The last time Stanford played UMass, neither team ultimately won.
Although the Minutemen beat the Cardinal 79-74 in the 1996 NCAA Tournament's second round, the win - and the two subsequent victories that propelled UMass into the Final Four - were officially vacated by the NCAA. UMass paid the penalty because All-America center Marcus Camby had accepted about $28,000 from two sports agents.
The two teams meet again in the semifinals of the NIT today at Madison Square Garden in New York. In the later semifinal, Washington plays Minnesota. The final is Thursday.
Stanford has used the NIT to put a healthy glow on what was a disappointing season in the Pac-12. The Cardinal finished seventh with a 10-8 record, but after being ousted from the conference tournament by Cal, they have picked up three NIT wins. Wednesday's 84-56 pounding of Nevada was one of their best performances of the season.
"It was our most complete performance," head coach Johnny Dawkins said before the team left Sunday for New York. "Some games, we've defended better or scored better. In this game, everybody played well at both ends."
Although the NIT is considered by most fans as a sideshow to the NCAA Tournament, its value shouldn't be underestimated for programs, such as Stanford's, that have big plans for next season.
As Dawkins noted, "It's great for the young men who will be returning, to have success against a great field. The extra practices have been great. More games give our players more experience, and that can only help for next season."
Unlike Stanford, which has played all of its NIT games at home, UMass won all three of its games on the road, only the fourth team to do that since host sites were introduced in 1977.
"They're a reflection of their coach, Derek Kellogg," Dawkins said. "They never quit."
The Minutemen, who finished tied for fifth in the Atlantic 10, had to come back from a 17-point deficit to beat Drexel 72-70 in their most recent game. Chaz Williams, a 5-foot-9 sophomore point guard, is their leading scorer (16.9) and directs an up-tempo offense.
Stanford is trying to duplicate the path of its 1990-91 team, which Adam Keefe led to the NIT title. It beat Oklahoma in the final before a crowd of 9,000.
Although the Minutemen beat the Cardinal 79-74 in the 1996 NCAA Tournament's second round, the win - and the two subsequent victories that propelled UMass into the Final Four - were officially vacated by the NCAA. UMass paid the penalty because All-America center Marcus Camby had accepted about $28,000 from two sports agents.
The two teams meet again in the semifinals of the NIT today at Madison Square Garden in New York. In the later semifinal, Washington plays Minnesota. The final is Thursday.
Stanford has used the NIT to put a healthy glow on what was a disappointing season in the Pac-12. The Cardinal finished seventh with a 10-8 record, but after being ousted from the conference tournament by Cal, they have picked up three NIT wins. Wednesday's 84-56 pounding of Nevada was one of their best performances of the season.
"It was our most complete performance," head coach Johnny Dawkins said before the team left Sunday for New York. "Some games, we've defended better or scored better. In this game, everybody played well at both ends."
Although the NIT is considered by most fans as a sideshow to the NCAA Tournament, its value shouldn't be underestimated for programs, such as Stanford's, that have big plans for next season.
As Dawkins noted, "It's great for the young men who will be returning, to have success against a great field. The extra practices have been great. More games give our players more experience, and that can only help for next season."
Unlike Stanford, which has played all of its NIT games at home, UMass won all three of its games on the road, only the fourth team to do that since host sites were introduced in 1977.
"They're a reflection of their coach, Derek Kellogg," Dawkins said. "They never quit."
The Minutemen, who finished tied for fifth in the Atlantic 10, had to come back from a 17-point deficit to beat Drexel 72-70 in their most recent game. Chaz Williams, a 5-foot-9 sophomore point guard, is their leading scorer (16.9) and directs an up-tempo offense.
Stanford is trying to duplicate the path of its 1990-91 team, which Adam Keefe led to the NIT title. It beat Oklahoma in the final before a crowd of 9,000.
