DAWKINS'S CONTRACT EXTENDED
Men's basketball coach Johnny Dawkins is under contract through the 2015-16 season after receiving a two-year extension. In his first three seasons at Stanford, the former Duke associate head coach compiled a 49-48 record, finishing 15-16 last season with the first team in school history devoid of seniors.
Dawkins and the Cardinal can expect stronger scrutiny this season and in 2012-13 when the team will be shaped by its highly touted underclassmen, including sophomore forward Dwight Powell, sophomore guard/forward Anthony Brown and freshman guard Chasson Randle, who wrapped up his high school career as the Gatorade Illinois boys basketball player of the year. The top returning scorer and rebounder will be senior forward/center Josh Owens.
"Johnny Dawkins understands and embraces Stanford," athletic director Bob Bowlsby says. "Not only has he established a high level of recruiting success, but he has worked tirelessly to build relationships around the country which have paid dividends, and will continue to do so in the future. Johnny and his staff have already demonstrated that quality athletes and quality students can come in the same package."
THAT'S 17 STRAIGHT!
The breadth of Stanford's athletic achievements, including national championships last season in men's gymnastics, women's water polo and women's lightweight eight rowing, led to the school's 17th consecutive Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, for the top intercollegiate program in the nation.
Stanford easily outdistanced second-place Ohio State, as well as contenders including Cal and Florida, on the strength of elite performances across numerous sports. Among them: Teams from women's soccer, women's tennis and women's rowing finished second nationally; the women's basketball team reached the Final Four; the football team won the Orange Bowl and ranked No. 4 in the nation.
The new Capital One Cup, which uses a different points system to separately designate the top men's and women's programs among Division I schools, was awarded to Stanford women over Texas A&M. The Cardinal men finished fifth, behind Florida, Virginia, Auburn and Texas A&M. Cal was sixth.
FORECAST FAVORS DUCKS
The preseason poll from media covering Pac-12 football picked Oregon over Stanford for first place in the expanded conference's North Division, while selecting Southern Cal to top the South Division, even though the school is ineligible to play in the league's championship game because of sanctions for rules violations.
Oregon's Ducks, who last season lost the national title game to Auburn, received 29 of 42 first-place votes. The remaining 13 first-place votes went to Stanford. Washington, Oregon State, Cal and Washington State were predicted to complete the North standings in that order. In the South, USC was followed by Arizona State, Utah, Arizona, UCLA and Colorado.
The inaugural conference championship game is scheduled for December 2.
