Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoAnaheim, Calif. ? Somebody asked Stanford guard Chris Hernandez who should be No. 1 now.
“Whoever is No. 2,” Cardinal coach Mike Montgomery responded.
“Yeah, whoever is No. 2,” Hernandez echoed.
Stanford, ranked No. 21 in the polls, might have a spotless 4-0 record, but neither the Cardinal coaches nor players were lobbying for a No. 1 ranking in the wake of a stunning 64-58 win over Kansas University in Saturday’s Wooden Classic at the Arrowhead Pond.
In fact, Montgomery doesn’t really think there is a No. 1 team in the country right now.
“I haven’t seen anybody overwhelming,” Montgomery said. “Georgia Tech is one team I’ve seen that’s done some things. But it all sorts itself out for a month and a half or so. Then you get the feel for the best teams.”
Even though the Cardinal toppled Kansas from its early perch atop the rankings, it didn’t do much to impress the poll voters. Stanford shot a chilly 32.7 percent, committed 17 turnovers and settled for a 36-all wash on the boards.
What Stanford did was make its free throws — 25 of 31.
“That’s pretty good,” Hernandez said. “But we can do better.”
They can, but Hernandez can’t. The 6-foot-2 sophomore from Fresno, Calif., made all 11 of his charities, including three just before halftime when he was fouled by KU’s Jeff Hawkins while attempting a last-ditch three-pointer.
In the Cardinal’s three previous wins, Hernandez had made 10 of 11 from the foul line, so Saturday’s accuracy wasn’t unusual, even if the quantity was.
Hernandez hurt the Jayhawks at the foul stripe, but backcourt-mate Matt Lottich did plenty of damage, too, by nailing five of 10 three-point attempts and finishing with a game-high 18 points.
“Anytime I got open, I was going to shoot it,” said Lottich, who made a couple of threes, too, while closely guarded.
Although unbeaten, the Cardinal didn’t figure to have the steeds to knock off Kansas, particularly with standout forward Josh Childress out with a stress fracture.
“We weren’t in shock or panic that our No. 1 player won’t be with us,” Hernandez said. “It’s made us more team-oriented.”
Stanford’s team defense — mostly a zone — frustrated KU all afternoon.
“Our coaches did a good job,” Lottich said. “We really had a grasp of their offense and their players. We knew what they liked to do and what they didn’t like to do.”
In the end, the Cardinal survived its own inadequacies by magnifying the Jayhawks’ weaknesses.
“We did what we had to do to win,” Montgomery said. “We played hard. We had great mileage out of our zone, and we didn’t lose our poise at the end. That’s what you have to do.”
Cardinal ends KU’s No. 1 run
See the photos: KU-Stanford photo gallery
Hear Bill: KU-Stanford postgame comments