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Mike Montgomery and Stanford are becoming a fixture in the NCAA tournament. They just can't get over the hump.
Looking to win their first national title under the 17th-year coach, the 18th-ranked Cardinal battle San Diego in the first round of the South Regional on Thursday.
Stanford is making its ninth straight tourney appearance. The Cardinal won their lone championship in 1942, when they made their first trip under coach Everett Dean.
Since then, their best finish has been the Final Four in 1998.
Despite its championship drought, Stanford remains tough in the first round. It has won eight straight opening-round games dating to an 80-75 loss to Alabama in 1992, and is 9-2 all-time in them.
As a No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region last season, Stanford defeated then-ninth seeded Western Kentucky 84-68, but was ousted by top-seeded Kansas 86-63 in the next round.
The Cardinal, who earned top seeds in 2000 and 2001, are pleased with their seeding after losing in the first round of the Pac-10 tournament, 79-74 to Southern California last Thursday. It was Stanford's second loss in its last nine games.
``We are pleased with the No. 4 seed and being in the Western pod,'' said Montgomery, who shared Pac-10 coach of the honors with Arizona's Lute Olson this season. ``I think we earned what we got.''
The early exit in their conference tournament did give the Cardinal time to work on their weakness. They committed 18 turnovers against the Trojans, and leading scorer Julius Barnes, had six of them to go with 18 points.
``Now we have to get a tournament-mind set,'' Montgomery said. ``We are fresh mentally, and we have no injuries to speak of.''
Barnes is the only current member of the Cardinal team who has played in the last three NCAA tournaments, but he is averaging just 5.1 points in seven games.
The Toreros are making their third overall appearance and first since 1987. They are looking for their first win in the NCAA, having lost 65-56 to Princeton in 1984 and lost 62-61 to Auburn in making another early departure in 1987.
San Diego earned the West Coast Conference's automatic bid after ending Gonzaga's reign as tournament champions with a 72-63 victory on March 10. The Bulldogs had won the WCC the last four years.
Jason Keep, who was named tournament MVP, scored 18 points. He is San Diego's top scorer and rebounder at 18.2 points and 9.1 boards per game.
The winner of this game plays either No. 5 Connecticut or 12th-seeded Brigham Young on Saturday in Spokane, Wash.
The winner of this game plays either No. 5 Connecticut or 12th-seeded Brigham Young on Saturday in Spokane, Wash.
PROBABLE STARTERS: San Diego - F Jason Blair, F Nick Lewis, C Keep, G Roy Morris, G Matt Delzell. Stanford - F Josh Childress, F Justin Davis, C Rob Little, G Matt Lottich, G Barnes.
TEAM LEADERS: San Diego - Keep, 18.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg; Delzell, 3.5 apg. Stanford - Barnes 15.7 ppg, 3.8 apg; Childress 8.2 rpg.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: San Diego - Automatic bid, West Coast conference champion. Stanford - At-large berth, Pac-10 conference.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: San Diego - 0-2, 2 years. Stanford - 17-10, 11 years.
Updated on Tuesday, Mar 18, 2003 7:53 pm, EST
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