Hardin, Vierneisel look to polish their legacies

Senior DeVon Hardin was talking about the current season Tuesday, but he may as well have been talking about his entire Cal career.

"There have been ups, and there have been downs," he said. "There have been games when I did things I didn't know I could do, and there have been games in which I was very disappointed in my performance. It's been rough.

"What can I say?"

Apparently, Hardin is done searching for that answer. As he turned his attention to today's game against Washington - the last home game of his college career - Hardin wanted his actions to leave a lasting image.

"This is the last time I'll play here, so I'll try to make it worth something," he said.

Hardin's infectious smile will probably always be remembered in Berkeley, and the 6-foot-11, 260-pounder will go down in history as the school's second-best shot blocker. However, his athleticism and size, which make NBA decision-makers drool, have never consistently translated into stardom.

"I don't care what anybody says, if the expectations are up, it can affect your performance," Cal coach Ben Braun said. "If he goes out and does what he's capable of doing, he will meet a lot of his own expectations and those that are out there."

The other starting senior, forward Eric Vierneisel, never had such high expectations from outsiders. Still, he's managed to become a whipping boy of sorts at Haas Pavilion, consistently receiving mocking cheers when he exits the game.

"Things haven't always gone my way, but I'm still here and I'm still fighting," he said.

Vierneisel was labeled a defensive liability when recruited out of Algonquin, Ill. He was deemed as "just a shooter," but in a season in which Cal leads the conference in scoring and is trying to replace defensive stopper Theo Robertson, Vierneisel has accepted his role in shutting down Washington State's Derrick Low and Washington's Ryan Appleby in back-to-back road wins and Ty Abbott in the second half of the Bears' road win over Arizona State.

"I've never been the kind of player to worry about scoring," Vierneisel said. "The most important thing to me is winning."

There has been a little of that for the senior class - advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2006. The class' legacy, however, may be overshadowed by the injuries and the record (64-55).

DeVon Hardin missed most of last season with a stress fracture in his foot and had shoulder surgery after his sophomore season. Vierneisel has had his share of ankle sprains and has quietly dealt with undisclosed family issues.

"They've both had to overcome a lot," Braun said. "They've both fought through some adversity to be involved with some big games for us."

Said Hardin: "We were guys who were willing to do whatever it takes to go out there and get it done. I'm not satisfied, and until I have that perfect record with all W's, I won't be satisfied.

"Still, I'm happy that we worked hard and learned from the losses, and I feel that, overall, my career has been good here."

Briefly: Walk-on guard Patrick Armstrong and Sam Rayburn, who signed with the Bears four years ago but was unable to play because of a knee injury, will be honored on Senior Night. ... Sophomore Patrick Christopher (bruised left hip) will be a game-time decision.

Cal today

Who: Washington (15-14, 6-10) vs. Cal (15-11, 6-9)

Where: Haas Pavilion

When: 3 p.m.

TV/Radio: None/1550

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