Stanford (3-3) vs. Portland State (3-2) | Wednesday • Nov. 28 • 7 p.m. PT
Maples Pavilion • Stanford, Calif.
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Game Notes: Stanford | Portland State
Television: Pac-12 Networks | Radio: Stanford Cardinal Sports Network
Live Stats: GoStanford.com
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MAPLES WE HAVE MISSED YOU
After playing five of its first six games on the road, Stanford hosts Portland State at Maples Pavilion Wednesday in its first home contest in 22 days. The Cardinal opened the season with a win over Seattle on Nov. 6 in its lone previous home contest. Stanford's home game against Wofford on Nov. 16 was canceled.
FREQUENT FLYERS
Stanford will play six of its first eight games away from Maples Pavilion, traveling a total of 16,339 miles inside and outside the United States. The Cardinal will make stops in Wilmington, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Lawrence, Kansas and Paradise Island, Bahamas.
| Date | From | To | Opponent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 8 | Stanford, Calif. | Wilmington, N.C. | UNCW | 2,957 |
| Nov. 10 | Wilmington, N.C. | Chapel Hill, N.C. | North Carolina | 156 |
| Nov. 12 | Chapel Hill, N.C. | Stanford, Calif. | Return home | 2,821 |
| Nov. 17 | Stanford, Calif. | Paradise Island, Bahamas | Battle 4 Atlantis | 3,297 |
| Nov. 24 | Paradise Island, Bahamas | Stanford, Calif. | Return home | 3,297 |
| Nov. 30 | Stanford, Calif. | Lawrence, Kan. | Kansas | 1,855 |
| Dec. 2 | Kansas City, Mo. | Stanford, Calif. | Return home | 1,956 |
| Total | 16,339 |
YOUNG SQUAD
Eleven of Stanford's 15 players are in their first or second year playing. Only senior Josh Sharma and juniors Marcus Sheffield, Trevor Stanback and Rodney Herenton entered the year with at least two seasons played. Through six games, first and second-year players have accounted for 79.6 percent of Stanford's scoring (320 of 402) and 83.9 percent of Stanford's rebounding (183 of 218).
Stanford's starting lineup is made up of three sophomores (Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala, Oscar Da Silva) and two freshmen (Cormac Ryan and Bryce Wills).
LAST TIME OUT
KZ Okpala scored Stanford's first seven points, en route to a game-high 22 as the Cardinal defeated Middle Tennessee, 67-54, last Friday to place seventh in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Okpala, who was limited to a season-low 25 minutes with foul trouble, opened the second half with nine of Stanford's first 13 points and was 7-of-14 from the field overall. Seven of Stanford's nine first-half field goals were threes as the Cardinal built 32-23 halftime lead. Stanford went up by 18 with six minutes left, before Middle Tennessee responded with a 9-2 run to cut it to 58-58. That was as close as the Blue Raiders would get, as Stanford remained in control for the double-digit victory.
AGAINST PORTLAND STATE
Stanford and Portland State have met three times previously, including last season in the PK80 Invitational in Portland. The Cardinal won the first two meetings, defeating the Vikings on Dec. 19, 2001 (87-63) and Nov. 29, 2009 (83-64) at home. Stanford dropped an 87-78 decision to Portland State in the PK80 Invitational on Nov. 26, 2017 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
OKPALA'S IMPACT AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore KZ Okpala is averaging a team-best 17.7 ppg in 33.7 mpg through six games this season. He averaged 12.0 ppg in 30.5 mpg in his first six games last season. The forward, who had a career-best 29 points in the season opener against Seattle, is eighth in the Pac-12 in scoring. He was voted the Pac-12 Player of the Week on Nov. 12.
Turn the page and rise up to the challenge tomorrow. #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Men's Basketball (@stanfordmbb) on Nov 21, 2018 at 8:34pm PST
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS RECAP
In its second appearance in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Stanford placed seventh with a win over Middle Tennessee and defeats to No. 25 Wisconsin and Florida. The Cardinal struggled from the field against the Badgers and Gators, shooting a combined 31.4 percent (32-of-102). Against Wisconsin, Stanford recorded its worst shooting percentage in three seasons, posting a 27.1 FG percentage overall and 11.1 percent from three. Stanford, which had 46 points against Wisconsin and 49 vs. Florida, had not scored less than 50 points in consecutive games since the 1961-62 season. In the win over Middle Tennessee, seven of Stanford's nine first-half field goals were threes. The Cardinal shot 38.2 percent overall against the Blue Raiders.
