STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford begins its 101st season of basketball as the Cardinal tips off the 2015-16 campaign Friday at 6 p.m. PT against Green Bay. It is the first ever meeting between the two schools on the basketball court.
The game will be televised nationally on the Pac-12 Networks during its “Full Court Friday” showcase featuring nine conference games. Friday's game will also be carried live on KNBR 1050 AM as Stanford alums Scott Reiss (play-by-play) and John Platz (analyst) have the call courtside from Maples. KZSU 90.1 FM, Stanford's student radio station will also provide live coverage of Friday's game.
NIT SEASON TIP-OFF
Stanford was selected to play in the 2015 NIT Season Tip-Off, with the championship round games set for Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Cardinal will face Villanova at 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and matchup against either Arkansas or Georgia Tech on Nov. 27 at either 9:30 a.m. or 12 p.m. PT, depending on the outcome of the games on Nov. 26. Friday's game against Green Bay and Sunday's contest with Charleston Southern are also part of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.
WHAT RETURNS
Nine members of the Cardinal return from last season, including starters Rosco Allen and Marcus Allen. In all, three members of last year's team who averaged more than 20 minutes per game return this year in Rosco Allen, Marcus Allen and Reid Travis. The nine returning players have played in a combined 398 games at Stanford, with junior Marcus Allen having played in a team-high 69 contests over his first two seasons with the Cardinal.
TOUR OF ITALY
Stanford enjoyed a 17-day tour of Italy from Aug. 19-Sept. 4, playing six exhibition games against some of the country's top professional teams. The program also had an opportunity to explore the country, visiting Rome, Florence, Venice, Bologna, Como and Pesaro during its exhibition tour.
STANFORD IN SEASON OPENERS
In its 100-year history, the Cardinal sports an 82-18 record in season openers. Stanford has won 25 of its last 27 openers, with the only exceptions coming in 2009 at San Diego and in 2005 against UC Irvine. Stanford, which is 6-1 in season openers under head coach Johnny Dawkins. The Cardinal is opening at home for the fifth time in the last six years.
AGAINST THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Stanford owns a 4-0 record against current members of the Horizon League (3-0 vs. Valparaiso, 1-0 vs. Cleveland State). The Cardinal last played a team from the Horizon League during the 2011-12 season, when it hosted Cleveland State in the first round of the postseason NIT at Maples Pavilion on March 14, 2012. Stanford earned a 77-65 victory over the Vikings.
TRI CAPTAINS
Senior Rosco Allen, junior Marcus Allen and sophomore Reid Travis were voted captains for the 2015-16 season. Combined, the trio has played in 164 career games. All three averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season for the Cardinal.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Sports Illustrated projected sophomore Reid Travis as one of the nation's breakout scorers, while junior Marcus Allen was recognized as one of the nation's projected under the radar breakout players by CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein.
ALLEN, TRAVIS FUEL 2015 POSTSEASON
Both were steady during the regular season, but Marcus Allen and Reid Travis were two key pieces for Stanford during the postseason. During the five-game stretch, Allen averaged 11.4 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 55.0 percent overall, including a career-high 22 points against UC Davis. Travis averaged 6.4 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 50.0 overall while notching his first career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) against UC Davis.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
Stanford's 2015-16 schedule features 17 home games, 11 contests against NCAA Tournament opponents from last season and the program's fourth visit in three years to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
HOME SWEET HOME
Stanford finished 16-3 at home in 2014-15 and is now 92-30 at Maples Pavilion under head coach Johnny Dawkins. Stanford has won at least 10 home games for 22 straight seasons dating back to 1992-93.
TRIO OF NEWCOMERS TO PROVIDE BOOST
Stanford's 2015 class of signees was ranked No. 22 by Rivals.com. The three-member class included Josh Sharma (Lexington, Mass. - Northfield Mount Hermon HS), Marcus Sheffield (Alpharetta, Ga. - Chattahoochee HS) and Cameron Walker (Santa Maria, Calif. - Righetti HS). All three freshmen - top-100 players and four-star prospects - joined the Cardinal on its six-game exhibition tour of Italy this past summer, playing in every game during the 17-day trip.
CARDINAL IN THE NBA
Five former Stanford standouts – Brook Lopez (Brooklyn Nets), Robin Lopez (New York Knicks), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks), Josh Huestis (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Anthony Brown (Los Angeles Lakers) – are currently on NBA rosters. Powell, Huestis and Brown all played under head coach Johnny Dawkins.
STANBACK JOINS CARDINAL
Trevor Stanback, regarded as one of the highest-rated prospects on the West Coast, signed a National Letter of Intent with Stanford Nov. 11. Stanback, a 6-10, 220-pound power forward from Maranatha High School in Pasadena, Calif., is a consensus four-star prospect by the recruiting services. He ranks as the 13th-best power forward in the nation by Scout.com and 68th-best prospect overall. A member of the Rivals100 for the Class of 2016, the group ranks him as the 88th-best prospect nationally. Scout.com ranks the power forward as the third-best prospect in the state of California, while ESPN.com has him as the ninth-best prospect in the Golden State. He is rated the 18th-best power forward nationally by 247Sports.
Stanback, who carries a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, enrolled at Maranatha High School prior to his junior season after attending Chaminade College Prep his first two years. A center at Maranatha, Stanback was limited to eight games with an injury during the 2014-15 season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.0 blocks per game in his first year with the school. He returned for the playoffs, where he helped lead the Minutemen to the Division 4A title this past season. In Maranatha's CIF Southern Section Division 4A championship game against Campbell Hall, Stanback posted 13 rebounds and five blocks.
QUICK LOOK BACK AT 2014-15
Stanford (24-13, 9-9 Pac-12) concluded its 100th season by capturing its second NIT championship in four seasons and third overall in school history. Qualifying for its fourth straight postseason appearance, the Cardinal narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament but bounced back by winning its final five games. Stanford, which was affected by several injuries to lineup regulars, finished ranked No. 34 in the RPI. Stanford's senior trio of Anthony Brown, Stefan Nastic and Chasson Randle accounted for 66.0 percent of the Cardinal's overall scoring and 45.3 percent of its rebounding in 2014-15.
FOUR STRAIGHT POSTSEASONS
Stanford is one of four Pac-12 teams to have appeared in four consecutive postseasons. Arizona earned three straight NCAA berths after reaching the 2012 NIT. Colorado played in the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons before taking part in the 2015 CBI. Oregon reached the NCAA Tournament three years in a row after playing in the 2012 NIT.
A LOOK AT GREEN BAY
Green Bay, which finished 24-9 and advanced to the Horizon League title game last season, begins its first season under head coach Linc Darner. The Phoenix return starters Carrington Love and Jordan Fouse from last year's, both of whom played in all 33 games last season. Love is the team's leading returning scorer (10.0 ppg in 2014- 15).