Stanford Enough To Make Any Coach Sick

The following is the top-10 list of reasons Washington State women’s basketball coach Harold Rhodes shouldn’t have contracted the flu before tonight’s 7 o’clock game against the No. 5-ranked Stanford Cardinal:

No. 10: Stanford allows opponents to make just 39 percent of their shots.

No. 9: Stanford outrebounds its opponents by 10 per game.

No. 8: Stanford averages 20.7 assists.

No. 7: Stanford averages 42 rebounds.

No. 6: The Cardinal shoots 35 percent from the 3-point line.

No. 5: For every Stanford turnover, opponents commit seven.

No. 4: The Cardinal outscores its opposition by 27 points per game.

No. 3: Stanford makes half the shots it takes.

No. 2: Stanford scores 87 points per game.

And the No. 1 reason Rhodes shouldn’t have become sick this week: Stanford gives up just 60 points per contest.

Stanford (15-1 Pac-10, 24-2) leads the conference in each of those 10 categories. The Cardinal rank second in free-throw percentage (70.6) and steals (11.3).

Rhodes’ battle with the flu may not be as tough as the one his team will face. To him, it’s the Cardinal defense that makes it so tough.

“Because they score so many points, people overlook what they do on the defensive end,” he said. “They’re big, smart and they wear teams down physically.”

The Cardinal will attempt to wear down WSU (8-8, 15-10) before what is expected to be the largest crowd of the season at Bohler Gym.

It may not be as easy for Stanford as it was in its 94-59 home win earlier this season against the Cougars.

Next to Stanford, Washington State is the hottest team in the conference. The Cougars have a four-game winning streak, are unbeaten at home against Top 25 teams and 6-1 against the Pac-10 at home.

“We’re not looking at the names on the jerseys right now,” Rhodes said. “The phrase gets used over and over by commentators and coaches, and I hate to repeat it, but we’ve really stepped up our play.”

However, stepping it up usually isn’t enough against head coach Tara VanDerveer’s Stanford squad. Jumping it up is what is often needed. Stanford has just four players on its roster under 6 feet.

“And with them, their 6-3s, 6-2s and 6-1s are just as athletic and fast as everybody else’s 5-9s and 5-8s. This isn’t a big lumbering team that you can run off the floor with a fast-paced game.”

Stanford is led by Kate Starbird, a sophomore from Lakes High, near Tacoma. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. The Cardinal’s visit to Pullman will also mark the return of freshmen Heather Owen and Regan Freuen to the area.

Owen played at Moscow High, Freuen at Mead. Owen is averaging seven points off the bench, while Freuen averages three.

After Stanford, the Cougars wrap up the regular season Saturday at Bohler Gym at 2 p.m. against California (5-11, 10-15).

On the bubble for an NCAA bid, WSU needs good showings against Stanford and Cal.

“We know what we have to do. We’ve prepared ourselves well to be in this position,” Rhodes said.

Bids for the 64-team NCAA Tournament go out Sunday morning, televised by ESPN.