Tag: Pac-12

Stanford men’s basketball selected to play in 2020 Maui Invitational

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

The Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team has been selected to play in the 2020 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, which will be held from November 23-25, 2020 at the historic Lahaina Civic Center in Hawaii.

The Cardinal is part of a stellar eight-team field that includes Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Texas, and UNLV. The event will mark the 37th edition of the annual tournament, held in Maui.

The Cardinal will make its fourth appearance in the prestigious tournament, previously competing in the event in 1987, 1992, and 2004. Stanford oowns a 3-6 all-time record in its three previous appearances with wins over Baylor (1987), BYU (2004) and Chaminade (1987). In its most recent appearance in the Maui Invitational in 2004, Stanford went 1-2, defeating BYU, and dropping decisions to Tennessee and No. 14 Louisville.

“Each year, the Maui Jim Maui Invitational prides itself on bringing the best college basketball teams and talent to the island of Maui,” said tournament chairman Dave Odom. “2020 is no different, with the Lahaina Civic Center hosting some of the game’s most historic programs of all time.”

The Jim Maui Invitational is excited to announce a new element of the event. The tournament has a longstanding tradition of presenting each team with its very own hand-made, customized surfboard, and will now host a contest that sources the surfboard designs directly from the students of the participating schools. Contest winners will be announced in the fall and honored at the schools’ surfboard presentations in 2020.

Ticket and travel packages will be available at a later date. For more information, visit MauiInvitational.com.

15 Stanford football players showcased their talents at Pro Day

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

JJ Arcega-Whiteside had hoped to turn a few heads Thursday in Stanford’s annual Pro Timing Day. He did just that in front of representatives from 32 NFL teams, totaling more than 100 personnel, including more than 20 position coaches, four general managers, and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan Facing scrutiny and evaluation in the weight room and on the field, he ran 4.49 in the 40-yard dash and posted 34 inches in the vertical jump and 9’10” in the broad jump.

“I thought it went as good as it could go,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “I got mostly everything that I wanted accomplished.”

Once he strapped on his gold cleats and got loose, Arcega-Whiteside’s butterflies disappeared.

“It was nerve-racking for about six days because it’s Pro Day,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “At the end of the day, we’re playing football. As soon as I touched the field, it was like nobody else was here. Once you get here and get warmed up, the nerves go out the window.”

Some have speculated that Arcega-Whiteside (6-2 1/8, 223-pounds) could be a late first or early second selection in the NFL Draft from April 25-27.

“You always wonder,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “Wherever I go is where I’m going to go. I know the team that drafts me is the team I want to go to because they want me.”

David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, thinks someone will be happy they chose Arcega-Whiteside.

“I would say the two things I know for sure are that JJ Arcega-Whiteside can change field position and he can score touchdowns,” Sha said. “You can look at his game and pick it apart, but those are two things that have been consistent on this level, in high school, and will be consistent on the next level.”

Asked why Stanford has become a pipeline to the NFL, Arcega-Whiteside said, “We’ve got ballers here. I play with them and practice with them every day and they make me better. I’m just proud to be part of this program.”

Other former Stanford players who participated were Joey Alfieri, Jake Bailey, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Jesse Burkett, Keller Chryst, Brandon Fanaika, A.T. Hall, Nate Herbig, Alijah Holder, Trenton Irwin, Bryce Love, Alameen Murphy, Bobby Okereke, and Kaden Smith.

Following a welcome from Shaw, players who did not attend the recent NFL Combine were available for classroom questions. Then, everyone moved to the weight room for the vertical jump, broad jump and bench press.

Former Cardinal standouts Solomon Thomas and Joshua Garnett, now members of the 49ers, were among the interested onlookers.

“Got some work in and came back to see the young bucks,” Garnett said.

Thomas did the same and sprinted down the back steps just in time to watch Alfieri hoist his first bench press.

“Come on, Joey!” Thomas yelled.

Nervous family members watched and paced in the back. While they were under strict orders not to cheer, current and former players picked up the slack, encouraging, clapping and cheering.

Burkett and Fanaika led the group with 23 bench press reps. Hall hit 18 reps, Alfieri completed 17, and Okereke had 16.

