STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford closes the regular-season in the Rocky Mountains, as the Cardinal heads to Colorado and Utah this week. First up is a visit to Boulder on Thursday to face the Buffaloes at Coors Events Center. Stanford and Colorado enter the week tied with Washington State for eighth place in the conference standings with two games remaining.
THE PAC-12 STANDINGS
Stanford enters the final week of the regular season in an eighth-place tie with Colorado and Washington State with 6-10 records. Arizona State (7-10) is a half-game ahead. With two games left, the Cardinal can finish anywhere between seventh and 10th in the conference.
TRAVIS AMONG RARE COMPANY
Reid Travis is one of six individuals in the top six conferences (Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, SEC and BIG EAST) to rank in the top five of his league in scoring and rebounding. (as of Feb. 28)
Travis Among Rare Company
| Individual | School | Conference | Scoring (Rank) | Rebounding (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Swanigan | Purdue | SEC | 18.6 (2nd) | 12.5 (1st) |
| Reid Travis | Stanford | Pac-12 | 17.7 (3rd) | 8.8 (5th) |
| Jonathan Motley | Baylor | Big 12 | 17.5 (3rd) | 9.7 (1st) |
| Sindarius Thornwell | South Carolina | SEC | 21.0 (2nd) | 7.3 (5th) |
| John Collins | Wake Forest | ACC | 19.1 (5th) | 9.8 (2nd) |
| Josh Hart | Villanova | BIG EAST | 18.6 (2nd) | 6.5 (5th) |
R2T2 AMONG PAC-12'S BEST
Reid Travis "R2T2" ranks in the top seven in the Pac-12 in seven different categories overall. The junior has posted nine of his 10 career double-doubles this season, averaging 17.7 ppg and 8.8 rpg overall. In his last six games, Travis is averaging 22.0 ppg and 9.7 rpg, including three double-doubles. He is coming off a 27-point, 14-rebound performance against No. 6 Oregon this past Saturday. He is the only Pac-12 player to rank in the top five in scoring and rebounding, and one of two players (UCLA's TJ Leaf is the other) to rank in the top seven in the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.
Tracking Travis
| Category | Average | Pac-12 |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring | 17.7 | 3rd |
| Rebounding | 8.8 | 5th |
| Field Goal Percentage | .573 | 7th |
| Offensive Rebounds | 3.4 | 1st |
| Double-Doubles | 9 | 6th |
| Free Throws Made | 110 | 3rd |
| Free Throws Attempted | 165 | 3rd |
SEEING DOUBLE
Reid Travis has posted nine of his 10 career double-doubles this season. He has recorded three double-doubles in his last five games.
AGAINST COLORADO
Colorado holds a 10-9 edge in the series. The Cardinal has dropped seven straight to the Buffaloes, including the last three in Boulder. Stanford's last win against Colorado came on Feb. 23, 2012, a 74-50 triumph in Boulder. No current member of Stanford's roster has played in a win against Colorado.
SHEFFIELD'S STANDOUT PERFORMANCES AGAINST COLORADO
Sophomore Marcus Sheffield, who averages 6.4 points and 1.2 assists for his career, is averaging 13.3 points and 3.7 assists in three career games against Colorado. At home against Colorado earlier this season, he led the Cardinal with 19 points in 25 minutes off the bench.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Stanford has forced 119 turnovers over its last seven games. The 41 combined forced turnovers in consecutive games against Cal and Oregon State was the most in a two-game stretch in conference play in more than 12 years, since Stanford also forced 41 combined miscues vs. USC (21 turnovers - Jan. 22, 2005) and UCLA (20 turnovers – Jan. 20, 2005). Led by Marcus Allen's 14 steals, the Cardinal has recorded 60 thefts in the seven contests. Stanford ranks second in the Pac-12 in steals (6.8 spg). The Cardinal also held five of those seven opponents below their season scoring average.Getting Defensive
| Opponent | Season Turnover Avg. | Turnovers vs. Stanford |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 12.7 | 23 |
| Utah | 13.6 | 17 |
| Arizona | 11.6 | 13 |
| Arizona State | 10.5 | 17 |
| California | 12.8. | 20 |
| Oregon State | 15.5 | 21 |
| Oregon | 12.1 | 8 |
| Average | 12.7 | 17.0 (119 total) |
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Stanford has played the fifth toughest schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's strength of schedule rankings as of Feb. 28. The Cardinal has played eight games against teams in the top-20 of the RPI as of Feb. 28. Look no further than a daunting nonconference slate that featured Miami, Seton Hall, No. 12/13 Saint Mary's, No. 4/5 Kansas and SMU. In conference play, Stanford faced No. 18/18 Arizona, No. 25/RV USC and No. 4/5 UCLA in succession, representing its first three-game stretch vs. top-25 foes since 2002.
ALLEN'S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN THE LAST 11 GAMES
Marcus Allen has been one of the Cardinal's leaders on both ends of the floor over the last 10 games. He is averaging 12.8 ppg (second on team), while leading the team in steals (21) and ranking third in assists (25) during this span. After averaging 4.4 ppg in his first 17 contests, Allen is averaging more than eight points better per game in his last 11 contests.
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON ALLEN'S RECENT PLAY
• Made four three-pointers in last six games, after five in first 22 contests.
• Recorded 19 steals in last nine games, ranks fourth in Pac-12 in steals (1.7).
• His 117 career steals rank 12th on Stanford's career steals list.
| Allen | Scoring Avg. | Steals (Avg.) | Assists (Avg.) | Field Goal % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First 17 Games | 4.4 | 15 (0.9) | 24 (1.4) | .341 (28-82) |
| Last 11 Games | 12.8 | 21 (1.9) | 25 (2.3) | .505 (55-109) |
PICKENS ON TARGET FROM BEYOND THE ARC
Junior Dorian Pickens is the only player in the Pac-12 to record multiple three-pointers in each of the last seven games. He has posted at least one three-pointer in 23 games, with multiple three-pointers in 17 contests. He has totaled 22 three-pointers in his last seven games, tied with Bryce Alford for the second most in the conference during this span. Pickens is shooting 44.9 percent from three-point range in his last seven games. The junior owns a team-best 58 three-pointers on the year, including a career-high seven (7-of-10) vs. Idaho earlier this season. Pickens connected on the game-winning trifecta against Indiana State with 2.0 seconds left.
TRAVIS, HUMPHREY ANCHORING POST
Junior forwards Reid Travis and Michael Humphrey have combined to average 38.6 percent (26.8 out of 69.4) of the team's scoring and 43.6 percent (15.1 out of 34.6) of the team's rebounding average. In conference play, Travis is averaging 17.6 ppg and 7.8 rpg in 12 games, and Humphrey is contributing 10.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg 15 contests.
HUMPHREY CONTROLLING THE GLASS
Michael Humphrey has totaled 106 rebounds (8.2 rpg) over the last 13 games. He ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.7 rpg during league play. Humphrey has played more than 30 minutes in eight of the last 13 contests, after not reaching the 30-minute mark in the first 14 games. At UCLA, Humphrey set a career-high with 27 points and finished one shy of his career-best with 14 rebounds for his first double-double of the year. He was one rebound shy of a double-double (10 points, nine rebounds) at Cal. The junior finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds at Arizona State on Feb. 11.
THE JUNIOR CLASS
Three members of Stanford's junior class - Reid Travis, Dorian Pickens and Michael Humphrey - have accounted for 57.1 percent of the team's overall scoring average (39.6 out of 69.4). Travis (17.7 ppg), Pickens (12.8 ppg) and Humphrey (9.1 ppg) are Stanford's top three scoring and rebounding leaders.