STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford is back in action Saturday night against Arizona State at Maples Pavilion. The 8 p.m. PT contest closes a three-game homestand for the Cardinal, who is 8-4 at home this season.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Stanford has played the third-toughest schedule in the nation, according to ESPN’s Daily RPI on Jan. 22. Arizona, was Stanford’s sixth consecutive opponent that is receiving votes or ranked in the top-25 of either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches national poll. The Cardinal’s first 17 opponents have totaled 210 wins (12.4 average) through Jan. 21. The seven teams - SMU, Villanova, Saint Mary’s, Texas, Colorado, Oregon and Arizona - Stanford suffered setbacks to are a combined 108-22 through Jan. 21. Stanford’s RPI is 48 through games of Jan. 21.
AGAINST ARIZONA STATE
Stanford leads the all-time series against Arizona State, 47-33. The Cardinal has captured nine of the last 12 games against the Sun Devils. Stanford has defeated Arizona State four consecutive times at home. The last time ASU defeated Stanford at Maples Pavilion was Feb. 25, 2010.
THE DUKE CONNECTION
Former Duke All-Americans, Johnny Dawkins and Bobby Hurley, have yet to face each other during their coaching careers. Hurley will be just the second former Duke player who is now a head coach, that Dawkins will face as the head coach at Stanford. The Cardinal defeated Northwestern, coached by former Blue Devil Chris Collins (71-58) on Nov. 14, 2013 at Maples Pavilion. Stanford Assistant Athletic Director/Director of Basketball Operations, Jeff LaMere, and Hurley were part of the Duke Basketball program at the same time. LaMere was a student manager for the Blue Devils when Hurley was a player.
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE SUN DEVILS
Stanford split the season series with Arizona State last year, posting an 89-70 victory over the Sun Devils at home and dropping a 67-62 decision to ASU in Tempe, Ariz. In the win at Maples last season, Chasson Randle (21), Anthony Brown (21) and Stefan Nastic (20) each scored at least 20 points. The Cardinal shot better than 70 percent in the first half of that contest.
In the second meeting of the season, ASU pulled out a five-point win (67-62) in Tempe. Randle, (16), Nastic (16), and Brown (13) accounted for 45 of the Cardinal’s 62 points. Michael Humphrey was forced out of the game with a sprained left ankle just four minutes into the contest.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 12/11 Arizona posted a 71-57 victory over Stanford at Maples Pavilion on Thursday night. The Cardinal erased an early deficit and took its first lead of the game (40-39) with 14:19 remaining, but the Wildcats out-scored Stanford, 32-17, the rest of the way. Marcus Sheffield matched his career-high with 17 points.
Verhoeven’s and-1 gives the Cardinal their first lead of the night. Stanford up 40-39. #GoStanford https://t.co/tSTWJNlfwP
— Stanford Men's Hoops (@stanfordbball) January 22, 2016
150 AND COUNTING
Head Coach Johnny Dawkins, captured his 150th career victory in Stanford’s 78-72 victory over Oregon State on Jan. 6. Dawkins, who owns a 151-107 career coaching record in his eighth season at Stanford, has taken the Cardinal to the postseason each of the last four seasons, winning at least 20 games in three of the past four years. Under Dawkins, Stanford has won two NIT titles and reached the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
Stanford’s balanced scoring attack includes five guys averaging double figures - Rosco Allen (13.9), Reid Travis (12.8), Marcus Allen (12.6), Dorian Pickens (11.5) and Michael Humphrey (10.6). The Cardinal is one of just three teams in the Pac-12 (USC and UCLA are the others) to have at least five individuals averaging double figures in the scoring column this season.
SHEFFIELD IN PAC-12 PLAY
Freshman Marcus Sheffield is averaging 11.0 points in 24.2 minutes per game in six Pac-12 contests, after averaging 4.0 points in 11.2 minutes in the Cardinal’s 11 nonconference games.
SOPHOMORE IMPACT
The sophomore class has played a major role in the Cardinal’s success this season. Despite playing without injured point guard Robert Cartwright all season and without injured forward Reid Travis’ 12.8 ppg average the last nine games, Michael Humphrey (10.6 ppg) and Dorian Pickens (11.5 ppg) have each started the last nine games and have accounted for 36.2 percent of the scoring (225-of-621) during those nine contests.
THE LINEUP
Rosco Allen, the lone Cardinal from Stanford’s starting lineup in the 2015 NIT Championship game against Miami, has started all 17 games this season. The Cardinal has used six different lineups in its first 16 games. In the last eight contests, Stanford utilized the lineup of Rosco Allen, Marcus Allen, Michael Humphrey, Christian Sanders and Dorian Pickens. The Cardinal owns a 5-3 record with its current lineup.
PRODUCING IN INCREASED ROLES
Stanford’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 53.4 points in 144.2 (28.8 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 | 34.0 | 13.9 |
| Marcus Allen | 22.8 | 6.4 | 33.2 | 12.6 |
| Reid Travis | 23.1 | 6.2 | 32.8 | 12.8 |
| Dorian Pickens | 8.6 | 2.0 | 29.6 | 11.5 |
| Michael Humphrey | 1.3 | 3.1 | 24.5 | 10.6 |
| Christian Sanders | 7.8 | 0.7 | 22.9 | 4.8 |
| TOTALS | 100.0 | 25.7 | 177.0 | 66.2 |
ROSCO ALLEN FROM DEEP
Nearly half of Rosco Allen’s field goals (33-of-73) have come from three-point range. The senior ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in three-point field goals per game (1.9). He has recorded multiple three-pointers in 11 games with at least three on six occasions. He has totaled 25 in the last 12 games.
HUMPHREY’S LAST NINE GAMES
Sophomore Michael Humphrey, who is averaging 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds overall, is averaging 12.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg in his last nine contests. The forward has played the last nine games without fellow starting forward Reid Travis, who is out indefinitely with a stress reaction in his leg. The sophomore ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.7 bpg) and 13th in rebounds (6.8 rpg). Humphrey has started 15 games, including each of the last 13 contests. The forward posted a career-high 21 points against Sacramento State. He has two double-doubles with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Green Bay and 13 points and 12 rebounds vs. Charleston Southern.
MARCUS ALLEN EXCELLING ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR
Junior Marcus Allen has scored in double figures in 11 of the 15 games he has played in this season. He ranks third on the Cardinal in scoring, averaging 12.6 ppg. The guard recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over California. He is also averaging 2.1 assists and ranks second in the Pac-12 in steals (1.7).
PICKENS PROVIDES SCORING PUNCH
Sophomore Dorian Pickens is fourth on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and is second on the team with 27 three-pointers. Pickens had a career-best 24 points (on six, three-pointers) against Texas. He posted his first career double-double, with 11 points and a career-best 10 rebounds against No. 8 Villanova. The sophomore, who is averaging 29.6 minutes this season, averaged 2.1 points in 9.8 minutes last season.