1998 Final Four team to be honored

Former U.S. Senator and New York Knicks great Bill Bradley was a visiting professor at Stanford in 1997-98, the year the Cardinal men reached the Final Four. Bradley said at the time that the team inspired him in the writing of his book “Values of the Game.” Head coach Mike Montgomery’s selfless team “reawakened something in me that was dormant for 20 years.”

On its 20th anniversary, the team will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s final regular-season home game against Washington State. It featured guards Arthur Lee and Kris Weems, center Tim Young and forwards Mark Madsen and the late Peter Sauer.

The Cardinal reached the Final Four — the school’s first in 56 years — in dramatic fashion. In the Midwest Regional final in St. Louis, they trailed Rhode Island by six points with 59 seconds left but pulled out a 79-77 win, sealed by Madsen’s climactic dunk.

Montgomery, working Stanford’s win over Washington on Thursday night as a commentator for Pac-12 Networks, said the ’98 team’s chemistry was extraordinary. “Good talent, but not great talent,” he said. “Art Lee was a really good point guard. Kris Weems could shoot the ball. Tim Young was a solid 7-footer inside. We had Madsen . ... We were big and strong. We had great chemistry. They got along.”

An 86-85 overtime loss to Kentucky ended the season in the national semifinals, but the 30-4 team has a special place in the hearts of longtime Stanford fans. Tragically, the captain of the team, Sauer, collapsed and died at a pickup game in White Plains, N.Y., in 2012. He was 35.

In his honor, Stanford tri-captains Dorian Pickens, Michael Humphrey and Reid Travis have worn badges on their jerseys this season with “C” for captain and “PS” for Sauer. His widow, Amanda, will be Stanford’s honorary captain Saturday.