STANFORD, Calif. - For the first time in 40 days Stanford will play on the road, when the Cardinal faces Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. Wednesday at Gill Coliseum. Stanford, which just completed a seven-game homestand, last played a game away from Maples Pavilion on Nov. 27 - a 69-66 win over Arkansas at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Wednesday’s contest will mark just the second true road game for the Cardinal this season. It’s only other game on an opponent’s home floor was a defeat to Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif. on Nov. 22.
HOW TO FOLLOWESPNU will have the telecast - the third of four-straight games on the channel. Roy Philpot and Adrian Branch will have the call. Stanford alums John Platz and Scott Reiss will have the call courtside on KNBR 1050 AM.
AGAINST OREGON STATEStanford and Oregon State have met 141 times previously. The Beavers hold a 74-67 edge in the all-time series. Stanford has won five of the last six meetings, including a 75-48 victory at home last season.
LAST MEETING WITH THE BEAVERSLed by Michael Humphrey’s 14 points and career-high 15 rebounds, Stanford posted a 27-point win over Oregon State (75-48) at home in the lone meeting between the two teams last season. Chasson Randle (15), Anthony Brown (13) and Marcus Allen (10) were also in double figures for the Cardinal.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK UP TO FIVE AGAINST OREGON STATEA Stanford player has posted a double-double in each of the Cardinal’s last five games against Oregon State. There have been seven total double-doubles in those five contests. Dwight Powell had three of them, Josh Huestis had two, Josh Owens had one and Michael Humphrey had the most recent one last season.
GOING FOR 150Stanford’s Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball, Johnny Dawkins, eyes his 150th career victory when the Cardinal meets Oregon State on Wednesday. Dawkins, who owns a 149-105 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.
LAST TIME OUTStanford nearly erased a 16-point, second-half deficit, coming within one point of Colorado in a 56-55 setback to the Buffaloes at home on Sunday night. Colorado forward Josh Scott’s driving layup with 41 seconds remaining proved to be the difference for the Buffaloes. Sophomore Michael Humphrey led all scorers with 19 points to go with eight rebounds, two steals and a block for the Cardinal.
BALANCED SCORING ATTACKStanford’s balanced scoring attack includes five guys averaging double figures - Rosco Allen (13.6), Reid Travis (12.8), Marcus Allen (12.5), Dorian Pickens (11.9) and Michael Humphrey (10.6). The Cardinal is one of just three teams in the Pac-12 to have at least five individuals averaging double figures in the scoring column this season.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULEStanford’s first 13 opponents have totaled 114 wins through Jan. 3. The five teams - SMU, Villanova, Saint Mary’s, Texas and Colorado - the Cardinal suffered setbacks to are 58-11 through Jan. 3.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTSThe Cardinal is 1-1 against top-25 teams this season and 12-21 against ranked foes in the Johnny Dawkins era. Stanford defeated No. 21 Utah (70-68) on Jan. 1 and fell to No. 8/9 Villanova (59-45) on Nov. 27.
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 five games, Michael Humphrey (10.6 ppg) and Dorian Pickens (11.9 ppg) have each started the last five games and have accounted for 40.2 percent of the scoring (141-of-351) during those five contests.
NEW LOOK LINEUPRosco Allen was the lone Cardinal from Stanford’s starting lineup in the 2015 postseason NIT Championship game against Miami, who has started all 13 games this season. The Cardinal has used six different starting lineups in its first 13 games. In the last five contests, Stanford utilized the lineup of Rosco Allen, Marcus Allen, Michael Humphrey, Christian Sanders and Dorian Pickens.
ROSCO ALLEN FROM DEEPNearly half of Rosco Allen’s field goals (24-of-55) have come from three-point range. The senior ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in three-point field goals per game (2.0). He has recorded multiple three-pointers in eight games with at least three, five times. He has totaled 16 in the last seven games.
PRODUCING IN INCREASED ROLESThe 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 55.1 points in 143.4 (28.7 per player) minutes this year.
HUMPHREY FILLING UP THE BOX SCORESophomore Michael Humphrey is averaging 10.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game this season. He ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in blocks and 11th in rebounds. Humphrey has started 11 of Stanford’s 13 games, including each of the last nine contests. The forward, who posted a career-high 21 points against Sacramento State, has totaled 61 points in his last four games. 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 COURTJunior Marcus Allen has scored in double figures in eight of the 11 games he has played in this season. He ranks third on the Cardinal in scoring, averaging 12.5 ppg. The guard, who missed the first two games with a foot injury, is also averaging 2.4 assists and ranks second in the Pac-12 in steals (1.8).
PICKENS PROVIDES SCORING PUNCHSophomore Dorian Pickens is fourth on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and is second on the team with 22, 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 28.8 minutes this season, averaged 2.1 points in 9.8 minutes last season.
SANDERS, THE FLOOR GENERALAfter totaling 81 points in 61 games over his first three seasons at Stanford, senior point guard Christian Sanders has combined to record 72 points in 13 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 2.7 assists per game with a career-best eight in the win over Charleston Southern on Nov. 15.
TRAVIS A FORCE IN THE PAINTSophomore Reid Travis is second on the team in rebounds (7.1 rpg) and ranks third in points (12.8 ppg). His team-leading 55.7 field goal percentage ranks 10th in the conference. He scored a career-best 18 points at Saint Mary’s and collected a season-high 12 rebounds against Villanova. Travis is out indefinitely with a stress reaction in his left leg.
FRESHMEN MAKING IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTIONSThe 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 13 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 87 minutes in nine games. Sharma has registered 12 blocks in 68 minutes over 10 games.