Brandt-Sims ran the fastest 40 time at 4.47 and Alfieri ran 4.49. Okereke timed 7.03 in the three-cone drill.

Alfieri’s vertical leap measured 33.5 inches, while Chryst also touched that same mark.

Late-season injuries sidelined Love and Irwin, but both were present and vocal supporters of their former Cardinal teammates.

“Right now, I’m just getting on the straight line running,” said Love. “Starting to get on the treadmill and all that. I’m feeling good. Workout-wise, I’m pretty much doing all the exercises I want to do. On-the-field, hopefully in a few more weeks.”

Love hasn’t given much thought to when he will be picked in the NFL Draft. He’s training in Pensacola, Florida.

“Right now, I’m just focusing on the things I can control,” Love said. “At the end of the day, making sure I am in the physical shape I need to be. From there, I know what I am as a player. I’m confident in that. Whatever team I go to, I know what I’m working for and towards.”

Stanford Pro Timing Day was broadcasted by ESPN3 and taped by the NFL Network. Notables in attendance included ex-Stanford standouts John Lynch, GM of the 49ers, and Christian McCaffrey, a breakout star for the Carolina Panthers. In addition to Shanahan, Oakland GM Mike Mayock, Buffalo General Manager Brandon Beane and New England Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio were also on hand.

Under Shaw, the Cardinal has produced 30 draft picks, including six first-round selections since the 2012 NFL Draft, the most of any Pac-12 conference program. Andrew Luck was the No. 1 overall choice in 2012. In 2017, Thomas was taken third overall by the 49ers, the highest defensive pick in program history. McCaffrey was selected eighth in the same draft by the Panthers.

Stanford has produced 25 NFL Draft first-round picks and has had 263 players drafted by NFL teams since 1936. Four Cardinal players have been chosen in the first round in the last four years.

“They’re showing off all the hard work they’ve put in,” Shaw said. “We remind them your film is the most important thing. But you want to come out here and show you’re willing to work and execute. Our guys ran fast, jumped high, and as usual, knocked out all the interviews, because they’re great kids. It’s been a great day.”

Asked why Stanford continues to churn out so many NFL players, Shaw said it wasn’t by accident.

“We talk about recruiting the trifecta,” Shaw said. “We want high academics, high character and great football players. We want to bring in guys who have aspirations to play this game at the highest level. We want that to be the mentality here. We run NFL schemes in all three phases.”

Shaw and McCaffrey had a long conversation on the field.

“It was great to see him,” said Shaw. “He has always said he wants to come back during the offseason and be around this place. He loves this place and the people. It’s such a great time here, on the field and off. And his best friends are here. I love that fact that he’s here to be around our current players, because he’s the example of how to train hard, how to work hard and play at a high level. And at the same time, be a great person and a great leader. He’s doing the same thing on the next level, which is not a surprise to any of us.”

McCaffrey is a Love fan.

“Everything he brought to Stanford in college he can bring to the NFL,” McCaffrey said. “He’s an every-down back with all of the attributes you want in a back. He’s dedicated, he breaks tackles, he’s smart. It was an honor to play with him and watch him. Wherever he goes, he’s going make a team better.”

The second session of spring practice resumed this week and culminates with the Spring Game on April 13 in Cagan Stadium at 1 pm. An open practice will be held on Saturday from 10:10 am- 12:10 pm.

Stanford men’s basketball news and notes

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

It’s the offseason and there’s not much to cheer about the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team, but I’m going to compile a list of the latest news and notes for those of you who still happen to be interested in the team.

March 21st

Sophomore forward KZ Okpala named to the NABC All-District Team.

Okpala continued to earn postseason accolades. The Cardinal standout was a Second Team All-District selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Okpala, who was also a First Team All-Pac-12 selection and a First Team United States Basketball Writers Association pick, was voted a semifinalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

Okpala led Stanford in scoring at 16.8 PPG in his second year at The Farm. He ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring with the second-most 20-point games (15) in the conference. He also ranks 17th in the conference in rebounding (5.7 RPG), and 12th in defensive rebounding (4.5 DRPG). During the regular season, he finished fifth in the conference in scoring (17.5 PPG).

