STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford closes out both the calendar year and nonconference play on Sunday evening with a 6 p.m. PT game against Carroll College at Maples Pavilion. The game is the fifth in a season-long seven-game homestand for the Cardinal. Sunday’s contest will air live on Pac-12 Networks, with JB Long and Steve Lavin on the call courtside. Stanford alums John Platz and Scott Reiss will have the call on KNBR 1050 AM.
BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
Stanford’s balanced scoring attack includes four guys averaging more than 12 ppg. The Cardinal is one of just two teams in the Pac-12 (UCLA is the other) to have four guys average at least 12.8 ppg. Rosco Allen (13.8 ppg) ranks 17th in the Pac-12 in scoring, while Dorian Pickens (13.0 ppg) ranks 25th, and Marcus Allen (12.8 ppg) and Reid Travis (12.8 ppg) are tied for 27th.
HOME SWEET HOME
Stanford has won five of its first seven home games of the 2015-16 season and has won eight of its last 10 at home overall. The Cardinal owns a 97-32 record 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.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Stanford’s first 10 opponents have totaled 70 victories already this season through Dec. 23. The four teams - SMU, Villanova, Saint Mary’s and Texas - the Cardinal has suffered setbacks to this season own a combined record of 38-6 this season through Dec. 23.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Stanford ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with a .365 three-point field goal percentage. The duo of Rosco Allen and Dorian Pickens has combined to shoot 40-of-99 (.404) this season. Allen leads the Cardinal with 21 three-pointers, while Pickens has 19. Pickens registered a career-high six three-pointers (6-of-7) in Stanford’s game against Texas.
SOPHOMORE IMPACT
Stanford’s sophomore class has played a major role in the Cardinal’s success this season. Despite playing without injured point guard Robert Cartwright, the unit that includes Reid Travis (12.8 ppg), Michael Humphrey (9.8 ppg) and Dorian Pickens (13.0 ppg) has accounted for 46.0 percent of Stanford’s points this season. Starting forwards Travis (7.1 rpg) and Humphrey (6.7 rpg) have accounted for 33.8 percent of the Cardinal’s rebounds this season. Travis has missed the last two games and is out indefinitely with a leg injury.
ROSCO ALLEN FROM DEEP
Rosco Allen is averaging 13.8 ppg this season. Nearly half of his field goals (21-of-43) have come from three-point range. The senior ranks ninth in the Pac-12, shooting 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from beyond the arc. He has recorded multiple three-pointers in seven of Stanford’s 10 games with at least three in a contest five times. He has totaled 13 three-pointers in his last five games.
PRODUCING IN INCREASED ROLES
With the graduation of starters Chasson Randle, Anthony Brown and Stefan Nastic following last season, several members of the Cardinal have stepped in to increased roles this year. The Cardinal’s current lineup of Rosco Allen, Marcus Allen, Michael Humphrey, Dorian Pickens and Christian Sanders combined to average 23.7 points in 91.4 (18.3 per player) minutes per game last season. That same group is averaging a combined 55.6 points in 142.7 (28.5 per player) minutes this year.
| Producing In Increased Roles | ||||
| Player | Minutes (14-15) | Points (14-15) | Minutes (15-16) | Points (15-16) |
| Rosco Allen | 26.4 | 7.3 | 35.0 | 13.8 |
| Marcus Allen | 22.8 | 6.4 | 32.2 | 12.8 |
| Reid Travis | 23.1 | 6.2 | 32.8 | 12.8 |
| Michael Humphrey | 11.3 | 3.1 | 23.3 | 9.8 |
| Christian Sanders | 7.8 | 0.7 | 24.0 | 6.2 |
| Dorian Pickens | 8.6 | 2.0 | 28.2 | 13.0 |
| TOTALS | 100.0 | 25.7 | 175.5 | 68.4 |
NEW LOOK LINEUP
Rosco Allen was the lone Cardinal from Stanford’s starting lineup in the 2015 postseason NIT Championship game against Miami, who has started all 10 games this season. The Cardinal has used six different starting lineups in its first 10 games. Most recently, Stanford utilized the lineup of Rosco Allen, Marcus Allen, Michael Humphrey, Christian Sanders and Dorian Pickens.
STRONG START FOR MARCUS ALLEN
Junior Marcus Allen scored 18 points in 24 minutes in his season debut against SMU after missing the first two games with a foot injury. Allen was inserted into the starting lineup the next game against Saint Mary’s, where he finished with 14 points in 28 minutes. The shooting guard has scored in double figures in six of the eight games he has played in this season. He ranks third on the Cardinal in scoring, averaging 12.8 ppg.
HUMPHREY FILLING UP THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore Michael Humphrey is averaging 9.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game this season. He ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in blocks per game. Humphrey has started eight of Stanford’s 10 games, including each of the last six contests. The forward, who posted a career-high 21 points against Sacramento State last time out, has two double-doubles with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Green Bay and 13 points and 12 rebounds vs. Charleston Southern. He has four career double-doubles in 40 career games.
PICKENS PROVIDES SCORING PUNCH
Sophomore Dorian Pickens is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.0 ppg. He also ranks second in three-pointers with 19. Pickens has registered 12, three-pointers and totaled 60 points in his last three games, also scoring 20 against Sacramento State and 16 against DePaul. He connected on a career-high six three-pointers on 6-of-7 shooting en route to a career-best 24 points against Texas. The sophomore posted his first career double-double, with 11 points and a career-best 10 rebounds against No. 8 Villanova. After averaging 2.1 points in 9.8 minutes last season, he ranks second on the team in scoring this season with 13.0 points in 28.2 minutes.
SANDERS, THE FLOOR GENERAL
After totaling 81 points in 61 games over his first three seasons at Stanford, senior point guard Christian Sanders has combined to record 62 points in 10 contests this year. He scored a career-high 23 points in a career-long 31 minutes in the season-opening win over Green Bay. The senior is also averaging 3.1 assists per game with a career-best eight in the win over Charleston Southern on Nov. 15.
FRESHMEN MAKING IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTIONS
The Cardinal’s three-member freshman class of Josh Sharma, Marcus Sheffield and Cameron Walker have each seen action this season. Sheffield is the lone newcomer to see time in all 10 contests, earning the start in the season opener against Green Bay. Walker, who missed the first four games of the year with a calf injury, has totaled 54 minutes in six games. Sharma has registered eight blocks in 48 minutes over eight games.