Category: Stanford Cardinal

Headline Sports with London Marq: Cardinal tighten up on defense to get big win over UCLA; Raiders will announce Gruden as head coach on Tuesday

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usatoday.com photo: The Stanford Cardinal’s Michael Humphrey tries to stop UCLA scoring with some defense in the Cardinal’s win Thursday night at Maples Pavilion

On the Headlines Podcast with London:

It was a night of the Stanford Cardinal freshman made a come back after two tough loses with Kansas and Cal. Stanford led by some really needed three pointers from Dorian Pickens help get the Cardinal a 107-99. Pickens for Thursday night scored 24 points. We haven’t seen Stanford play like this in a long time. It was a great win it would interesting to see how USC who comes in and coming off a win at Cal on Thursday night to see what they can do when they come to Stanford on Thursday.

The Cardinal have got some nuggets of success in pockets. First of all they hit the jack pot with freshman Issac White whose been a playmaker on or off the bench. The Cardinal also had Kezie Okpala who hit a jump shot in the overtime to tie up the ball game 91-91. Oscar De Silva feed Okpala who dunked and gave Stanford a 93-91 lead.

London Marq will be covering Stanford basketball on Sunday night for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford defeats Pac-12’s #1 UCLA 107-99 in double OT

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Photo: @StanfordMBB

By Alexandra Evans

The Stanford Cardinal Men’s Basketball team (now 7-8) kicked off 2018 with a match against the visiting UCLA Bruins, who went into the match 11-3 (first place in the Pac-12 Conference).

After UCLA took the lead for the first part of the game, Dorian Pickens tied the score 22-22 (with a three-pointer) with six minutes left in the first half, as the shot clock reached zero. Travis then got a layup and a free throw to give the Cardinal the lead once again (25-24), and Dorian Pickens got another three-pointer just after the Bruins’ Jaylen Hands got a jumper, and the Cardinal trailed by only one point.

For the remaining minutes of the match, the Bruins managed to re-tie the score each time the Cardinal took a lead. After Hands’ basket, Michael Humphrey shot for Stanford, then 30 seconds later, UCLA’s Gyorgy Goloman made a three-pointer and tied the score 30-30. Oscar da Silva got a layup, but Aaron Holiday (who leads UCLA in points per game) made both free throws and gave the Bruins a 34-32 lead.

Then, it was Stanford who had to catch up. Kris Wilkes got a layup for UCLA to give them a 36-32 lead. It took two layups from Okpala to tie the score again (36-36). The Bruins clearly weren’t having it, determined to keep their lead. Prince Ali (not to be mistaken with the Disney character Aladdin’s alter ego) got a three-pointer and a layup within 30 seconds of one another. The Bruins led the Cardinal 41-36 at halftime.

The Cardinal, moved to make a comeback against the conference’s first-place team, inch their way up on the scoreboard each time the Bruins took a lead, which the latter team managed to keep. Shots alternated between both teams, beginning with Travis, then UCLA’s Thomas Welsh, a three-pointer from Stanford’s Daejon Davis, two free throws from Holiday, another three-pointer by Pickens, then one from Holiday, a layup from Okpala, and two completed free throws from Holiday which put the Bruins four points ahead at 50-46.

After a time-out just before the five-minute mark, Pickens got his fourth three-pointer of the night, bringing the Cardinal down by only one point. Despite a consistent number of baskets  for the Cardinal at the 30-minute mark of the match (10 minutes into the second period), they remained inferior to the Bruins, who were up by 10 at that point (71-61).

UCLA increased their double-digit lead as soon as Goloman got a three-pointer, and they stayed ahead even after Okpala made two free throws (the Cardinal trailed 74-63). Davis cut Stanford’s trail to single digits (after making a layup and a free throw, and after a dunk from Travis right after Holiday’s layup. Though Ali made a three-pointer and gave the Bruins a 12-point lead, Humphrey got a three pointer followed by a dunk, and the Cardial only trailed by seven, then only by five when Pickens got a layup with four minutes left in the game.