Okpala scored a career-high 30 points in the win at Cal in February. He recorded four consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his career in the middle of the conference season, achieving the mark against Arizona (29), Arizona State (21), Washington (22) and Utah (22). He earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in November after averaging 29.0 ppg in victories over Seattle and UNC Wilmington. He finished his sophomore season at The Farm with a pair of double-doubles, posting 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Pac-12 opener against UCLA and 20 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener against Seattle.

Stanford completed the season 15-16 overall and 8-10 in the Pac-12.

March 27th

Stanford joins Butler, Missouri and Oklahoma as part of standout field in Kansas City.

Stanford will play in the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic at Sprint Center in Kansas City this November.

“We are excited to be a part of the Hall of Fame Classic,” said Jerod Haase, Stanford’s Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball. “It is a great field at an outstanding venue. Playing in Kansas City and exploring the Hall of Fame will be a great experience for our team. We look forward to the opportunity to compete in a high-level tournament against some of the best teams in the country.”

The Cardinal is part of the championship rounds of the tournament alongside Butler, Missouri and Oklahoma. The semifinal rounds will be held on Monday, November 25, with the finals taking place on Tuesday, November 26. All four contests will be aired on the ESPN family of networks.

Matchups and game times for the tournament will be announced at a later date.

This marks Stanford’s second appearance in the Hall of Fame Classic. Stanford was part of the 2006 tournament, then named the CBE Classic. Stanford fell to Air Force in the second round of the 2006 tournament.

Stanford is 2-1 all-time against Oklahoma, with its last meeting against the Sooners coming in the 1997 NCAA Tournament in Tucson, Arizona. Stanford’s 1-2 all-time against Butler, having last faced the Bulldogs in 2011. Stanford fell in its only meeting against Missouri, dropping a 78-70 decision to the Tigers at the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

The Hall of Fame Classic is part of Hall of Fame Weekend, which also includes the 14th annual induction ceremony for the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. That event will take place on Sunday, November 24 in Kansas City.

For more information on the Hall of Fame Classic, visit www.halloffameweekend.com.

April 1st

Todd Lichti will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

One of Stanford’s all-time greats is set to be recognized among college basketball’s all-time greats. Todd Lichti, who starred at Stanford from 1985-89, will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lichti is part of a prestigious 2019 class that includes Indiana’s Calbert Cheaney, Duke’s Shane Battier, Purdue’s Terry Dischinger, Providence’s Ernie DiGregorio, UNLV’s Larry Johnson, and former coaches Homer Drew, Lute Olson and the late Rick Majerus. The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 24 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City.

“I thought my basketball award days were long behind me,” Lichti said. “It’s humbling to be part of this conversation so many years on, let alone to now be a member of this select group. I struggle somewhat to put this into context coming from everyday beginnings, the son of two school teachers, and returning there in my life now where I suppose I’m most comfortable.”

“I must thank my teammates and coaching staff while at Stanford,” Lichti continued. “They worked as hard as I did to achieve what we did and from whom I learned much. My family has always been an incredible support system since my childhood — and now my wife and son are.

“One of the first things I did upon hearing the news was look at the list of players already inducted searching for one name — Hank Luisetti,” Lichti added. “He was there and that made it okay for me to be included.”

Lichti will be the second National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee from Stanford in the last three years. Mike Montgomery was a 2016 inductee.

“When I arrived at Stanford, there was a group that was very hungry for success,” said Montgomery, who coached the Stanford program from 1987-2004. “Todd was the clear leader of this group and commanded the respect from everyone around him. He was very talented and possessed the charge to lead our program to success it had not seen in nearly five decades. I am very proud of his accomplishments at Stanford and beyond. He is an outstanding person who deserves to be recognized among college basketball’s greatest of all-time. I look forward to celebrating his enshrinement this November.”

A three-time All-America selection, Lichti is one of only four players in conference history and the lone Cardinal to earn all-conference honors each of his four years. One of the most decorated players in program history, Lichti completed his career as Stanford’s leading scorer with 2,336 career points. More than three decades after his graduation, the total ranks second all-time. He scored in double figures in 121 of his 124 career games at The Farm.

Noted as the pioneer behind Stanford’s national rise to basketball prominence, Lichti guided Stanford to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 47 years as a senior in 1989. He was honored as a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press in 1989, also receiving All-America laurels from the United Press International his junior and season seasons. He led Stanford to 76 wins over his four years as a Cardinal.

