Just more than a week before the Stanford men tip off the exhibition season, Cardinal fans and community members received a sneak peak at Saturday’s open practice and intrasquad scrimmage at Maples Pavilion.

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Sophomore Mitch Johnson did well in Saturday’s exhibition intrasquad scrimmage. The point guard had 12 points and has the big shoes of the graduated Chris Hernandez to fill. #gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/6454
Stanford Daily File Photo

Sophomore Mitch Johnson did well in Saturday’s exhibition intrasquad scrimmage. The point guard had 12 points and has the big shoes of the graduated Chris Hernandez to fill.

The scrimmage, which was followed by a fan interaction and autograph session, was primarily aimed toward a younger crowd. But for all in attendance, it was the first opportunity to see a handful of fresh and familiar faces back in action.

There was 2005 graduate Nick Robinson, hero of the Feb. 2004 victory over Arizona, now patrolling the sidelines as an assistant coach. Former assistant coach Doug Oliver was also back for the Cardinal after eight years as head coach at Idaho State. But for many, the primary draw was the chance to finally see the gems of the Cardinal’s 2006 freshman class: 7-foot All-Americans Brook and Robin Lopez.

While Brook Lopez is still recovering from a Sept. 22 back surgery to repair a bulging disc — an injury that will sideline him through the season’s opening games — his brother Robin started at center for the white squad and immediately received the ball in the post on the game’s opening play. Although he missed his first opportunity — drawing the obligatory sighs from an anxious crowd — he treated fans to a variety of passes, post-up moves, put-backs and hook shots en route to scoring eight points.

Freshman forward Landry Fields, playing on the white squad, and senior guard Carlton Weatherby, for the red, were the leading scorers with 14 points in the two 20-minute periods. Weatherby, making his case for the Cardinal’s wide-open backup point guard slot, displayed a knack for driving to the hoop and drawing fouls. Fields, meanwhile, showcased a deep range with his jumper.

Senior forward Fred Washington, who missed nearly all of the 2005-2006 season with a knee injury, was one of the more polished players on the court Saturday. Washington scored 10 points as a power forward for the white squad on a series of slashing baseline drives and transition finishes.

After the game, Washington said he was not entirely pleased playing out of position in the four spot, but expected the move to be temporary. Washington will likely play most of his minutes at small forward, with junior forward Taj Finger returning to the starting lineup at the four. Finger, who sat out Saturday’s scrimmage after experiencing back spasms on Friday, is not expected to miss more than the next two practices.

Throughout the scrimmage, the Cardinal demonstrated rustiness easily attributed to the team still being two weeks away from regular season tip-off. While official stats were not available after the practice, The Daily’s informal scorekeeping revealed a penchant for missed shots and errant passes, especially entry feeds into the post.

Stanford begins its first season in five years without guard Chris Hernandez but sophomore point guard Mitch Johnson performed reasonably well for the preseason, hitting three-pointers and getting to the free throw line with relative ease. He finished with 12 points.

Sophomore forward Lawrence Hill (11 points) rounded out the four players in double figures. Starting at the power forward position for the red team, he hit an array of put-backs and outside shots but missed a potential scrimmage-tying three pointer at the end of the second period.

Freshmen Da’Veed Dildy and Will Paul and senior walk-on Chris Bobel also made their Stanford debuts at Maples. Dildy, a 6-foor-5 guard who gives the Cardinal an option to go big at the point, scored five points but struggled with turnovers, at one point committing back-to-back carrying violations. Paul, a 6-foot-9 forward, scored seven points and largely held his ground against the height advantage held by Robin Lopez. Bobel scored his two points on a drive-and-dish by Fields late in the first period.

Sophomore transfer Drew Schiller sat out the scrimmage with plantar fasciitis and junior center Peter Prowitt is out with a knee injury. The pair, as well as Brook Lopez, took turns shooting free throws on the sideline throughout the practice.