After a free throw from UCLA’s Alex Olesinski and two from Davis, Stanford trailed only by four. Wilkes was fouled for the Bruins, giving Davis two free throw opportunities. He made only one, after which the Cardinal were only a three-pointer away from tying the Bruins.

Da Silva got a layup assisted by Pickens with 46 seconds left in the game, and then the Cardinal were only a basket away from exceeding the Bruins. However, a layup from Holiday allowed the Bruins to keep their lead. Humphrey was fouled with 18 seconds left, but Ali missed both free throws for UCLA. Miraculously, Pickens got another three-pointer, his fifth of the night, with six seconds left to tie the score 85-85.

In overtime, Humphrey made two free throws to give the Cardinal their first lead since the opening minutes of the first half, but the Bruins quickly came back when Thomas Welsh made a layup and a free throw. Davis got a layup and gave Stanford a one-point lead (89-88), but after Goloman made a free throw, the score was tied again, and then the Bruins regained their lead after a jumper from Holiday (91-89).

Okpala tied the score with two and a half minutes left (91-91), and then it was up to the Cardinal’s defense to ensure the Bruins would not surpass them yet again, which they managed to do. And then, with only half a minute left, da Silva dunked and gave the Cardinal the lead. After a successful free throw from Okpala, they were ahead 94-91 until Holiday made a buzzer-beating three-pointer. The score was tied once again (94-94), sending the match into a second overtime period.

It was all defense for the Cardinal as the Bruins had possession of the ball when the second OT period began. Okpala was fouled, and then Ali made two free throws to give the Bruins a two point lead. Josh Sharma got a layup for the Cardinal and tied the score 96-96, but then he was fouled. Ali made one free throw and the Bruins were only one point ahead. There was hope for the Cardinal, until Sharma was fouled again, giving Ali two more free throw opportunities. He made both, and the Bruins led the Cardinal 99-96.

Pickens made two free throws after Holiday was fouled, cutting the Bruins’ lead to only one point. Sharma was fouled again for Stanford, after which Hands failed to make both free throw opportunities. Goloman was fouled for UCLA, giving Isaac white two free throw opportunities, which he missed. Pickens made his sixth free throw of the evening, and the Cardinal were in the lead again (101-99).

Davis saved the day (or, rather, the evening) when he got a layup with half a minute remaining to give the Cardinal a four point lead (103-99). White again received two free throw opportunities when Hands was fouled, both of which he made. Pickens also made two free throws, and the Cardinal took home a 107-99 victory.

Pickens and Davis led the team in points with 26 and 22 points, respectively, and Travis (who had 18 points) led the team in rebounds with 11.

Next, Stanford will face the USC Trojans (10-5) on Sunday, January 7 at home.

Stanford Cardinal Podcast with Alexandra Evans: Pickens returns from foot injury; Okpala’s defense good looking forward to tuning up on offense

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Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

On the Stanford Men’s Basketball Podcast with Alexandra:

Stanford Cardinal head coach Jerod Haase has expressed his concerns about the defense particularly after dropping a home game against Cal on their home floor at Maples Pavilion last weekend. The Cardinal held a 17-point only to see it dissolve in 7.5 minutes of the first half. Haase was also concerned about their 6-8 record and how to pull out of it but laying defense as a big factor.

The return of Dorian Pickens is key for the Cardinal, Pickens was out after missing seven weeks due to a foot injury, and Kezie Okpala, who missed the first 12 games of the season due to improving his academics and made his first appearance at Sacramento for the neutral site game against the Kansas Jayhawks. It was a game that Okpala remembered with mostly Jayhawks fans, but Okpala–despite losing the game by 21–pushed hard throughout the game.

Alexandra Evans is Stanford Cardinal beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Stanford Cardinal defeated 77-74 by archival Cal Bears in Pac-12 opener

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Photo: @StanfordMBB

By Alexandra Evans

PALO ALTO—The Stanford Cardinal Men’s Basketball team faced their first Pac-12 opponent of the season and cross-Bay Area rivals, the California Golden Bears, at Maples Pavillion two days before the new year.

