Stanford looks to shut down perimeter

Pace, however, is not a concern for the Cardinal. The team believes shutting down the Wildcats' perimeter players is the key to remain on top of the Pacific 10 Conference.

"If they dominate the perimeter, we are in trouble," Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery said about tonight's matchup of undefeated conference foes.

Montgomery knows stopping the play of UA's outside men will be a challenge, and that he can not focus on just one player.

"That is impossible," Montgomery said. "Bibby, Dickerson, Simon, and Terry. All their perimeter players are dangerous."

Arizona leads the conference in scoring, with 98.4 points a game.

"They have it set up that way so that they do not depend on just one guy," Montgomery said. "That is what makes Arizona so tough.

"I am not worried about the pace. We will get up and down the court."

Arizona head coach Lute Olson seems to disagree.

"I don't think there is any question that they prefer a halfcourt game to fullcourt," Olson said.

Montgomery said he does not want tonight's game to turn into a high-scoring affair, and that shooting a decent percentage, limiting turnovers, and clearing the boards will be key factors in keeping his team's record perfect.

"It is a tremendous challenge for us," Montgomery said. "I have seen them on television and they look very good."

Despite its opponent, the Cardinal plans to stick with the same plan that has gotten them this far.

"The things that we have done best is play well as a team," Montgomery said. "It is a pretty unselfish team. The satisfaction is gained in the locker room."

In fact, the Cardinal have displayed a balanced scoring attack. Junior guard Kris Weems is averaging 13.7 points a game. Three other starters are averaging close to that amount.

Stanford has shown they also have depth, with senior forward Pete Van Elswyk filling in nicely for the injured Mark Madsen.

Before being sidelined with a stress fracture, Madsen averaged 12 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. Since replacing Madsen, Van Elwsky is averaging 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds a game.