SALT LAKE CITY – Stanford closes its regular season in Salt Lake City, where the Cardinal will face Utah Saturday at 1 p.m. PT at the Huntsman Center. It is the third consecutive year Stanford will end the regular season on the road and the second time in four years the Cardinal will face the Utes in the regular-season finale. Stanford defeated Utah, 61-60, at home to close the 2013-14 season.
THE PAC-12 STANDINGS
Stanford enters the final game of the regular season tied for ninth in the Pac-12 standings with Washington State. The Cardinal (6-11) can finish anywhere between eighth and 10th in the conference, heading into next week's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
AGAINST UTAH
Utah leads the all-time series 18-13. Stanford won the last meeting, an 81-75 victory Feb. 4 at Maples Pavilion. While Utah has won three of the past five meetings, Stanford holds a 6-4 record against the Utes since they joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. Stanford's last win in Salt Lake City was Jan. 27, 2013. Seniors Grant Verhoeven and Christian Sanders are the only current members of the Cardinal to have played in a Cardinal win against the Utes in Salt Lake City.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST UTAH
Reid Travis scored 13 of his 26 points in the final eight-plus minutes as Stanford pulled away late to beat Utah, 81-75, Feb. 4 at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal won a see-saw battle that featured 16 lead changes and nine ties.
Travis shot 11 for 15 from the field and had his highest-scoring game since posting a career-best 29 against Kansas, Dec. 3. Limited by fouls to eight minutes in the first half, he dominated in the second half, scoring on an assortment of spinning drives and power moves.
Stanford took the lead for good when Robert Cartwright hit a three-point shot for a 63-60 advantage with 7:15 left. Cartwright finished with 14 points while teammates Dorian Pickens and Marcus Allen scored 14 and 13, respectively. Stanford shot 64 percent from the field in the second half.
TRAVIS AMONG RARE COMPANY
Reid Travis is one of five 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 March 3)
Individual School Conference Scoring (rank) Rebounding (rank)
Caleb Swanigan Purdue Big Ten 18.6 (2nd) 12.5 (1st)
Jonathan Motley Baylor Big 12 17.5 (3rd) 9.7 (1st)
Reid Travis Stanford Pac-12 17.5 (3rd) 8.8 (5th)
John Collins Wake Forest ACC 19.3 (3rd) 9.8 (2nd)
Josh Hart Villanova BIG EAST 18.6 (2nd) 6.5 (5th)
R2T2 AMONG THE PAC-12'S BEST
Reid Travis "R2T2" ranks in the top seven in the Pac-12 in seven different categories. The junior has posted nine of his 10 career double-doubles this season, averaging 17.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg. In his last seven games, Travis is averaging 20.9 ppg and 9.4 rpg, including three double-doubles. He is the only Pac-12 player to rank in the top five in scoring and rebounding, and one of two players (TJ Leaf) to rank in the top seven in the league in scoring, rebounding and field goal %.
TRAVIS FROM THE LINE
Despite missing four games with a right shoulder injury, Reid Travis still ranks among the Pac-12 leaders in free throws attempted (second, 169) and free throws made (third, 112). At Kansas, he set Stanford single-game records for free throws made (19) and attempted (22), while also breaking the same free throw marks by a Kansas opponent. While Travis is getting to the charity stripe much more, his free throw percentage has also improved from last year.
SEEING DOUBLE
Reid Travis has posted nine double-doubles this season, including three in the last six games.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Prior to Thursday's game at Colorado, Stanford had forced 119 turnovers over its previous 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 recorded 60 thefts in that seven-game stretch. Stanford ranks second in the Pac-12 in steals (6.7 spg). The Cardinal has held five of its last eight opponents below their season scoring average.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Stanford has played the seventh toughest schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's strength of schedule rankings on March 3. The Cardinal has played eight games against teams in the top-20 of the RPI. Stanford's RPI is 84, while its average RPI loss is 46, according to the March 3 NCAA report.
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, its first three-game stretch vs. top-25 foes since 2002.
ALLEN'S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN THE LAST 12 GAMES
Marcus Allen has been one of the Cardinal's leaders on both ends of the floor over the last 12 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 nearly nine points better per game (13.0) in his last 12 contests.
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON ALLEN'S RECENT PLAY
• Made five three-pointers in last seven games, after five in first 22 contests.
• Recorded 19 steals in last 10 games, ranks fourth in Pac-12 in steals (1.6).
• His 117 career steals rank 12th on Stanford's career steals list.
TRAVIS, HUMPHREY ANCHORING THE POST
Junior forwards Reid Travis and Michael Humphrey have combined to average 38.4 percent (26.7 out of 69.5) of the team's scoring and 43.4 percent (15.0 out of 34.6) of the team's rebounding average. In conference play, Travis is averaging 17.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg in 13 games, and Humphrey is contributing 10.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg 16 contests.
HUMPHREY CONTROLLING THE GLASS
Michael Humphrey (6.2 rpg overall) is averaging 7.9 rpg in his last 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. Humphrey has played more than 30 minutes in eight of the last 14 contests, after not reaching the 30-minute mark in the first 14 games.
PICKENS ON TARGET FROM BEYOND THE ARC
Junior Dorian Pickens had his streak of seven consecutive games with multiple three-pointers snapped last time out at Colorado (0-for-3). He has posted at least one three-pointer in 25 games, with multiple three-pointers in 17 contests. He has totaled 22 three-pointers in his last eight games. Pickens is shooting 42.3 percent from three-point range in his last eight 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.
THE JUNIOR CLASS
Three members of Stanford's junior class - Reid Travis, Dorian Pickens and Michael Humphrey - have accounted for 56.1 percent of the team's overall scoring average (39.0 out of 69.5). Travis (17.5 ppg), Pickens (12.3 ppg) and Humphrey (9.2 ppg) are Stanford's top three scoring and rebounding leaders.