Lichti’s career scoring average of 18.8 PPG ranks third all-time. Along with his scoring totals, the standout guard ranks among the leaders in program history in field goals made (second, 820), rebounds (15th, 697), assists (11th, 304), steals (fourth, 156), three-point field goal percentage (second, .477), field goal percentage (14th, .538), free throws made (third, 584), free throw percentage (fifth, .840), and starts (fourth, 119).

“Todd was the greatest player I had the good fortune to play with,” said Andrew Vlahov, Lichti’s Stanford teammate for two seasons. “His intelligence, competitive spirit and friendship played a large role in shaping my own attitudes as a student-athlete at Stanford and beyond. His basketball talents were incredible and are well documented, but people should also know that his character, integrity and humanity are also world class. A deserving recipient and one that all Stanford past and present students and faculty can be extremely proud of.”

Lichti was the 15th overall selection and first pick of the Denver Nuggets in the 1989 NBA Draft. He played five seasons in the NBA, where he averaged nearly eight points per game for his career. He later starred for several seasons in the Australian National Basketball League for the Perth Wildcats until he retired from basketball.

Lichti was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.

“Todd is certainly one of college basketball’s all-time greats,” Stanford head coach Jerod Haase said. “It has been a true privilege to get to know him since I arrived at Stanford. His tremendous achievements on the court are only a piece of what he has accomplished as a professional, a husband and a father. This is a well-deserved honor and we look forward to celebrating along with Todd in Kansas City in November.”

The Hall of Fame’s 14th induction celebration in Kansas City will precede the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic, which will feature Stanford in its four-team field alongside Butler, Missouri and Oklahoma.

April 2nd

Josh Sharma has been selected to play in the NABC College All-Star Game at the Final Four.

All-Pac-12 standout Josh Sharma has been selected to play in the National Association of Basketball Coaches College All-Star Game, which features 20 of the nation’s most outstanding seniors in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.

The College All-Star Game will be held this Friday, April 5 at 1:30 pm PT on the court at the NCAA Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The game is free to attend and open to the public. The contest will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Sharma was selected to the 10-man West All-Star Team after a standout senior season on The Farm. He was a candidate for the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player Award and established a school record for field goal percentage in a season. His mark of .673 was not only a program record, it was the eighth-best field goal percentage in a season in Pac-12 history. He completed his standout career eighth on Stanford’s field goal percentage list, shooting .563 for his career.

Sharma was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection as a senio  after finishing the year as the conference’s field goal percentage leader and ranking in the top-10 in the league in offensive rebounds (third, 2.6 ORPG), blocks (seventh, 1.4 BPG) and rebounds (ninth, 7.1 RPG). He averaged 11.3 PPG and 8.2 RPG during Pac-12 play, posting double-doubles in five of his final seven games. Sharma averaged 14.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG in those seven games.

Sharma collected Pac-12 Player of the Week honors twice during the season. He was first recognized in late December after a 23-point, 18-rebound performance in the win over Long Beach State. He was honored again after posting a double-double in a sweep of UCLA and USC in February.

The full rosters for both the East and West teams for the NABC College All-Star Game are available on the NABC’s website.

Stanford football’s Pro Day to take place on Thursday

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

The Stanford Cardinal football team’s NFL Pro Timing Day will take place Thursday at Siebel Practice Field starting at 11 am PT. ESPN3 will broadcast the high-profile event with Troy Clardy ’97 and Tank Williams ’02 on the call.

15 former Stanford student-athletes are expected to showcase their skills in the weight room and on the field. Those 15 include linebacker Joey Alfieri, wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, punter Jake Bailey, wide receiver Isaiah Brandt-Sims, center Jesse Burkett, quarterback Keller Chryst, offensive lineman Brandon Fanaika, offensive lineman A.T. Hall, defensive back Alijah Holder, offensive lineman Nate Herbig, wide receiver Trenton Irwin, running back Bryce Love, defensive back Alameen Murphy, linebacker Bobby Okereke, and tight end Kaden Smith.

Stanford’s Pro Day will operate with a similar format to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis each winter.

The day will consist of classroom testing, weight room evaluations, on-field agility drills and football-specific position drills.