Don Coleman, Marcus Lee, Justice Sueing, Nick Hamilton, and Darius McNeill started for the visiting Golden Bears. Kezie Okpala, Daejon Davis, Reid Travis, Michael Humphrey, and Dorian Pickens (who was out with an injury earlier this season) started for the Cardinal.

Cal’s Marcus Lee made the first basket of the game 17 seconds in, and Stanford’s Michael Humphrey made the second basket 13 seconds later. Cal made another two baskets over the course of 24 seconds and exceeded Stanford by four points at the 1:25 mark, until Reid Travis got a layup 15 seconds later at the 1:40 mark and Dorian Pickens made a three-pointer at 2:16, commencing Stanford’s lead over Cal, which would gradually increase throughout the first half.

Stanford’s Michael Humphrey more than doubled the lead just over 4 minutes in (13-6), and Stanford upped their lead to 10 points at the halfway point of the first 20 minutes. The score more than doubled again at the 12-minute mark (25-12) when Kezie Okpala made a jumper, assisted by Robert Cartwright.

The energy on the court and in the stands amped up significantly in the remaining five minutes of the first half, during which Stanford did not let their lead drop below 11 points. Humphrey made a dunk at 18:06 which put the Cardinal at a 14-point lead over the Bears, followed by a three-pointer from Dorian Pickens, bringing the lead to 17 points and then down to 15 after Cal’s Justice Sueing made two free throws following a foul on Oscar da Silva. Coleman made a three-pointer for the Bears with 30 seconds left in the half, and the Cardinal exceeded the Bears 37-24 at halftime.

Cal would slowly catch up to Stanford throughout the second half, and eventually exceed them. Coleman made the first basket, cutting Stanford’s lead over Cal to 11 points, and then by 10 points at the 3:18 mark when Lee got a jumper. Humphrey scored for Stanford, then Sueing for Cal, and the Cardinal’s lead was once again a point away from the single digits. Every time Stanford’s lead was cut to 10 points, they would score again to keep their lead above it through the first 10 minutes of the second half. Lee dunked for Cal, and less than a minute later, Josh Sharma made a jumper followed by a layup from Travis, giving Stanford a 15-point lead (55-40) at 6:43. The score was 60-45 just after the 10-minute mark, courtesy of Humphrey’s layup. 20 seconds later, McNeill got a 3-pointer for Cal. Stanford attained a 17 point lead after a 3-pointer from Davis with 9:28 remaining in the half.

Stanford’s lead was cut to single-digits when Cal’s Kingsley Okoroh got a layup with 6:12 left; they only led Cal by nine points. Coleman got a layup almost a minute after Okoroh, bringing the score to 66-59. Humphrey dunked for the Cardinal, inching the way back to a double-digit lead. He made a jumper one minute after his dunk and brought Stanford’s lead to 11 points once again. However, McNeill made a three-pointer for Cal directly after, followed by two layups and a free-throw from Sueing; Cal trailed by only three points. Travis quickly retaliated for Stanford with a layup and a free throw, bringing their lead up to six points. With 1:17 left in the game, Grant Anticevich made a three-pointer for Cal, making the score 73-72, giving Cardinal fans a “sudden death” feeling. Sueing got a layup and a free throw, and the Bears led the Cardinal for the first time since the beginning of the match (73-75). Travis was given two free throw opportunities with 20 seconds left in the match, only one of which he made. Davis was then fouled for Stanford, and Coleman, with two free-throw opportunities, made both for Cal with 17 seconds remaining. Travis had a chance at a three-pointer in the final seconds, but could not make it past Cal’s defense.

The Bears took home a 77-74 win.

“You go into every game confident that you’re going to win,” Humphrey said after being asked about the expectations of facing an identically ranked team. “We were all fired up to play [a rivalry game]. We wanted to start off Pac-12 play the right way, but we didn’t do that.”

