A young Stanford men’s basketball squad exceeded its relatively low expectations for the 2006-07 season and looks poised for a breakout campaign next year.

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Joel Lewenstein

Freshman Robin Lopez and his brother Brook brought the Card back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus. With only two seniors departing, prospects are good for a young Cardinal squad.

This team’s adventure began a year ago. Last June’s graduation of 2005-06 starters Dan Grunfeld, Matt Haryasz and Chris Hernandez put Stanford in a deep hole heading into this season. The off-season loss of two assistant coaches only deepened that pit. Five incoming freshmen and three sophomores had to form the nucleus of a team that would start just one upperclassman: redshirt junior Fred Washington.

Given the team’s youth, the media picked the Cardinal to finish seventh in the conference, and most did not expect an NCAA berth for the first time in years. Yet, by the skin of its teeth, Stanford did just that.

The squad finished with a respectable 18-13 overall record and 10-7 Pacific-10 Conference mark, returning to the NCAA Tournament after last year’s hiatus to break an 11-year streak.

Perhaps the season’s most salient moments came in January. First, sophomore Lawrence Hill’s 14-foot jumper beat the buzzer and shocked eventual ACC regular-season co-champion Virginia, 76-75, in Charlottesville, Va. The following weekend, Stanford came back from being down by five late in the game to top Washington, 78-77 at Maples. A last-second three by sophomore Anthony Goods saved the day (and a blown nine-point lead) against Washington State, 71-68 in overtime.

After a split with the Oregon schools, Stanford upped the ante when Southern California and UCLA visited town. After a back injury sidelined him from July through November, freshman Brook Lopez trumpeted his potential against the Trojans. Against them, Lopez recorded the first triple-double in school records and an all-time Stanford-best 12 blocks against Southern California’s touted freshman Taj Gibson in a 65-50 Stanford rout.

Three days later, the Cardinal announced its arrival to a national television audience when it rallied from 17 down to shock then-No. 2 (and eventual Final Four-competitor) UCLA, 75-68.

Even when the team wasn’t winning at Maples, Stanford certainly was giving fans their money’s worth. The Cardinal twice defied the odds to force overtimes with incredible shots (see Goods’ 24-foot contested three, forcing double overtime in a 90-86 loss to Gonzaga) and equally unbelievable rallies (see overcoming a 20-point deficit in an 85-80 overtime loss to Arizona).

But the season had its ugly moments, too. The team started with a whimper, going down in double-digit fashion early at home to undermanned mid-majors Air Force (79-45) and Santa Clara (62-46).

Then, a high ankle sprain forced Goods to the sideline for the last month of the regular season, and his team struggled on the road in his absence. Playing some of the worst basketball any team in a Cardinal uniform has played in recent memory, the young squad was swept by the Washington schools in early February. The team played better in its annual Los Angeles trip two weeks later, but still came up empty-handed.

Ultimately, the kicker to a 4-8 finish came in tournament play. First up were the Pac-10 quarterfinals at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, where Goods missed two potential game-icing free throws, as USC came from behind for an 83-79 overtime win.

A week later, in the NCAA Tournament at Kentucky, Stanford was caught with its pants around its ankles. Louisville jumped to a 41-13 lead in what Johnson deemed Stanford’s worst half of the year, walking to a 78-58 victory in one of the most lopsided games of the entire tournament.

Still, the NCAA experience can only help this young squad, and looking ahead to next year’s roster gives even more reason for optimism. All five starters and virtually every critical player returns from this year’s team, with the only losses being reserve Carlton Weatherby and walk-on Chris Bobel.

Meanwhile, 6-foot-8, 210-pound, three-star power forward Josh Owens arrives on the Farm from Phillips Exeter in New Hampshire while sharp-shooting San Francisco transfer Drew Shiller becomes eligible for play. Most importantly, Brook and Robin Lopez have shown the physical ability to dominate Pac-10 play. A little polish over the summer could drastically improve their games and Stanford’s overall fate.

With so much talent on the Cardinal squad, it’s hard to imagine Stanford not notching 10 wins in the conference, making a prolonged appearance in the top 25 and picking up its first NCAA win of the Trent Johnson era. Look for next year’s team to do just that, and if it catches a few breaks, make a serious push deep into postseason play.