In the morning, select participants will begin in the weight room with measurables such as vertical leap, broad jump and bench press. After that, they’ll participate in the outdoor portion of the event. The outdoor drills are open to the public and admission is free.

On the field, select participants will be timed in the 40-yard dash, 5-10-5 shuttle, three-cone agility and position-specific drills.

Stanford will host its annual Cardinal and White Spring Game at Cagan Stadium on Saturday, April 13 at 1 pm PT. Admission is free and players will be available for postgame autographs.

Cal basketball parts ways with coach Wyking Jones after two seasons

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latimes.com file photo: Former Cal Bears head coach Wyking Jones who coached the team for two season was dismissed on Sunday Mar 24th by Cal

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY — Cal has fired coach Wyking Jones following two, historically subpar seasons that landed the Bears in the Pac-12 basement twice.

Jones was 8-24 last season, and 8-23 this season, the two worst, consecutive seasons in the program’s history. Reports surfaced over the weekend that the athletic department had decided to retain Jones for a third season, but athletic director Jim Knowlton opted for the dismissal supposedly after meeting with the team’s players over the weekend.

“This was a difficult decision to make and comes after a deliberate and holistic review of our men’s basketball program. As always, we were guided by the best interests of our student-athletes, as well as the values and objectives of Cal Athletics and our University. As we quickly turn toward our search for a new head coach for our men’s basketball program, I am certain that we will attract a strong, talented and highly qualified pool of candidates. I am confident that we will find someone who will help lead us on a path to being exceptional.”

A pool of potential successors has emerged, including 2019 NCAA tournament coaches Russell Turner of UC Irvine and Eric Musselman of Nevada. Cal legend Jason Kidd is also a candidate despite his well-known interest in resuming his NBA coaching career.

Jones was fired after completing just two of the five years on his contract, and will receive $3 million to satisfy that deal.

KZ Okpala was a First-Team All-District selection by the USBWA

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By: Ana Kieu

Stanford Cardinal forward KZ Okpala was a First Team All-District selection by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), based on voting from its national membership of more than 900 individuals.

Okpala, who was also a First Team All-Pac-12 pick, led Stanford in scoring at 16.8 PPG in his second year on The Farm. He ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring with the second-most 20-point games (15) in the conference. He also ranks 17th in the conference in rebounding (5.7 RPG), and 12th in defensive rebounding (4.5 DRPG). During the Pac-12 regular season, he finished fifth in the conference in scoring (17.5 PPG).

Okpala, a semifinalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, scored a career-high 30 points in the win at California in February. He recorded four consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his career in the middle of the conference season, achieving the mark against Arizona (29), Arizona State (21), Washington (22) and Utah (22). He arned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in November, after averaging 29.0 ppg in victories over Seattle and UNC Wilmington. He finished his sophomore season on The Farm with a pair of double-doubles, posting 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Pac-12 opener against UCLA and 20 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener against Seattle.

The USBWA All-District IX Team recognized 11 standouts from Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura was the District IX Player of the Year.

Stanford, with 11 of 15 players in their first or second year, completed the season 15-16 overall and 8-10 in the Pac-12.

Cal fends off Stanford 64-59 in final game of regular season

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By: Eric Epstein

PALO ALTO, Calif. — The University of California Golden Bears bested the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavillion Thursday night with a score of 64-59, spoiling Stanford’s Senior Night and last game of the regular season. With their loss, Stanford moved to 8-10 in Pac-12 play, leaving them in 10th place in the conference. Cal improves their Pac-12 record to 3-15, however, they still sit at the bottom of the conference standings.

The Bears dominated the first half, outscoring the Cardinal 37-24. Only a couple minutes into the game, Cal rattled off a 17-0 run over five minutes, extending their lead to 19 points only 10 minutes into the game. Stanford was able to slowly narrow their deficit to 10 points before Cal freshman guard Matt Bradley banked home a long 3-point basket at the half to give the Bears a 13-point lead going into the locker room.

In the first period, Cal shot with much higher efficiency from Stanford everywhere except for the foul line. The Bears made 6 out of their 10 3-point attempts, whereas the Cardinal were not able to connect on any of their 12 tries.

