Stanford (12-11, 5-6 Pac-12) vs. USC (13-11, 6-5 Pac-12) | Wednesday • Feb. 13 • 8:00 p.m.
Maples Pavilion • Stanford, Calif.
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Television: ESPNU | Radio: Stanford Cardinal Sports Network
Game Notes: Stanford | Live Stats: GoStanford.com
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FIVE OF SEVEN AT MAPLES
Stanford is back home, where it will play five of its final seven games of the regular season. The Cardinal hosts USC Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the first repeat opponent of the conference slate. Stanford dropped a 77-66 decision the Trojans in Los Angeles on Jan. 6. The Cardinal has won its last four at home and six of its last nine overall against USC.
A 'RARE' HOME GAME
Stanford has played just nine home games all season, the least among the Power 5 conferences, as well as the Mountain West, West Coast, Big East, Conference-USA, American Athletic Association and Atlantic 10.
JULIUS ERVING AWARD FINALIST
Sophomore KZ Okpala is a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 10 finalists on Feb. 7. The sophomore ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring (17.4 ppg), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.400), and 14th in rebounding (5.9 rpg). In conference play, the forward is third in scoring, averaging 18.3 ppg. Okpala scored a career-high 30 points in the win at California.
BREAKING DOWN OKPALA'S PERFORMANCES
• 12 20-point games this season is the second-most in the Pac-12 and is eight more than last year
• Career-high 30 points at California is one of nine 30-point games in conference play this year
• Averaging 18.4 ppg in his last 13 games, after averaging 15.8 ppg in the first nine contests.
• Stanford is 4-1 when Okpala scores 23 points or more (only loss was by two to Arizona)
• Of the 18 performances of 29+ points in the Pac-12, only Okpala and Robert Franks have achieved the feat three or more times
OKPALA'S IMPACT AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore KZ Okpala leads Stanford in scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg) in 33.3 mpg in 22 games this season (missed Washington State game with an injury). In 23 games as a freshman, he averaged 10.0 ppg in 28.5 mpg.
AGAINST USC
In 252 all-time meetings, Stanford and USC have each won 126 contests. However, the March 8, 2008 win by USC was later vacated by the program due to NCAA penalty. Despite a loss earlier this season in Los Angeles, the Cardinal has won six of the last nine games in the series. Stanford has won the last four games at Maples Pavilion. USC has not won at Maples Pavilion since Feb. 14, 2013. No current member of Stanford has lost to USC at home.
CARDINAL PLAYERS AGAINST USC
Eleven active Stanford players have faced USC previously. Freshman Cormac Ryan had a career-high 18 points on six second-half threes in January's game against the Trojans. Sophomore Daejon Davis is averaging 9.7 ppg and 5.7 apg in three games against USC.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE TROJANS
Freshman Cormac Ryan scored a career-high 18 points on six threes all in the second half, but USC outlasted the Cardinal, 77-66, on Jan. 6 in Los Angeles.
Nick Rakocevic scored 23 and Bennie Boatwright added 22 to lead the Trojans. Daejon Davis had 14 and KZ Okpala finished with 12 for Stanford.
Stanford erased a 13-point first-half deficit, opening the second half strong to take a brief lead. USC didn't trail until Okpala's 3-pointer gave Stanford a 49-46 lead with 12:45 left. USC pulled away with an 11-0 run with 2:22 remaining.
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 23 games, first and second-year players have accounted for 83% of Stanford's minutes (3,821 of 4,627), 82% of Stanford's scoring (1,361 of 1,666) and 79% of Stanford's rebounding (644 of 814).
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. Freshmen and sophomores have combined for 99 out of a possible 115 starts through 23 games.
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.
WINNING ON THE ROAD IN THE PAC-12
Stanford has won seven conference road games over the last season and a half, winning seven of 16 since the start of the 2018 conference slate. The Cardinal won just six conference road contests in 27 tries in a three-season span from 2015-17.
SHARMA ON TARGET
Senior Josh Sharma leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage, shooting 66.4 percent from the field (81-of-122). In conference play, he leads the Pac-12 in FG percentage by five percent, shooting 73.2 percent (41-of-56).
JOSH JAMS
Of Josh Sharma's 81 field goals on the season, 37 have been dunks. He has 30 dunks in the last 18 games.
SHARMA SHINES IN LAST SEVEN GAMES
Over his last seven games, Josh Sharma is averaging 10.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and is shooting 70.7 percent from the field. He averaged 7.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg in his first 16 contests of the season.
SENIOR SENDS IT AWAY
Josh Sharma owns 28 blocks on the year. He ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.2 bpg) overall and fifth in the conference in league action (1.4 bpg).
DAVIS DOES IT ALL
Sophomore Daejon Davis has averaged 14.6 pts., 4.2 asts. and 2.2 stls. in his last five games. The point guard has posted a season-best 19 points in three games, against Kansas, Eastern Washington and San Francisco.
Davis is fifth in the Pac-12 in steals (1.6 spg) and seventh in assists (4.2 apg). He is fourth in the conference with 4.9 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. 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.
13 FOR NUMBER 13
Stanford is 5-0 on the season when sophomore Oscar da Silva scores at least 13 points. He matched his career-high with 23 points (17 in the first half) to go along with nine rebounds and a career-best seven assists at Oregon State.
CORMAC BACK
Freshman Cormac Ryan returned three games ago at California, after missing the previous four games and seven of the previous 11 with ankle injuries. He 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), and has multiple three-point field goals in eight games. The freshman is shooting 33.0 percent from three-point range (33-of-100). 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 the last seven games, and 15 overall.
In Pac-12 play, Wills is averaging 8.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 28.6 mpg. In Stanford's last six games, the freshman is averaging 11.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Wills recorded a career-best 16 points at California. The freshman averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 22.2 mpg in 11 nonconference games.