Cardinal cruises in #Battle4Atlantis finale.#GoStanfordhttps://t.co/sUHfqyXGrR
— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) November 24, 2018
RYAN ON TARGET FROM DOWNTOWN
Freshman Cormac Ryan ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in three-point field goals, averaging 2.3 per game. He scored a team-best 12 points, all in the second half and all on three-pointers, last Thursday against Florida. The freshman has recorded at least four three-point field goals in a game in three of Stanford's six contest (5 vs. Seattle, 4 vs. North Carolina, 4 vs. Florida).
Ryan is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 ppg. He is shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range (14-of-42).
DAVIS CONTRIBUTING ON BOTH ENDS
Sophomore Daejon Davis, who broke Brevin Knight's school freshman assist record with 160 last season, has started all 39 career games he has played in. The point guard is averaging 8.2 ppg this year, with nine steals in six games. He ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in steals (1.5 spg). The sophomore has posted at least four points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in two games this season against UNC Wilmington and Middle Tennessee. He has posted at least four points, four rebounds and four assists in three of Stanford's six games so far. The point guard matched his career-high rebound total with 10 boards against the Blue Raiders last time out.
YOUNGEST PLAYER IN THE PAC-12
With a birthdate of October 13, 2000, freshman Bryce Wills is the youngest player in the Pac-12 Conference and one of the youngest in Division I college basketball. With most of the Division I schools reporting, Wills is the seventh-youngest player in the nation this season. DA SILVA'S SECOND-HALF PRODUCTION
Oscar da Silva has scored 29 of his 38 points on the season in the second half. Over the last four games, 25 of his 28 points have come after halftime.
SCHOOL-RECORD SHOOTING PERCENTAGE IN WIN OVER SEATTLE
In the season-opening win over Seattle, Stanford posted a school-record 73.3 three-point field goal percentage. The Cardinal connected on 11-of-15 attempts, led by Cormac Ryan's 5-of-6 FG percentage. The old mark was 72.7 percent (8-of-11) against Oregon State on Dec. 17, 1988.
MOST STEALS IN 22 YEARS IN VICTORY AT UNC WILMINGTON
In the win at UNCW, Stanford recorded 15 steals, matching its best total in a game in the last 22 years. The only other time Stanford had 15 steals in a game during that span was against Oregon State on Jan. 5, 2006.
RYAN POSTS THIRD-BEST POINT TOTAL IN DEBUT
Cormac Ryan's 16-point performance in his collegiate debut against Seattle was the third most by a true freshman in his debut in the program's 104-year history. Ryan connected on five threes, similar to now-sophomore Isaac White's collegiate debut last season (17 points on five three pointers).
Top scoring totals by a freshman in their collegiate debut in school history.
BACK-TO-BACK TOP-20 RECRUITING CLASSES
In Stanford's first six games, four true freshmen have made their first collegiate appearances. Cormac Ryan led the way with 16 points in 33 minutes in the season opener against Seattle. Jaiden Delaire had eight points in 25 minutes against the Redhawks. Lukas Kisunas had two points in five minutes. Bryce Wills made his collegiate debut at UNCW, with three points in 14 minutes. He has started the last three games. The Cardinal's class of newcomers was ranked as high as No. 20 nationally, giving the program back-to-back top-20 recruiting classes. Stanford's 2017 class of Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala, Oscar da Silva and Isaac White was ranked No. 8 nationally.
SHEFFIELD RETURNS
Redshirt junior Marcus Sheffield has returned to the lineup this season, after missing the entire 2017-18 season. He injured his leg in practice a couple days before the regular-season opener last year. Sheffield, who poured in a career-best 35 points against Arizona State on Dec. 30, 2016, averaged 6.7 ppg during his true sophomore campaign in 2016-17. Sheffield is averaging 5.8 ppg in 16.5 mpg off the bench in the first six games of 2018-19.