7-foot-3 freshman Connor Vanover provided the Cal offense with a red-hot shooting spree, scoring his 18 first-half points on 7-8 shooting, including connecting on all 4 of his three-point attempts.

The first half Stanford offense ran through sophomore forward KZ Okpala, who scored 13 points on 6-8 shooting. Stanford struggled mightily with ball security and playmaking, as they turned the ball over 8 times and only totaled 3 assists. With usual starting point guard Daejon Davis still sidelined with a foot injury, the bulk of the ballhandling was done by freshman guards Bryce Wills and Cormac Ryan.

Cal scored three straight buckets to open the second half, increasing their lead to a game-high 21 points. The two squads traded off bursts of scoring until Stanford was able to string together some quick baskets and defensive stops to decrease the lead to single digits with 4 minutes left in the game. After missing their first 21 3-point attempts, Stanford hit 3 straight 3-pointers down the stretch to work the Cal lead down to a measly 3 points. However, Vanover responded on the other end, drawing an and-one foul on a shot under the basket. After that, the Cardinal were forced to play the foul game and could not make up the 6 point deficit incurred in the final minute.

Vanover led the game in scoring with 24 points on 9-12 shooting and 5-6 from three. Bradley and junior guard Paris Austin also lit up the scoreboard with 14 and 15 points, respectively. Sophomore forward Justice Sueing also pitched in a notable effort of his own, scoring 9 points and 10 rebounds en route to a near double-double. Only 5 Cal players got on the scoreboard Thursday evening, and the Bears bench was only able to scrape 2 points together over the course of the whole game.

Okpala led the Cardinal in scoring yet again with 21 points on 9-14 shooting. Senior center Josh Sharma put on a good show for Senior Night with 11 points and 13 rebounds, however, his game was cut a couple of minutes short due to his fifth personal foul. Ryan, who missed his first 7 shots, caught on fire down the stretch for 8 points on 3 shots. He also recorded a very impressive no-look overhead pass from his back to a streaking Marcus Sheffield for a transition bucket late in the second half.

This marks the last game for the Cardinal before the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas next week. This game likely marks the last home game for graduating senior Josh Sharma as well as sophomore KZ Okpala, who is expected to enter the NBA Draft this summer.

Stanford closes out the season against Cal Thursday night

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Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

By: Ana Kieu

Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball fought all the way, but came up just short in Sunday’s 62-61 loss to the Washington Huskies at Maples Pavilion. Stanford had a chance to win on the game’s final possession, but KZ Okpala’s shot at the buzzer was no good and Stanford fell to Washington.

Josh Sharma scored 16 to go along with 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, before Washington forced a pair of turnovers in the final 2:37 to gain an advantage. A Sharma basket put Stanford back on top with 1:51 to go, but Washington got consecutive baskets from Nowell to go on top for good.

Oscar da Silva added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinal.

Now, Stanford (15-14, 8-9 Pac-12) has another conference foe, Cal (7-22, 2-15 Pac-12), to host at Maples Thursday night. Well, it’s not going to be friendly, as these two teams are conference foes and the same thing will be applied to their respective fanbases. Stanford has one goal in mind and that’s to beat Cal, but that’s easier said than done. Although Cal is the equivalent of San Jose State in the Pac-12, Cal might unleash their anger on Stanford. But you never know which Stanford team will show up so this may turn out to be a down-to-the-wire Pac-12 clash.

By the way, Stanford teamed up with Coaching for Literacy in Sunday’s game. Cardinal head coach Jerod Haase and company wore green ties, lapel pins and wristbands to raise awareness and support the #Fight4Literacy cause.

Oh, and before I forget, Cardinal guard Cormac Ryan ranks third among freshmen in school history with 47 three-pointers.

Washington escapes Maples with a 62-61 win over the Cardinal

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Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

By: Eric Epstein

PALO ALTO, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal fell to the Pac-12-leading Washington Huskies by 1 point on Sunday afternoon. KZ Okpala’s missed 3-point attempt as the buzzer sounded would have given Stanford the win had it been good, but with its miss, Washington walked away with a narrow victory.

