Apparently, that Mr. Ray Ratto has decided to write a piece about women' s basketball is big news to those "in the know" in the Bay. So welcome to the big time, R.R., and thanks for previewing the Stanford/Cal match-up on Saturday.

The two programs are now as close as the map says they are - Cal is 17-2 (8-0 in conference), Stanford 16-3 (6-2), ranked aside each other (Stanford seventh, Cal eighth) in the most significant rankings, and almost as close in the RPI (Stanford fifth, Cal 13th in a field of 341). They are a West Coast equivalent to the Oklahoma -Oklahoma State and Duke-North Carolina hyper- rivalries.

Thus Saturday's game between the two sides at Maples Pavilion offers a chance for both the Fightin' Boyles and the Snarlin' VanDerveers to consolidate their newfound equality on the floor with a packed house of fully invested fans. A great game is therefore mandatory. Some nasty post-game controversy would be even better.