CARDINAL GAINS CONFIDENCE\Without star center Young, Stanford fights to regroup, become\force in conference.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

It has been a season of contrast for the Stanford Cardinal. No, not a contrast of playing with Tim Young compared to playing without Tim Young. And not a 24-point loss at North Carolina compared to a nine-point win over Arizona.

But this season compared to last.

"Last year, we didn't have any preseason rankings and we had to fight for respect," forward Andy Poppink said. "But we also played our best in the preconference games, and by the middle of the year we were tired.

"This year, we had the hype (ranked 18th), but we weren't as focused early on. And now we're picking up steam and confidence."

With five starters returning - including the best point guard (Brevin Knight) and true center (Young) in the Pacific-10 - the Cardinal was the trendy preseason pick to win the league for the first time since 1963.

But unaccustomed to the publicity, and with Young's back injury limiting his effectiveness, the Cardinal struggled in the early weeks. It shot 29.8 percent against upstart San Francisco and lost in the final seconds. "A devastating defeat," Poppink said.

Five days later, the Cardinal shot 31.9 percent and was never competitive at North Carolina. That was also Young's last game, and it now appears he'll miss the remainder of the season because of an enlarged disc in his back. (He's eligible for a medical redshirt.)

But the Cardinal's schedule was gracious, providing a 20-day break after North Carolina. The time off from competition enabled the players to regroup emotionally and adjust to life without Young. They returned with a sloppy 18-point win at Navy, then beat American and Harvard.

"The losses, and then losing Tim, didn't lower expectations of the guys on the team, but they dulled the excitement surrounding us," Poppink said. "There had been so many distractions with the media attention and people thinking we'd sail through.

"The time off gave us a chance to gain some momentum. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary. But there was a conscious effort to get after it."

Without Young, coach Mike Montgomery shifted power forward Darren Allaway to center, moved Poppink from small to power forward, and inserted sixth man David Harbour into the lineup as a third guard. In five games since the switch, Poppink has averaged 18.6 points and eight rebounds, and he leads the Cardinal in both categories.

"Andy played that spot before, as a sophomore, and his best scoring games have come from that position," Montgomery said. "It's not necessarily his most natural position, but he can rebound the ball . . . and he does pose some problems because he runs the floor and he can catch the ball down inside."

Poppink's play has opened the perimeter for Knight, Harbour and shooting guard Dion Cross. In the breakthrough victory over Arizona on Saturday - Stanford's first in the series since 1989 - Cross made 7 of 11 3-pointers and scored a career-high 30 points.

Add an easy victory over Arizona State last week, and the Cardinal is back in the rankings (24th), tied with Cal and UCLA atop the Pac-10 and playing the way many expected when the season began.

"We've come a ways since (San Francisco)," Montgomery said. "Those (Arizona) wins were absolutely critical. I think maybe there was some question in our minds as to whether we could play good enough. . . . To beat Arizona really helps, and at least we know we can play good basketball. There were only a couple things to look back on - the South Carolina win and the Rice win - that indicated we could play at that level."

Notes: Knight has a dislocated finger on his left (non-shooting) hand but will play.

SCOUTING REPORT

UCLA assistant Greg White spent the week watching videotape of Stanford and proffered these keys to victory for the Bruins:

Contain point guard Brevin Knight. "If you make a mistake by reaching for the ball, he'll make you pay by penetrating, then drawing help and kicking the ball to one of their shooters," White said.

Limit shooting guard Dion Cross' open looks at the basket. "We can't let him score 30, like he did against Arizona," White said. "We have to get a hand in his face at all times."

Play smart defense. Stanford coach Mike Montgomery may be the best tactician in the conference, and his offense includes a plethora of screens to free up the Cardinal scorers. Stanford has several plays in which Cross has the option to use a single screen on one side, or a double screen on the other. His defender, probably Charles O'Bannon, must be alert at all times.

Have patience on offense. The Cardinal is a solid but unspectacular defensive team that will force the Bruins to make the fundamentally sound play. Bad passes and hurried shots will negate UCLA's athletic advantage.

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(color) After a bad start, Stanford got on track with a win over Arizona, celebrated here by Arthur Lee, left, and Darren Allaway. Associated Press Box Scouting Report (See text)