Owens leads Stanford back to the cusp of the top-25

When Josh Owens' career was halted by a sudden undisclosed medical condition, he tapped into his desire for adventure and education to help carry him not only through his obstacle, but straight to the top. Now that he has worked through his own personal obstacles, he is helping Stanford make a comeback of its own. Owens is currently Stanford's leading scorer, averaging 12.4 and 5.9 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 senior forward has led his team to a 12-2 record (2-0 in conference) and No. 1 spot in the Pac 12. "I do like travel and I do like to experience new things. In terms of how it relates to basketball, I'm always trying to learn something new," said Owens. "I'm always looking for an edge and trying to get as much information as I can." That innate longing led him away from home at early age. Though he grew up in Atlanta, he was born in New Hampshire. Owens father told him about a place in New Hampshire named Phillips Exeter Academy that he used to deliver packages for FedEx. Owens decided to apply and received enough financial aid to attend. While at the Academy, he became a four-year letter winner in basketball and a two-time team captain. The 2007 New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year was rated as one of the top 150 recruits by Rivals.com. Wanting to following in his brother Jerryck's footsteps, who was playing professional basketball in Portugal, he continued his athletic pursuits, but this time it would take him a bit farther than just a few states away. Stanford was on a completely different coast. Owens had a modest, but meaningful start to his Cardinal career. He debuted against Harvard on Nov. 9, 2007 contributing 12 points and 8 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. He finished his freshman year averaging 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds going 13-21 from the field in a total of 18 games. During the 2008-09 season, Owens managed to play in all 34 games and started in 28 of those. He improved his averages to 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and had 8 games in double figures. After putting in extra time over the offseason, Owens was ready to return for his third season as a cornerstone for Stanford. But right before the season began, Owens was told he would be unable to play to due medical reasons. "Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to contribute the way I wanted to after working really hard over the summer that was tough," recalled Owens. To make matters worse, he spent the first part of the season essentially separated from his team. "It happened so abruptly and I wasn't able to practice with the team and stuff. But eventually I was able to do individual skill work and stuff on my own," said Owens. "I think it actually helped with my development a lot." Though Owens was able to hone his individual skills, he wasn't able to practice in a five-on-five situation, running up and down the court. "The first thing that I noticed was getting used to the paced." The All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention found his form and started all 31 games, averaging 11.6 points and a team best 6.5 rebounds. He led the team with 29 blocks and ranked second with 25 steals. He scored in double figures 21 times, six of those being double-doubles. Stanford is in the process of rebounding from back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 25 years. Since head coach Johnny Dawkins arrived four seasons ago, they haven't been ranked higher than seventh in the conference. But with veterans like Owens leading the way, along with a crop of fresh, young talent Stanford not only has a winning season so far, but a great view from the top of the Pac-12. "I think the thing that is clicking right now is that everyone is buying into our goals and our beliefs as a team. Not just like defensive principles, but also individual roles," said Owens. "Whenever understands what they are expected to do and knows what they can do and doesn't try to divert away from that, it always makes everything flow a lot smoother."