STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford, 1-0 after Friday night’s season-opening victory over Green Bay, welcomes Charleston Southern of the Big South Conference Sunday at 5 p.m. at Maples Pavilion. 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 with JB Long and Steve Lavin on the call. Sunday’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 Sunday’s game.
OPENING NIGHT VICTORY
Stanford used a late charge to come-from-behind and beat Green Bay in overtime. Lots of notable achievements, but senior point guard Christian Sanders’ career-high 23 points in his ninth career start highlighted the Cardinal individual against Green Bay. Stanford saw six different players score in double figures in the balanced scoring attack.
NEW LOOK LINEUP
Rosco Allen was the lone Cardinal from Stanford’s starting lineup in the 2015 postseason NIT Championship game against Miami was also in the starting five for Friday’s season opener. Allen was joined in the lineup by freshman Marcus Sheffield, sophomores Reid Travis and Dorian Pickens, senior Christian Sanders. Sheffield became the second freshman in as many years (Reid Travis started last year) to start his first collegiate 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.
SANDERS CONTROLS OFFENSE
Senior Christian Sanders finished Friday’s season opener with a career-best 23 points in 31 minutes of action. He more than doubled his previous career-high of 12 vs. Belmont during the 2012-13 season.
STANFORD WINS SEVENTH STRAIGHT SEASON OPENER
With Friday’s win over Green Bay, Stanford is 83-18 all-time in season openers. The Cardinal has won 26 of its past 28 openers. Stanford has won each of its last seven season opener, and is 7-1 in season openers under head coach Johnny Dawkins. The Cardinal opened at home for the fifth time in the last six years.
WHAT RETURNS
Nine members of the Cardinal returned 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 returned 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.
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.
HOME SWEET HOME
Stanford opened the 2015-16 season with a win at Maples and is now 93-30 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.