Stanford struggled to make a majority of their free throws, which could have been the “make or break” of the overall score.

“I’ve probably worked more with free throws and shot more with [Stanford] than any other team I’ve ever had,” said Coach Jerod Haase. “To miss 16 free throws is going to be a problem. Ideally, you don’t get into that situation if the lead [in points] is a little bit bigger.”

Haase continued, “The experience and the cohesion of playing together is still growing, as is the execution of everything we are doing. But at the end of the day, you find ways to get stops at the end of a game… this game is going to sting, it’s going to hurt, but I feel as though we are building a foundation of something special.”

Both Stanford and Cal were 6-7 going into the match; one could argue that the outcome was going to be unpredictable. Stanford’s leader in points, Travis, averages 21.4 points per game (almost double that of his runner-up, Michael Humphrey, who has an average of 11.6 points per game). Cal’s point leader, Coleman, averages 20.5 points per game.

The Stanford Men’s Basketball team will commence the new year with a home match against the UCLA Bruins on January 4, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

Stanford Cardinal Men’s Basketball Podcast with Matt Harrington: Cardinal opens Pac 12 season with Cal in rivalry game

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Stanford Cardinals Men’s Basketball Sophomore Forward Reid Travis (22) dunks the ball during the Stanford Cardinals Men’s Basketball team’s 71-59 victory over the San Francisco Dons on December 17, 2017 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA..(Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

By Matt Harrington

PALO ALTO–The Stanford Cardinal (6-7) are opening Pac 12 Conference play with the Cal Bears (6-7) tonight at Maples Pavilion and they’re doing it by facing a rival team. The Cardinal come in a little desperate with that 6-7 record likewise Cal so it’s a good match up. It also runs the risk at this time of the year during the holidays with the students having finals and everything the players runs the risk of not having their concentration on basketball.

As opposed to Cal opening up with ASU last year it kind lends to a rivalry game to open up the Pac 12 season both teams are excited to get going and maybe not letting things go as they did last year. It’s a good game for Stanford to start off conference play in. It’s a good match up in Pac 12 play you can get on a run one way or another in a hurry.

The Cardinal are going to start this game with their Pac 12 season and it’s a winnable game and they’ve had a lot of success against Cal and the Cardinal are going to start their season with a win especially with USC and UCLA coming up behind them on the schedule.

Matt has much more for tonight’s Pac 12 opener between Cal and Stanford at Maples a 7PM tip hear all about it on today’s podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Stanford Men’s Basketball Podcast with Alexandra Evans: Big Game Saturday will feature Cal’s Coleman and Stanford’s Travis

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AP Photo File: Stanford Cardinal forward Reid Travis pulls down a rebound during a college basketball game between the University of California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on February 17, 2017 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA. The Cardinal beat the Golden Bears 73-68.(Photo by Tommy LaPorte/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

On the Stanford Podcast with Alexandra:

1 The anticipated game had the Cal Bears (6-7) coming to Stanford (6-7) with the evenly matched contest at least on paper both teams come out with their top offensive players from Cal Don Coleman and from Stanford Travis Reid.

2 A look at how much the home floor will be an advantage for the Cardinal and for Cal they want to shore up their road record especially after the beating they took during the Maui Classic when the got swept in three games in November

3 The Cardinal are coming off that tough loss to the Kansas Jay Hawks that was played at Golden One Arena in Sacramento a 21 point loss on Thu Dec 21

4 After that loss the Cardinal dropped their record to 6-7 Stanford head coach Jerod Haase said the Cardinal need to “push the envelope now”

5 Stanford and Cal tip off at Maples Pavilion this Saturday night Alexandra takes a look at how these two clubs match up

Alexandra does the Stanford podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Alamo Bowl/Stanford Cardinal Podcast with Matt Harrington: Costello and Hill an unpredictable quarterback match for Alamo Bowl

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AP Photo File: Stanford Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello (3) pulls along the sidelines in an effort to reach the goal line during the PAC-12 Championship game between the USC Trojans and the Stanford Cardinals on Friday, December 01, 2017 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

On the Stanford podcast with Matt:

1 After losing a close game with the USC Trojans in the Pac 12 Championship 31-28 in Santa Clara it was the second meeting of both clubs of the year the last time was when Stanford played the Trojans in LA and lost 42-24 in the second week of the season.

