Sept. 6, 2011
Spain Previews: Players | Dawkins | San Francisco Chronicle | San Jose Mercury News
My Foreign Trip Experience: Goods | Borchardt
Entry No. 1: Cardinal Arrives In Spain
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MADRID- Stanford's second day in Madrid featured a guided tour of a city landmark and an evening scrimmage, kicking off the first of six contests to be played against against world-class competition in cities such as Alicante, Barcelona and Madrid.
The Cardinal set out on Monday morning to visit the Royal Palace, touring a portion of the impressive 2,800 rooms that make up the estate, which serves as the official residence of the King of Spain. Used only for state ceremonies, the palace is owned by the Spanish State and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional, a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency. The palace is partially open to public, except when it is being used for official business.
Dwight Powell was one the many players who came away impressed.
"The Royal Palace was really beautiful. It was bigger than I expected, with over 2,000 rooms I think. We learned a lot about the culture, especially how the Royal Family lives. The architecture was beautiful also. We just learned a lot of real interesting stuff, like how the first floor in all of Spanish buildings is zero, and the next floor above that is one, which is where the living quarters begin. The animals would be on the first floor below. The workers and cooks would live on the penthouse or the top floor. So it was intersting to see how that switched around. They showed us the main dining room, the reception rooms, and the thrones of the king and queen. The royalty now doesn´t get to sit here, because apparently it´s politically incorrect."
Following the visit, the team returned to its downtown hotel and got some much-needed rest before attending pregame meal.
Included among Tuesday's schedule of events is a morning visit to the renowned Museo del Prado followed by a 6 p.m. game against Real Madrid, which has won a record 30 Spanish League championships and eight Euroleague Championships.
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Facing the first of six powerhouse ACB league squads during its 11-day foreign tour, Stanford dropped a 71-47 decision to Asefa Estudiantes on Tuesday night during a scrimmage played in Coslada.
Ten players saw at least 17 minutes of action, as Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men's Basketball Johnny Dawkins employed a five-for-five substitution method throughout the game in order to maximize court experience.
Of the four 10-minute periods, Stanford's best effort of the night came during the first stanza, which concluded with the Cardinal ahead 19-13. Josh Huestis scored six of his team-high 11 points during the game's first four minutes, knocking down a three-pointer, making the second of two free throws and tipping in a putback one minute later. Huestis also led the Cardinal with nine boards (five offensive, four defensive), pacing a 44-rebound effort.
Aaron Bright chipped in with nine points while Dwight Powell added eight points and eight rebounds.
"Tonight's game was a great opportunity for our kids to play against an experienced group of veterans in a scrimmage setting where everyone got to play," said Dawkins. "The first and fourth periods were good, I think our guys started to play better in the rotations they were in and began doing some good things. We have bigger wings, and when Dwight and Josh are active like that and crashing the boards, it really helps out team. I thought they did a good job of playing to their strengths."
Leading 8-7 with 4:51 remaining in the first period following a short jumper from Josh Owens, Stanford surged ahead with an 11-2 run that was capped by a three-pointer from John Gage.
Led by five-year NBA veteran Antoine Wright, Asefa Estudiantes connected on nine three-pointers, eight of which came during the game's second and third periods, to pull away for the win.
Stanford nearly won the fourth period as well, but instead was outscored 14-12 despite seven different players scoring in the 10-minute session.
The first two periods featured a starting lineup of Jarrett Mann, Chasson Randle, Huestis, Zimmermann and Owens.
Starters for the final two periods were Bright, Mann, Powell, Owens and Trotter.
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Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell will be serving as correspondents during the trip for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, and will be providing periodic updates throughout Stanford's journey in Spain. Armed with a flip cam and displaying their humor and creativity, the sophomores will be shooting a series of exclusive videos that can be seen HERE, halfway down the page under the "videos" section.