Stanford (10-10, 3-5 Pac-12) at California (5-15, 0-8 Pac-12) | Sunday • Feb. 3 • 1:00 p.m.
Haas Pavilion • Berkeley, Calif.
Television: ESPNU | Radio: Stanford Cardinal Sports Network
Game Notes: Stanford | Live Stats: CalBears.com
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BATTLE OF THE BAY
Stanford heads across the Bay to face California as a Sunday appetizer to Super Bowl LIII. The Cardinal and Golden Bears will meet at 1 p.m. at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley. Stanford has won three of the last four meetings, including a 76-58 victory in the Pac-12 Tournament last season.
OKPALA AMONG PAC-12's BEST
Sophomore KZ Okpala's 19.8 ppg scoring average over the last five games is the second-best in the Pac-12 during that span. He ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring (17.5 ppg), third in three-point field goal percentage (.439), and 14th in rebounding (6.0 rpg). In conference play, he is averaging 19.0 ppg (third) and 5.9 rpg (18th). He posted his second double-double of the year (22 pts., career-best 10 rebs.) at UCLA and matched his career-high with 29 points vs. Arizona.
BREAKING DOWN OKPALA'S PERFORMANCES
• 11 20-point games this season is tied for the most in the Pac-12 and is seven more than last year
• Averaging 18.9 ppg in his last 10 games, after averaging 15.8 ppg in the first nine contests.
• Posted four straight 20-point games for the first time in his career vs. Arizona, ASU, Wash., Utah
• Of the 14 performances of at least 29 points in the Pac-12 this season, only Okpala (29 vs.
Arizona and Seattle), Washington State's Robert Franks (31, 30) and Oregon State's Stephen
Thompson Jr. (34, 30) have achieved the feat more than once.
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 have more than two years of playing experience. Through 20 games, first and second-year players have accounted for 82% of Stanford's scoring (1,189 of 1,453) and 80% of Stanford's rebounding (562 of 706).
Stanford's starting lineup in seven games has been made up of freshmen and sophomores. In five games, sophomores Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala and Oscar da Silva have started alongside freshmen Cormac Ryan and Bryce Wills. Three freshmen - Ryan, Wills, Delaire - started at UCLA. The Cardinal is one of only four teams in Division I that have started all freshmen and sophomores this season, joining East Carolina, Incarnate Word and Mount St. Mary's.
OKPALA'S IMPACT AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore KZ Okpala leads Stanford in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg) in 32.6 mpg through 19 games he has played in this season (missed Washington State game with an injury). He averaged 9.8 ppg in 27.8 mpg in his first 19 games last season. The forward, who has recorded a career-best 29 points twice this season (vs. Arizona and Seattle), is fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring, third in three-point field goal percentage (.439), and 14th in rebounding.
AGAINST CALIFORNIA
California leads the all-time series, 149-122. Stanford has won seven of the last 10, including three of the last four between the two Bay Area schools. In the last meeting, the Cardinal posted a 76-58 victory over the Bears in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Stanford has won four of its last six games in Berkeley, including a 77-73 victory over Cal on Feb. 18, 2018.
CARDINAL PLAYERS AGAINST CALIFORNIA
Nine active Stanford players have faced California previously. Sophomores Daejon Davis (12.3 ppg) and KZ Okpala (8.0 ppg) have combined to average 20.3 ppg in three contests against the Bears. Davis scored 22 poins in last year's game at Cal.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE BEARS
Stanford scored 13 of the game's first 17 points, en route to a 76-58 victory over California March 7 in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. Reid Travis recorded 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Dorian Pickens added 16 points. The Cardinal held Cal to 28 percent shooting and had a 30-18 advantage in the paint.
SHARMA ON TARGET
Senior Josh Sharma leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage, shooting 66.7 percent from the field (70-of-105). In conference play, he leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage by nearly 10 percent, shooting 76.9 percent (30-of-39).
JOSH JAMS
Of Josh Sharma's 70 field goals on the season, 34 have been dunks. He has 27 dunks in the last 15 games.
SHARMA SHINES IN LAST NINE GAMES
Over his last nine games, Josh Sharma is averaging 10.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and is shooting 74.1 percent from the field. He averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg in his first 11 contests of the season.
SENIOR SENDS IT AWAY
Josh Sharma owns 26 blocks on the year. He ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.3 bpg) overall and third in the conference in league action (1.6 bpg).
SHARMA'S LAST GAME AGAINST CAL
Josh Sharma came off the bench to score 12 points in 15 minutes in Stanford's win over California in the Pac-12 Tournament last March. He was 5-of-6 from the field in the victory over the Bears.
DAVIS DOES IT ALL
Sophomore Daejon Davis has averaged 15.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals in his last 12 games. The point guard has posted a season-best 19 points in three games this season, against No. 2 Kansas, Eastern Washington and San Francisco.
Davis is fourth in the Pac-12 in steals (1.7 spg) and seventh in assists (4.4 apg). He is fourth in the conference with 5.6 apg during Pac-12 action.
The sophomore has recorded at least four points, four rebounds, and four assists OR four steals in a game six times this season. Last week against Colorado, the point guard recorded 16 points, six assists and four rebounds. Davis has posted at least four points, four rebounds, four assists AND four steals in two games this season against UNC Wilmington and Middle Tennessee.
DA SILVA FINDS TOUCH FROM DOWNTOWN
Sophomore Oscar da Silva has connected on 20 threes in the last 12 games after opening the season 3-of-30. He finished with a career-high six threes against San Jose State.
DA SILVA'S SECOND-HALF PRODUCTION
Oscar da Silva has had several notable second-half performances. He posted all 12 of his points at San Francisco, all 11 of his points at North Carolina and all seven of his points vs. Wisconsin after halftime.
MOST BLOCKS IN THREE SEASONS
Stanford's 10 blocks against Utah on Jan. 24 marked its highest total in a game in three seasons. The Cardinal last reached double digits in blocks in a game on Nov. 13, 2015 against Green Bay, finishing with 12 in the contest.
Stanford owns 100 blocks on the season, and ranks third in the Pac-12, averaging 5.0 bpg. The Cardinal is second in conference play at 5.5 bpg.
RYAN AMONG PAC-12'S BEST 3-POINT THREATS
Freshman Cormac Ryan has recorded at least four three-point field goals in a game in five contests (6 vs. USC, 5 vs. Seattle, 4 vs. North Carolina, 4 vs. Florida, 4 vs. Eastern Washington). He has multiple three-point field goals in seven games and is shooting 33.7 percent from three-point range (30-of-89). Ryan's career-best six threes at USC (all in the second half) were the most threes in a game by a Stanford freshman since Chasson Randle (6) vs. Arizona State on March 7, 2012.
WILLS ONE OF NATION'S YOUNGEST PLAYERS
With a birthdate of October 13, 2000, Bryce Wills is the youngest player in the Pac-12 and one of the youngest in Division I. Wills is the seventh-youngest player in the nation. He has started 12 games overall, including seven of the last nine.
In Pac-12 play, Wills is averaging 7.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg in 28.2 mpg. He has played more than 30 minutes in each of Stanford's last three games. Wills averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 22.2 mpg in 11 nonconference games. The freshman recorded a career-best 13 points and eight rebounds at Washington State.