2 The match up at quarterback KJ Costello for Stanford and for TCU Kenny Hill this has been called an upredictable match up Stanford ranks No 77 and TCU ranks No.52 on pass efficiency defense.

3 What’s kept both of these team in their games is the defense pressuring the quarterbacks as the Cardinal have 32 sacks on the season and the Horned Frogs with 41

4 Looking at Stanford’s running back Bryce Love he’s had a year with 1973 yards second in yards in the country and has carried for 8.3 yards

5 TCU is going to try and stop Love from breaking away for a 50 yard run Love has accomplished the 50 yard run 10 of 12 games

Matt Harrington does the Stanford Cardinal football podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Not in Kansas anymore: Stanford looking for answers after lopsided 75-54 loss to Jayhawks

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Kansas’ Svi Mykhailiuk gets to the rim against Stanford in the Jayhawks’ 75-54 victory at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA (Photos courtesy of Jordan Chapin)

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Seventeen seconds into Thursday night’s contest, Kansas’ 7’0″ Udoka Azubuike cruised to the rim for an emphatic dunk.  Six minutes later and after a pair of missed shots, Stanford’s leading scorer, Reid Travis responded with a far less attention-grabbing layup.

The timing and impact of the two baskets said it all: Kansas locked in from the start, cruising to a 75-54 victory, while Stanford spent the evening searching for answers to questions that might not find answers until after the Cardinal return home from Sacramento.

In front of a Golden 1 Center crowd that was heavily populated with Kansas supporters and reigning National Player of the Year Frank Mason, now with the Sacramento Kings, the Jayhawks put an end to their issues with Pac-12 schools in one swift act. Normally dominant, Kansas had suffered losses to Arizona State and Washington earlier this month, and a shocking defeat to Oregon in last season’s NCAA Elite Eight at Kansas City. All three losses suggested that the national powerhouse from the Big 12 had slipped.  Dominating Stanford on Thursday said just the opposite.

Simply, said Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham, “We didn’t allow them to play well.”

Graham’s stern pronouncement stemmed from Kansas’ determination to get Stanford’s leading scorer stopped in his tracks. Travis, who scored 29 points last season at Kansas, and equaled that number (his career high) in the Cardinal’s previous game against USF, had a quiet night, scoring just 12 points, well off his 22.5 ppg average.  The Jayhawks rotated a trio of big guards on Travis, all at least two inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than the Stanford star. The quicker Kansas defenders kept Travis from driving. When Travis moved inside, he got attention from everywhere, including the shot blocking Azubuike.

“We did a good job considering how small we were guarding him,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I didn’t think our pressure was very good. We limited his opportunities to get to the glass.”

Most telling was the length of time that it took Travis to get the first of his five baskets. Against USF, Travis scored Stanford’s first eight points of the game. On Thursday, the ball was forced from his hands to his less steady teammates.  And without his usual scoring, Travis struggled at the foul line (1 of 3) and on the glass (4 rebounds).

Meanwhile, Azubuike shot 12 of 15, while leading Kansas’ dunk parade (a Kansas beat writer estimated that the Jayhawks had 13 dunks in the game) and playing off his far more offensively-savvy teammates to perfection. The sophomore from Nigeria whose serious pursuit of a basketball career began in the ninth grade, only slightly improved his shooting percentage from the floor from 77.6 percent to 77.9. Kansas shot 52.5 percent for the game, slight above their average which ranks fourth nationally.  Not surprisingly, Azubuike’s gaudy shooting percentage ranks number one nationally.

