HOUSTON — For someone who has lived in his twin brother's shadow since coming to Stanford, Robin Lopez has managed to find a nice chunk of the spotlight this month. His play in the NCAA Tournament has been superb. His NBA stock is rising. Kids approach him for autographs in airports.

And, of yeah, there are reports that he is dating golf phenom and fellow Stanford student Michelle Wie.

As the Cardinal gets set to play Texas today in the South Regional semifinals at Reliant Stadium, life is pretty darn good for the other half of the 7-foot Lopez twins.

"I think he's finally getting the respect he deserves," Robin's brother Brook said.

It's Robin's improved offensive skills that have taken some of the weight off his brother's shoulders and put Stanford within reach of its first Final Four appearance in a decade.

After a 10-game stretch at midseason in which he didn't score in double figures, Lopez, a sophomore, has averaged 13.3 points in his past 14 games and 16 points in the NCAA Tournament.

With his bushy hair and wheeling spin moves — not to mention the aggression he displays while grabbing rebounds and blocking shots — it's impossible not to notice Lopez, who has perhaps permanently shaken the all-defense-little-offense label he brought to The Farm.

"It gets a little tiresome, people calling him the defensive twin," Brook said. "I think he has a bunch of capabilities that people just don't really get to see."

What changed?

According to Robin, it's simple: In practice he faces "the best big man in the country."

"Practicing every day against good players, I think you'll improve every way imaginable," Robin said. "I'm not taking more shots. But I'm actually making more shots, so I'd have to say what's improving is my shot selection."

Though Brook remains the hotter pro prospect, a top-five pick on most mock-draft boards, Robin has gone from virtually off the board six weeks ago to somewhere in the high-teens-to-low-20s range in the first round. It has been a dramatic surge for Robin — and he knows it.

"Leaps and bounds" was how he described the depths of his improvement. Asked whether he'd recognize himself if he popped in a tape from last season, Robin said, "I'd recognize him, but I'd cover my face in shame. I can't watch film that old, even highlights, without picking myself apart."

Lopez's perfectionism isn't relegated to basketball. The aspiring artist recalled a sketch of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" he drew last quarter as part of a class project — a sketch he was inspired to do after visiting the Sistine Chapel last summer while the team toured Italy.

"When I drew it, I was like, `Oh man, this is awesome. This is one of the best pieces I've ever done,"` Lopez said. "And I look at it even now — 2 › months later — and I find myself picking it apart. I should have done this so much better. That's why I work in pencil."

Both Robin and Brook have attracted waves of reporters to their locker stalls during the NCAA tournament, most asking about their interest in Disney characters and musical tastes that include Michael Jackson. Teammate Kenny Brown believes the white tape Robin wears on his fingers when he plays has something to do with the King of Pop.

"I think that's Michael Jackson-inspired," Brown said, smiling. "He loves Michael Jackson. You'll catch him sometimes when he's listening to his iPod by himself, doing some spin moves and leg whips."

Like his play on the court, Robin's persona has changed the past two years. He's more confident around the media and charming when he wants to be. He's just not ready to confirm reports from Sportsline.com and Sportsillustrated.cnn.com that say he and Wie are dating.

"No comment," Lopez said yesterday.

Lopez also isn't ready to comment about his future on the court — just like his brother. When the season ends, the family plans to go over the brothers' options.

Before Robin's stretch-ending hot streak, the thought around Stanford was that Brook would leave and Robin would stick around one more year to hone his skills and bust out of his brother's shadow.

Now, all bets are off.

"When their season is over and they come home for a few days, we'll sit down and talk about it," said the twins' mother, Deborah Ledford, a teacher in the Fresno area. "There are advantages and disadvantages to both moves. That's something we'll have to sit down and weigh."