Coming off a 3-point loss to Cal, yet still clinching the Pac-12 regular season title on Thursday, Washington was never able to fully pull ahead from Stanford and establish itself as the dominant team. In the first half, Stanford held a single-digit lead for the first seven minutes, until Washington took over and held a lead for all but a minute and a half of the remainder of the period. In the second half, Stanford managed to grab some brief leads throughout the first 15 minutes, but the scoreboard was still mostly controlled by Washington. However, down the stretch, the teams traded off buckets and experienced 4 lead changes—no margin higher than 3 points. 2 straight jumpers by sophomore Husky guard Jaylen Nowell in the final minute and a half of play proved to be too much for Stanford to come back from as they could only scrape together one basket in the rest of regulation.

Washington outscored Stanford 29-33 in a slow-paced first half that featured 17 total turnovers and a combined 29.8% shooting percentage from the field. Sophomores KZ Okpala and Oscar da Silva, as well as senior Josh Sharma, saw limited playing time in the first period as they all picked up 2 personal fouls.

Out of the 10 players that saw first-half time for the Cardinal, only 5 recorded points, and only 4 of those connected on any of their field goal attempts.

The teams played much cleaner basketball in the second half, shooting a combined 52% from the floor, including a remarkable 56% from downtown.

The Pac-12 leader in field goal percentage in Josh Sharma led the second half in total points with 10. He also pitched in 6 rebounds to finish with game-leading 16 points and 14 rebounds. Freshman guard Cormac Ryan caught on fire during the second half, shooting 3-4 from deep, finishing with 13 points. Da Silva was the third double-digit scorer for Stanford, totaling 15 points on 5-8 shooting along with 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

Overall, Stanford shot 40% from the field and after going 0-8 on threes in the first half, they shot 6-9 from deep in the second period to bring their percentage up to 35%.

Nowell, who finished with 13 points on 6-11 shooting, was the leading scorer for Washington. Disturbed by primary ball handler and point guard David Crisp’s assist-less effort, Washington did not pass the ball well at all and finished with only 7 points at 14 turnovers.

Like Washington, the Cardinal also dealt with passing and playmaking struggles. Stanford played the whole game without their starting point guard in sophomore Daejon Davis, who is still hurt from a foot injury that he suffered in Stanford’s last game against Washington State. The Cardinal greatly missed Davis’ playmaking abilities, as they tallied a terrible assist to turnover ratio at 10:19.

To round out their regular season and make one final push for Pac-12 tournament seeding, Stanford will host Cal on Thursday evening at Maples.

Stanford continues homestand against No. 25 Washington on Sunday afternoon

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Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

By: Ana Kieu

Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball lit up the scoreboard, got the conference win and snapped a two-game losing skid with a 98-50 rout of the Washington State Cougars inside Maples Pavilion Thursday evening. Moreover, it’s safe to say that the Cardinal clobbered the Cougars after suffering back-to-back defeats in the Grand Canyon State at the hands of the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats on February 20th and February 24th.

In the win over WSU, Stanford (15-13, 8-8 Pac-12) was led by KZ Okpala, who scored 22 points.

“I made the right plays tonight,” Okpala said. “We were all locked in with each other. We came out and did what we had to do.”

Cormac Ryan hit four 3-pointers as well. This led to the Cardinal earning their chance to extend their winning streak against the Cougars to six games.

“I thought our energy level was off the charts,” Stanford head coach Jerod Haase said. “I loved our energy defensively.”

No. 25 Washington watched their three-game winning streak come to an end Thursday night as the Cardinal’s rival, the Cal Golden Bears, edged the road team 76-73 for the upset. Not only that, Cal finally snapped their 16-game losing skid, which was a great feeling for the players and coaches to say the very least. But as you might’ve guessed, this will likely be a challenge for Stanford, who has been rather wishy-washy this season. Stanford can put on a show or simply freeze into ice on the hardwood.

The Cardinal’s second to last home game at Maples will be against No. 25 Washington Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm PST on the Pac-12 Network. Yes, Stanford has home court advantage, but there’s a reason or two on why Washington found its way back into the AP polls, so the Cardinal has to put on another spectacular performance to prove that they can, too, be a hot-shooting team.

I predict that the Cardinal will fall to No. 25 Washington 75-73. After all, No. 25 Washington likely wants to be crowned as Pac-12 Champions. All they need is one win in the Bay Area to do just that.