“We didn’t have an answer to be able to stop him, but that lies on my shoulders,” Stanford coach Jerod Haase said of his team’s plan to limit Azubuike. “It was a conscious decision on our part to try and take away as many three-point shots and neutralize the four perimeter players out there as much as possible. That left Mike (Humphrey) and Josh (Sharma) on an island a little bit.”

Stanford again played without much-needed wing players Dorian Pickens and Marcus Sheffield, who are injured, and their absence showed in their less experienced teammates’ statistics.  The Cardinal’s three freshman, starters Daejon Davis and Oscar Da Silva along with top reserve Isaac White, combined to miss 13 of their 15 shots.  A fourth freshman, Kezie Okpala, made his Stanford debut against Kansas after missing the first 12 games due to academic issues, and gave the Cardinal a shot of energy with his length and defense.  But Okpala’s contribution ended there: he also struggled with his shot, missing six of his eight attempts.

The Cardinal shot a chilly 34 percent for the game, which was prominently posted on the gigantic Golden 1 Center video board for all to see.  They shot just 30 percent in the second half, and when they reduced their 20-point halftime deficit to 15 on two occasions, little else positive transpired other than the game’s final horn.

Unless you credit the heavy Kansas contingent, who stole the show during timeouts with their KissCam and DanceCam performances. Mason, who Self said has really impressed the Kings’ coaching staff both on and off the floor, sat courtside and did his bit to fire up the crowd during timeouts, shooting halfcourt shots at halftime, and tossing giveaway t-shirts into the crowd. Travis swore the Kansas presence didn’t affect him or his teammates. Graham, who had 14 points and six assists, felt just the opposite.

“Shout out to Jayhawk nation,” Graham said. “They supported us well. It felt like a home game for us. It was a great atmosphere.”

Michael Humphrey led Stanford with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Cardinal return from a Christmas break on December 30, when they will host California in the Pac-12 opener.

Stanford Cardinal Men’s Basketball Podcast with Alexandra Evans: Stanford on a two game run looks to make hay with Kansas in Sacramento tonight

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AP File Photo: Stanford forward Reid Travis (22) shoots against Montana during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Stanford Cardinal Men’s Basketball Podcast with Alexandra Evans:

1 Stanford (6-6) takes on a rough and tumble Kansas Jayhawks team (9-2) we take a look at the many challenges for Cardinal who face the Jayhawks at Golden One Center in Sacramento

2 The Jayhawks top four scorers Legerald Vick (17.5), Devonte’ Graham (17.0), Svi Mykhailuk (16.5), and Udoka Azubuike (14.7) who always bring their game will be the players that Stanford’s defense will have to stop inside the paint and watch out for the outside and three pointers the Jayhawks are noted for on offense

3 Things to look for with Stanford’s leading offensive scorer Reid Travis (22.2) also lead the Pac 12 in scoring and topped 1,000 career points in his last game against USF

4Travis had been leading the team and doing the a lot of the heavy lifting on offense for Stanford but always one to get help from his teammates Michael Humphrey and Dorian Pickens.

5 The game will tip at 8PM tonight a neutral site game Alexandra takes a look at this match and these two teams size up

Alexandra podcasts for Stanford Men’s Basketball and Morris Phillips has the Cardinal-Jayhawks coverage for tonight

 

 

Stanford Push Past USF 71-59; Travis leads Cardinal with 29

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photo by gostanford.com: Stanford’s Reid Travis scores a team leading 29 points past USF Sunday night at Maples Pavilion

By London Marq

This was the night for the Stanford Cardinal to get back even. After rough stretch of games against some of the nations best basketball programs, Reid Travis and company welcomed in the University of San Francisco Dons Sunday.

After a competitive start to the first half, the Cardinal went into halftime with a 17-point lead. This matchup was dominated by the Cardinal who were clearly a class above their in-state rivals.

Reid Travis shined, pouring in 29 points to lead the way. Travis also had eight boards. Sharma emerged in this matchup, scoring 13, aiding the Cardinal in this runaway victory.

The Cardinal get back to .500 with this win and they will hope to gain some momentum going forward.

Final: Stanford defeated USF 71-59.