Two things to note before we get started:

1. Stanford sophomore Nneka Ogwumike was NOT one of the top 21 candidates for the Wooden national player of the year award announced 10 days ago, which makes that panel look a little silly at the moment.

Stanford's Nneka Ogwumike is one of two players in Division I in the top 20 in nationally in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage -- AP Photo by Bob Child

2. Ogumike probably would have been considered the Cardinal’s fifth-best player when the season started, which demonstrates coaches are not just changing the subject when they claim players can make a dramatic improvement in the offseason.

With those disclosures out of the way, here’s what happened in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday: Ogwumike had 30 points and a school-record 23 rebounds in Stanford’s 100-80 victory at Oregon on Saturday.  

Gulp.

It was biggest game in a series of big games for Ogwumike, who has to be the front-runner for Pac-10 player of the year at the moment.    Ogwumike has already been named Pac-10 player of the year three times this season, and might make it four after she totaled 42 points and 32 rebounds in the Cardinal’s sweep of the Oregon schools this week to improve Stanford’s record to 17-1 overall and  7-0 in the Pac-10. 

“She’s so fluid,” Oregon coach Paul Westhead told the Associated Press afterward.  “Her ability as a rebounder is devastating.  She gets everything.”

Her 23 rebounds tied for the fourth highest total for a Division I player this season, and she has been doing it regularly.

When the season began, Jayne Appel, Kayla Pederson, Jeanette Pohlen and JJ Hones probably would have been considered the Cardinal’s best players.    Ogwumike did not become a starter until midway through last season as a freshman, but showed signs of greatness toward the end of last season and made a noticeable improvement in the offseason.

Granted, her game is limited to the low-post area for now, and she is not as versatile as Pedersen or Pohlen.   But the numbers don’t lie.

Ogwumike leads the Pac-10 in scoring (19.5 points) and field-goal percentage (64.2 percent, which is second best in the nation), and she is second in the conference in rebounding (10.7).   She is one of just two players in Division I basketball who ranks in the top 20 nationally in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage (the other is Alysha Clark of Middle Tennessee).

Yet Ogwumike was not one of the 21 midseason candidates for the Wooden national player of the year award announced on January 13.   Pedersen and Appel were on the list, and desevedly so, but the omission of Ogwumike seems unpardonable now.  It’s not like she’s hiding under a rock.    The Cardinal have been ranked No. 2 every week of the season and have played a number of high-profile games. She had 20 points at Connecticut, 18 against Duke, 21 at USC, 21 at Rutgers.      Not being on that midseason candidate list does not eliminate Ogwumike from consideration for the Wooden Award, though, because of a list of about 20 finalists will be announced in March.  It’s a pretty good bet, she will be in that group, based on her numbers and the Cardinal’s No. 2 ranking.

Certainly, Ogwumike benefits from the fact that defenses cannot focus on her with Pedersen and Appel on the court with her, and individual numbers get inflated in games against Oregon, whose fast-paced style promotes high-scoring games.

But nothing mitigates 30 points and 23 rebounds.   Plus, Ogwumike did it with just 12 field-goal attempts, making nine of those and 12 of 15 free throws, while committing just one turnover.  

Pedersen  had just seven points on 2-for-6 shooting against the Ducks (12-7, 3-4), and Appel had 17 points, including some key scoring to help break the game open in the final eight minutes.   The Cardinal also had the use of guards Hones and Pohlen, who played 29 minutes apiece in spite of their knee and ankle injuries, respectively.

But the main weapon was Ogwumike (who pronounces her name ah-GWU-me-kay).  And next season Stanford will feature a double dose of Ogwumikes, because Nneka’s younger sister, Chiney, rated the best high school player in the nation this season, will be a Stanford freshman next fall.