Losing May Be a Thing Of The Past For The Standford Cardinals

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The Stanford Cardinals have been nothing but under-achieving these past few years. Last season they posted a (14-18) record and weren’t even invited to the NIT tournament.

To make it so bad, the Pac-10 hoisted the weakest conference RPI rating.

This certainly shows how much help the Cardinals need going into next season.

However, thanks to Head Coach Johnny Dawkins the Cardinal fans cannot wait to see what next season has in store for them.

The biggest departure this off-season was Landry Fields. He was a 6-foot-7 guard-forward that could do it all. He led Stanford in points and rebounds per game.

But, nobody outside him made a huge impact on the game that was a senior.

This makes a great case that Stanford will be at the top of the Pac-10 this season.

Johnny Dawkins brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Five seniors graduated and six freshmen came in.

Two of those freshmen are considered the top athletes in the 2010 recruiting class. The others are considered to be high-priority players that can make an impact on the game as well.

Dwight Powell is hands-down the best recruit in this class. He is a 6-foot-10 power forward, with the ability to be versatile in the post.

He has the ability to operate outside the paint and work his way in. He has decent ball-handling skills, so when he faces up he is looking to take you off the dribble.

Amazingly, he has the ability to pick-and-pop.

Inside the post, he is very strong, using his big body to seal defenders off and make plays. He goes to the arching hook over his right shoulder a lot. It's effective and because of his long arms, it's almost unblock-able.

Powell was considered one of the best recruits in the nation before this year. But since his team under-achieved, he was pushed up the recruiting rankings.

Playing with those guys that likes to set their teammates up, will work to his advantage

Anthony Brown is a 6-foot-6 small forward. During his senior season in high school, Brown led his team to a (29-5) record before losing in the regional semi-finals of the CIF Division III Tournament.

He averaged 17.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and three assist per game.

He has gotten stronger and is ready for the next college basketball season. Brown will be a great addition to the wing.

John Gage and Josh Huestis will be great complements in the post. Stefan Nastic a 6-foot-11 powerhouse will be a force to be reckoned with.

He has a huge frame and that will be a plus in the post for Stanford.

Aaron Bright was the only guard in this recruiting class. He stands at 5-foot-11 but has the ability to be a decent floor general.

He makes up for his lack of size with heart, passing and his skill set. Bright is a bulky guy, with blazing speed that will work to his advantage.

The Stanford Cardinals have improved a lot. They now have the depth in the frontcourt, as well as guard firepower.

All the prospects will complement one another well and I expect Stanford to be one of the better teams in the Pac-10 this season.

Losing was a thing of the past for Stanford. Now it's time for the turnaround Cardinal fans have waited for.