerveer said.
The key for the front court is to remain healthy. Last season, Nygaard, Owen, Mulitauaopele and Freuen were kept out of the line up for part or all of the season with injuries, which prompted the return of Kristin Folkl late in the year. Folkl played 10 games last season, averaging 10.7 ppg and a team-leading 8.2 rpg.
"Kristin is a gifted athlete and we are excited that she has decided to play basketball again this year," VanDerveer said. "Kristin adds to the depth and the versatility of our forward position."
Also adding to this position is junior Chandra Benton, who played in 32 of the Cardinal's 36 games last season, contributing 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest. Two freshmen, Carolyn Moos and Karesa Granderson, join the deep group at forward. Both are highly touted newcomers after successful high school careers. Moos was one of six finalists for the 1997 Boost/Naismith National High School Player of the Year and was a high school All-American along with Granderson. The coaching staff will rely on these two to help in rebounding and to push the returners in practice and games.
"This is an important position for us. With injuries last year, it was difficult to develop a continuity down deep," VanDerveer said. "We have a lot of experience in the post and it will be a very competitive position."