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Stanford opens season without Lopez

Nov 9, 2007 - 3:53 PM Harvard (0-0)at No. 21 Stanford (0-0) 10:00 pm EST

PALO ALTO, California (Ticker) -- Stanford took a big hit before the season began.

The Cardinal will try to fight through their season-opener without one of their top players, Brook Lopez, when they host Harvard on Friday in the Basketball Travelers Classic, a three-day tournament featuring two games each day in a round-robin format.

Lopez has been ruled academically ineligible for the fall quarter. He will be able to practice with the team during that time and can become eligible for the entire Pac-10 campaign and any postseason competition if he meets NCAA requirements.

A 7-0 sophomore, Lopez averaged 25.2 minutes, 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game last season. He played in 26 contests, making 18 starts, and was named to the 2006-07 Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and is considered a top NBA prospect.

Including Lopez, Stanford returns all five starters from a team that finished 18-13 last season and made the NCAA Tournament. Junior forward Lawrence Hill led the team in scoring last season at 15.7 points per game.

Harvard is led by juniors Drew Housman and Andrew Pusar and sophomore Jeremy Lin. Housman scored 13.3 points per game last season, leading the team in assists and steals and garnering All-Ivy League honorable mention accolades.

The Crimson are coming off a 12-16 campaign that included a 5-9 mark in conference play, good for sixth place overall. In the offseason, they hired coach Tommy Amaker, who previously served as coach at both Michigan and Seton Hall.

Stanford has won all eight previous meetings in a series that dates back to the 1978-79 season. The two schools last hooked up on December 28, 2003, with the Cardinal winning 100-59 on its home court.